I’ll be arriving at Chengdu east railway station.

Well, no metro can take you to the university. You need to go to Ya’an city first.
Take a taxi from the east station to Xinnanmen Bus Station.
Then, take a bus to Ya’an, and it takes about 2.5h.
After arrival, take a taxi to the university.
As for hotels, there are many near the school, like Yaxuan Inn near the southwest gate, Xinshidai Business Hotel near the east gate and Shangkeyou Express Hotel in 68, East Street.