GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF RESIDENTIAL LIVING
FALL 2013 CLOSING INFORMATION
Inside this letter
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
6
Fall Closing & Spring
Opening
Dates
Residence Hall
Office Hours
Package Delivery
Security
Dropping Housing
Room Changes
Between Semesters
Key Return
Preparing for a New
Roommate
RCN Cable
Mail Forwarding
Parking
Storage Containers
Corp Storage
Holiday Decorations
Closing Checklist
Fall 2013 Closing & Spring 2014 Opening
Students must leave campus 24 hours after their last exam
or by 10 am on Friday, December 20, 2013. We will NOT be
able to grant extensions to those individuals who would like to
depart after the closing time and date.
Residence halls and apartments reopen for the Spring 2014
semester at 10am on Tuesday, January 7, 2014. There is no
early arrival option for the Spring 2014 semester. Please
remember to arrange your travel plans accordingly.
If you are not returning to campus for the spring semester,
be sure to make an appointment with either your RA or
Community Director so that a closing inspection can take place.
University Staff will be entering all residence hall rooms and
apartments at closing and during the break to ensure closing
procedures were followed, to do inspections and conduct
maintenance and cleaning as necessary
No one will be allowed access to their rooms until 10 am on
January 7, 2014. No exceptions will be made. Be sure to take all
essential items (medicines, passports, etc) with you when you
leave.
Unauthorized persons found in the residential facilities will be
subject to the Student Code of Conduct. Additionally, students
found in their residential space will be fined $100 per night for
the unauthorized stay.
Contact Us:
3700 O Street
100 Harbin Hall
Box 571117
Washington, DC 20057-1117
Phone:
Fax:
(202) 687-4560
(202) 687-4590
residentialliving@georgetown.edu
Website:
residentialliving.georgetown.edu
Townhouses do not close for the winter break. Residents
continuing to live in the townhouse in the spring semester may
continue to live in the townhouse during the holiday break.
Please be aware there are fewer residents in the townhouses
during the holiday break so you should be extra careful about
security.
You and any guests that you have during the break, must adhere
to the guest policy including but not limited to obtaining
permission from any residents who will not be in residence
during that time and coordinating access to the space for those
guests.
University staff will be inspecting each townhouse at the close of
the semester and throughout the break.
PAGE 2
IMPORTANT DATES
November 8: Room Switch
Freeze Begins.
November 27: O’Donovan
Dining Hall closes at 2:30 p.m.
December 1: O’Donovan Dining
Hall opens for dinner at 4:30
p.m. no late night.
December 6: 24 hour quiet
period begins at 9 p.m.
December 19: O’Donovan
Dining Hall closes at 2:30 p.m.
December 20: Residence halls
close at 10 a.m.
January 7, 2014: Residence
halls & apartments open at 10
a.m.
January 7, 2014: O’Donovan
Dining Hall opens for dinner at
4:30 p.m, no late night.
January 9, 2014: Spring 2013
classes begin,
FALL 2013 CLOSING
Residence Hall Office Hours & Packages
Residence Hall Office (RHO) hours will be reduced during the
exam period:
December 7-20, 2012 - 12:00 pm - 7:00 p.m.
December 20, 2013 - 9:00 am - 11:00 a.m.
January 7, 2014 - 10:00 am - 7:00 p.m.
Package Delivery
The last date the RHOs will be receiving packages from any
delivery company such as UPS, FedEx, and flower shops is
Wednesday, December 11, 2013. Please note that carriers will
hold or return to sender packages received after Wednesday,
December 11th. Since you will not be able to retrieve packages
during the time the RHOs are closed, please be sure that
medications and other essential items will arrive before
Wednesday, December 11, 2013.
All packages remaining in the RHOs after 1:00 PM on Monday,
December 16, 2013 will be returned to the respective delivery
services. Be sure to pick up your packages before you leave for
the winter break.
Package deliveries will resume on Wednesday, January 8, 2014.
Packages shipped to arrive prior to this date might be returned to
sender by the carrier since the RHOs are closed.
Security
Residence Hall Office
Hours
Residential facilities will be locked and inaccessible via GOCards
during the holidays. Student GOCards will not function in the card
readers. We hope that this will help to ensure the safety of your
belongings.
December 7-19, 2013 - 12:00
p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
December 20, 2013 - 9:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m.
January 7, 2014 - 10:00 am 7:00 p.m.
Regular RHO Hours resume on
January 8, 2014
Nevertheless, we urge you to take home or secure as many of
your small valuables as possible. Bicycles have been especially
susceptible to theft; be sure to lock them before you leave for the
holidays. Please note that the University is not responsible
for belongings left in student rooms. They should be covered
in your own insurance policy.
