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Dear Residence Hall students and families,
This message serves as an update to the recent information you received about residence halls closing. We appreciate you and thank you for your patience as we respond to these unprecedented times. Our highest priority is the safety, well-being, and academic success of our students. Our staff is here to help and support you.
The nature of this COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Information and guidance from government officials and other authorities is changing and evolving daily and sometimes hourly. Please note that this is our guidance right now. Should plans change based on information we receive from public health experts or government officials, we will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
Our communications have asked that students sign up for a time to retrieve belongings from the residence halls between March 27 and April 5. Many students have signed up for move-out appointments and we thank you for that. Some of you have expressed strong concerns that you won’t be able to meet that schedule.
Working with You
We will always work closely with students and families on a case by case basis to find an agreeable solution to retrieve belongings and return residence hall keys.
Here is our expected plan given our current conditions:
- As conditions allow and if you're able to do so safely, residence hall checkout appointments will continue between March 27 and April 5.
- If you are unable to return to campus to move out by April 5, our team is working on other options:
- For anyone who can’t return to campus to retrieve their belongings, you can leave them in your assigned room until a later date and at least until Friday, May 15, 2020. If conditions allow, we will schedule additional check-out appointments in April and May. We will send additional information at a later time for all residents who have not yet checked out. We recognize that this option may work for some and not for others.
- Some students and families have asked about having a proxy, friend, or individual mover of your choosing come to pack up and move or ship belongings. Since we don’t typically offer this service, we must work out some details related to safety and security before we can approve this activity. Before we can proceed with these activities, we have a responsibility to make sure that it can be done safely regarding personal belongings, roommates’ belongings and the health and safety of the staff who will need to be involved. We ask for your patience and that you put any conversation or negotiations with moving companies on hold for the time being.
Please be aware there may be times during this period when staff will need to enter rooms for life safety, health, and maintenance inspections.
We feel compelled to say one more time that all of these plans are dependent on conditions in the state of Maryland and across the country. We will adapt as necessary.
For More Information
We invite you to visit the Resident Life website to view our Frequently Asked Questions and stay updated on the latest residence hall information.
To stay connected to the Division of Student Affairs, please visit the Keep Connected website. For the latest University information, please continue checking the Coronavirus Information website.
If you’ve recently written an email to reslife@umd.edu, a member of our staff will be in touch with you soon.
While there is a great deal of uncertainty during this time, please know that our Resident Life and Residential Facilities staff care about you and are available to support you.
Sincerely,
Valronica Scales
Director, Department of Resident Life
Andrea Crabb
Director, Department of Residential Facilities
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