Penn Living Guides Spring 2021 | January 2021 Move-In
Hello Chapter House residents, presidents and House Corporation/Advisors of Penn-operated chapter homes,
These guides provide essential info for Chapter House Living this spring. Attachments:
1. 1-page Welcome and Reference Letter to print for your bedroom with safety tips, contact info, and the maintenance request link.
2. Overview of COVID-Living Guidelines for chapter homes this semester.
3. Comprehensive Living Guide which outlines 10 steps to Move-In (pg. 3) and a variety of topics for your entire time living in the house.
a. Reminder you will sign-out your key at the Chapter House and Penn Moving Carts will not be available. Follow all COVID moving and testing procedures.
Please reference previous housing-related communications on the OFSL Chapter Housing Website.
Sections of the Spring 2021 comprehensive Guide to Chapter Housing (attachment 3) include:
• Dates
• Addresses and Contact Info
• Questions and Important Documents
• Step-by-Step Instructions for January 2021 Move-In
• Keys
• Maintenance Requests – Additional Info
• Early Move-In Request & Procedures
• Trash and Furniture Disposal (with picture examples)
• Furniture and Storage (with picture examples)
• Fees & Damage Costs
• Occupancy Changes & Room Switches
• PennCard and Swipe Access
• Accommodations
• Chapter Meal Plans
• Deliveries and Packages
• Life Safety Equipment & Violations
• Room Alterations and Damages
• Security Deposits
• Guest and Social Events
• Safety Tips and Prohibited Items
• Parking Guidelines During January Move-In
• Weather Advisory
• Move-Out and Occupancy Dates: Spring 2021 Semester
Please keep your House Manager updated about your arrival and move-in, and we look forward to this semester!
The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life
University of Pennsylvania
3933 Walnut Street | Philadelphia, PA 19104 (6136)
Tel (215) 898-5264 | Fax (215) 573-6752 | vpul-ofsl@pobox.upenn.edu | @penngreeks
COVID Testing
Hello Penn Fraternity and Sorority Chapter House community,
We are so excited to welcome you to campus soon! You’ll find information below about arriving to campus and completing your COVID-19 arrival test (gateway test).
PennOpen Pass
You must complete your PennOpen Pass prior to arrival on campus. PennOpen Pass is a daily symptom tracker and exposure reporting system designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within the Penn community. Daily symptom checks and exposure reporting on PennOpen Pass are required for those who are on campus.
Users who report no symptoms and no recent contact with someone who may have COVID-19 will get a Green Pass, meaning you are “cleared” for the day. All individuals on campus are required to:
• show their Green Pass upon entry into buildings
• wear a face covering
• practice physical distancing.
Users who do report symptoms or recent contact with someone who may have COVID-19 get a Red Pass. This means you are “not cleared” for the day. Users who receive a Red Pass will be asked to answer additional questions which allow follow-up to be tailored to their individual needs. It is important to read the instructions provided on your Red Pass carefully and follow them right away.
Arriving to Your Chapter House
Please note that staff will not be available to assist with street parking. If parking spots are available, you can park per the city’s parking guidelines. If street parking is not available, there are parking garages available.
When you arrive at Penn, you will go directly to your chapter house and receive your key. Your chapter leader in charge of moving in first will have the keys to disperse.
In order to stay within the two-hour move-in time limit, you should limit the number of belongings you bring. If your chapter provides standardized furniture, you need to use that and cannot remove them from the room. If your chapter does not provide furniture, plan accordingly for the limited essentials you would need. Large furniture, large storage containers, or other bulky items that would require more than one person to carry should be avoided when possible. For personal items such as clothes and personal care, It is strongly recommended that you bring only what will fit into 2 suitcases and a backpack. Penn move-in carts will not be available, and many in-and-out trips from your chapter house are strongly discouraged. To support that effort, please pack only your essentials – such as clothing, personal care products, bedding, and school supplies.
In order to open the door to the house, you must use your PennCard. Do NOT prop doors.
If you lost your PennCard, you can obtain a new PennCard at the PennCard office.
Guest Pass
Each resident is allowed one guest to help them move in during their two-hour timeslot. Your guest must have a photo ID with them.
The guest must leave promptly at the conclusion of the two-hour timeslot. The guest is not able to stay overnight or enter the building again. Guests should remain with their hosts throughout the move-in process; however, guests are not permitted to accompany students into the testing sites.
Packages
Your living and mailing addresses can be found on Campus Express.
Testing Upon Arrival (Gateway Testing)
All students moving on to campus are required to schedule their gateway (arrival) test immediately upon arrival. Until your test is scheduled, you may have a Red PennOpen Pass and will not be able to enter campus buildings.
