Move-In & Move-Out Essentials
For students looking to make Park University Residence Life and Education your home away from home, below are a few essentials to have on the radar.
Move-In
Move in Day:
Dorms open for the academic year on the Friday before classes start. Move in details will be emailed to the student’s Park university email address. Pre-approved Fall athletic teams will receive details about early move in.
What to Bring:
Please note that beds are twin XL, and you will need to bring your own shower curtain. A reminder that refrigerators and microwaves are provided in Copley Quad residential room and additional units are not allowed. For Chesnut rooms, they are not included, but residents may consider bringing your own mini-fridge and microwave. 3M command strips and other adhesives are not permitted. Blue tape will be provided at each hall front desk.
Vehicle Registration:
If you will have a car on campus, complete the required vehicle registration at no cost online.
Park Alerts:
ParkAlert is a mass notification system that can alert Park University students, faculty, staff and parents, as well as the general public, with time-sensitive messages via texts, voice, email and social media. Students and families may sign up for Park alerts.
Meal Plan Selection Grace Period:
Students have until noon on the Friday at the end of the first week of classes to make any changes to the selected meal plan with a form emailed from Residence Life and Education. After that time, the meal plan will lock in for the semester. This grace period exists in the first week of the Fall and Spring semesters. Unused meal swipes are lost as the end of end semester. Unused flex dollars are rolled over from the Fall to Spring semesters, but are not reflected until the third week of Spring classes. Unused flex dollars at the end of the Spring semester are lost.
Roommate Resource:
During the first week of the term, students will receive a Roommate Foundational Expectations document to discuss with their suite mates. The Resident Assistant will provide suite mates with the document which included points which are essential for establishing communication expectations within the suite for the year. We recommend that suite mates sit down together to discuss and come to an agreement on items such as what does clean mean, how are cleaning responsibilities shared and what items will be shared among suite members.
Virtual Tours:
Virtual tours of Chesnut Hall and Copley Quad, in addition to a meal plan video, can be found on our YouTube channel.
Important Dates
Mid-Semester Room Checks:
Typically, around Fall Break and Spring Break, Residence Life Staff will conduct Cleaning and Sanitation Inspections with the goal to insure on-going cleanliness and safety in the unit, and identify any maintenance or facility issues. Residents will receive a checklist to attend to complete prior to the room checks such as emptying trash and basic cleaning touch-ups throughout the suite, bathroom(s) and refrigerator.
Winter Break:
The dorms will close for Winter Break at 6 pm the Friday at the end of Finals Week. Students will check out with their RA, but may leave items in the unit. Key cards will be deactivated for the break period. Dorms reopen the Friday before classes start on Monday in the Spring.
Residents requesting to remain on campus during Winter Break, must complete a Winter Break Housing Agreement with the additional charge to stay in the halls. Details for sign up will be sent to student’s Park email and they must sign up by the Friday prior to Finals Week. Dining Centers will be closed during Winter Break, but students may use the community kitchen in their building.
Students graduating at semester must submit an Intent to Vacate Form and check out by the Friday at the end of Finals Week.
Spring Dorm Opening:
Dorms open the Friday before classes start on Monday in the Spring. New students will receive room assignments details in their Park email, as spaces become available. Due to December graduations, some of those notifications may not come until late December or early January. The Dining Center reopens with dinner the Friday before classes start.
Move-Out
Students are encouraged to move out within 24 hours of their last final exam, but must be moved out by 6 pm the Friday of Finals Week. Students will schedule a check out appointment with their RA. Prior to check out students must close their campus mailbox. At the time of check out, student should have all items out of the room and basic cleaning done. Chesnut residents will turn in the physical room key. Once complete, card door access will be turned off for the resident. Check out charges will be processed to student accounts during the summer.
Summer Housing
Students continuing to live on campus in the Fall and meeting the criteria for summer housing may complete a summer contract to stay in Chesnut during the summer. Students not already residing in Chesnut will transfer from Copley in May as space is available. Students will then be transferred to their permanent Fall placement in late July, if not already there. The summer housing contract is available through the Office of Residence Life and sent out by email in April.