Changes to the freshman and sophomore move-out process will make it look different compared to previous semesters.

As opposed to past semesters, freshmen and sophomores living in the residence halls will be moving out before Thanksgiving break.

“Typically the move-out process is after finals with students, approximately 24 hours after their last final,” said Shannon Kaczmarek, director of residence life. “But this time it’s happening from Nov. 20 to Nov. 25, so we’re still allowing that five-day window during the week.”

Students will still have to sign-up for checkout times, but everything will be done virtually.

“All of our checkouts are going to be virtual,” said Lauren Carrizal, housing coordinator for residence life. “They will be able to sign-up for a checkout time online.”

Because of safety concerns regarding both residents and staff, room inspections will be done virtually as well.

Kaczmarek said she believes that this change to virtual checkout will be more beneficial than in-person checkouts have been.

“We developed a more thorough and rich process of moving out because it is virtual,” Kaczmarek said. “It won’t be just a three-minute checkout but rather we’re enforcing a more thorough checklist.”

Once students are checked out, Carrizal said RAs will carry additional inspections of the rooms.

“We will have staff go into the rooms [after students leave] just to make sure that everything is unplugged, windows are closed because students will sometimes go back in after they do checkout,” Carrizal said.

Carrizal said that students will also be given the opportunity to stay in the residence halls over the break regarding certain circumstance, such as being an international student or having family at home currently in quarantine.

If the reason for this goes into the winter break, Carrizal said there are also options to accommodate that as well.

“This will go until Dec. 11, so any students who do need to stay over winter break, we’re going to ask that they switch over to UP and pay $400 in order to do so,” Carrizal said.

If students are late for their checkout times or if they leave prior to room inspections, Carrizal said that subsequent fines will follow or they will be given a final improper checkout fine.

“They do have to sign-up for a specific time…if they don’t then it’s a fine every time that they’re late, because we just want them to be forward thinking about when they are leaving,” Carrizal said.

Carrizal said that although a lot of these changes are new to everyone, the decisions are made for the best intentions.

“It’s just going to feel weird,” Carrizal said. “This whole semester has just felt really weird, but we’re just gonna have to what we can to make people safe.”