Students will begin moving into the residence halls at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh on Wednesday, Sept. 2 for the fall 2020 semester as the global pandemic continues.

Move-in—an annual rite of passage for college students across the nation—will stretch across five days instead of the typical two to keep the number of people on campus low and alleviate large crowds, said Robert Babcock, UWO’s residence life director.

“Staff will be asking students and their families to wear masks while on campus. Halls will be set up to facilitate one-way entrances/exits, and folks will be asked to physically distance as well,” Babcock said.

Residence life staff have been preparing for move-in by fielding questions from families, getting keys sorted and working with custodial staff to have the halls as ready as possible.

“We certainly recognize that everything is vastly different this year because of COVID-19,” he said. “We’re finding that most folks are just happy to try to do something ‘normal’ during this time…even if it is different.”

Babcock added that the move-in process may take a bit more time than usual.

“We just ask for folks to be patient and stay physically distanced and masked. Please just relax and enjoy the moment,” he said.

A blend of in-person and remote instruction is set to begin Wednesday, Sept. 9,  following best practices recommended by local, state and national health officials.

Learn more details of the Titans Return fall 2020 plan.