Breaks

Residence halls will remain OPEN for the Thanksgiving break!

During Thanksgiving Break residents may remain in their room for any portion of the break at no extra cost. There are no forms or paperwork that need to be completed to allow residents to stay.

Inspections

Residence hall staff will enter student rooms to conduct a visual health and safety check. This will be a scaled down version from the mid-semester inspections. Staff will inspect rooms to ensure all doors and windows are locked, excessive trash has been removed, and that other checklist items have completed.

Staying On Campus During Break

Please follow these simple, common sense, safety suggestions :

• Keep your room locked and your key(s) and identification card in your possession at all times.
• Close all exterior doors when entering or exiting. Never prop doors open or let others prop doors open. Lock your windows when out of the room.
• Call University Police, 336-758-5911, if you observe unusual behavior by strangers or any person unauthorized to be in your building.
• Make it a priority to know who the other residents are in your building during the break period.
• Never walk alone on campus.

Guests or friends may be entertained during the break, but no parties are permitted. ALL LEASED LOUNGES ARE CLOSED.

Dining Services

During the break, dining hours may be reduced or eliminated. For specific hours please refer to Deacon Dining’s website at deacondining.com.

Break Checklist

Regardless of travel plans, residents are expected to complete the tasks below prior to inspection:

• Store all food in closed containers. Remove perishables.
• Personal property should be moved off the floor.
• Remove all trash and recyclables from your room and common areas to outside containers.
• Take bicycles home or store them on designated bike racks (not in hallways, on balconies, under stairwells, or attached to banisters). Motorized bikes are NOT allowed in the residence halls or under breezeways; these should be parked in designated moped spaces.
• Key(s) and identification, including passports, should not be left in room.
• Take all valuables (i.e., computers, books, money, medications, clothing, etc.) that may be needed during the break. This can also be a precaution against theft or damage.
• Unplug all items from wall outlets. MicroFridge© units should remain plugged in, but please dispose of any perishable food.
• Leave blinds down if your room is on a ground floor or faces a balcony. Pull blinds up if your room is on an upper floor and does not face a balcony.
• Fan coil units should be set to 70° and low fan speed.
• Turn off your lights.
• Close and lock all windows and room door(s).

Click image to see a larger version.

Room Entry Policy

Wake Forest University staff will enter student rooms during the break to perform inspections and for routine maintenance. During this time we will lock all windows and doors.  Administrative action, billing and/or student conduct referral can result if unauthorized items or unsafe/unclean conditions are found. All staff members are expected to report the presence or evidence of pets, weapons, illegal substances, lounge furnishings, fuel or other prohibited items (see the Guide to Community Living).

Parking

For details on break parking, please visit the Transportation and Parking Services website or contact Transportation and Parking Services at 336.758.PARK (7275) or parking@wfu.edu.

If you are driving home and need to load your vehicle, you should follow the direction given in the Rules and Regulations.

• Park in an authorized parking space or loading zone space
• Use your headlights and emergency blinkers while loading your vehicle
• Pack your items prior to bringing your vehicle from satellite and freshman parking.
• Cars parked for extended periods of time will be ticketed.
• Parking in a fire lane, handicapped or other reserved spaces will subject you to ticketing or towing (even with blinkers on).
• Students may use student, 15 min. and 30 min. spaces to load your vehicle.

Questions?

See your hall staff or contact the Office of Residence Life and Housing at housing@wfu.edu or 336-758-5185.

Winter Break Information

For the 2019-20 Academic Year the residence halls will close and reopen as follows:

• ALL residence halls close and residents must depart campus by noon on Sunday, December 15, 2019.
• Residence halls open for students to return on Saturday, January 11, 2020, at 9 a.m.

All residents must vacate their rooms for the entire break. All residence halls, apartments, and houses will be closed and locked during the break.

Why Can’t I Stay Longer?
Due to safety and security reasons, we are unable to remain open during the Winter Break. Students will not be permitted to remain in their rooms for any portion of the break.

