Reslife: Information to Clarify Recent Notifications

Dear Campus Residents,

As you may be aware, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recently issued an executive order outlining a number of actions in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This order mandates that campus housing should remain open ONLY to those students for whom the campus residence is their primary housing. We received clarification about this mandate and sent a message on Wednesday, March 18, instructing residents too who have an off-campus primary residence to vacate the campus. This request is unfortunate, but necessary, to ensure that we are consistent with the governor’s executive order, and facilitates our ability to promote the health and well-being of the campus community through a continued reduction of the population density on campus.

Deadline to Remove Your Belongings

We understand that this request is a change from our original messages. We regret that it may present students and family members with unexpected logistical challenges related to moving physical belongings during what is surely a very stressful time for everyone. We will allow belongings to be left in assigned rooms through Sunday, March 29, to allow you time to make arrangements for moving.

This short timeline is necessary due to the rapidly changing landscape of this health emergency, the decreasing number of staff on campus to ensure the security of your personal property and the possibility that our residence hall facilities might be needed by the state for use as quarantine or medical care facilities. Therefore, we are not able to guarantee the security of your personal items over an extended period of time. If necessary, items remaining in rooms after that date may be removed to another location. We strongly recommend that you make every effort to move your personal belongings by Sunday, March 29.

Questions about Refunds

The University is still in discussions in regards to housing, parking and meal plan refunds. The University’s primary goal at this time is to ensure the health, safety and wellness of the campus community. An outcome on this decision will be made at a later date and residents will be notified accordingly.

As our understanding of the virus and best practices to prevent its spread continues to evolve, we will have to continue to adapt and change as necessary. We ask for your continued patience, flexibility and cooperation during this extremely trying time.

As always, please visit the University’s Coronavirus website for the most up-to-date information and direct your questions to coronavirus@montclair.edu, and please continue to check your email for updates.

Sincerely,
The Office of Residence Life