Everything you need to know about...MOVE OUT!

Parents,

Below is all the information you need to know about move out.  This has also been sent out as an email with the attachments listed below.  Please let me know if you have questions or concerns about graduation or move out.

The end of the year is almost here and I wanted to give you some more detailed information about how move out and graduation will work, what you need to do to check out, and what things the school charges for. I have already gone over this information with the students on hall, but I want you to have it directly as well so that you will know what to expect and can ask any questions you may have in advance. I am sorry this message is so long, but the information is very important so take time to read it.  OK, here goes, your guide to everything you need to know about move out:

1. The Week Before—Beginning Tuesday, May 29th, I will be doing room inspections every night to check that specific things have been done to help students clean their room, pack, and prepare for move out. The students have received a checklist of what needs to be done each night, and they know that if their room does not pass inspection they will not be allowed to attend the fun, end-of-year events like the lock-in or Airband. If you are interested in seeing this list, it is the attachment titled “Final Week Procedures”. Please understand that this list comes from my supervisors and is pretty much the same for everyone on campus so I am not able to change many of the things on the list.

2. Room Condition Reports—At one of these room inspections, I will go over the room condition reports with students. In case you don’t remember, the room condition reports were those forms you signed at the beginning of the year that detailed any pre-existing damage to the room. With the students I will note any additional damages that may have happened throughout the year, and we will write those on the form. On move out day, you and your daughter can look at the room condition report together and make sure you do not see anything we missed earlier in the week, and then you will both need to sign the form. Going over these forms before move out day will make it faster for me to check people out, instead of having to go over each category on the form on an already hectic day.

3. The BIG Day!—On move-out/graduation day, I will begin checking students out of the dorms half an hour after graduation ends, which should be about 12:30 unless graduation runs long or gets moved because of rain. To “check-out” appropriately, students need to complete everything on the checklist attached to this email entitled “Check Out List”. Most of these things should not take a long time since the students will have been packing and cleaning their room all week long. Once everything on the list is completed, students will sign up on a sheet posted by the lounge door saying that they are ready for me to check them out. I will go down that list to check people out. When it is their turn, I will come to the student’s room and double check that all the things on the checklist are completed. If an item is not completed satisfactorily, I will ask that the student redo it, and their name will be dropped to the bottom of the current list. When I am satisfied that everything is clean and empty, I will take the student’s key, access pass, and laundry card (for seniors), and collect the signed room condition report. At that point you will be checked out and ready to leave.

4. Early Check Out—If you want to check-out before graduation begins, I have given students the option to request a time earlier that morning. If you choose to do this, there are several things you need to understand. First, I am NOT obligated to check students out before graduation and am offering to do so to try to accommodate you. If you are signing up to check out early, I expect that everything will be done on time and extremely well since I am giving up my personal time in the morning and volunteering to get up extra early to accommodate you. Second, if you have requested an early check out time and, upon inspecting the room at the end of the week, I feel like it will not be ready for check out on time, I will ask that you reconsider and check out after graduation. Third, if it rains and graduation is moved to our indoor location, I will likely be asked to drive a loop and will not be able to do early check outs. Last, but not least, once you have checked out of your room and turned in your keys, you WILL NOT be allowed to go back there to change before or after graduation or for any other reason. Please consider all of these factors carefully and talk to your daughter before requesting to check out early.

5. Cleanliness—Please note that I will be VERY strict about cleanliness because if the rooms are not clean, I personally have to go back through and clean them myself. I do not want to spend my Sunday after graduation cleaning 19 rooms so please make sure it is clean before asking me to come check you out.

6. Charges—I want to make sure that you are all aware that there is a $50 “institutional cleaning service charge” that is automatically taken out of EVERYONE'S security deposit that is used to make routine improvements to the residence halls. One more time, EVERYONE WILL BE CHARGED $50 for this charge, regardless of how clean your room is when you move out. In addition, there is a whole list of other charges that can be assessed for damages or cleaning. Note especially that improper check-out is a $40 charge and late check-out is a $25 charge for every hour.  

Please remember that graduation and move out day is extremely exciting, hectic, emotional, and exhausting. Plan ahead and be reasonable about what you want to accomplish that day. Students will be trying to say goodbye to their friends and may not always move as fast as you expect them to in getting moved out. Talk with your daughter about what is important for her that day, like having time for pictures after graduation or getting moved out early so she doesn’t have to worry about it after graduation. Please let me know if you have questions about anything or if there is anything I can help you with as the year draws to a close.