Staggered Spring Move-in Details for Residential Students

Jan 11, 2022

Please see the below email as a follow-up to President Keenan’s message (sent Friday, January 7, 2022) regarding the university’s staggered start of the semester. With the most recent information on the spread of COVID-19, we encourage you to test before returning to campus to better understand your health status and to keep the university informed.

The information below includes a five-step process for students to return to the residence halls, policy change updates, and other important information. For those who do not follow all steps listed below, a delay in being permitted back into your residence hall should be anticipated.

Prior to Returning to Campus

Step 1: Select Your Move-In Date and Time by Wednesday, January 12

Login to your Housing Portal
Scroll down to the “Assignments” section on your home page
Select your “Check In time” from the available dropdown menu

Note: Those residential students who do not sign up for a new move-in date will be called or emailed from January 13-15 to schedule a time.

Students will NOT be permitted to move-in outside of the designated times as all residential students must be tested for COVID-19 at the O’Keefe Complex upon arrival.

Step 2: Fill Out Your Quarantine and Isolation Departure Plan

Login to your Housing Portal
Select “Housing Applications” from the main navigation menu
Select “Isolation or Quarantine Departure Plan”
Complete the application and submit

Note: Those students who do not fill out the plan before arrival are required to do so during move-in.

As mentioned in the President’s email, unless there are extreme circumstances, such departure?plans will require residential students?that?need to isolate or quarantine?and?live within a 200-mile radius of campus,?to leave?campus to complete their quarantine or isolation period. Students who are not able to isolate off-campus can explain their situation on the Departure Plan. Students will not be credited for days spent in quarantine or isolation on or off campus.

When You Come to Campus

Step 3: Arrive at the O’Keefe Complex during your selected Move-in time to check in

Step 4: Complete the COVID-19 testing process at O’Keefe

ALL residential students must be tested for COVID prior to move-in unless you have tested positive for COVID within the past 90 days and are exempt from on-campus COVID testing (please upload a copy of your positive test result to CoVerified). You will not need to complete a PCR test but you are required to check in at the O’Keefe Complex before you enter the residence halls.

Step 5: Move back into your residence hall

You may bring one (1) person to assist you in moving. The person must be symptom free and masked the entire time they are in the residence halls. We ask that this person limit their time in the residence hall to under two hours.

Policy Changes

Visitor and Guest Policy—For the start of the spring semester, only residential students will be allowed into the residence halls. Commuters and visitors will not be permitted at this time. This policy will be reviewed mid-February and residents will be notified by SSU email about the status of this policy.
Testing Requirement—All residential students, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to get tested weekly for at least the first six (6) weeks of the semester. This requirement may be extended if conditions and public health guidance indicate the need. Please schedule your weekly test in CoVerified.
Booster Requirement—As previously announced in the president’s email, the COVID vaccine booster is required this semester. If you are eligible, please receive your booster vaccine as soon as possible. Those who are under vaccinated or unvaccinated, and are exposed as a close contact, will be required to quarantine this semester and enact your departure plan. Please upload documentation to your student health portal (salemstate.edu/healthportal) “Medical Clearances” as soon as you receive it. The booster requirement is included in immunization compliance and failure to submit proof will also result in a registration hold.
Mask Requirement—Masks are still required in all indoor campus spaces, including all residence hall public spaces such as lobbies and lounges. At this time the lounge capacity will remain the same. If there are any updates, residents will be emailed and signs will be posted.

COVID-19 Test

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days before your move-in date, please upload your results to CoVerified and report your symptoms. If you have tested positive within those 10 days, please do not move onto campus until you have verified your clearance with health services (www.salemstate.edu/chs) and have received a green CoVerified badge. You can message a contact tracer in your health portal with any further questions.

Credit to your Student Account

Students who select and check in on one of the approved move-in dates between January 17 and February 14, 2022, will be credited (pro-rated by the day) for housing each day until they return based on their approved move-in date.
Failure to check in during your selected move in time will impact the credit to your account.
Students electing to move onto campus later than February 14 will not receive an additional adjustment.
It is anticipated that in-person classes will resume on January 31. If a student selects a later move-in date, then they are responsible for attending classes in the original modality it was presented in the spring catalog. That is, if the class was originally scheduled to be in-person there will not be a remote option as of January 31.
Students who are required to temporarily depart the campus to isolate themselves due to a positive covid test will not receive an account adjustment for their isolation time.

Additionally, your dining plan will be assessed weekly, and a credit will be applied to your account based on the week you arrive on campus. The end date for this assessment is February 13, 2022.

Not Planning to Live On-Campus this Semester?

Any students that intend to not live on-campus should be emailing housing@salemstate.edu from their SSU email account to indicate cancellation. A cancellation reason should also be provided in the email.

Please also notify parking if you are cancelling your housing for the spring semester and have a residential parking pass. You can email parking@salemstate.edu to cancel your residential parking pass and request a commuter pass.

Related Categories

Students, Faculty and Staff, Campus Community, Student Life, Student Navigation Center, Campus Life and Recreation