Update on Student Belongings at the Residence Halls

Dear Students,

We sincerely thank you for your patience and understanding as we worked out the complicated logistics of returning items that were left behind in the residence halls when you were required to depart campus. All residential students should read this entire message- even if you do not have any belongings left in your room. As you may know, New York City’s “On Pause” directive remains in effect until at least May 15, 2020. That means it will not be possible for students or their families to return to the residence halls themselves to retrieve their belongings this semester. Instead, the College has contracted a highly reputable moving company, West Side Movers, to pack and ship items.

Summary of Steps to Follow

(please be sure to read this entire message thoroughly for details on these steps!)

1. Complete this form by no later than April 30, 2020 to notify Residence Life of your decisions regarding your belongings. All residential students must complete the form—even if you do not have any belongings left in your room at this time.
2. After you complete the form, West Side Movers will contact you directly to confirm an appointment time for your items to be packed and shipped.
3. West Side Movers will notify Residence Life once you have confirmed an appointment time in order to be granted access to your suite.
4. Your items will be shipped to you according to the information you provide and your discussion with West Side Movers.
5. Sign up for FedEx Insight to track your shipped boxes here
6. Mail your room key back to your residence hall if you have not yet returned it.

Shipping Options and Costs

The College will cover the cost of one of the following options for all residential students. Boxes are 18in x 18in x 16in and can be packed up to a maximum weight of 40 pounds (note that exact box sizes may vary according to what West Side Movers determines is necessary to ship items safely):

• Pack and ship up to 10 boxes; OR
• Pack and ship up to 8 boxes and one bulk item (explained below)

Students must indicate a street address for shipping. Items cannot be shipped to PO Boxes. West Side Movers will collaborate with FedEx for shipping, and FedEx’s basic insurance will cover up to $100 per box. You will be able to track your shipments on the FedEx Insight app using the shipping address you provide on your form.

Please note that there may be restrictions on what can be shipped (see below). If you have more items in your room than can fit in one of the shipping options above, you can either elect to have the College discard or donate all remaining items, or you can work with West Side Movers to ship additional boxes at your own personal expense. This optional additional cost would be charged to your MMC student account. 

If you do not want your items shipped or if you have too many belongings to fit in one of the shipping options above, West Side Movers is also offering a discounted monthly storage price of $75+tax per month for students. You can elect to use this option at your own expense, for all or some of your belongings, if you choose. The College will cover the cost of items being packed and moved into storage, but students would be responsible for the monthly storage fees with their own payment method.

Making Your Appointment with West Side Movers

All students must complete this form by next Thursday, April 30 to notify Residence Life of your decisions regarding the handling of your belongings. Then, West Side Movers will contact you directly to schedule a time for your belongings to be packed. You will have the option to receive a phone call from West Side Movers to be in touch with you real-time during the packing. To ensure efficiency, West Side Movers is packing Monday–Sunday, 9am–9pm.

We will have all items packed and shipped back to students no later than Friday, May 15. Any items remaining after May 15 will be discarded/donated. 

Roommates

If you have a roommate or suitemate who also has items that will need to be packed and shipped, we strongly encourage you to coordinate your West Side Movers appointments for the same date and time, if possible. This will expedite the packing process.

Key Return Process

If you have not yet returned your keys (suite, bedroom, and/or mailbox keys), please mail them back in a padded envelope to your residence hall with a note including your name and room #, postmarked no later than May 8, 2020. Addresses for each of the residence halls are as follows:

If you have any issues mailing your key(s) back, please contact us at ResidenceLife@mmm.edu. Please note that if you have lost your key(s), the standard fee may apply.

Additional Logistics

We understand that some students may have concerns about private items left behind in their rooms. Please note that College staff will not be in the room as items are being packed; this will be handled exclusively by West Side Movers employees. The College will only receive a summary of how many boxes each student has shipped; we will not receive any summary of the specific items packed.

We also understand that students departed campus under unique and unanticipated circumstances; there will be no penalties for students who have items in their rooms that are typically prohibited in the residence halls. However, West Side Movers will not ship any items that are illegal or hazardous.

The College is not responsible for loss or damage to a student’s personal property in the residence halls since the student’s departure. 

What is a bulk item?

A bulk item is any large item that will fit in a box that is less than 48 inches on its longest side and less than 30 inches along its second largest side. This may include: kitchen appliances, TVs under 27 inches, storage carts, musical instruments, bins, etc. Students have the option to have one bulk item shipped at the College’s expense. Additional bulk items can be shipped or stored at the student’s own expense or can be left behind to be discarded or donated.

Are there items that cannot be shipped?

You will need to discuss any items that require special consideration with West Side Movers. In general, however, the following items will not be shipped back to students:

• Food
• Cleaning Supplies
• Mirrors that are too large to fit in a box
• Furniture
• Refrigerators
• Bicycles
• Perfume/Cologne
• Televisions larger than the box
• Dirty dishes or kitchen items that were left in the sink or in rooms without being cleaned
• Plants
• Flammable or ignitable items
• Battery
• Illegal or hazardous materials
• Other items as listed in the FedEx Guidelines (pages 177-178)
• Other items as designated by West Side Movers

We truly appreciate your partnership and cooperation on these efforts. We had certainly hoped that many students would be able to return and pack their own belongings, but that unfortunately is not possible given the current conditions in New York City. If you have any questions about these logistics or need any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us at ResidenceLife@mmm.edu. We are here to help make this process as seamless as possible!

Sincerely,

Michelle Quock
Director of Residence Life

Published: April 24, 2020