Updated May 13, 2020
We know you are eager to retrieve the belongings that remained in your URI home when you left for Spring Break. We’re happy to share some details about how you can now safely retrieve them. Now that the Rhode Island Stay At Home (SAH) order has been lifted by Governor Raimondo we can begin the process for you to return to campus to get your stuff. We have activated an application in MyHousing for you to select a date and 2-hour time frame for you to safely return to your former room, pack up your belongings, and return home. We hope that your schedule will allow you to complete this process by May 22 (or May 16 for residents of Brookside, our summer residence hall) but we will be as flexible as possible.
We are instituting some additional safety measures that you MUST comply with to protect the whole Rhody family. You will be required to answer health screening questions before you will be able to see and select AVAILABLE appointment times (8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., 7 days a week). To comply with social distancing directives, we will be limiting the number of people who can be in each residence hall at the same time, so some appointment dates/times may not be available.
If you do not live in RI, we strongly encourage you to make your decision to return factoring in your home state SAH or other COVID-related travel restrictions, if applicable. Your trip to URI and returning back home MAY trigger additional steps based on your state’s guidelines, e.g. need to self-quarantine. Depending on RI domestic travel policies on the date of your travel, you may be required to stop as you enter RI, and notify the RI National Guard screeners that you are entering and leaving RI the same day, which should present no issues. We will be sending you a confirmation email the day before your appointment that can be printed out or displayed on your phone to share with the National Guard to confirm your plans.
Ideally, ONLY YOU will travel to reclaim your belongings, but we have allowances for you to bring ONE (1) additional “assistant” who MUST ALSO answer the health screening questions. You will do that via MyHousing, and we’ll provide a link for an online form for your assistant to complete. We strongly discourage anyone other than you and a possible assistant from traveling to the URI campus. If circumstances prevent you from coming, you may designate a proxy to reclaim your belongings, but there will be additional information and authorizations you will need to provide. Contact us for more information (see below).
While we will be limiting the number of students and potential assistants for safety reasons, you will still need to comply with some standard health and safety guidelines. This includes NOT coming to campus if you are unwell or displaying any of the known symptoms of Covid-19, particularly the day returning to campus. If symptoms change before or on the day of your appointment, contact us (see below) to reschedule. At the time of your appointment, we will temporarily reinstate your access to the building and room for the duration of your appointment time. Be sure to locate and bring your URI student ID is, as you will need it to access your former residence hall and room.
Additionally, you will be required to bring and wear fabric face-covering at all times while in the building, as well as practice good hand hygiene, i.e. utilizing existing sanitizing stations and exhibiting prudent use of elevators, especially buttons. These guidelines are essential to protect your safety as well as other members of the URI family. Failure to comply with these protective measures will result in the termination of your appointment, even if incomplete, and rescheduling. HRL Staff will also be sanitizing the various touchpoints of the buildings during this move out process. While some hand carts/dollys may be available, as when you moved in, we encourage you to bring your own if possible.
In scheduling your appointment, take into consideration your return travel, as overnight stays are not permitted. After you sign up for your appointment time, we may provide you with additional details regarding points of entry and other safety measures unique to your building. In the meantime, if you have questions, please contact us at customerservice@housing.uri.edu, 401.874.4151, or via our chat function within MyHousing.
Move-Out Steps:
1. Log on to MyHousing – fill out COVIFD 19 health questionnaire (along with your helper)
2. On the home page of MyHousing portal, select a move out date and time (make sure you click update my time). A confirmation email is generated at midnight along with a printable ticket.
3. After you have moved out, complete the express checkout on your MyHousing portal
Updated March 26, 2020
Update March 26: The University requests all students and families to not return to on-campus residence halls. Your personal items will remain locked in your room. In the exceptional instance there is a personal or family reason that a student must return to an on-campus residence hall to move out, or who had planned to move back to an on-campus residence hall, you must submit a request and receive approval from HRL.
Will I be issued a refund if I choose to move out or not come back for a few weeks?
For students who cancel their housing agreements before April 3, we will be refunding or crediting 25% of the room and board fees, rather than the 20% outlined in the agreement. Due to current conditions, there will be flexibility in removing belongings to complete the checkout process. This will not affect your eligibility for a refund nor will it affect the amount.
Can students get back in their rooms?
Yes. They will need their ID and PIN# to access their rooms. If they have lost their ID, they will need to obtain another one at the Campus ID Office in the Memorial Union. We ask they complete the online Statement of Intent form to help us plan more effectively. (see Do they need to notify anyone or do anything).
Can they stay in their rooms?
Yes. Students can remain living in their rooms until the end of the spring semester as outlined in the Housing Agreement, as long as the University remains open and operational.
Do they need to notify anyone or do anything?
We strongly request that students complete the brief [5 questions], online statement of intent form to allow us to better plan services. Students can find the form in MyHousing (on e-campus) under Applications & Forms.
What about meals?
Meal service will be provided, but on a limited basis and in ways that promote the health and safety of the URI community. Check the URI Dining Services website for more information.
Can I request a room change?
No, unless this comes at the direction of URI Health Services physicians for medical reasons. Routine room change requests typically do not occur after spring break, as we try to complete those previously submitted. We are also trying to maximize our available space for students who may need to self-isolate.
What are you doing to keep public bathrooms and other areas clean?
Our trained housekeeping staff have always cleaned consistent with health and safety standards, including those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using certified cleaning products. All URI housekeeping staff recently received refresher training on these standards.
Do you have ample cleaning supplies, sanitizer, soap, toilet paper, etc.?
Yes. We have sufficient stock to maintain health and safety standards through the end of the spring semester. Additionally, the URI College of Pharmacy will soon be producing additional sanitizer to ensure there is availability across campus.
Do you have sufficient RAs or other staff?
While many of our staff are away for break, we have maintained our usual break period on-call staff, including both RAs and live-in hall directors. While we anticipate some of our student staff to remain at home during the extended break, we know many will choose to return. We are planning for various scenarios to ensure we have sufficient coverage.
What if someone in the room/hall gets sick or becomes a PUI (Person Under Investigation)?
We will continue to work closely with URI Health Services doctors and staff to determine the best course of action in any situation that may occur. This may include relocating the student of concern, or their roommates to new spaces where they will self-isolate if returning to their home is not an option. Provisions are in place to provide meals to students who are self-isolating.