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    A safe start to move-in

    First-year students who opted for a residence room on campus will be carefully moving in this week.

    • A sign displays the steps for the key pick-up process
      Signs at Richardson Stadium lay out the steps for the contactless key pick-up process.
    • Student volunteers help guide people through the key pick-up process
      Students remain in their vehicles while staff members hand them their keys through the window.
    • A first-year student removes items from the back of an SUV as he moves into residence
      A student unloads boxes to move into Victoria Hall.
    • Carts are lined up at Victoria Hall behind a sign explaining the sanitization process
      Carts and frequently touched surfaces like door handles are sanitized routinely.
    • A student and a parent move items out of the back of an SUV as she moves into residence
      A student gets ready to move into Leonard Hall.
    • A student is helped as she uses carts to move in to residence.
      A student uses a sanitized cart to bring her belongings into her new residence room.

    The residence move-in process kicked off on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Typically, more than 4,000 students move in on one day over Labour Day weekend. This year, fewer than 2,000 students will be moving in over a five-day period that runs until Sept. 5.

    Queen’s has put many physical distancing measures in place through all stages of the move-in process to promote the health and safety of the campus and the Kingston community. When students first arrive, they head to Richardson Stadium, where there is a contactless key pick-up location. Students remain in their cars, and a Queen’s staff member hands them their room keys through the window.

    There are also staggered times for moving in during each of the five days, to ensure that students can practice physical distancing. At each residence hall, frequently touched surfaces, such as carts and elevator buttons, are sanitized routinely.

    While they live in residence, students will be protected by a variety of safety measures. No guests will be permitted into any residence building. All students will be living in single rooms and sharing a bathroom with only a small number of other students. To limit the number of people students are in contact with, floors are being organized by academic program.

    Move-in day usually marks the beginning of orientation. This year, orientation is entirely online, and it began on Aug. 24 and will run until Sept. 4.

    To learn more, visit the residence website and the orientation website.