December 17, 2020 - Coming to Campus for Students Living On-Campus
Dear Students,
We are so excited to welcome you to Whitman in just over a month. There are many preparations happening here in Walla Walla and we know you are also busy making plans. In this email, we want to provide you with some of the details you need now to begin planning for your arrival on campus.
Important To-Do #1: Update Your Address
For our testing strategy and contact tracing process, it is very important this semester that we have your local address. All students should go to the Academic Profile menu under the Students tab in myWhitman to complete the Spring 2021 Address Update check-in process, which will ask you to confirm that you will be living in a campus residence. If your plans have changed and you will not be living on campus, you will be asked to provide your address and/or time zone. This check-in will also ask if you are taking all your spring classes online, which is information faculty need for class planning.
Important To-Do #2: Complete COVID-19 Health Training and Sign Community Pledge
Prior to starting the spring semester, every member of the Whitman community must complete COVID-19 health and safety training, which Whitman provides online through EverFi, as well as read and sign the Spring 2021 Community Pledge. Even if you completed the training and signed the fall pledge, you must complete these steps again. You will receive a separate email with a personalized link to access the EverFi training.
Important To-Do #3: Schedule Your Move-in Time and Transportation
To accommodate social distancing guidelines, move-in to residence halls will be a scheduled process this year taking place on Jan. 16 and 17. Student athletes should check with their coaches about their specific move-in process. All other students should schedule your move-in time from the available choices. We encourage students to sign up for times between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Jan. 16 and 17. There are some additional evening move-in times for students coming in on the evening flights into Walla Walla, or for students unable to arrive during the day.
Shuttles will be available from the Walla Walla airport and the Pasco airport, in the time of COVID, for students who will be living on campus and who are arriving in the region on Jan. 15, 16 or 17, 2021. The college is unable to provide a shuttle service for non-students. The college will arrange transportation and notify students. Please note, due to demand and logistics, students wanting to access the shuttle may need to wait for a period of time; this is particularly the case for students flying into Pasco (PSC). Students can also opt to use another publicly available option such as the Grapeline shuttle, a rideshare option, or a one-way rental at their own cost. Submit a request for shuttle transportation.
Important To-Do #4: Attend a Town Hall Meeting
President Murray and members of the Cabinet will host two online town hall meetings for students and their families. Plan to attend one of these Zoom meetings for more details about the spring semester and an opportunity to ask your questions. The town halls, which can be accessed through this link, are scheduled for:
These meetings will be recorded for later viewing and the links will be shared afterward.
Move-in Day and Process
On your move-in day, you will start by heading to Cordiner Hall for quarientation check-in, where you will pick up a packet of goodies to help you get through quarantine, take your initial COVID-19 test and receive your ID card and/or proof of COVID test approval badge. You will have an appointed time for your COVID test based on your scheduled residence hall move-in time. General information on the testing process is available in the Spring 2021 FAQs on our website and more specific details on the testing process will be sent in January.
Following completion of the COVID test, you are officially beginning the quarantine period and will not be allowed to leave campus for shopping, dining out or other activities until the quarantine period ends on Feb. 1. At your scheduled time, you and anyone accompanying you should go to your residence hall. Please remember that you may bring one person to help you move your belongings into your room and that both of you should wear face coverings. You will meet your RD or RA, who will check you in and provide keys to your room.
What to Bring
As you come for the spring semester, consider what essential items you will need for those four months. The Residence Life FAQs provide some guidance to help you determine what is necessary. You should also make certain that any items you need for the first few days (bedding, toiletries, device chargers, etc.) are brought with you and not shipped, as you will not have access to packages until Monday, Jan. 18. Also, once you check in to your residence hall, you will not be able to leave campus for shopping until the quarantine period ends, so make sure to bring enough toiletries, snacks, laundry detergent and whatever else you will need to make it through those first two weeks.
While wifi is available throughout most residence halls, some students find they have more reliable internet access plugging in with an ethernet cable where available. Please bring your own ethernet cable and the appropriate adapter for your device. A limited supply of ethernet cables and adapters, as well as assorted computer and school supplies, will be available to purchase online through the Whitman Bookstore and pick up through the curbside delivery service at Reid Campus Center.
If you do plan to ship any items to campus, please do not send them until early January. The campus post office will be closed for the holidays and will not be able to receive packages until after Jan. 4.
Employment Documentation
Are you planning to work a campus job? Before you can start working, you need to be authorized to work by Human Resources. To do so, you will need to bring to campus important documents that prove your identity and legal authorization to work in the United States;review the list of acceptable documents. When you arrive at Whitman, there will be more information and opportunities to find a campus job in the first week schedule.
Mini Fridge Rental
If you wish to have a mini fridge in your room, Whitman has rentals available for the cost of $45 for the semester. Renting from Whitman cuts down on the necessity of shipping and storing this cumbersome item, so reserve your mini fridge today by completing this online form. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will close Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Due to COVID, your refrigerator will be delivered to your residential space. You will be expected to sign the rental agreement and return via campus email.
Textbooks
In early January you will be able to access the textbook list online through the Whitman Bookstore. Textbooks will be available to purchase online and picked up curbside during your assigned post office pick-up time. Information on purchasing textbooks will be included in the follow-up email sent in early January.
Post Office Pick-up for Mail, Print Requests and Bookstore Items
During the quarientation period, the post office will open Monday, Jan. 18 and student pick-up times will be assigned alphabetically. Your assigned time frame will be when you can pick up mail, packages, print requests and bookstore purchases at Reid Campus Center (RCC). As a reminder, do not ship bedding, towels or any essential items you might need for your first few days as the post office will be closed Jan. 16 and 17.
RCC will be closed for indoor student access through the initial quarantine and there will be designated outdoor areas for pick-up: the Park St. side patio for mail, the back loading dock for packages, and the Boyer Ave. door for print requests.
We are so looking forward to seeing you soon! Another email will be sent in early January with a few more important to-do items, so watch for that. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out to us at on_campus_housing@whitman.edu with any questions you may have.
Best,
Nancy Tavelli, Associate Dean of Students