Dear Seattle University Residential Students:

I write this afternoon to provide updated guidance following the extension of Governor Jay Inslee’s March 23 “Stay Home – Stay Healthy” Executive Order 20-25, which was announced on Friday, May 1, and what it means for (1) residential students who remain physically on campus in university owned/managed housing at this time, and for (2) those residential students who have already departed campus and need to return to move out of the residence hall at a later date.

The Governor’s executive order went into effect at midnight on Wednesday, March 25. The “stay-at-home” provision, which directs all Washington State residents to stay in their homes with the exception of essential travel, is now in effect through Sunday, May 31.  Because of the stay-at-home restrictions now in place, the university has extended the Winter Quarter move out deadline to Saturday, June 6 at 5:00pm. The executive order means that if you are here on campus as of today, you should stay in your campus room/apartment/residence hall, with the exception of essential travel for things like food, and that you should not plan to move out until Monday, June 1 at the earliest.  Please note that these deadlines may change if the Governor extends the executive order. 

Updated Move Out Guidance

Due to the executive order, students who are, as of today, physically here on campus and occupying their room/apartment should move out after the stay-at-home order ends, starting on Monday, June 1, and no later than Saturday, June 6 by 5:00pm.  In the event that you have already made move out arrangements and cannot reasonably change your plans to wait to move out until Monday, June 1, we ask that you:

• Notify us of your plans by re-submitting the Spring 2020 Closing Form in the Housing Portal as soon as possible;
• Limit your movement around your building and practice social distancing to the extent it is possible;
• Do not move out if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. If you are experiencing symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), send a self-report to covid-19-report@seattleu.edu;
• Do not bring visitors/guests into your building to assist you with move out without prior approval from your Area Coordinator;
• Do not return to campus once you have departed.

If you have already returned home and you are not physically here on campus occupying your Winter Quarter room/apartment, but you still need to return to campus to move your remaining belongings out, do not return to campus until after the Governor’s stay-at-home order is lifted.  Please make arrangements to return to campus to move your belongings on or after Monday, June 1 and no later than Saturday, June 6 by 5:00pm.  Students who are not living on campus in Spring Quarter 2020 but need to move their belongings out of their room/apartment at a later time will not be charged room and board for this extended move out period. 

If you are not able to return to Seattle to move out until after the Saturday, June 6 deadline due to travel logistics, stay-at-home orders in your local area, or other concerns, we will schedule a move out appointment with you for a later date in Spring Quarter on an individualized basis. If you need to request an extension to retrieve your belongings after Saturday, June 6 please indicate this as soon as possible on the Spring 2020 Closing Form, which is located in the Housing Portal. If you already submitted the Spring 2020 Closing Form and need to update it, please re-submit the form as soon as possible. The university will not charge students room or storage fees during this time. Please note that in some cases, items left in unoccupied rooms may be packed and stored (within the residence hall/complex) in order to free up the space for essential use.

Residential students who are here on campus during the stay-at-home order should expect limited campus and residence hall services during this time.  If you are remaining in university owned/managed housing for all or part of Spring Quarter, you may be required to move into a different building or room as we work to de-densify the residential community in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Housing & Residence Life has posted staff contact information at each residence hall desk and sent an email with this contact information to all residential students last week. While staff will be available to assist with lockouts and emergencies, they will operate following social distancing recommendations at all times. Residents can also call the Department of Public Safety for assistance at any time by calling (206) 296-5990 (non-emergencies) or (206) 296-5911 (emergencies).

I know there is a lot of information coming your way. If you have any questions about expectations for move out, please email Housing & Residence Life at housing@seattleu.edu. For up-to-date information about the university’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.seattleu.edu/coronavirus. 

Stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

James Willette, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President & Dean of Students

Note: This letter was sent via email from Housing & Residence Life to all residential students (with the exception of those living in Douglas & Vi Hilbert) on May 4, 2020. Douglas and Vi Hilbert residents should contact their leasing offices with any questions specific to their communities.