At long last, it’s finally about time to head home following perhaps the strangest semester in Penn State’s storied history.

Before you pack up your dorm and call your mom to come pick you up, you might want to read up on the university’s new fall departure plans. There’s a host of new precautions in place to keep students and visitors safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s everything you’ll need to know heading into the weekend:

The Dorms

Students will be required to leave their on-campus residences by 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, before the university switches to remote learning following Thanksgiving. They won’t formally return until the spring semester begins.

Guests will not be allowed inside the dorms to help with move-out. However, it’s OK for students to have one guest with them packing the car or carrying items outside buildings.

Students are encouraged to coordinate with roommates to stagger their move-out times to cut down on potential close-contact situations. They’re also advised to pack anything and everything they’ll need for the two-month break, including clothes, electronics, and school supplies.

Students who are unable to leave campus once classes move online are able to request remote learning housing. To learn more, head over to Housing’s website.

Pre-Departure Testing

Penn State students can schedule free pre-departure coronavirus testing at no charge this week. Appointments can be made through Thursday, November 19 through the university’s online portal.

Although taking a test is encouraged, it is not required. Students who’ve tested positive since the semester began don’t need to be tested before departing.

Tests will be administered at the Bryce Jordan Center throughout the week. Students should bring their Penn State IDs with them and refrain from eating, drinking, or smoking in the 30 minutes leading up to their test.

“We urge all students to take advantage of the departure testing being offered at no cost to them,” Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs, said. “It is critical for students to be tested to reduce the risk of unwittingly infecting others when they return home to family and friends. We are encouraging students who test positive to isolate on campus or in a suitable single-occupancy space off campus before leaving for Thanksgiving break — or to take appropriate precautions to self-isolate if they do choose to return home.”

Students experiencing coronavirus symptoms shouldn’t head to the BJC. Instead, they can seek testing through University Health Services.

Penn State’s quarantine and isolation spaces at Eastview Terrace will remain open once classes move online next week.

Traffic & Parking Changes

Penn State will implement a number of traffic and parking changes from Friday, November 20 to Sunday, November 22 to help move-out run more smoothly.

Faculty and staff who are permit holders in lots Brown E, Green C, or Green N must park at Nittany Parking Deck, Eisenhower Parking Deck, Jordan East, or Stadium West. Any faculty and staff with a permit in the Orange B lot near the softball field must park at any other Orange lot, Jordan East, or Stadium West.

Permit holders in lots Yellow J and Yellow T must park at Eisenhower Deck, Jordan East, or Stadium West. Brown E permit holders must park at Nittany Deck, Eisenhower Deck, Jordan East, or Stadium West.

Fraser Road will be restricted to northbound traffic only. The only entrance is from Pollock Road, and the only exit is to Curtin Road.

Due to heavy traffic and on-vehicle loading on Burrowes Road, CATA stops at Deike Building, Waring Commons, Rec Hall, Westgate Building, and Elliott Building (Red Link, Green Link, HM, HU, K, and P routes) will be closed. Campus Shuttle stops will also be closed at Rec Hall, Westgate Building, Reber Building, and Elliott Building (via College Avenue and via Beaver Avenue routes).

The ground level of East Parking Deck will also only be available for student departure.

---

Penn State will return to in-person instruction when the spring semester begins on January 19. The university won’t observe a traditional spring break and instead implement three non-instructional days to give students and faculty a break of their own.