For more information about the testing process, including instructions on how to prepare for your test, visit the COVID Testing Site below. Please note: you must refrain from eating, drinking, tooth brushing, mouth washing, gum chewing, vaping, and tobacco use for at least 30 minutes before your test. You must also arrive “hands-free” during the testing process. Storage of personal possessions will not be available. Please arrive with your mask on, your Green PennOpen Pass, and your PennCard.
If you are arriving on a Sunday, please note that there is no gateway testing available that day. You will need to schedule for Monday by visiting the COVID-19 Scheduling Site.
After-Hours Arrival
If you are unable to arrive to campus, move in to your Chapter House between 8 am and 5 pm and receive your gateway test (arrival test), you must immediately quarantine after receiving your access to your house. You must schedule your arrival test for the following day by visiting the COVID-19 Scheduling site. A map of the testing locations can be found on the Testing Sites and Hours page.
Resources:
More information about COVID testing and other wellness questions can be found on the University’s COVID-19 website. You can also follow the University’s COVID-19 social media channels @COVIDPenn on Twitter and Instagram. A more comprehensive Chapter Housing Living Guide will be shared with you via email.
The requirements and protocols outlined here were instituted to minimize the risk of virus spread and better protect the health and safety of the entire Penn Community. For that reason, we strongly urge you to strictly follow these guidelines and plan accordingly.
Please consult the resources mentioned above for information that was not addressed here. We will continue to update the OFSL Housing page by adding the communications to it.
We encourage you to follow Residential Services on social media for updates and tips about living on campus: Residential Services is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and Penn Dining is on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
For more information please visit the University COVID-19 Website, particularly the Student Testing information page and the OFSL Website. You can also email us at vpul-ofsl@upenn.edu. In order to expedite a response, you should include your chapter affiliation in the subject line.
Our best,
OFSL Team
Residential Services
Penn Dining
A MESSAGE TO THE PENN COMMUNITY
from
Amy Gutmann, President
Wendell Pritchett, Provost
Craig Carnaroli, Executive Vice President
J. Larry Jameson, Executive Vice President for the Health System
Benoit Dubé, Associate Provost and Chief Wellness Officer
This past year has been fraught with many challenges – from a global pandemic that has forced unprecedented life changes, to the civil, political and racial unrest that is continuing to unfold. Despite all of this, we have been working collectively with our partners in Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health to create an environment to bring the Penn community back together safely. We invite you to read this letter from Dr. Thomas Farley, Philadelphia Health Commissioner, about stopping the spread of COVID-19 on college campuses.
While life on campus will look much different than in years past, our collective commitment to inclusion, innovation, and impact has not faltered. To help protect the Penn community and our neighbors across Philadelphia, the University has launched Penn Cares, our COVID-19 response program established to help thwart the spread of the disease. Please take a moment to watch this Welcome Video with more information about Penn Cares.
We all have a responsibility to do our part to ensure the success of Penn Cares and to think about the impact our decisions have on others, especially in our surrounding communities. We can help create a safe environment to live, learn and work by following the strict public health guidance we’ve instituted for those on and off campus, including masking, washing hands, remaining physically distant, staying home when sick, taking part in our robust screening testing program, and completing your daily PennOpen Pass symptom and exposure tracker.
The following are critical components of the Penn Cares program for students, faculty, postdocs and staff:
Penn Cares
Mask
Distance
Wash
The University will observe a Quiet Period until February 1. All graduate and undergraduate students must abide by certain limitations on movement and activity for the collective good of our community.
This is a daily symptom tracker and exposure reporting system designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within the Penn community. Daily symptom checks and exposure reporting on PennOpen Pass are required for those on campus.
These are actions the entire university community can take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Working together and thinking about your behaviors and activities, and their effects on others, are critical to following these important steps.
The University has set behavioral expectations for activities while living, learning and working on campus.
Penn
Penn Cares
Test
Trace
Isolate
The Penn Cares comprehensive testing strategy, developed in partnership with Penn Medicine, uses three distinct channels: gateway (arrival to campus) testing for students living on and off-campus; screening testing for students, faculty, postdocs, and staff; and symptomatic and exposure-related testing for the Penn community.
If you test positive, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation are some of the many ways the University is helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the Penn community.
This is a report of the University’s collective COVID-19 testing results from across the Penn community.
Penn Cares
Connect
Reflect
Support
The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent civil unrest in our country have been stressful for all – physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s important to make sure you are taking care of yourself while coping during these challenging times.
As we look to the future with an optimistic lens, we hope to have more information to share regarding vaccination. Vaccine distribution in Philadelphia is managed by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in accordance with prioritization guidance from the National Academy of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We wish you all a very happy, healthy 2021. Thank you for your continued partnership in and dedication to keeping our community healthy.
Spring 2021 Chapter Housing Move-In
Hello Chapter House Resident,
We are looking forward to you living in the chapter house this spring! Please find important information below regarding move-in timeslots and preparations for arriving to campus. A more comprehensive Chapter Housing Living Guide for the semester will be shared with you via email in the coming weeks.
