After President Cauce announced that all spring quarter instruction is going to be conducted remotely, CIRCLE has received an increased number of questions from international students. If you are considering returning to your home country for spring quarter 2020, below is some important information to help you transition smoothly. To streamline this process, we pulled some questions from already existing resources. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the existing resource linked at the bottom of each section.
On-campus Housing
If you live on campus and you wish to remain in your room through the end of your agreement period:
- Go to MyHFS homepage, and submit the form titled “Confirm your spring quarter housing plans by March 25”
- Some students will be relocated to different rooms or buildings to help ensure resident health and safety
If you live on campus and you need to terminate your housing contract:
- Go to MyHFS homepage, and submit the form titled “Confirm your spring quarter housing plans by March 25”
- No need to schedule a vacate inspection
- Update your local address at MyUW and discontinue subscription deliveries
- Sign up for direct deposit if you expect a refund from HFS
- If you do not have direct deposit information on file and do not have a US address, your refund will be issued to the last credit or debit card used to pay your housing account
- Return your keys to the designated key drop box by April 8, 2020 at 5 p.m.
- If you have an unique situation, always email hfsinfo@uw.edu
- If you live on campus and you have already left the country:
- Contact Dorm Room Movers if you need assistance packing, moving or storing your personal stuff
- You will not be charged for termination, late termination, or future housing or dining charges after winter quarter
- For more information regarding on campus housing, visit Housing & Food Services’ Coronavirus FAQ for Residents.
Student Visa
For comprehensive information regarding student visas, please visit the ISS website.
Travel Restrictions
If you went home to your home country but hope to return to the US during spring quarter:
- Before you make any travel decisions, please check Travel Restrictions for Students Outside of US, and pay special attention to the 14-day quarantine rule. Generally, we would not recommend traveling during spring break for your own safety.
For more information regarding travel restrictions, please visit the ISS website.
Academics
If you are planning to take online courses from your home country, here are some things to keep in mind:
- First day of instruction for spring quarter is on March 30 , with remote instruction that will continue through the end of the quarter.
- Each instructor may approach remote instruction differently so make sure to clearly understand course expectations. Make sure you let the instructors know if you have unique circumstances, e.g. time differences, limited access to relevant websites.
- Instructors will use the first week of the quarter to work with students to establish norms for remote instruction and to connect students with resources to support this transition, including online advising. There will be a grace period with no written assignments due in the first week.
- The University recognizes the nature of some courses precludes their being offered online due to the experiential nature of the content, or lack of access to required materials. The university will be flexible with shifts in course schedules and expect to increase course offerings over the summer and fall to ensure students have access to classes required to meet major requirements.
To learn more about the move to remote learning for spring quarter, visit the Provost’s facts and information regarding spring quarter 2020.
COVID-19
For regularly-updated information on the novel coronavirus and the University’s response, please visit uw.edu/coronavirus.