University offices, including
the Office of Residential
Living, will be closed
December 24th - January 1st.
Unauthorized persons found in the residential facilities will be
subject to the Student Code of Conduct. Students found in their
residential space will be fined $100 per night for the unauthorized
stay.
Please remember to lock your door when you leave to avoid
damage to your room/apartment after your departure. If you
neglect to lock your door, you are responsible if damages are
found or any furniture is missing during the final inspection, and
your student account will be charged accordingly.
FALL 2013 CLOSING LETTER
PAGE 3
Room Changes and
Checking Out
Students Changing Rooms Between Semesters
•
If you submitted a room change request for the spring semester it will be processed. Spring
assignments will be sent in early December. You will not be able to select from available
spaces. You will be assigned a space based on your submitted request. You will not be able to
decline the room offered. We will give priority to assigning paired roommates over residence
location, unless instructed differently.
•
Student Responsibilities:
o Remove all belongings from fall assignment.
o There must an empty bed, desk, dresser, closet for the new resident.
If items are left behind, Residential Living staff will pack them and charge the
student $100 per box.
o Clean the room before leaving.
o Label boxes placed in new assignment.
o Return key to the RHO by 10 am Friday, December 20, 2013
Failure to return a key will result in a $100 lock change.
Students Leaving the University at the end of the Fall Semester
•
Pack and remove all belongings in room.
o There must an empty bed, desk, dresser, closet for the new resident.
If items are left behind, Residential Living staff will pack them and charge the
student $100 per box.
o Clean the room before leaving.
o Return key to the RHO by 10 am Friday, December 20, 2013
Failure to return a key will result in a $100 lock change.
•
Return Your Key During RHO Office Hours:
o You may return your key to your RHO. The staff will record your key as returned and
issue you a receipt. Please keep your key return receipt in a safe place. This receipt
is the only official proof your key has been returned.
•
Returning Your Key After RHO Hours:
o If you need to return your key while the RHO is closed, please place your key in an
envelope provided outside of the RHO, fill out the information requested and slide the
envelope underneath the RHO’s door. The top part of the envelope is your receipt. You
must bear financial responsibility if there is a question whether you returned the key.
Keys must be returned to the RHO. Do not leave your key with your RA, roommate or any other
student. If they fail to return the key, you will be financially responsible for the lock change.
PAGE 4
FALL 2013 CLOSING
Preparing for New Roommates
Students with vacancies in their room or apartment should be prepared for a new roommate in the spring
semester. You can check your Housing-at-a-Glance page beginning in mid-December to see assigned
roommates. Per the Housing Occupancy Agreement, you cannot decline a roommate or make them feel
unwelcome to the room/apartment.
Student Responsibilities:
• Ensure that there are empty bed(s), desk(s), dresser(s), closets(s) for the newly assigned resident.
o If Residential Living Staff need to clear a space, remaining residents will be charged.
• Clean the room, apartment. Housekeeping staff will not clean your room or apartment. It is your
responsibility to remove all trash, and make the room/apartment welcoming.
RCN Cable
As the semester comes to a close, please remember that if you are not returning next year that you must
call 1-877-532-HOYA (4692) to disconnect your service. Once disconnected you have 10 days to return
the equipment before you are charged an unreturned equipment fee. Equipment can be returned to the
RHO in your building after December 2, 2013 during business hours only. Please be advised, without the
return of all equipment and a request for disconnection, RCN will not be able to discontinue your billing.
Also the type of converter you have may result in equipment fees ranging from $80-$575 if not returned.
You will be issued a receipt, which you should keep until verification that the equipment was received by
RCN.
If you have automated billing enabled, RCN may continue to charge you after you have dropped your
equipment at the RHO, before it is picked up by RCN. Please address any questions or concerns to RCN at
the number listed above. If you are returning for the Spring Semester, you don’t have to take any action.
RCN will continue to provide your service without interruption..
Forwarding Addresses
Students who are not returning for the spring semester 2014 should complete change of address cards if
mail will be forwarded to a location other than their home addresses. The address cards can be obtained at
any post office; alternately, you can do a change of address online at https://moversguide.usps.com/. All
mail with no forwarding address will be returned to sender.
Move out Parking
Cars may not be parked on streets near residences Monday – Friday and are subject to ticketing and
towing. Citations will be issued to those parking in unauthorized areas.. Parking during move out is in the
Southwest Garage. Move out parkers will be issued a two hour pass to park in the Southwest Garage as
they move out during weekdays. Parkers can contact OTM if additional time is needed.
Storage Containers
These are large containers that are brought to specific locations for students to fill with their personal items.
