Housing, Storage, and Checkout for Fall Term

Page Contents

Housing and Checkout

Basic Information: Closing Times & Procedures

  • First and Second Street Houses (except Welling, McCullough, apartments in Woolley and Leigh) and Shingle close at 4:00 pm on Saturday, December 14.
  • Third Street Houses, Welling, McCullough, apartments in Woolley and Leigh, Longmeadow, Welling Townhouse, Wellness Housing, Orchard B & C, Jennings Cottage and Paran Creek Apartments close at 4:00 pm on Sunday, December 15.

Unless you have been approved for winter break housing, you need to be off campus by the designated time. Residence Life will conduct walkthroughs, and any student who is found anywhere on campus after closing will be subject to the student conduct process, a fine of $200 per day, and/or loss of housing standing in the spring.

Students who need extensions need to contact Buildings and Grounds. Students leaving shortly after 4:00 pm can wait in the Commons for their transportation to arrive

If regional reports indicate inclement weather, the College may extend the closing deadline for an additional 24 hours. Students will be notified via email.

Staff will generate Room Reports (RCRs) during the walk-throughs of vacated rooms of students not returning in the spring and compare them to the RCRs submitted by students at the start of fall term. 

Staff will also do walk-throughs of all rooms not occupied over winter break and Field Work Term. If during this time, staff observe any Community Standards violations, students who live in that space will be referred to the conduct process. Any costs associated with the repair and replacement of furniture as well as cleaning of rooms will be added to your bill.

Checkout Checklist

Here is a quick list of the things you must remember to do based on your house—please review the entire End-of-Term Announcements to ensure you don't overlook anything. 

  • End of Term Checklist for First and Second Streets, Shingle (except Welling, McCullough, apartments in Woolley and Leigh)
  • End of Term Checklist for Third Street, Welling, McCullough, Apartments in Woolley and Leigh, Orchard B&C, Jennings Cottage
  • End of Term Checklist for Paran Creek, Welling Townhouse, Longmeadow and Wellness Housing

Key Return and Checkout

For students living on First or Second Street (Swan, Woolley, Stokes, Franklin, Canfield, Dewey, Booth, Kilpatrick, Welling, McCullough and Leigh), you do not need to hand in your key over winter break, but you do need to log into Star Rez and click on the "End of Fall Term Self Check Out" link to check yourself out of your building on the day you are leaving.

For students living on Third Street (Paris Borden, Merck, Perkins, Fels, Sawtell, Noyes and in Welling, McCullough, Apartments in Woolley and Leigh, Orchard B&C, and Jennings Cottage), you do need to hand in your key before you depart campus. You can do so in the UpCaf or at the Campus Safety booth. To complete your self checkout please log into Star Rez and click on the "End of Fall Term Self Check Out" link to check yourself out of your building on the day you are leaving.

Key Return for Residents who are not returning for Spring Term

If you are not returning for the spring term, please lock your door and return the key to the drop box outside of the Residential Life Office, UpCaf 202, or Campus Safety. You will receive an electronic receipt via email by Wednesday, December 18. If you do not return your key before 4:00 pm on Sunday, December 15, you will be charged $100 to replace the lock. 

Please note: You will be charged the lock replacement fee for keys not returned on time

FAQ: Storage & Checkout

Should I empty my locker or studio?

Yes. Any items in lockers and/or studios must be removed by the end of the term, unless an arrangement has been made with the appropriate technician or staff member. Any items left will be donated or discarded.

May I leave my bicycle?

Contact Campus Safety about storing your bicycle in Welling basement. If you leave your bicycle outdoors, the College is not responsible if it is stolen. 

What should I do with my refrigerator?

To prevent water damage all refrigerators must be defrosted and drained before departure. To defrost your fridge:

  • dispose of any perishable food items remaining in your fridge,
  • unplug your fridge,
  • prop the door open, and
  • lay a towel inside the bottom to soak up excess moisture, and leave your fridge to defrost overnight.
  • Dispose of the towel and leave the refrigerator door slightly open.
May I leave my car on campus over FWT?

Yes. Students may leave their cars on campus if they are returning for the spring term. There is no charge, but you will need to leave a key as well as an emergency contact number. Please complete a Long-Term Vehicle Parking Permit available through Campus Safety and return by Friday, December 6. If the permit is approved, the vehicle will be assigned a designated spot in the Ohio parking lot. Please contact Campus Safety with any questions about this procedure.

Off-Campus Storage Options

Please note: Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from off-campus storage locations.

Where Does This Go?

Where Should I Bring My...

