August 10, 2020

Media Advisory – SIU Fall 2020 Move-in

As the 2020-2021 academic year kicks off at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, new and returning students will begin arriving on campus this week in preparation for the start of the fall semester on Monday, Aug. 17. 

Information about the move-in procedure is being provided to assist members of the media. Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the move-in. However, in order to ensure the safety of the community, reporters covering the move-in should call in advance and contact University Housing before making a campus visit. To ensure the health and safety of students and their families, social distancing will be maintained. Masks should be worn at all times.   

New students will move into campus residence halls Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 12 and 13. Students have been assigned a move-in date and time based where their rooms are located, allowing ample spacing during the move-in process. Returning students will move in Friday through Sunday, Aug. 14-16. Move-in begins at 8 a.m. each day and wraps up at 10 p.m. The extended hours allow for limited contact during the move-in process. 

All University Housing residence halls on Thompson Point will be in use this fall, as well as the Mae Smith, Neely and Schneider Halls, commonly referred to as the “towers,” and University Hall on East Campus. During move-in, a student and up to two family members will drop off the student’s belongings in designated areas located near each residence hall. People will maintain a social distance of six feet and wear a mask at all times until they are in the student’s room with the door closed. 

All students have the opportunity to live in a single room this year. Elevators at the towers have capacity limits and University Housing staff will coordinate the flow of foot traffic in the buildings.

To enable students and their families to more easily complete the move-in process, members of the media are asked to use parking Lots 4 and 40, near the Communications Building on Lincoln Drive, near West Campus housing, or Lot 85 on East Campus. To make arrangements to cover move-in, contact Jim Hunsaker at 618/453-1067 or 618/201-2211 prior to coming to campus. 

The complete move-in schedule and other pertinent University Housing information is available online at housing.siu.edu/residence-halls/moving-in.

For additional information, or help with specific questions, contact:

  • Jim Hunsaker, senior associate director of University Housing, at 618/453-1067 or 618/201-2211.
  • Lori Randolph, University Housing marketing, at 618/453-1068 or 618/925-5674.

For public health and safety reasons, only students will be welcomed in dining halls during move-in this year. SIU is also be sponsoring a variety of special Saluki Startup and Weeks of Welcome events to assure new and returning Salukis start the semester on a positive note.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, things will look a bit different this year with events going virtual or transitioning to small group activities or alternative formats in conjunction with recommendations from state and local health agencies.