1787 August Orientation
According to the JMU Orientation, JMU August Orientation is called 1787 because the month of August will bring tremendous transitions for you. It was August 1787 when James Madison and his buddies met in Philadelphia and wrote the U.S. Constitution. Through wigs and wooden teeth, they made a tremendous transition! This country was never the same and you won't be either after your time at 1787. By the end of August 1787 you will be ready for your new life at JMU! At 1787 you will...- Discover how to make JMU an unparalleled educational experience
- Make friends before classes begin
- Get tips from faculty on how to succeed in the classroom
- Get the scoop on differences between high school and college
- Take in some great entertainment
- Get settled before classes begin
- Explore new cultures
The Mappy
Upon move-in, you will receive your very own personalized Mappy, a schedule of 1787 events and campus map that will help you navigate your 1787 August Orientation experience. Take note of the events that are required for all first-year students. The schedule is filled with events that will help you transition, socially and academically. One of the most important meetings to note is our Group Advising Session on Thursday, August 21 from 2 - 4 p.m. This is a required session where we’ll cover important advising and registration information. You’ll find out the location when you get your Mappy. I’m looking forward to seeing you!Navigating Campus
Walk It. Use the “Can I Get There on Time” map to see what buildings you can get between in 15 minutes or if you need to plan for more time. And, since campus is big and hilly, take advantage of this cool X-map that a student in Computer Science created. It calculates how many calories you burn based on the routes you walk through campus.
Bus It. The inner-campus shuttles and the Convo Express run continuous loops on campus, from about 7am-7pm, and arrive at stops approximately every 10 minutes. Bus schedules can be found on JMU’s Buses & Pedestrians website.
Bike It. If you brought your bike, there are plenty of bike racks throughout campus outside of residence halls, academic buildings, dining halls, and so on. According to the JMU Student Handbook, both the City of Harrisonburg and JMU require all bicycles to be registered. All campus residents must register their bicycles with the Office of Public Safety and affix the issued numerical decal to the bike. Off-campus residents operating bicycles on campus may register their bicycles with either the city of Harrisonburg or JMU. Don’t forget to practice good safety and security behaviors like minding traffic patterns, wearing a helmet, and locking your bike. Check out the Resources for Bicyclist at JMU for more information.