  • Used books: Students are encouraged to look online for book buyback options. Sites like Abe Buybacks and Textbooks.com provide immediate information on the buyback price of books. Students can donate any book to the bookstore and they will be made available for other students at no cost. 
  • Library items: Return or renew all Crossett and Jennings library material by Friday, December 13. Don’t forget, you are encouraged to borrow items over FWT. You can renew items at the front desk of the library (you do not need the physical materials), or by logging in (go to the library account page and select “Bennington College Community”).
  • Musical Instruments: Return instruments and keys to Jennings Music Library by Friday, December 13 at 1:00 pm.
  • Trash: All trash must be placed in plastic bags and disposed of in the garbage cans outside of your house. For Third Street, Stokes, and Bingham, dumpsters will be provided: locations TBD. Free piles are not permitted in any of the houses. If you leave items in common areas over the last week of term they will be considered trash, and will be removed to ensure that common areas remain clean. Houses will be charged for removal of excess trash.
  • Donations: TAPA, the campus thrift store, will be accepting donations through the end of term. Donation bins are located in the Student Center. Items must be clean (no undergarments or swimsuits). Broken items will not be accepted. Second Chance Animal Shelter in Shaftsbury, VT, accepts cleaning supplies, towels, and toys. The Goodwill is located on North Street in Bennington, and accepts donations at their back entrance. Students are responsible for transporting their own items.
  • Sports equipment: All sports and recreation equipment checked out for student use must be returned to Meyer Recreation Barn by Friday, December 13. Students will be billed for any lost or damaged equipment after this point, and equipment not returned by the deadline will be considered lost.

Postal Station and Mail Information

How Do I Send Packages at the End of Term?

As the semester comes to a close, we understand that many of you will be heading home or to various destinations during the break. To ensure a smooth and hassle-free shipping experience, we want to provide you with essential information about our shipping procedures. We offer shipping services through

  • USPS Priority Mail, Ground Advantage, and USPS Express
  • UPS Ground and Next Day/Two Day Air, and
  • FedEx Ground and FedEx Express.

Whether you're sending packages domestically or internationally, we have you covered.

Our Postal Station is equipped to generate labels, so please come on down with the necessary information (recipient name and address) and we can assist you from there! We provide a range of packing supplies to help you secure your belongings for safe transport. Boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and other essentials are available free of charge at the Postal Station. We accept various payment methods for your convenience, including cash, card, and tap payments. Please ensure you have the necessary payment option ready when you come to ship your items.

We suggest you ship educational materials (books, art, paper, etc.) in boxes separate from other types of items and ship the educational materials using USPS Media Mail—it is super cost effective. Media Mail is for domestic shipments only. We also suggest you use UPS Ground for larger and heavier packages, since they are more often than not the most cost effective way to ship your larger parcels. 

All parcels to be shipped out should be brought to the Postal Station for shipping preparations by 3:30pm Monday–Friday, as our operating hours are 10:00 am–4:00 pm.

For more information and if you have any questions regarding package services, please email the Postal Station (postoffice@bennington.edu) or call us at 802-440-4433.

Where Will My Mail Go During Field Work Term?

  • Regular mail: Over Field Work Term (FWT), all first-class mail sent to the College will be forwarded to the address you provide to the Post Office prior to your departure. Be sure to email postoffice@bennington.edu your FWT address if you wish to have your mail forwarded. Please be aware that the turnaround time for mail-forwarding may be up to two weeks; students should contact any organization that generates bills, and have time-sensitive materials sent to your home address or FWT address directly. 
    • If you are remaining on campus for winter/FWT, it is critical that you let the Post Office know so your mail can be held and picked up at the Postal Station. If you have any questions, email postoffice@bennington.edu.
  • Packages: If you receive a parcel/package on campus during your time away and you need it forwarded to you, please contact postoffice@bennington.edu for further instructions, or it will remain on campus until your return. Please note more often than not, additional postage will be needed for parcel forwarding, and proper instructions will be provided upon request. 
  • College Paychecks: The last paychecks of the term will be sent on December 20, after most students have left campus. Paychecks will be sent to the address you have provided in ADP. Log into your ADP account to update your address. Here you can also enroll in direct deposit by clicking myself > pay > payment options. Once enrolled in direct deposit you will automatically receive electronic email pay statements. Please do this ASAP since there is a processing time to convert to direct deposit.

Postal Station Hours

The Postal Station will be closed December 23, 2024–January 2, 2025 and will reopen for normal business hours on January 3, 2024, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am–4:00 pm.