When you arrive to Penn, you will go directly to your chapter house and receive your key. All residents are required to select a move-in timeslot (link below) to help maintain physical distance during move-in and to assist Campus Health’s planning. Room changes are not possible at this time. Cancellation Requests would need to be submitted to the OFSL email: vpul-ofsl@pobox.upenn.edu, and they are subject to the terms outlined in previous communication and the signed Occupancy Agreement.
Please note the following:
• Your House Manager and President have a record of your spring room assignment.
• Move-In is from Sunday, January 17, 2021, to Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Early move-in is not available. If you need to arrive past that date, keep your President, House Manager, and OFSL informed.
• Select your timeslot by Wednesday, January 6 at noon ET via MyHomeAtPenn. Timeslots are divided in 2-hour increments. There are 6 slots per day between 9:00 am – 9:00 pm.
• The House Manager or President should plan to arrive at the earliest timeslot so they can manage bedroom keys. House Managers and Presidents will receive more information.
• If you do not select a timeslot by Wednesday, January 6 at noon ET, one will be assigned to you.
• You are able to switch your move-in timeslot via MyHomeAtPenn.
• Students must receive their COVID-19 test upon arrival to campus. More information about testing logistics will be provided as we near closer to your move-in date.
• In the FORMS section on MyHomeAtPenn, the “Room Change,” “Early Termination,” and “Winter Break Exception” Forms are for College House residents, not Chapter Housing.
If you have questions about timeslots, please email living@upenn.edu with the subject line “timeslots.”
To help you get ready for move-in, this email will provide you with an overview of what to expect. Before we get into details, we want to acknowledge that this is not going to be the typical move-in and on-campus experience. We will be following important protocols for move-in based on guidance provided by the University. It is important that you read the information below and follow our instructions carefully. Doing so will enable you to move-in more easily and will help keep you and our campus safer. As the COVID-19 Pandemic develops, some items might be subject to change.
Before You Arrive
Review Penn’s Student Campus Compact. Penn is taking the behavioral expectations seriously and we know that you will, too.
Packing
In order to stay within the two-hour move-in time limit, you should limit the number of belongings you bring. If your chapter provides standardized furniture, you need to use that and cannot remove them from the room. If your chapter does not provide furniture, plan accordingly for the limited essentials you would need. Large furniture, large storage containers, or other bulky items that would require more than one person to carry should be avoided when possible. For personal items such as clothes and personal care, It is strongly recommended that you bring only what will fit into 2 suitcases and a backpack. Penn move-in carts will not be available, and many in-and-out trips from your chapter house are strongly discouraged. To support that effort, please pack only your essentials – such as clothing, personal care products, bedding, and school supplies.
It is not recommended to ship items to the chapter house before January 17 because staff are not available to place them in the home. To learn more about Amazon@Penn, click here.
Examples of Items you may need to bring:
• Essentials: computer/laptop, cell phone, chargers, clothes, hangers, rain gear & umbrella, bedding, mattress pad, pillows, surge protector, alarm clock, first aid kit
• Personal Care: masks, laundry bag, detergent, dryer sheets, wastebasket, trash bags, recycling bin, towels, soap & toiletries, shower caddy, tissues, wet wipes, room cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray
• Food: personal plates, bowls, utensils, cups, water bottle
• Extras: floor/desk lamp, LED/CFL lightbulb, iron & ironing board, calculator & school supplies, storage, headphones, mirror, fan, water pitcher, clothes drying rack
What should I leave at home:
• Pets, space heater, hoverboard, alcoholic beverages (review your fraternity/sorority house policies, and follow the law and Penn policies), hookahs, bongs, Bunsen burners, live Christmas trees, smoke/fog machines, CO2 cylinders, personal routers, candles, electronic cooking devices (any appliance with an open coil), electric skillets, portable stoves, hot plates, popcorn poppers, toaster ovens, fireworks, gasoline, halogen and/or kerosene lamps, black lights, tobacco products (including electronic cigarettes), waterbeds, and weapons or any item that can be construed as a weapon (including firearms, ammunition, knives/swords, gun powder, explosives, etc.). Coffee pots are allowed in bedrooms and should have an auto turn off. Some kitchen items can be used in the house kitchen but not bedroom (such as toaster, George Foreman Grill, waffle iron). This list subject to change and might not be all-inclusive.
Guest Policy for Move-In
Each resident is allowed one guest to help them move-in during their two-hour timeslot, and the guest must leave promptly at the conclusion of the two-hour timeslot. The guest is not able to stay overnight or enter the building again. Your guest must stay with you throughout the move-in process.
As you plan, remember this motto: One Car, One Guest, One Move-In Timeslot
Arriving to Campus
Step One: Moving into Your Chapter House
As a reminder – you must move in during your time slot and you will have two hours to complete your move-in.
