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SALEM, MASS. – ����ֱ�� will return to session next week, with a weekend of events and move in-driven activity leading to academic convocation and the formal kickoff of the academic year on Tuesday.

Academic convocation will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. in the Twohig Gymnasium at the O’Keefe Sports Complex, 225 Canal St.

The event will open with remarks from President John Keenan and student speaker Saturn Wands, a member of the class of 2026 and president of the Student Government Association. It will then transition to a convocation address from Anne DeFelippo, JD, PhD, a professor in the school of nursing and recipient of the faculty’s Outstanding First Year Advocate Award.

But by the time convocation wraps and the year begins, days of activity will have already played out to open the year. The weekend gets a soft start on Thursday and Friday, with the early move-in of volunteers participating in the First Year Day of Service on Friday, Aug. 30.

New life will arrive on campus throughout Saturday and Sunday’s Move-in Weekend. Marsh, Peabody and Bowditch halls are due to be moved in Saturday, Aug. 31 while Atlantic and Forten halls will move in on Sunday, Sept. 1.

DeFelippo and Wands both plan to emphasize the importance of community and wellness in their remarks at Convocation, both in a bid to ease anxieties as the students walk on campus for the first time.

Speaking ahead of convocation day, DeFelippo said she’ll use her experience as a first-generation college student to address those arriving at Salem State for the first time. She intends to focus on three priorities, she explained: recognize and lean on the university community around you, prioritize your own well-being, and be ready to embrace and thrive through the challenges of college life.

“I’m first generation and felt the weight of that responsibility throughout my years of college,” DeFelippo said. “I didn’t want to let anyone in my family down – they were making huge sacrifices for me to attend college.

“I can identify with many students who attend SSU, because of that reason,” DeFelippo continued. “I see my early self in my students.”

For that, DeFelippo recalled what it was like to be a first-year student in a new environment.

“In my first year of college, I was afraid to ask for help. I thought I shouldn’t need it,” DeFelippo said. “But I finally got up the courage to ask for help balancing studying with being with friends. I was shown how to balance my time and my grades went up, and I found that I could enjoy being a college student who worked hard but also made and kept friends close.”

DeFelippo plans to encourage students to make use of the community they’re joining and to not be afraid to seek help, she explained. That includes making use of the newly announced Center for Accessible Academic Resources, and to not wait before asking for help of any kind.

While she plans to address incoming students, DeFelippo made special note of the transfer students arriving on campus for the first time. “Not only first year students, but transfer students are also coming in new,” she said.

That message will also be broadcast by Saturn Wands ’26, president of the Student Government Association. Wands will outline her background as a student who started her education in California but transferred to ����ֱ�� early in her career.

“It’s completely natural to feel intimidated by such a big change, and for myself as a first generation college student and a transfer student, I had no idea what to expect when it came to student involvement,” Wands said. “I didn’t realize how beneficial becoming involved on campus could be, and I hope to share my experiences with incoming students so that they’re able to build meaningful connections in the community.”