This is Welcome Week at the University of Louisville.
Students have begun moving into campus housing and going through orientation in advance of the start of the fall semester next week.
Dean of Students Michael Mardis said the incoming freshman class of nearly 2,800 students is one of the largest in school history. Most of them will reside in university-affiliated housing.
“We’ve continued to see an increase in the number of students that live on campus," Mardis said. "This year, preliminary, what we’re projecting is that it will be 73-74 percent of our new freshman class will live on campus.”
Some physical changes were made in and around the Belknap Campus over the summer. Among them, several new dining options, and two new university-affiliated residence halls are now open.
U of L is also undergoing a highly publicized leadership transition.
Neville Pinto is acting president following the resignation of James Ramsey this summer, and the makeup of the U of L Board of Trustees is the focus of a legal battle between Gov. Matt Bevin and Attorney General Andy Beshear.
Mardis said that shakeup in leadership won’t affect campus operations.
“The university faculty and staff are committed to our students’ success and our students being successful," he said. "We have outstanding students. And they’re focused on that.”
A judge signed an order last week that sets a timeline for the lawsuit between Beshear and Bevin. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd will hear arguments from both sides on Oct. 4.
The first day of undergraduate classes at U of L is Monday.
