“The people on campus are really very friendly. There are a lot of new people and new experiences in the city, so I think that’s really great to be involved with.” – Liam Burke, W’27

Penn’s Move-In Coordinator (MIC) Program is here to help put incoming students at ease. Operated out of Residential & Hospitality Services, the program is staffed by 49 second-year, third-year, and fourth-year students—veterans of the University’s Move-In process—who assist the 6,000 or so new and returning Quakers with getting their PennCards, checking into their College Houses, and answering questions to expedite the endeavor.

The coordinators come to campus a week early to prepare for Move-In. This year, they arrived on Monday, Aug. 12, and went through an extensive training session on Tuesday, Aug. 13. Afterward, they were out and about, putting up signs, setting up tents, learning how to drive golf carts, and partaking in additional essential actions that will allow them to hit the ground running when Move-In begins on Monday, Aug. 19. Once Move-In concludes on Sunday, Aug. 25, the coordinators operate in reverse, taking down signs and tents, storing golf carts, and collecting rolling box carts.

Liam Burke, W’27. (Image: Eric Sucar)

Liam Burke, a rising second-year in the Wharton School, is in his first year as a Move-In coordinator. A native of Pearl River, New York, he says he was interested in being a coordinator because, in part, they get to return to campus early. He received an email a couple months back advertising the coordinator position and jumped at the opportunity.

“I really enjoy campus and felt I was away for too long,” he says. “I like being in Philly. I really enjoy how it’s a campus environment. It feels very connected, but at the same time you have access to the city. Also, the people on campus are really very friendly. There are a lot of new people and new experiences in the city, so I think that’s really great to be involved with.”

Moreover, he says his own Move-In last summer was “great” and “enjoyable,” and he wanted to provide new and returning students with that same sense of joy.

“It doesn’t feel like that long ago,” he says of his 2023 Move-In. “I moved into the Quad. Moving into college is a very stressful process and you expect it almost to be very difficult, but I found it to actually be a very seamless transition and easy experience.”

Read more at Penn Today.

Posted: August 21, 2024

Undergraduate Program

Move-in coordinators organize signage at Hill House. (Image: Eric Sucar)

Mark Cordova, assistant director for building operations in Residential & Hospitality Services, oversees the MIC Program. He says it is an opportunity for domestic and international undergraduates to learn about logistics and leadership, as well as welcome students to Penn and help build the connection with the new and returning student population.

When vetting students who apply for the compensated coordinator positions, he says they like to hear a little bit about their perspective on customer service.

“They don’t necessarily need to have a customer service background, but we want to make sure that they know to interact with others,” he says. “We look for the ability to troubleshoot problems, knowing how to identify resources, and how to reach out to folks. Move-In can be a hectic period so we like to make sure that they know who they can go to.”

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