Opening, Break & Closing Information

Returning and new-student athletes participating in a Fall sport should plan to check in on Wednesday, August 16, 2023. Please contact your coaches for more information regarding check-in times and practice schedules.

New International students should plan to move in Tuesday, August 15, 2023. Please contact Karen Sykes with any questions.

Students who are part of an official Goucher program that requires them to move onto campus before the College officially reopens, should check with their program leaders to confirm their approved date of arrival. 

All other new students, both first-years, and transfers should plan to arrive at the Dorsey Center Courtyard for check-in on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Move-in times will be scheduled based on students' room assignments. In order to expedite the move-in process, we ask that you ONLY arrive during your assigned time frame. Please be sure to reference your specific room number to find your time below. If you arrive before your scheduled time, you will be asked to wait. While we work hard to make the move-in process as efficient as possible, please be prepared to wait for your car to be unloaded. Move-in will begin at 9am and all new students will receive an email with their exact move-in time. 

If you plan to shop at nearby stores and will need to unload right outside your residence hall for a second time, please plan to arrive after 12:45 p.m. to avoid a wait and to allow those in the 11:00 a.m. time block to unload. If, after shopping off campus, you're able to carry your items from the Dorsey parking lot, you may return to campus at any time.

Fall Orientation for students will begin on Saturday, August 19, 2023 and will continue through Tuesday, August 22, 2023.  Orientation is mandatory for all new students. 

For more details about orientation, please contact the Office of Student Engagement at 410-337-6124 or email firstyear@goucher.edu.

All other students may return Tuesday, August 22.

The Office of Residential Life will have evening storage hours for the dates below. Students should come to the Office of Residential Life during the hours listed for storage access. Students who return to campus when the Office of Residential Life is closed may pick up their keys at the Office of Campus Safety. Students need to make sure they are returning to campus on their approved date, as only approved students will have their keys made available. Students who return to campus before the official move-in day without written approval from the Office of Residential Life will be subject to an early return fine of $50 per night.

Friday, August 11, 2023

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Saturday, August 12, 2023

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Sunday, August 13, 2023

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Monday, August 14, 2023 

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Tuesday, August 15, 2023 

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm 

Wednesday, August 16, 2023 

• Storage: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm & 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Thursday, August 17, 2023

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Friday, August 18, 2023

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Saturday, August 19, 2023

• Storage: 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Sunday, August 20,  2023

• Office hours: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
• Storage: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm & 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Monday, August 21, 2023 

• Office hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Storage: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm & 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Tuesday, August 22, 2023 (returning students move-in)

• Office hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Storage: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm & 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

• Office hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Storage: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm & 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

All students with a Fall semester housing assignment can remain in their current room assignment during the break period.

For students who are not staying on campus during the break, we ask that you prepare your room by completing the following:

• Please remove food and all garbage from your room. This is very important because open food containers and garbage are a prime cause of facilities concerns.
• Close and lock all windows and reinsert screens that are not in place.
• Take home all pet fish and approved ESAs.
• Take home all valuables.
• Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances (computers, lights, fans, alarms, etc.). However, you do not need to defrost or unplug your refrigerator during Thanksgiving break.
• Clean up your room as best as possible. This includes removing any clothing and papers from the floor. In the event of a facilities emergency, a cluttered room impedes our ability to address the problem.
• Lock your door!!!

For more information about staying on campus during breaks, see the Break Housing page.

As the end of the semester approaches, please read the following important information to help you prepare for winter closing:

Quiet Hours
Quiet hours for the reading period will be in effect from Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 11:59 pm through the closing of the residence halls at 10:00 am on Saturday, December 16. During this time, 24-hour quiet hours are in effect. Any gatherings and behavior disruptive to other residents will not be tolerated, and multiple offenses will result in student fines.

Closing Process
The residence halls close for winter break on Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 10:00 am. Students with a Spring semester housing assignment are permitted to stay on campus during the Winter break and J-Term. Students without a Spring semester housing assignment must vacate their assigned residence hall room and return their issued room key no later than 10:00 am on December 16, 2023.

During the break, health and safety inspections occur in each student room. Any observed violations of the law or campus policy will be reported to the appropriate parties and could lead to student fines or judicial action. Any unauthorized items found in the room will be confiscated and students will be fined. Students must be sure to remove all trash and leave their room in a clean and orderly fashion upon their departure. Failure to do so will result in a room cleaning fee.

Before departure, residents must do the following:

• Remove all food from their assigned room and take all garbage to the residence hall's trash room. FMS will remove any improperly stored food, and charges the residents of the room.
• Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances.
• Take home all pet fish and approved ESAs.
• Take home all valuables. Residents should check to make sure they have left no personal belongings in the common or laundry rooms.
• For students with radiators in their rooms, turn the valve on. Keeping the heat on will help keep pipes from freezing.
• Move any furniture at least 3 inches away from the heating units to avoid any potential fire risks and for FMS to do maintenance work over the break.
• Ensure the window screens are in place, the windows are closed and locked, and the blinds are down.
• Upon departing, lock the doors to their assigned room.