Weather Note: Given that this is a winter move-in, it is possible that weather may impact plans. We will continue move-in no matter the weather unless the University has to cease operations. In that case, you will receive an official University notification and we will reach out to you to make alternative arrangements. If you are delayed due to weather, you should keep your President and House Manager informed and you or them can notify OFSL as needed.
Communication with your House Manager: your first task upon arriving at your building is to message the House Manager of your safe arrival. As soon as you enter the home and receive your key, you will have officially taken residency of your room assignment and all Occupancy Agreement conditions apply.
Parking: Penn Police is working to secure parking near chapter homes on Walnut, 39th St, and Spruce. Cars are never permitted on Locust, but entry points will be permissible near 36th, 37th, and 39th streets. If the street blocks are up near Locust Walk, call Penn Police at 215-573-3333 and request them removed for chapter house move-in. Once you park, you should plan for an efficient and timely move-in as best as possible.
Masks: you and your guest are required to wear a face-covering/mask inside common areas of the house.
PennCard: your PennCard will be activated to your chapter house. You will need it at move-in. If you cannot locate your PennCard, review the steps on the PennCard website. Replacement card pick-up might be at Bodek Lounge in Houston Hall rather than at the Penn Bookstore.
Family/Friend Guest: It is strongly recommended that families share their moments of farewell and well-wishes prior to arrival on campus and allow their students to independently move into their rooms. While one guest will be allowed to accompany the student (for move-in only), we are taking all measures to reduce the number of people in our residences to help protect the health and safety of the campus community to the greatest extent possible.
Key: the plan is for your key to be at the house and for your House Manager to provide it to you. You will have to sign a paper when you receive the key. Do not go to UCA to sign out a key like key pick-up and return has been handled in previous move-in/outs. You must move into your room.
If you have packages to pick up at Amazon@Penn, we encourage you to do that before the conclusion of your two-hour timeslot.
Remember, once your timeslot concludes, your guest must leave campus and you need to get your COVID-19 test.
Step Two: Getting Your Gateway Test
You will be required to be tested for COVID-19 upon completion of your Move-in. More information will be provided as we get closer to your move-in date.
Additionally, you will be required to enroll in the Spring screening testing program. Undergraduate students and those living in College Houses and Chapter Homes will be required to test twice a week on pre-assigned days throughout the Spring semester. Screening tests are one component of Penn’s overall public health efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on campus and among our surrounding communities. Screening testing in the spring will be performed through a non-invasive, FDA-approved, saliva-based RT-PCR test. More information about enrolling in the Spring screening testing program, and instructions regarding test prep, will be provided before move-in.
Additional Information
Food
Chef Meal Plan: If your chapter will have a chef meal plan, talk with your President and House Manager. Members of the chapter who don’t reside in the home can sign-up for the meal plan, but they cannot enter the home; a pick-up process must be arranged outside the home.
No Chef Meal Plan: If your chapter is not doing a meal plan, you will be able to use the kitchen at your home.
Penn Dining: Purchasing a Penn Dining meal plan might also be an option for you. For more information on locations, hours, and dining plans, please click here. Students who sign-up for a Penn Dining meal plan will also be contacted with more information about PennDining services.
Guests
No guests will be permitted inside the chapter including partners, family, friends, recruits/prospective members, non-resident members of the chapter, alumni, etc. Permitted entrants are residents, staff, maintenance, cleaning services, emergency response personal, and chef (if applicable). A House Corporation/Advisor’s request for entrance will be evaluated case-by-case. Non-resident members on the meal plan must pick-up meals outside the chapter home
Parties
Gatherings, parties, etc. inside and outside the home are strictly forbidden. Students around campus might ask to be at your house. All chapter residents and members must do their part to hold each other accountable for the health and safety of the Penn and Philadelphia community.
Maintenance, Cleaning, and Safety Never leave items in hallways or common areas, and do not block doorways or stairs. If Campus Apartments has move items for safety, the chapter will be charged.
Resources
• More information about Penn’s COVID-19 public health approach can be found on the COVID-19 Response website.
• A more comprehensive Chapter Housing Living Guide will be shared with you via email in the coming weeks.
We are very happy your chapter house is able to open this semester. We know students want to do whatever is necessary to keep themselves, their fellow students, and the Penn community safe. We all share the same commitment to a safe spring semester and know that we can do this together. The requirements and protocols outlined here were instituted to minimize the risk of virus spread and better protect the health and safety of the entire Penn Community. For that reason, we strongly urge you to strictly follow these guidelines and plan accordingly.
Please consult the resources mentioned above for information that was not addressed here. We will continue to update the OFSL Housing page by adding the communications to it.
We appreciate your support and cooperation and look forward to seeing you on campus!
Our best,
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
In Partnership with Facilities and Real Estate Service