By Sarah Gallaher | Staff Writer
With summer rapidly approaching and finals on the horizon, preparation for residence hall move-out has begun. The Campus Living and Learning team has provided guidelines for students moving out of on-campus residence halls in the upcoming weeks.
When is move-out?
Students living in on-campus residence halls must vacate their rooms within 24 hours of their last exam or by noon on May 10. Those participating in commencement may fill out an extended stay request form through the MyHousing Portal. Extended stay requests may be approved or denied at the discretion of the residence hall director.
What do I have to do to prepare for my inspection?
Each student will undergo a final evaluation by their community leader during their assigned checkout time slot. Upon inspection, all personal belongings should be removed from the room, along with any trash. The room should be thoroughly cleaned, with windows and doors closed and locked. After the community leader assesses and approves the state of the room, students may not reenter the room.
Will I get fined for damages?
Students are responsible for damages to university property throughout the duration of their stay in a residence hall. Any damages observed may incur a fine, and the cost depends on the severity of the damages.
Failure to properly clean upon move-out may also result in fines. Christie Turnbull, senior coordinator for housing assignments, said students who follow the move-out procedures given to them will avoid any fines.
“We want this to be a smooth process for them,” Turnbull said. “We don’t like to need to charge fees if they neglect to do these things, but we will if students neglect to do these really simple things.”
I have stuff to get rid of. What do I do with it?
After living in a residence hall for an extended period of time, it is very likely that most students will have some items they do not want to keep after moving out. To avoid unnecessary waste, Baylor partners with local charity Caritas of Waco to provide donation bins in the lobbies of residence halls. Turnbull said it is important to follow the posted donation guidelines to ensure that the charity accepts the items being donated; otherwise, it ends up discarding them.
“It goes to people, generally of lesser means, who could use some of these items,” Ian Philbreck, associate director for housing administration, said. “It’s a way for us to get them to people who need them instead of them ending up in a dumpster.”
For students looking to donate large items or those not accepted by Caritas, the closest Goodwill donation center is located at 1700 South New Road.
During the week of finals, the individual trash rooms on each floor of residence halls will be locked. Philbreck said the rooms are too small to handle the volume of trash during move-out. Instead, students are expected to bring trash to the dumpsters located outside of residence halls.
I don’t want to bring everything home. What can I do with it?
Baylor uses Storage Squad for students looking for summer storage solutions. Students can pay a fee depending on the size of the boxes or items to store. Storage Squad provides students with boxes for their items, which can be left in their dorm rooms upon move-out. The Storage Squad team will then pick up labeled boxes and transport them to the local warehouse. Those living on campus in the fall may have the boxes delivered directly to their room, while those living off campus can pick them up from Storage Solutions.
If students need to store items prohibited by Storage Squad or would rather look elsewhere, there are a variety of self-storage options across Waco. Some students choose to share a storage unit with others for a cost-effective solution.
How can I pack everything while studying and taking my finals?
While every situation is different, Philbreck said a good practice is to pack over time, doing things piece by piece. Packing away winter clothes and decorations prior to finals week takes some of the stress away when getting ready to move out. Preparing in advance also helps students gather packing materials like boxes and bags.
Will quiet hours stay the same during finals?
No. Starting May 3, residence halls will implement 24-hour quiet hours to accommodate students studying for final exams. Students with early move-out slots should keep this in mind as they carry their belongings through residence halls.
