Students living in on-campus housing will be required to box up a portion of their belongings and leave them on their beds before departing for winter break—a measure college officials hope will streamline the sanitation process and account for students who may not be able to return to campus. 

All dorms currently occupied by students will undergo a “deep clean” over the nearly two-month break from on-campus learning, an email from the Office of Housing and Residential Education announced last week.

Students who plan on living in the residence halls in the spring semester are not required to completely vacate their space but will receive guidance by early November about how to prepare their rooms for cleaning before departing. 

Students “will be instructed on how to best prepare the space for facilities to sanitize over the break and clean all bathrooms within the building including the suites,” Associate Director of Housing Operations Kendra Stokes said in an email to The Beacon.

Students will be instructed to unplug fridges, clean rooms, remove all items from the bathroom and the floor, and organize spaces in order to streamline the move out process if a student cannot return, Stokes said.

Unlike students living in college-owned dorms, students in the W Boston will need to pack all of their belongings and completely vacate their rooms. OHRE said the college will provide hotel students with complimentary storage.