WSU welcomed students system-wide on the first day of fall semester, Aug. 19, 2024.
Students are returning en masse to Washington State University campuses statewide for the first day of classes.
Pullman kicked off festivities early, as usual, with its pre-semester Week of Welcome, culminating with Friday’s convocation and a campus-wide picnic presented by BECU and resource fair. Spokane and Global campuses also hosted pre-semester welcoming events, with Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and Everett campuses welcoming students back Aug. 19 for first day of classes. Welcoming events are continuing through this week as well system-wide.
Scroll through the welcome-back photo gallery below as WSU’s photographers document the return of students.
![A group of WSU Spokane students look at a printed copies of campus maps.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/WSU-Spokane-students-Orientation-Day-2024-01-1024x676.jpg)
![A group of WSU Spokane students walking across campus.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/WSU-Spokane-students-Orientation-Day-2024-03-1024x676.jpg)
![Two WSU Spokane students waving while walking past a balloon arch.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/WSU-Spokane-students-Orientation-Day-2024-02-1024x676.jpg)
![A female cheerleader holding pom poms.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-cheerleader-1024x676.jpg)
![WSU Head Football Coach Jake Dickert.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-Jake-Dickert-1024x676.jpg)
![Students cheering during a pep rally for WSU Pullman students.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-pep-rally-crowd-1024x676.jpg)
![A Cougar mascot fires water at students using a squirt gun.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-Butch-and-squirt-gun-1024x676.jpg)
![Students gathered on a football field and forming the letters WSU.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-group-photo-1024x676.jpg)
![Students seated inside a coliseum during a convocation ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-crowd-at-convocation-1024x676.jpg)
![A student smiling as they sit during WSU's convocation ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-student-at-convocation-878x1024.jpg)
![A Cougar mascot raising his arm as a pep band plays the fight song.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-Butch-at-convocation-1024x850.jpg)
![Crowds of students walk down the street on the WSU Pullman campus.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-students-walking-to-picnic-1024x676.jpg)
![Three students holding plates of food and smiling during a picnic.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-three-students-holding-food-1024x676.jpg)
![A WSU Police officer giving two thumbs up after being covered in whipped cream from a pie.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-police-officer-covered-in-pie-1024x676.jpg)
![Four students smiling as they hold plates of food at a picnic.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-WOW-four-students-holding-food-1024x676.jpg)
![Students laughing as they hold microphones on stage.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-Up-All-Night-singing-789x1024.jpg)
![A student holds on while riding a mechanical bull.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-Up-All-Night-bull-riding-1024x676.jpg)
![WSU medical students seated during a white coat ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-medicine-white-coat-crowd-1024x676.jpg)
![A WSU medical student holds two fingers up to form a V-shaped peace sign.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-medicine-white-coat-recipient-giving-peace-sign-1024x676.jpg)
![A male WSU medical student receives a white coat during a ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-medicine-white-coat-male-recipient-1024x771.jpg)
![A female WSU medical student receives a white coat during a ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-medicine-white-coat-female-recipient-1024x776.jpg)
![WSU medical students standing and reciting text from a program.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-medicine-white-coat-crowd-reciting-1024x676.jpg)
![WSU medical students standing in a lobby for a group photo.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-medicine-white-coat-recipients-1024x676.jpg)
![An arm holding a WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences white coat.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-pharmacy-white-coat-over-arm-1024x676.jpg)
![WSU pharmacy students seated during a white coat ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-pharmacy-white-coat-crowd-listening-1024x676.jpg)
![A female WSU pharmacy student receives a white coat during a ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-pharmacy-white-coat-female-recipient-1024x798.jpg)
![A male WSU pharmacy student receives a white coat during a ceremony.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-pharmacy-white-coat-male-recipient.jpg)
![WSU pharmacy students standing, raising their hands, and taking an oath.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-pharmacy-white-coat-crowd-taking-oath-1024x676.jpg)
![A student waves pom poms in the air and greets WSU Cougars.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-TC-Wave-the-Flag-student-pom-poms-1024x676.jpg)
![Butch waving a giant Cougar flag outside the entrance to the WSU Tri-Cities campus.](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-TC-Wave-the-Flag-Butch-and-flag-1024x863.jpg)
![Butch standing next to an employee holding a sign that reads "WSU Tri-Cities, Vamos Cougs!"](https://wpcdn.web.wsu.edu/news/uploads/sites/2797/2024/08/2024-TC-Wave-the-Flag-Butch-and-employee-1024x927.jpg)