All packed up and ready to move into housing on UCF’s campuses?
WAIT! – Before you head to one of the university’s 10 residential communities, there are some new requirements — including move-in appointments — because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Move-in is starting over two weeks earlier than normal and students must sign up for a move-in arrival time,” says Tamara Jones, associate director of Housing and Residence Life. “The maximum number of residents checking in per day is approximately 700, spaced out in two-hour increments. This is to allow for physical distancing.”
Check-in at the main campus will be drive-through, but not at the campuses downtown or at Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
Classes resume Aug. 24, and residents can move in Aug 8-23 after making an appointment.
through the housing portal. To make an appointment, residents first must have received their room assignment and must have acknowledged the COVID-19 housing addendum for safety precautions. Check-in at the main campus will be drive-through, but not at the campuses downtown or at Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
Before arriving for move in, residents must also pre-register for COVID-19 testing. Instructions are on the move-in page of housing’s website. The Student Health Services will conduct tests on the main, downtown and Rosen campuses in conjunction with Aventus BioLabs. Students will receive communication on test-site locations prior to arrival. Testing will be administered in the form of a nasopharyngeal (nose) swab and results are expected in two to four days.
There will be no out-of-pocket costs to students for the COVID-19 tests. UCF will bill students’ insurance, and if insurance does not cover, UCF will cover the cost of the test.
Occupancy in all UCF Housing units has been trimmed by 484 beds this year, with about 7,600 students from more than 30 states to live on campus this fall, says Jones.
Students may bring no more than two people to assist with moving in, and everyone must wear a face covering and maintain physical distancing. All staff and residents will be required to wear face covering at all times unless in your assigned room.
Greek housing students moving into campus houses that are managed by Housing also need to sign up for move-in appointments once they have a room assignment. Instructions are being sent to those students this week. Greek residents must follow the same move-in procedures.
International students and others unable to return immediately for the regular move-in will be able to indicate they need a delayed move, which is available on the move-in website. The student still must have a room assignment to request the delay.
Students will be responsible for the full rental amount, but they will be able to keep the room they reserved and move in at a later time, Jones says.
Housing officials are recommending that students leave large furniture or excessive decorative items at home this year because few surfaces and objects make spaces easier to keep clean.
After moving in, students should remain in their on-campus residence and begin a relative quarantine, only leaving their rooms for food deliveries or pickup until they receive their test results. These measures will help reduce any potential exposure after a resident is tested and helps to provide a more accurate sense of COVID-19 infection status.
Also following move-in there will be a virtual community meeting for residents to meet resident advisors and neighbors and learn about events in UCF Housing and on campus.
Additional moving updates regarding procedures are being communicated to residents via email, so students need to regularly check their Knights email.
