Dear Residential Students,
The Office of Residence Life wishes you success on your final exams and hopes that you have a safe and joyous winter break!
It is expected that you keep the following requirements in mind as you prepare to vacate campus housing this December. Students are required to complete the Winter Break Housing Closing Form. Failure to complete this form will result in a $25 fee to students account.
Vacating Campus
Students (non-graduates) must vacate their room/apartment within 24 hours of their last final exam or no later than Saturday, December 16th at 10:00 a.m., whichever is first.
Graduating students must vacate their room/apartment no later than Sunday, December 17th at 10:00 a.m.
Students are required to complete the Winter Break Housing Closing Form. Failure to complete this form will result in a $25 fee to students account.
If a student is not returning to Clarkson for the Spring 2024 semester, they are required to turn in their keys upon vacating campus. If their key is not returned, a lock change fee will be charged to their student account. Room keys should be returned via one of the following options:
- Delivered to the Office of Residence Life in Price Hall, Suite 1003 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Delivered to Campus Safety and Security, open 24/7 located in the ERC.
Room keys should not be left in residential spaces, and keys that are not directly identifiable to an individual student may result in charges to students assigned in the residential space.
Mail keys need to be returned to the Mailroom if the student does not plan to return to Clarkson (i.e. graduating, transferring etc..). Students going on co-op/study abroad etc.. do not need to turn in their mailroom keys.
Winter Break Housing
If a student needs to remain on campus later than 24 hours after their last final exam, or past 10:00 a.m. on December 17th or 18th, regardless of for how long, they are required to request approval from the Office of Residence Life by completing the Vacation Housing Request Form no later than December 8, 2023. This form can be found on the Office of Residence Life Knightlife page, in advance. Students who do not receive approval in advance may be fined. Students will be notified of the approval or denial of their request within 72 hours of submitting the request.
If a student is remaining on campus as a member of an approved University team/event/function (athletics, SPEED Teams, etc.) the coach or advisor must request approval for the group members to stay on campus from Emma Blaiklock, Residential Housing Manager.
**Dining Services will be closed for the Winter Break. Approved students will be responsible for providing their own meals throughout Winter Break.**
Closing Procedures
- Clean your residential area (room, apartment, suite, etc.) and remove ALL trash/recycling
- When you recycle, make sure everything is:
- Relatively clean (this means no large amounts of food waste in to-go containers, rinse them out and then recycle!)
- Loose (bagged recyclables don’t belong! Collect recyclables in the recycling bins without a bag, or use a bag for your recyclables and then dump the bag contents into the recycling dumpster and throw out [OR REUSE] the bag!)
- Compact (break down things like cardboard boxes to reduce the volume of the recycling and allow for more recyclables to fit!)
- When you recycle, make sure everything is:
- Turn off lights and any electronics and unplug nonessential appliances
- Mini fridges must be cleaned out and unplugged
- Apartment full size fridges must be cleaned of all perishable foods, but may remain plugged in
- Close your window drapes and lock your windows
- Lock your door when leaving
- Set your thermostats to 65°, open all cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate, if you live in an apartment or suite, leave your bedroom doors open to help keep the water pipes from freezing
Facilities/Residence Life/Campus Safety/Environmental Health & Safety Staff will enter your room during the break. Failure to properly check out, or vacate may result in fines. Discovery of policy violations will be enforced through the conduct system.
Vehicles on Campus:
If you are planning to leave a vehicle on campus for any part of the break, please contact Campus Safety and Security at safetyandsecurity@clarkson.edu for parking instructions.
- Be mindful about packing your vehicles the night before you leave – it is not recommended to leave valuables or anything that can be damaged by cold weather in a vehicle.
Facilities & Services Work Orders
Members of the Facilities & Services team may be in your dorm to address work orders and other maintenance issues while you are away. Third-party contractors that we hire to assist with work order completion, will be accompanied by Clarkson staff at all times.
Fire Safety Inspection
The Environmental Health and Safety staff will be doing fire safety inspections of rooms. Any previously confiscated items can be picked up before leaving for break from Brian Moulton in Graham Hall, please email him at blmoulto@clarkson.edu to coordinate.
Additional End-of-Semester Residential Reminders
Dead Week and Finals Week Quiet Hours
Residents are expected to comply with 24/7 quiet hours from 12:01 am on Monday, December 4th, until 10:00 am on Saturday, December 16th. Please be considerate of those around you. Residence Life staff will enforce these policies. Students who do not follow campus policies will be sent through the conduct system.
Room Vacancies
The Office of Residence Life will assign students to any open bed space within any residential space for the spring semester with little to no notice. It is expected that any open bed space is clear of any belongings and ready for occupancy. As a result, all residences will be inspected. Excessive cleaning requirements and/or damages will be billed to the current occupant(s) assigned (according to the Residence Life housing records). It is expected that students strive to make a good impression with their new roommate, which includes making them feel welcome. Apartments are a popular housing option so you should expect that EVERY apartment bed space will be filled. To remain informed of assigned roommate(s) updates, check your myCU account. You will not be directly notified of a new roommate except through myCU.
Room Changes
Students with approved room changes, through the Office of Residence Life, must move their belongings from their current residence before leaving for the break. It is expected that the students changing rooms coordinate access to the room to move in. Room keys should be returned to the Office of Residence Life in Price Hall suite 1003, or to Campus Safety and Security in the ERC. New keys can be picked up from the Office of Residence Life when you return for the spring semester, anytime from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. M-F.
If you would like to switch your room, please see Emma Blaiklock, Residential Housing Manager in Price Hall or email her at eblaiklo@clarkson.edu before the end of the finals week.
Return to Campus
Campus re-opens to students on Wednesday, January 10th at 8:00 a.m. Classes resume on Thursday, January 11th. If students need to return to campus early, they are required to complete the Early Arrival Request form no later than January 5th. This form can be found on the Office of Residence Life Knightlife page.
If a student is returning to campus early as a member of an approved University team/event/function (athletics, SPEED Teams, etc.), the coach or advisor must request approval for the group members to return early from Emma Blaiklock, Residential Housing Manager.
Have a great break and good luck with finals!
-The Residence Life Team