In addition, students will not be permitted back into their rooms for any reason, including to retrieve forgotten items.

What Should I Take With Me?
University personnel will not be available to give you entrance back and forth into your room over the break. You should:

• Take anything of value with you as a precaution against theft and damage.
• Take any belongings you may need over the break such as books, skis, medication, checkbook, passport, plane tickets, clothing, jewelry, etc.

Remember to keep your room and car doors locked while loading your vehicle for departure to help prevent theft.

Holiday Tips

Christmas Trees

• Live trees and other live decorations are not allowed in residential facilities.
• Artificial trees and decorations may be used as long as they are fire retardant and are placed away from radiators, fan coil units, kitchens, lamps, or other heat sources.

Lights

• All holiday lighting and wiring must be undamaged and labeled Underwriters Laboratory (UL) approved.
• Lights are only allowed in a single-strand and should be plugged into a single outlet.
• Lights may only be hung using electrical tape; do not hang lights using staples, nails, or tacks.
• For those in our Road Houses, outside lights are permitted on decks as long as they are plugged into a ground fault interrupt (GFI) device. No additional holes may be placed in the building to hang lights.
• Lights should be unplugged whenever they are unattended and should not be left on overnight.
• Candles, incense, and other open flame items are never permitted in campus housing.

Other Decorations

• Other holiday decorations may be placed on bulletin boards and room doors.
• Decorations should not be placed near radiators, fan coil units, kitchens, or other heat sources.
• All decorations used should be made of nonflammable materials, such as foil, metal ornaments, artificial wreaths, and flame retardant paper.
• Corridor walls, elevators, and fire exits should not be decorated.

Winter Break Closing Checklist

Residents, please complete prior to departing campus for Winter Break.

• Remove perishables and store all food in closed containers.
• Return To-Go containers to The Pit to receive your deposit back; if you fail to return a container you will have to pay for a new one for the Spring semester.
• Move all personal property off of room and suite floors.
• 72 hours prior to departure empty, defrost, unplug, and clean personal mini-fridges and MicroFridges. Ensure that water from defrosting is cleaned up and leave refrigerator and freezer doors open.
• Remove ALL items from common area refrigerators and freezers. This includes all refrigerators in Polo, Martin, North Campus Apartments, Student Apartments, and Road Houses. Do not turn the common area refrigerators off; they will be defrosted and cleaned over the break.
• Remove all trash and recyclables from your room and common areas to outside containers.
• Remove ALL items from bathrooms, countertops, and community  kitchens. This allows these areas to be cleaned over break while avoiding avoid any potential accidental breakage or removal of the items.
• Take bicycles home or store them on designated bike racks (not in hallways, on balconies, under stairwells, or under bannisters). Motorized bikes are NOT allowed in the residence halls or under breezeways; these should be parked in designated moped spaces.
• Key(s) and identification, including passports, should not be left in room. All doors will be locked during inspections.
• Take all valuables (i.e., computers, books, money, medications, clothing, etc.) that may be needed during the break.  This can also be a precaution against theft or damage.
• Take down any and all string/strand lights.
• Unplug all items from wall outlets.
• Leave blinds down if your room is on a ground floor or faces a balcony. Pull blinds up if your room is on an upper floor and does not face a balcony.
• Move all personal belongings at least 24” away from fan coil units to allow units to be serviced during the break.
• Fan coil units should be set to 70° and low fan speed.
• Turn off your lights.
• Close and lock all windows and room door(s).

Failure to comply with the items on the checklist may result in a minimum improper checkout charge of $50.00 and/or referral to the University’s student conduct process.

Room Entry Policy

Wake Forest University staff will enter student rooms during the break to perform inspections and for routine maintenance. During this time we will lock all windows and doors.  Administrative action, billing and/or student conduct referral can result if unauthorized items or unsafe/unclean conditions are found. All staff members are expected to report the presence or evidence of pets, weapons, illegal substances, lounge furnishings, fuel or other prohibited items (see the Guide to Community Living).