For students not returning in the spring or switching rooms:

Students not returning next semester, for any reason, must return their room key to the Office of Residential Life no later than 10:00 am on Saturday, December 16, 2023.

Students switching rooms for the spring semester need to have all of their belongings out of their room and their key returned to the Office of Residential Life no later than 10:00 am Saturday, December 16, 2023. Students switching rooms may utilize storage through the Office of Residential Life to help accommodate the transition to their new room. Students moving into new rooms in the spring will be able to pick up their new keys when they return to campus in January.

Failure to return room keys to the Office of Residential Life will result in a $120 lock change fee.

Winter housing

For more information about staying on campus during Winter break, see the Break Housing page.

Storage
The Office of Residential Life offers on-campus storage to residential Goucher students on a space available basis. Students may store items for up to a full year. Payments can be made using Gopher Bucks. For more information on our storage policies, click here.

All students with a Spring semester housing assignment can remain in their current room assignment during the break period.

Before you depart, we ask that you prepare your room for checkout by completing the following:

1. Please remove food and all garbage from your room. This is very important because open food containers and garbage are a prime cause of facilities concerns.
2. Close and lock all windows and reinsert screens that are not in place.
3. Take home all pet fish and approved ESAs.
4. Take home all valuables.
5. Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances (computers, lights, fans, alarms, etc.). However, you do not need to defrost or unplug your refrigerator during spring break.
6. Clean up your room as best as possible. This includes removing any clothing and papers from the floor. In the event of a facilities emergency, a cluttered room impedes our ability to address the problem.
7. Lock your door!!!

For more information about staying on campus during breaks, see the Break Housing page.

The residence halls close for all non-graduating students on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. At that time all students who are not approved for extended stay are expected to depart for the summer. Graduating students can learn more about their closing dates under the Graduating Students subheading.

Quiet Hours

• Quiet hours will be in effect from Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. through Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
• During this period quiet must be maintained at all times in the residence halls. Any loud gatherings or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.
• Failure to abide by quiet hours will result in sanctions through the student conduct process as well as possible fines.

Checking Out and Returning Keys

• Students should plan to depart campus no more than 24 hours after their last final examination.
• It is important to check out using one of our check out processes, as it is the best to avoid undue damage or cleaning charges.
• Students can choose from two processes, traditional or express, for checking out before they depart campus. Each individual in the room will need to check out using one of these processes.
  • Traditional Check Out
    • Students will sign up to check out of their rooms with their RA before they depart for summer break.
    • Residents can find sign-up sheets on their RA’s door to reserve a check-out time.
    • Residents should sign up no later than 24 hours in advance and plan to leave upon completing this checkout.
    • Once the checkout process is completed, the RA will issue a key envelope to the resident and they can turn their key into the Office of Residential Life and depart campus.
  • Express Check Out
    • Students can grab an express check out envelope from the Office of Residential Life. Envelopes will be kept at the front desk and by the front entrance when the office is closed. 
    • Once a resident is ready to depart, meaning their side of the room is clean and all belongings are vacated, residents will place their key in the express check out envelope and fill out the information.
    • The last step is placing the express envelope in the drop box at Residential Life and departing campus. This step should only be completed when the student is ready to depart campus.

• Regardless of the process, when students depart, their assigned rooms need to be in the condition that they were during move-in. This means that:
  • Students should thoroughly clean their rooms and if residing in a suite or apartment their common rooms and bathroom.
  • Students must remove all personal belongings from their room before departure.
  • All college furniture assigned to the room must be present and accounted for before students check out with their RA. Students will be charged if furniture is missing. 
  • Students should close and lock all windows and their doors before departing.
• Students must return their room key to the Office of Residential Life before departing campus for Summer break. Failure to return your key will result in a $120 charge to your student billing account. 
• Keys will only be accepted if they are placed in a Residential Life key envelope. Students who go through the traditional check out process will obtain envelopes from their RAs. Students who wish to do an express check out can find the express check out envelopes outside the Office of Residential Life. Please make sure you include your name and room number on the envelope to avoid any unnecessary charges.
  • If the Office of Residential Life is open, it can be turned into the front desk staff. 
  • If the Office of Residential Life is closed, students can place their labeled envelope & key in the drop box to the right of the office’s front door.

Storage

The Office of Residential Life offers limited storage on campus to returning residential students. Storage is on a space available basis. Items may be stored in our unit for up to a full year. Pricing, as well as other information, can be found on our website at this link

Microfridge

All food and drinks must be removed from the Microfridge. Students should defrost, clean, and unplug the microfridge assigned to their room. Students should consider placing a towel under the device as it defrosts to keep water puddles to a minimum.

Microfridges must remain in each room or suite upon a students departure. 

Graduating Students

• The residence halls close for all graduating seniors on Saturday, May 25, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Please review all other headings for closing specifics.

Extended Stay Requests

Please check back in the Spring for information on extended stay requests!