Chapman Move In and Move Out Guide for Parents

Fall 2026 move in dates

• International students: Sunday, August 16
• First year students: Tuesday, August 18
• Transfer students: Wednesday, August 19
• Continuing students: Thursday, August 20 to Sunday, August 23

Building managers email unloading and parking instructions around mid August, and Residence Life asks families to follow them closely to avoid delays at check in.

Vehicle limits

The parking structures have a 7 foot clearance. Vehicles with storage on the roof cannot enter the Jim Miller and Sandhu structures, and rental moving trucks, attached trailers and storage pods are not permitted at all. If you are flying in, plan to pick up bulky items near Orange after you land rather than hauling them. Residents who keep a car on campus must register it with Public Safety.

What the room includes

First year students should expect a triple, on a Fenestra Living Learning Community floor with students from the same school or college. Each student gets a twin XL bed frame and mattress and a dresser, and first year buildings also give each student a desk and desk chair. Rooms come with a wifi router, blinds and one shower curtain.

What to bring, and what stays home

Residence Life's list: bedding, towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, a plunger, hangers, a first aid kit, power strips with switches, a trash bin and toilet paper.

Not allowed: candles and incense, halogen lamps, Command strips, weapons, hot plates, toasters and toaster ovens, microwaves other than an approved MicroFridge, flushable wipes, bed risers, and anything that alters plumbing. Because Command strips are on the banned list, talk with your student about another way to hang photos.

Leaving in December

Residents who won't be back for spring (graduating, transferring, studying abroad or withdrawing) submit a License Release Request by December 1. They then move out 24 hours after their last in person final or by Saturday, December 12, 2026, whichever comes first. Packages must arrive by December 11, and no moving carts are provided.

Leaving in May

Residence Life had not posted spring 2027 move out details as of October 2026. The 2026 to 27 Resident License Agreement says residents must leave by the earlier of 24 hours after their last final or 12 noon on Friday, May 21, 2027, and graduating residents by 12 noon on Sunday, May 23. Spring finals run through May 22, so confirm the deadline with Residence Life before booking travel. In spring 2026, the process included a community meeting in the building where one was held, signing up for a checkout time through a link in the community memo, and arriving at checkout with everything already out of the room. Building access on the student ID ends at checkout. A MicroFridge has to be unplugged, defrosted, cleaned out and labeled with the student's name at checkout.

Things left behind

Residence Life donates bikes left on campus over the summer and cuts the locks, and cars left on campus over the summer are subject to towing unless the owner is a summer housing resident. The 2026 to 27 Resident License Agreement says belongings not removed within 72 hours of checkout are removed by the university, and the resident is charged. Damage is billed after move out. Typical charges include missing window screens, holes or peeling paint on walls, carpet stains, broken furniture and an uncleaned room. Housing places donation bins in the halls and apartments, and the Office of Sustainability's move out page describes donation stations for furniture, clothing, shoes and electronics in the Sandhu Conference Center lot, at Panther Village and at Chapman Grand.

Storage and shipping

Housing's move out page does not describe a university storage program. The usual routes for far from home families are shipping boxes home with a national carrier, renting a self storage unit near Orange, or leaving things with a relative or friend nearby. Mail Services stops accepting mail and packages after a posted cutoff (May 22 in 2026), so time anything headed to campus before then.