Dear residential students, 

We are grateful that you made the decision to live in the residence halls this spring. As Provost Mandel noted in his message to students today, the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus continues to surge at a concerning rate. To engage in what is most important to us and take advantage of on-campus living at Temple, we must continue to keep our health, wellness, and safety as the highest priority. 

While forecasts predicted a surge of cases occurring in mid-January, positive cases are increasing rapidly. With this information, we have decided to delay undergraduate move-in for spring 2022 until just before in-person classes resume. These are the critical items you need to know.

Undergraduate residence halls will open on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, at 10 a.m. for the spring 2022 semester. If you are requesting to move in prior to this date, you must submit a Spring 2022 Early Arrival Request Form to share your arrival date and reason for arriving early. Visit the MyHousing site in TUportal to access this form.

The deadline to submit an Early Arrival Request Form is Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, at 5 p.m. You will not be permitted to stay prior to Jan. 22 without an approved request on file. You may request to arrive early for the following reasons.

• You are enrolled in a class or have an academic placement (clinical or research) that requires you to be in person on campus.
• You are an essential student worker for a university academic school/department.
• You are participating in an approved activity via Intercollegiate Athletics.
• You are unable to access reliable technology and/or the internet for online learning, either at home or in another available location away from campus.
• Returning home would be unsafe because someone at home is at an elevated health risk.
• You have difficulty returning or remaining at home due to travel restrictions, inability to change travel dates, visa issues, impact of COVID-19 in your country, etc.
• You have an essential work study position at an approved nonprofit partner.

Room and board fees will be adjusted for the spring semester to reflect the changed move-in date after in-person classes have resumed. Students whose early arrival exceptions are granted will be charged as normal for the full two-week period prior to Jan. 22 if your Early Arrival Request Form is approved and you should expect modified dining and campus service options during this period. Graduate students living in Podiatric Residence Hall should move in on their normal schedule but should confirm academic dates with their school or college program.
 
All students regardless of vaccination status are strongly encouraged to test in the 48 hours immediately prior to your return to campus to avoid the possibility of testing positive after arrival. At-home tests will be accepted by uploading a photo of your result to the Patient Health Portal. If you are unable to get tested prior to arrival, all residential students will be required to have a COVID-19 test within 24 hours after their arrival on campus.
 
Additionally, if you are eligible, we strongly urge you to get your booster shot as soon as possible. If it has been six months or more since your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months or more since your Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are eligible to receive your booster shot. Negative test results and vaccine cards updated with the booster should be uploaded to the Patient Health Portal as soon as possible. If you are not able to get your booster shot over the winter break, Student Health Services will resume vaccine clinics on Main Campus beginning the week of Monday, Jan. 10. Temple Health System is also offering COVID-19 boosters. 
 
To further increase your chances of testing negative as you return to campus, we also recommend you self-quarantine for 10 days prior to your arrival. Of course, avoiding gatherings with people outside of your immediate household and practicing healthy behaviors will help you, and all of us, get back to campus sooner. 

These important updates are needed to help limit the spread of the omicron variant and keep our campus open for the spring semester. As always, future decisions will be driven by the requirements of the city of Philadelphia and the data and guidance of public health experts. More information about spring semester operations, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on our website, temple.edu/coronavirus. 

While the university remains closed for winter break, we wanted you to have this information as soon as possible to aid you in your planning. University Housing and Residential Life staff will be available during normal business hours once offices reopen on Monday, Jan. 3, to answer any questions you may have. If you have any questions or need any further information, please email University Housing and Residential Life at housing@temple.edu, call our office during normal business hours Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 215-204-7184 (option No. 2), or visit housing.temple.edu.

Sincerely,

Olan Garrett
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs