Utica College returns to campus

Students return to grab belongings that were left before coronavirus outbreak

Campus today to pick their belongings that were left behind in the dorms. news channel2's chelsea sherrod is on campus right now with the story.

Good evening chelsea.

Good evening kristen, a month since stepping into their dorm rooms, utica college residents are moving out for the remainder of the semester and are doing so as safely as possible.

In order to practice social distancing.

The college's process is like your local grocery store - one student in, one student out.

Shad crowe: we are scheduled seven days a week we're trying to be very flexible by limiting the number of people i can't be in the resident our move your items at any given moment literally if you think about residence hall is approximately anywhere from 200 to 300 rooms were allowing 4 to 5 people max to be inside to that residence hall every two hours because of travel restrictions throughout the country, students who are not from the central new york area, dont know if and when they'll be able to go back to campus shad crowe: we had a target date of june 1 and we would love to have everybody have removed everything but we know that she does not need to go for everybody so we're making arrangements for people to come mid june july if necessary and if they can't get here will store the belongings until they do come back utica college has tentatively postponed its 2020 may commencement ceremony until the first week of august with intentions of resuming in-person classes in the fall.

But, some instutions in the northeast have already considered closing campus until january of 2021, which is a harsh reality.

Shad crowe: i think will know more in june i think that as a data becomes clearer and our intelligence is better we can make a better informed decision of that but a lot of them can return to campus we're going to prepare for a return like normal but the new normal and if something changes or something for events that we have plans in place i will help us transition to another option.

Masks and gloves are mandatory for those who are entering the residence halls and collecting their belongings.

Here at utica college i'm chelsea sherrod, kristen, i'll send it back to you.

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