COVID-19 Updates from Residential Life
Dear Kenyon students,
We hope that as you continue your classes from afar you are finding ways to stay connected to one another and to campus. We are continuing our work here in the Office of Residential Life, albeit remotely, and we wanted to update you on the move out process as well as plans for next semester.
To those who were able to retrieve your belongings at the end of spring break: Thank you for making the trip to campus under what we know were challenging circumstances. We appreciate the efforts you and your families made to ensure a smooth move-out process.
We fully understand that many others were unable to return to campus, or that plans to return may have evolved or shifted. A number of you requested that we ship essential items right away, and we were pleased to be able to complete that work before Ohio issued a stay-at-home order last week. We now are focused on planning the next phase of packing, shipping and storing, and we expect to begin the packing process once the stay-at-home order, recently extended to May 1, expires or is lifted.
So that we can be as efficient as possible, we ask all students to complete this inventory form by Monday, April 13, at noon EDT — even if you have retrieved your belongings already or submitted a prior form (e.g., item retrieval form, ship/store form).
Why is completing the inventory form so important?
Your answers will help us assess individual students’ needs, which may have shifted over the last several weeks; and they will allow us to coordinate with our custodial staff to clean vacated rooms and make plans for the upcoming months. For example:
Some students left belongings in their room packed in boxes or bins. You can use the form to tell us whether you want those items shipped or placed into storage. You can also let us know whether you have made arrangements with local shipping or storage companies, such as PAKMail or Summer Break Storage.
Some students left all or most of their belongings. Knowing how to handle these, especially large items, will help us expedite the next phase of the process. If the couch or fridge you left is to be donated, we can take care of it and clean the room. If the TV currently in your room is to be stored until next year, we can make that happen too.
What do I do with my room/apartment/suite key(s)?
If you have left campus and do not plan to return to retrieve the remainder of your belongings this spring, please mail your Kenyon room/apartment/suite keys back to campus. Students returning for fall semester should keep their P.O. box key. Students not returning for fall semester should mail their P.O. box key.
Please place keys in a padded envelope or tape them to a piece of cardboard (so they don't break through the envelope) and mail to:
Office of Residential Life
101 E. Brooklyn St.
Gambier, OH 43022
What information is available regarding housing selection for the 2020-2021 academic year?
Information regarding the 2020–21 housing selection will be made available May 1, including information regarding theme and division housing assignments. We appreciate your patience as we focus on the next phase of packing, shipping and storing.
Students approved for extended stay on campus will continue to receive important information and updates via email from Dean of Students Robin Hart Ruthenbeck.
Office of Residential Life
Read more about Kenyon's response to COVID-19
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