Move-in day for Boston College students will be pushed back a day to August 24 and Welcome Week will be shortened to four days for incoming freshmen, according to Greg Jones, residential life’s director of housing operations. Additionally, students who want to move in early will have to pay a fee.
Jones said in an email that the fee comes in response to higher costs accrued by the University when students move in early. Arrival costs stem from increased overtime hours needed to prepare rooms earlier than scheduled, in addition other costs for having students living on campus for additional nights, according to Jones.
Certain student groups that must move in early for mandatory University events, like orientation and other related first-year activities, will not have to pay $75 per day to do so, according to Jones. Groups that are sponsored by the University but not in a mandatory program are given two nights without a fee. Student groups, as in years before, must have a faculty adviser and must be sponsored by a department to be eligible for their fees to be waived.
The new fee for early arrivals is likely to increase the amount of students moving in on official move-in day. The University’s on-campus housing options can accommodate over 7,700 students, according to the Office of Residential Life, but Jones was not concerned about any logistical problems that could arise as more students move in at once.
On the other hand, the shortening of Welcome Week is a response to student feedback, according to Jones. Welcome Week is now going to take place over four days, condensing the program relative to past years.
To accommodate, first-year move-in—previously held on a Wednesday—will now be on Thursday. Returning and transfer students will now be moving in on Saturday instead of Friday.
Asked how this will affect BC First Year Experience and freshman who are getting acquainted to college life, Jones said that he expects students to be prepared for classes.
“With a more condensed and focused program, we anticipate that students will be ready to begin their classes with confidence,” he said.
Carrie Klemovitch, director of special projects in Student Affairs and the staff member who runs Welcome Week, was not immediately able to provide comment.
Groups and individual students can receive an additional three days of early housing with no fee if they volunteer for Welcome Wagon, a volunteer program in which BC students welcome freshmen and assist them with moving into their dorms.
Featured Image by Jonathan Ye / Heights Editor
