Residential Life & Housing

Winter Break Information


Winter Break Housing Request Form (PDF)


Winter Break Dates

Winter Break Request form available online (see link above) Monday, November 23
Deadline to Request Winter Break Housing Monday, December 21, 2009 at 1pm
Residence Halls close
(students without permission for Winter Break Housing must vacate)		 Thursday, December 24, 2009 at 10am
Residence Hall move-in for new Spring Transfer & Visiting students only Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 9am
Residence Halls reopen for returning & readmitted students Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 9am

For other important dates, visit our Departmental Calendar.


Requesting Permission for Winter Break Housing

If you need access to your residence hall room during the time the residence halls are closed (see dates above), you must request and be granted permission for Winter Break Housing (including seniors).

The request form (pdf) will be available at the Residential Life & Housing Office (110 Sulzberger) starting Monday, November 23 and must be submitted no later than Monday, December 21.

Students approved to stay over Winter Break will be billed $100 on their student account, regardless of length of stay.  The fee will be waived for the following students only: seniors, international students, athletes competing over Winter Break, and/or students participating in approved workshops the last week of break (for the length of the workshop only).

Any student wishing to stay (including Seniors) must submit a request form. Seniors are NOT automatically added to the WB list. All non-seniors or non-international students must provide written documentation of their need to be here.

Examples of documentations include:

  • a letter from your campus job supervisor, faculty member, Career Development, or coach regarding your work over Winter Break (prefered)
  • a print out of an email your employer sent to housing@barnard.edu and copied you regarding your work over Winter Break
  • photocopies of international flight tickets

If your employer has questions about providing documentation, forward them this link: http://barnard.edu/reslife/winterbreak/index.html#employers

Approved students will receive a Winter Break sticker for their ID. Without this sticker, students (including seniors) will not be allowed into the residence halls while they are closed for break.


Eligibility to Stay over Winter Break

Students are only eligible for Winter Break housing if they are in housing for both the Fall and Spring semesters. Students who are withdrawing or studying abroad for the Spring semester or are graduating in February are not eligible for Winter Break Housing. Students returning from a Fall study abroad experience, new Spring transfer students, and those students readmitted for the Spring semester may not move in until Saturday, January 16 (Thursday, January 14 for new spring transfer & visiting students only) when the residence halls reopen.

Reasons Why Your Request May Be Approved

Note: No students (including Seniors) are automatically added to the Winter Break Housing list. You MUST submit a request form, with documentation attached (if you are not a senior).

  • You are a Senior (working on your thesis)
  • You are working for a Barnard office for part/all of the winter break
  • You are conducting research with a faculty member
  • You are working at an internship in the city
  • You are an international student or have a conflict with an international flight
  • You are an athlete whose team is in practice and/or competition

Reasons Why Your Request May NOT Be Approved

  • You want to attend a fabulous New Year’s Eve party in the city
  • You want to bring your friends to the city for vacation
  • Your domestic flight home leaves after the check-out deadline
  • Your parents can’t come on the scheduled check-out day
  • Your bedroom at home is now a guest room
  • You scheduled a vacation flight out of a NY airport and want to stay over
  • You will not be in Housing for the Spring Semester (or were not in Housing for the Fall Semester)

Information for Students Approved to Stay During Winter Break

  • The residence halls are officially closed from 10am on Thursday, December 24, 2009, through 9am on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Security is available 24/7 by calling 88 from a residence hall phone or 212-854-3362 from your cell phone.

  • There is a Residential Life Hall Director and Associate Director on call 24 hours/day during the break. You can contact the staff on duty through the front desk of your residence hall.

  • Approved students are required to have a valid Winter Break [WB] sticker on their ID to gain entrance into residence halls during this period. No sticker, No entry.

  • During Winter Break, all residents who have received permission to be in the halls must sign in and out of the building each time they enter and exit.

  • Guests MUST be escorted at all times. If you have a guest, you must meet them at the front desk, sign them in, and escort them to your room. When your guest leaves, you must escort them back to the desk to sign out.

  • Students are limited to a maximum of one (1) guests at the same time during Winter Break (other Barnard students who did not receive permission to stay during Winter Break count as guests).

  • The Brooks desks will closed over Winter Break. All other desks will remain open throughout the break. All residents and guests entering the Quad must do so through Sulzberger Hall.

  • Facility Emergencies: Please contact Facilities during weekdays at 4-2041 (or 212-854-2041). During evenings (after 5pm), weekends, and Christmas Eve/Day and New Year's Eve/Day, please contact Public Safety at 88 (or 212-854-3362).

  • Primary Care Health Service: Please visit the Primary Care Health Services website.

    Additionally, students may always call Nurse Response during the break at 866-966-7788 24 hours a day for any health related matter.

  • Dining Hall: Please visit the Dining Services website.

  • Mail Services: Please visit the Mail Services website.

  • Library: Please visit the Library website.


Information for Employers

All students requesting to stay over Winter Break for jobs or internships must submit documentation along with their Winter Break Housing request form.

The perfered method of documenation is a memo on company letterhead noting that the student will be working over the Winter Break (between Dec 20 and Jan 16).

If your office employs multiple students who will be requesting to stay over Winter Break, you may write one memo listing all the students and provide each student with their own copy / photocopy to submit along with their Winter Break Housing request form.

If you have any questions, please contact housing@barnard.edu.