On behalf of the Department of Housing & Residence Life, I want to say thank you! Thank you for trusting us to house your children. This past semester has been unlike any other, but your students are resilient and, together, we have had a successful semester.

As the semester winds down, here’s what you and your student need to know about winter closing and coming back in January.

Hall Closure

Halls will close for winter break at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 24. Students must vacate their room 24 hours after their last final. If their last final is on Tuesday, they must vacate by 7 p.m. Residential Life staff will begin checking all rooms at 6:00 p.m. that night.

New this year, your student will need to check-out with their Resident Assistant and turn in their keys when leaving. Students do not need to remove all belongings from their room, but we encourage students to take everything they might need over the break. Access to rooms will be restricted during the break. Step-by-step instructions for this process will be emailed to all students in November.

If your student has obligations in St. Joe and needs to remain on campus over winter break, please remind them to complete the Winter Break Housing form. This form is available for pick- up and drop-off at the Commons Building front desk. There is no charge to stay due to the extended winter break this year. As a reminder, students staying over winter break must abide by all COVID-19, Residential Life, and University policies. Additionally, students are not allowed to have guests during winter break.

January Opening

The halls will reopen on Saturday, January 16 at 9:00 a.m. Check-in will occur throughout the weekend. Similar to fall check-in, students will be required to schedule a check-in time through our website. Students will proceed directly to their hall desks or the Commons Building for Juda and Beshears when returning to campus. Residential Life staff will conduct a COVID-19 screening and take temperatures before students receive their keys.

We hope that you and your student enjoy the extended break. Please be assured that Residential Life is using this break to evaluate programming, student interactions, and other operations to ensure a great spring.

Josh Maples

Interim Director

Housing and Residential Life