The nearly 7,200 students moving into residence halls Saturday will experience a different move-in process this year.

The University is offering students online registration and has nearly tripled the number of volunteers working on move-in day.

Seth Weinshel, director of Campus Housing and Occupancy Management, said GW recruited 80 volunteers last year, but has about 250 students, staff and faculty signed up to help this year. Prior to 2005, the University did not recruit volunteers to help students move into residence halls.

GW Housing Programs, the revamped housing department replacing the Community Living and Learning Center, created a “self check-in” tool available online. Students can print out an online registration card to cut down the time spent waiting in line.

“It’s like an e-ticket at an airport,” Weinshel said. “All the information is already filled out; you just bring the ticket to the checkpoint to drop it off.”

The University has also posted suggested move-in times for all students on the GW Housing Web site based on residence hall and floor.

“We hope that students will take advantage of the (suggested) times, but we do not enforce them” Weinshel wrote in an e-mail. “They are recommended so that students’ move-in day can go smoothly.”

Weinshel said the new program allowing online check-in is part of a larger renovation to department’s online capabilities. He said GW Housing Programs will be able to more easily send target e-mails to residents this year based on residence hall and floor, and said he hopes to offer online check-out at the end of the year.