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