This page is for students returning to UC Santa Cruz for Winter Quarter 2021. If you are graduating, going abroad or on exchange, or otherwise leaving after Fall Quarter 2021, please visit our Move Out page.

Winter Break is Saturday, December 19th 12:00 PM Noon – Sunday, January 3rd 10:00 AM

• Dining Hall Closure - The final meal of Fall Quarter will be dinner on Friday, December 19th. Dining services will resume with brunch on Sunday, January 3rd, 2021, at 10:00am.

• All residences CLOSE at 12:00 PM NOON Saturday, December 19th - Your belongings may remain in your room, but students are not permitted to stay on campus during Winter Break.  Please make your travel plans with these dates in mind. There are no exceptions! Anyone found in our residential community past 12:00 PM Noon on the 15th will be subject to fees/charges and escorted off campus. The campus is completely closed for the entire 3-week Winter Break, and residents will not be able to access their rooms (ID cards will be deactivated) until residences reopen on Friday, January 3rd, 2021 at 10:00 AM.

• Weekend Extensions - A limited number of pre-approved students will be allowed to remain in residence until Monday, December 17th at 8:00am. To apply for an extension, you must log in to studenthousing.ucsc.edu and follow the link for Fall quarter housing contract extensions. Additional information may be requested to verify extension need (i.e., Travel itinerary, employment verification, etc). The deadline to request an extension is Friday, December 6th. Any student discovered in a closed residential facility without an approved contract extension will be assessed a $100.00 unauthorized stay over fee, escorted off the premises, and may face conduct action.

• Fire, Safety and Housing Inspections - Our Res Life Staff and Maintenance team will be entering residences to conducts inspections over the break beginning 12:00pm Noon on Saturday, December 19th. Any items found to be in violation of the Terms and Conditions will be promptly reported. 

• Campus Power Outage - Students do not have to move their belongings out of the rooms; however, residents must prepare their rooms for a campus power outage December 26-30 for maintenance. Precautions should be taken, such as removing food and drinks from and defrosting refrigerators, as well as unplugging electronic devices.

All buildings will be completely locked until 10:00 am on Friday, January 3rd, 2021 - no staff will be on campus so you won't have access to it during the break!

ID cards will be automatically activated at 10:00 am.

No exceptions!

Before you leave for Winter Break, you must complete the following steps:

1. 1. Empty all trash and recycling containers into the dumpsters outside your building.
   2. Empty and defrost all mini-fridges - *remember to place towels underneath your fridge when you do this to prevent your carpet from water damage.
   3. Unplug all small appliances, computers, and electronics (don’t forget your alarm clock!). For kitchens, ensure stove is off. 
   4. Close and lock your windows and sliding doors and lower your blinds. Don’t leave anything on your window sills.
   5. Turn off the lights. Turn off the heater. Close and lock door behind you. 

Be sure to take home valuables, medicine, passports and other items you may need over the Break.

NOTE FOR RESIDENTS WITH PARTIALLY OCCUPIED ROOMS / APARTMENTS:

If you have an empty space in your room or apartment, it will most likely be filled Winter quarter.  You can periodically check your housing portal to see if any information has been updated during the break.  Empty spaces should be clean and ready for a new resident to move in as soon as the Winter quarter starts. 

Maintenance Notice - Remove Furniture:

If you have a patio or deck, please make sure to remove all furniture, trash, and other belongings from the patio before leaving for winter break. As a reminder: due to the rain, please be mindful of items left on the patio and remember that all residents are responsible for the furniture provided in their rooms. Including University furniture that is weather damaged. 

Returning At The End Of Break

Residents may start returning as early as 10:00am on Friday, January 3rd. The dining hall will reopen serving brunch on Friday, January 3rd.

Thank you for taking the time to read all of this important information.  If you have any questions, please call, email or come to the housing office and we will be happy to help you.