Spring Sorority Recruitment

Students involved with sorority recruitment will receive details regarding their return to campus via email. You can also visit the Fraternity & Sorority Life website for more information.

Parking

For details on break parking, please visit the Transportation and Parking Services website or contact Transportation and Parking Services at 336.758.PARK (7275) or parking@wfu.edu.

If you are driving home and need to load your vehicle, you should follow the direction given in the Rules and Regulations.

• Park in an authorized parking space or loading zone space
• Use your headlights and emergency blinkers while loading your vehicle
• Pack your items prior to bringing your vehicle from satellite and freshman parking.
• Cars parked for extended periods of time will be ticketed.
• Parking in a fire lane, handicapped or other reserved spaces will subject you to ticketing or towing (even with blinkers on).
• Students may use student, 15 min. and 30 min. spaces to load your vehicle.

Questions?

See your hall staff or contact the Office of Residence Life and Housing at housing@wfu.edu or 336-758-5185.

Staying On Campus During Break

Students may remain on campus for the entirety of Spring Break. The residence halls are open, and students’ card access is limited to only their hall and/or suite.

Safety Tips

The best advice in terms of personal safety for residents who choose to remain in their current room assignment during Spring Break is to exercise reasonable precaution while in and around the residence halls and on campus. Other tips include:

• Keep individual rooms locked and key(s) and identification card in one’s possession at all times.
• Close all exterior doors when entering or exiting. Never prop doors or let others prop doors.
• Call University Police, extension 911, if unusual behavior by strangers is observed or any person unauthorized is in the residence hall.
• Make it a priority to know who the other residents are in the residence hall during the break period.
• Never walking alone on campus.
• Call University Police at 336.758.5591 if one becomes locked out of one’s room.

Guests or friends may be entertained during the break, but no parties or activities are permitted. ALL LEASE LOUNGES ARE CLOSED.

Dining Services

Many of the Wake Forest Dining Service’s facilities are either closed or have limited operation hours during the Spring Break period. Please contact Dining Services at extension 5607 for additional information or visit wfu.edu/dining.

Break Closing Checklist

Residents who will be away for all or any significant portion of the break should follow the steps listed below:

• Remove all trash and recyclables by 7 p.m. on Friday, March 4, 2020.
• Take all valuables (i.e., computers, books, money, medications, clothing, etc.) that may be needed during the break. This will also be a precaution against theft or damage.
• Close and lock all windows, room and apartment doors. Key(s) and identification card should not be left in resident’s room.
• Remove any items that may be blocking or have been placed on or near the air conditioner/heater unit.
• Clean all Common Area refrigerators and remove all personal items in these refrigerators.
• Unplug all electrical appliances (fish tanks, surge protectors, alarm clocks, and computers) from wall outlets.
• Do NOT unplug MicroFridge units.
• Fan coil units are to be set on 70° and low.
• Personal property should be moved off the floor. This could avoid loss or damage if there is an unforeseen facility issue.
• Store all food in closed containers. Remove perishables.
• Take bicycles home or store them in residence hall rooms (no motorized bikes are allowed in the residence halls).
• Pull blinds down if room is on a ground floor or faces a balcony. Leave blinds up if room is on an upper floor and does not face a balcony. Turn off lights and lock room door.

All rooms will be inspected regardless if the student remains on campus during the break period. To avoid improper check out and/or housekeeping charges, students must comply with each item on the above check list.

Entry and Room Inspection Policy

The University and Residence Life and Housing Staff will enter and inspect or perform work requests in all student rooms during the break period. Administrative action, billing and/or judicial referral may result if unauthorized items or unsafe or unclean conditions are found. All staff are expected to report the presence or evidence of pets, weapons, firecrackers, illegal substances, lounge furnishings, fuel or other prohibited items (see the Guide to Community Living).Guide to Community Living

Questions?

See your hall staff or contact Residence Life and Housing via e-mail at housing@wfu.edu or telephone at 336.758.5185.