Group Tour Guidelines

Pioneering. Caring. Creative. Real. We look forward to introducing you to the Mountaineer spirit and all that West Virginia University has to offer.

These guidelines will help make your group’s visit a fun and informative experience. Have questions? Please email visitwvu@mail.wvu.edu or call the WVU Visitors Center at 304-293-3489.

We offer tours throughout the year to group sizes of 10+. Group visits must be requested at least one month in advance. It is not always possible to accommodate your group on your preferred date, so the earlier you schedule, the better.

Requests for group visits must be made by someone from your school or visiting organization, not a third-party, such as a grant sponsor, travel agency or tour planning organization.

The person scheduling the visit must accompany the group to campus.

Meal Options/Payment

• Meal tickets for Cafeteria-Style dining facility: $11.29/person, plus tax. This option is only recommended for 9-12th graders. You will be sent an invoice following your visit.
• Groups may also elect to bring a bagged lunch.
• We can no longer allow groups over 20 attendees to purchase individual meals at retail locations across campus. If you have questions about dining options for your group size and budget, please call/email us.
• If your group is tax exempt, please sent your Tax Exemption form to visitwvu@mail.wvu.edu as soon as possible. P
  

• Your tour will be part walking and part riding in a vehicle. You must provide your own transportation to and during your visit, and you must provide 1-2 spaces for the student tour leader(s) to ride with you for the duration of tour.
• At this time we can only accommodate a maximum of 2 buses/vans per visit.
• Your bus/van driver must stay with your vehicle(s) at all times. 
• Parking on campus is limited. If additional vehicles will be following the tour, you must let the Visitors Center know two weeks in advance so we can provide parking permits. Limit: 1 additional vehicle per group.

Activities on Campus

The Visitors Center can make your visit even more special with exciting activities customized for your group.

• All additional activities must be requested at least one month in advance.
• All 9-12th grade groups will be given an Admissions presentation.

Preparing for Your Visit

• The best way to experience WVU is to get out and explore. Regardless of the weather, your visit will include a substantial amount of walking. Encourage your group members to dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. The visitors center is unable to provide umbrellas or ponchos to all visitors, and some parts of the visit cannot avoid the outdoors.
• When selecting your arrive and departure time, be sure to account for logistics such as if your group will need to stop on the drive for a bathroom break, the additional time it may take to get to campus in a bus, and the time your bus may need to be back for additional assignments (i.e. school drop off or sports travel). 

Chaperones

Chaperones must accompany the group throughout your visit. Please provide adequate adult supervision for monitoring the group and ensuring appropriate behavior. WVU tour leaders are not responsible for maintaining order. If groups are unruly during the visit, your tour leader has the right to end the tour.

On-Campus Conduct

Campus is home for thousands of students. While visiting, please respect our students, faculty, staff and grounds, just as you would expect guests to respect your home. Any issues may result in a review of future visit requests from your group.

• Visiting groups are not permitted to travel around campus without a chaperone.
• Please discuss with your group ways to be respectful and attentive (refrain from using cell phones, AirPods, etc.) during the tour. The individuals working with your group are giving their time, energy and expertise.
• Classes and meetings are being held during your tour, so please remind your group to be quiet when inside buildings.
• Please remind your group to pick up their trash, especially during meal time, to help keep our campus clean.

Cancellation Policy

If you need to cancel your visit please provide at least one week’s notice. Failure to do so may result in a review of future visit requests from your group.

Making Changes to Your Visit

If you need to make any changes to your visit or guest head count, you must provide the Visitors Center at least two weeks’ notice.

No changes will be made to your schedule on the day of your group visit. If there are timing issues it will be up to the discretion of the tour leader to adjust or cancel parts of the tour.