June 2, 2020

Dear seniors,

I would like to provide you with more information about retrieving your belongings and tell you about expanded, more flexible arrangements, all of them prompted by feedback that you have sent to the Office of Conferences and Events, the YCC, and your heads and deans. I thank you for sending your requests and suggestions, and I also thank the many staff members at Conferences and Events who are organizing this immensely complex project. They are working as hard as they can, under severe constraints, to reunite you with your belongings while at the same time protecting the community's health.

Expanded time slots

Two-hour time slots are still the default for retrieving your belongings in person; many of you have reported that they are sufficient, and they enable the staff to accommodate the greatest number of students, safely and efficiently. Additional slots, including three-hours slots, are now available, as well as slots during evenings and weekends, and in late June and July. All these options are now available in the reservation system.

Helpers

Bringing as few helpers as possible to campus helps ensure not only your safety but also the staff's. This is the recommendation that Yale has received from its public health officials and from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. One helper is best, but two or three are permitted, especially if you need physical help with moving. In any case, everyone must follow safety protocols at all times.

Valuable items

In response to your requests, the Office Conferences and Events is making other adjustments for handling and shipping valuable items, and for holding them for a short time. Its staff will post those adjustments on its Frequently Asked Questions page, along with all updates; I urge you to check those daily. You can also write to conferencesandevents@yale.edu. All messages are being answered individually, and the team will work with you on your needs.

Additional financial assistance

Although additional financial aid is not available to support travel for you to return to New Haven to retrieve your belongings, the university is covering the costs of domestic packing and shipping if you cannot return to campus, and working out individual arrangements if you are outside the country. For items that are not easily shipped, please write to the Office of Conferences and Events at the e-mail above. 

I am very grateful to you for your patience and understanding during this historic undertaking, even as I recognize that it will require adjustments and refinements. Please continue to communicate with the staff members of the Office of Conferences and Events so that they can know how best to meet your needs while they safeguard everyone’s health. They and I understand how important your belongings are to you, and we will do our best to help you retrieve them. 

Sincerely,

Marvin M. Chun
Dean of Yale College
Richard M. Colgate Professor of Psychology; Neuroscience; Cognitive Science