Students planning to live in campus housing in the fall must sign up for a move-in time online; the sign-up form opened on June 15 and will remain open until July 25. This new policy has been implemented to ease the congestion of moving into residence halls, according to Housing and Residential Communities staff.

In past years, move-in times were suggested but not enforced. Alicia Browne, HRC’s associate director for information and communication said check-in times for each hall were divided by students’ last names or by the floor of their residence hall.  Now students will have the option to decide, with their families, when the best time will be for them to move in.

Under this new system, Browne said, the check-in process will be more efficient.

“There is a two-fold purpose to our system,” she said. “Everybody will have a better experience if we can control traffic flow and better assist students.”

Kylie Donnelly, sophomore majoring in criminal justice and psychology, lived in Ridgecrest South in 2009 and will be living in Ridgecrest West in the fall.

“I have no idea how they would have regulated check-in times last year, but it seemed as efficient as it could have possibly been,” she said.

However, Donnelly said she feels the check-in times could be confining.

“I honestly have no idea how it is going to work out,” she said. “It will be really difficult to work with as an out-of-state student, because it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when I will get in town.”

Due to the University’s growth since 2005, each year has seen an increase in the number of bed spaces needed on campus, Browne said.

“There has been a trend in the increase in the last five years,” she said. “We don’t have the final number for this year yet, but I would imagine it would be somewhere over 7,000 students.”

More than 5,000 students have signed up for a check-in time already, Browne added, and students who don’t sign up will most likely be assigned a check-in time after the deadline passes in July.

Over the past few years, faculty, staff and student groups have been able to assist with the move-in process, making the move-in process more efficient, Browne said.

Carly Evans, a sophomore majoring in nursing, will be a resident advisor for Ridgecrest West in the fall, and she said it seems the new process will help both RAs and students.

“Check-in last year was a breeze in Lakeside West,” she said. “There were people there to help, and it was easy to move my stuff up to my room.

“I think it will be a good idea to stagger check-in times so there won’t be a lot of congestion and traffic with everyone trying to move in. As an RA, it will probably make my job a lot easier.”

Browne said faculty and staff like to volunteer to welcome students back to campus.

“This is a great opportunity to be a part of the moving event that wouldn’t exist if parents just drove up and brought their students,” she said.

More information on move-in times and about volunteering to help with move in days can be obtained from movein.ua.edu.