You must coordinate the delivery times and drop off locations with the Office of Transportation
Management, via email (otm@georgetown.edu), no later than Friday, December 6, 2013. Temporary
storage in or around Georgetown University facilities is NOT available.
Corp Storage
Going abroad for the spring semester? Need a place to keep your items until you return to Georgetown in
the fall? Corp Storage can store your boxes and refrigerators while you're away. Stored items are kept in a
secure, climate--controlled facility until the start of the 2014-15 school year. Corp Storage offers high quality
service and lower prices than any competitor, and requires no registration fees. Please
visit www.corpstorage.org for ordering information and details.
FALL 2013 CLOSING LETTER
PAGE 5
Christmas Trees & Holiday Decorations
Please read the following information outlining our Christmas tree & holiday decorations policy.
The following specifications have been issued by the University Safety and Environmental Management Office:
Decorations:
Electric light bulbs shall not be decorated with paper or other combustible materials unless such materials
have first been rendered flameproof.
Decorative materials should be placed in areas that permit free use of all means of exits, clear vision of exit
signs, and easy access to fire suppression equipment.
Do not pin electrical decorations on the wall with tacks or nails. This could damage the electrical cord and
lead to a fire hazard.
All lighting and electronics must be UL, CSA, CPSC approved.
Christmas Trees:
Live trees are not permitted in residence halls, apartments or townhouses. Artificial Christmas Trees are
permitted; students must adhere to the following policies regarding decorating artificial trees.
Trees shall not block any exit in any hallways, or be placed near any stairway or elevator. Artificial trees
are to be secured against falling; only wire or metal braces are to be used to secure the tree.
Artificial trees are to be placed at least five feet from stoves, radiators, and other heat sources. The public
should be restricted from the immediate area in which the tree is located–if public is not restricted; NO
SMOKING signs shall be posted in the vicinity of the tree.
No flammable decorations are to be placed on or under artificial Christmas trees. If cotton or paper is
used, it shall be of the fireproof type.
If electric trains are placed under the trees, the use of metal icicles is prohibited.
Electric wiring shall not be used on metallic Christmas trees. This type of tree may be illuminated by
spotlights placed a safe distance away.
If electric wiring is used on or under Christmas trees, the wiring must be UL, CSA, CPSC approved.
Defective, worn, or frayed electric wiring is prohibited.
If trees are located in an area not under constant observation, all electric wiring shall be disconnected at
the receptacle during the period of non-attendance.
The use of candles or other open flames on or near the Christmas tree is prohibited.
All artificial Christmas trees and decorations shall be flame proofed to the satisfaction of the Department of
Safety and Environmental Management Office.
Note: The Department of Safety & Environmental Management can be contacted at 202-687-6913 to evaluate
any situation where there are questions on compliance with any of these requirements.
Have a Happy & Fire Safe Holiday.
PAGE 6
FALL 2013 CLOSING
Residence Hall Closing Checklist
Inspections will take place before or during the holiday break. Any damages assessed will be
charged to your student account. You MUST attend to the following items BEFORE you depart for
the holidays. Please check off the items as you complete them:
Inform your RA or Community Director if you will not be returning to this room or apartment in the
spring.
Secure all small valuables or pack them to take with you. Please remember to take medicines,
passports, dress clothing that you may need over the break.
Defrost and clean your refrigerator. Dispose of all foods. Remove all food from lounge and
common area kitchens. Defrost and clean those refrigerators also.
Unplug all appliances (except full-size refrigerators), including mini-fridges, radios, clocks, lamps,
etc. Since any unauthorized items will be confiscated, take those items home with you.
Close and secure all windows and doors. Windows left open may cause pipes to freeze and
burst, causing water damage.
Turn heating units in your room/apartment to “medium,” or 60 degrees. DO NOT TURN OFF
HEAT.
Return furnishings belonging to the University that are not part of the standard arrangement of
your room to their proper location. Any such furniture (i.e. lounge furniture) found in student
rooms during inspections will result in disciplinary sanctions.
Remember to take out all of your trash and recyclables. Insects tend to nest in these areas if they
are left behind.
Exterminators will be spraying EVERY room/apartment/townhouse over the break. Please
remove all food products and cover computers, appliances, and electrical equipment. Please
arrange your room so that a thorough inspection may be made. Requests that
rooms/apartments/townhouses be exempt from spraying will NOT be honored. Contact the
Academic Resource Center at 202-687-8354 if you have a registered medical need requiring
special attention. I
If you are not returning for spring semester or are changing rooms, please remember to return
your key to your RHO by 10 am on December 20, 2013 to avoid a $100 lock change fee.
Have a Safe and Wonderful Break and Holiday!