Moving & Breaks

As UW-Madison moves forward with its Smart Restart plans to reopen this fall, we’re excited to welcome our Badgers back to #LiveWithBucky in the residence halls. For detailed plans and FAQs about measures that Housing is taking to address COVID-19 and have a successful reopening, please visit our Fall Reopening Guide.

New residents for 2020-21 can look below for details specific to fall 2020 move-in.

UW-Madison has canceled all in-person summer courses to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 virus on our campus. As a result, Summer Term Housing in the University Residence Halls will not be available in Summer 2020. Housing will only be available to residents who are already approved to still be on campus.

Dining

University Housing Dining has made changes to this year’s summer operations to limit open locations and hours. Here’s how we’re working to keep everyone safe and healthy:

• All food will be served to go. There will be no in-house dining.
• There will be a variety of grab and go items, breakfast foods, prepackaged salads and sandwiches, and hot food offerings for you to select from. Self-service areas of the market (such as salad bars, soup bars, etc.) are closed.
• All food will be served in disposable/compostable to-go containers as will dinnerware.
• A variety of bottled beverages are available in cases. All self-serve beverage dispensers are closed.
• Access to dining locations will be limited to Housing staff and residents only.
• Only a limited number of people will be allowed in the marketplace at once.

Please remember to practice good physical distancing as well when in the markets to ensure the health of yourself and others.

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August 25-31, 2020

Dates for fall 2020 move-in will be August 25 – 31, 2020. Members of a few approved student groups may receive a move-in date earlier that week. Specific move-in dates and times are shared with hall assignment information to students via email and in My UW Housing.

Note: please do not make travel arrangements until you have received your assigned move-in time. Assigned time slots are designed to allow for safe distancing in each building and they will be enforced.

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Requirements

Residents are allowed to bring up to two helpers during move-in, and all individuals will need to wear face coverings during the process and maintain physical distancing from other residents and their helpers. In mid-August, students will receive an email with an individual parking permit they’ll need to print and bring on their move-in date. Badger Buddy volunteers will not be available this year. It’s important for students and their helpers to partner with us to share the responsibility of keeping our campus healthy and safe.

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Wiscard

All enrolled students at UW-Madison are entitled to a Wiscard (the official UW-Madison photo ID). Your Wiscard allows you to access your residence hall, pay for items at our dining markets and convenience stores, and use other campus services. First-year students will be sent an email invitation to request a Wiscard. Requests must be received a week before your move-in day to ensure cards are ready before move-in. You’ll then be given your Wiscard upon check-in at no cost after presenting a valid government-issued photo ID.

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What to Bring

• Valid government-issued photo ID (to receive your Wiscard)
• Printed parking pass (see “Check-In” below)
• Cell phone – landline phone service is not provided in your room
• Bedsheets (twin XL, twin with extra deep corners, or jersey sheets), blankets and pillows
• Water
• See what furnishings are provided and what Bucky would bring for a full list of items to bring and items that are not allowed

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Early Drop Off

As a new option to streamline move-in and reduce crowds, students from Wisconsin and some neighboring states may be offered an opportunity to drop off belongings in their room between August 15 – 18 and then permanently move in before fall semester classes begin. Students who qualify for this option will receive an email with more information and inviting them to sign up in My UW Housing.

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Directions

On residents’ move-in day, they will receive a text in the morning reminding them of their move-in time. If able, residents should print the individualized parking pass that will be emailed to them prior to their move-in day. Entry points for each residence hall community can be viewed on the below map.

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Check-In

After reaching their residence hall’s entry point and parking, residents should reply to their move-in reminder text that they have arrived and a short description of the vehicle they are in (e.g. make, model, and color). Housing staff will come to the vehicle to scan the parking pass, verify residents’ identity, and check them in. Residents will be given their key, Wiscard, and a moving cart.

Note: if arriving by taxi or bus, residents should go to their hall desk to check-in.

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Move-In

After check-in, residents and up to two helpers will have 90 minutes to move-in. Long-term parking will not be available on campus during move-in. Moving carts must be returned upon completion of move-in. Carts will be disinfected between move-in shifts.

Note: while our move-in time slots are two hours, Housing staff need the extra 30 minutes to clean, reset, and empty unloading lots.

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Lofting

Beds will be set at half lofting height (except in Sellery and Waters Residence Halls, where beds will be unlofted). Housing staff will not be available to assist with lofting during move-in. Residents can request lofting assistance via a maintenance request after move-in. In most cases, no tools are required to loft beds.

Note: in Sellery and Waters, additional lofting pins are available at the hall desk.

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Carts

Each resident will get one moving cart to borrow for transporting their belongings to their room. Carts must be returned after residents have finished moving-in and will be disinfected between move-in time slots.

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Trash/Recycling

To minimize touch-points, all trash and recycling will be residents’ responsibility to remove from their residence hall — trash/recycling rooms will not be available on residents’ floors during move-in.

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Desk Information

Your hall desk is where you can check your mailbox, pick-up packages, check out vacuums, and more. Desk staff can also answer questions, resolve room key or Wiscard issues, or provide info about campus or local areas.

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Internet & TV

UWNet Internet service is available in all rooms and residence hall common areas, including floor dens and main lounges. High-definition cable TV service is also available in residence hall rooms. To connect your TV, you will need a coaxial video cable. In addition, TV can be watched on an iOS or Android device on campus by downloading the Charter U app.

How to Connect to the Internet

1. Enable wi-fi on your computer or mobile device
2. Select “UWNet” from the list of available networks
3. Open a web browser — it will redirect to the UWNet registration page
4. Enter your campus-assigned NetID and password and click “Log-in”

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Construction Projects

Both campus and University Housing construction projects may be ongoing during move-in, and some campus road closures may affect traffic.

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Renter’s Insurance

We strongly recommend you obtain insurance for your personal items and liability. You will be held financially liable for damage as a result of negligence on your part. Be sure to have adequate coverage for fire and water damage.

• Check to see if you are already covered on your family’s homeowners insurance
• Ask your family about adding a rider onto existing insurance policies
• Obtain your own policy

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Wisconsin App

The “Wisconsin” app is the official UW-Madison mobile application for iOS and Android devices. It features real-time bus departures/arrivals and schedules, maps, and many other resources for you to use anywhere.

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Dining Hours

Hours for the fall move-in period are listed below.

Southeast Dining Locations

Lakeshore Dining Locations

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November 26 – 29, 2020

We have not finalized plans for the residence halls after November Break. Students who need to stay in the residence halls for various reasons after classes go fully online for the end of the semester will be allowed to stay. Details will be shared at a future date.

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December 19, 2020 – January 18, 2021

University Residence Halls will be closed for winter break. Winter Break Housing is an available option during the period between the fall and spring semesters for an additional fee. These plans are tentative and will be evaluated during the fall semester. Additional information regarding winter break 2020-21 will be published in November.

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January 11 – 18, 2021

All University Residence Halls will open for the spring semester on January 17, 2021. These plans are tentative and will be evaluated during the fall semester. Additional information regarding spring move-in 2021 will be published in December.

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March 27 – April 4, 2021

All University Residence Halls will remain open through Spring Break without charge. These plans are tentative and will be evaluated during the fall semester. Additional information regarding Spring Break 2021 will be published in March.

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May 9, 2021

All University Residence Halls close May 9, 2021. These plans are tentative and will be evaluated during the fall semester. Additional information regarding spring move out will be published in April.

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