To live on campus and be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletics, campus organizations, other co-curricular campus events, or employment during January, students must be enrolled in an on-campus Jan Plan course, or an independent study or internship that requires Colby resources and materials.
All first-year students are required to enroll in an on-campus January experience.
Students must arrive within the designated arrival window to ensure a smooth, efficient check-in.
DATE: Monday, January 5, 2026
TIME: 8:30AM-5:00PM
LOCATION: Grossman Hall Atrium, first floor (DavisConnects building)
All students participating in an on-campus Jan Plan (whether residing off-campus or not) must first check in with the Office of Residential Experience before returning to or moving into their residential assignment.
Students must check in regardless of whether they lived on campus during the fall semester and/or were approved for an on-campus stay during the Winter Break.
Additional instructions and details will be provided to students via their Colby email.
The arrival process is not just for residents living on campus. All students residing in any off-campus housing (non-College- owned and student-leased) are still required to check-in with Office of Residential Experience at the Grossman (DavisConnects building) atrium.
Additional instructions and details will be provided to students via their Colby email.
Students new to campus housing this academic year will receive their keys at this time. Fall semester GES students, January admits entering Colby, and new transfer students will receive additional instructions and details via their Colby email.
Students must arrive within the designated arrival window to ensure a smooth, efficient check-in.
DATES: Monday, February 2, 2026 and Tuesday, February 3, 2026
TIME: 8:30AM-5:00PM
LOCATION: Office of Residential Experience (Cotter Union, 241)
Students who already checked in with the Office of Residential Experience at the start of Jan Plan are not required to check in during spring semester arrival processes.
Students who MUST check-in for Spring semester include:
Additional instructions and details will be provided to students via their Colby email.
The arrival process is not just for residents living on campus. Off-campus housing residents (non-College- owned and student-leased) are still required to check-in with Office of Residential Experience.
Students new to campus housing this academic year will receive their keys at this time.
Please arrive within the 8:30AM-5:00PM window on Monday, February 2 or Tuesday, February 3 to ensure all aspects of check-in can occur efficiently and effectively.
We understand that some students might face extenuating circumstances that prevent this from otherwise happening. The following instructions apply to all students with extenuating circumstances or those traveling via later Colby shuttles and are checking in after 5:00PM on the designated dates.
If a student is RETURNING to on-campus housing and was a resident during the fall semester:
If a student is NEW to on-campus housing for the first time during the 2025-2026 academic year or returning from a leave of absence:
Unfortunately, the College does not accept requests for late departures/early arrivals.
Students, families, and support persons must determine what options and alternatives might exist outside of arriving early on campus. This includes altering travel arrangements, seeking hotel accommodations, etc.
Checking in is more than just logistics, such as keys and Colby IDs. It lets the College know that students have arrived safely and are on campus.
When arriving on campus, please prioritize the check-in process to ensure you receive your residence hall key(s) and any additional information necessary for a smooth and efficient process.
Students must first check in with the College prior to moving into their assignment. All students will be required to provide their student ID at check-in.
Each year, Colby College publishes key dates for the academic calendar. The 2025-2026 academic year dates can be found here.
Don’t forget to plan for future breaks and academic year-end closing. More information can be found in our residence hall break summary guide as well as the Important Dates section of our website.
All student rooms were locked upon completion of hall closing procedures in December. Students were instructed and expected to take their key(s) as they left campus for the break. Students who are locked out of their room and require support/access can use the following resources depending on the time of their arrival.
Between 8:00AM-5:00PM (M-F), students may sign out a spare key to their room at the Office of Residential Experience located on the second floor of Cotter Union (Cotter 241).
After 5:00PM, students may contact Colby College Security to support access to the room.
Between 8:00AM-5:00PM (M-F), students may sign out a spare key to their room at the Office of Residential Experience located on the second floor of Cotter Union (Cotter 241). Students will have 24-hours to return the spare key.
Between 5:00PM-10:00PM, on Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3, students may contact a Community Advisor to support access to the room. Details for how to contact the Community Advisor will be shared via the students’ Colby email.
All students residing in off-campus housing (non-College- owned and student-leased) are still required to check in on the dates/times listed above.
Online parking permit registration will be available through the Colby College Security website. All student vehicles on campus are required to have a parking permit. There is limited student parking on campus.
Each apartment at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main St. Commons is provided with one (1) parking hang tag for the Appleton Lot located at 13-15 Appleton Street. This tag should be displayed on the vehicle’s rear-view mirror when parked in the Appleton lot. Cars without a hang tag are subject to a Colby parking ticket and/or towing at the owner’s expense.
Please note that the Appleton Lot hang tag only allows parking in that specific parking lot. Students who park on campus must have a valid commuter parking permit issued by Security. During shuttle operation hours, when it is dark, the shuttle will stop at the Appleton Lot on its way to the Alfond Main St Commons.
Apartments that have not already been assigned a hang tag may sign one out with the Office of Residential Experience during regular business hours (M-F, 8:00AM-5:00PM) and after the start of Jan Plan and/or Spring semester.
Colby College and the Office of Residential Experience offer transportation shuttles from Portland to campus for Jan Plan and Spring Semester arrival. Shuttle spaces are reserved for students only.
Students may register and purchase tickets found available on Colby’s transportation website.
If College-sponsored break shuttle dates/times do not work for students and families, additional transportation options may also be found on the transportation website.
Please note the necessary and firm deadlines.
Resident trunk room access during the Jan Plan move-in date (Monday, January 5, 2026) will be restricted to students who need to retrieve items only.
Students may retrieve items between 8:30AM-5:00PM by contacting the phone number provided at check-in. Office of Residential Experience staff will then assist with access to the trunk room space.
All other requests for access outside of these hours can be supported the next business day between 8:30AM-4:30PM.
Trunk room access during spring semester move-in (Monday, February 2 and Tuesday, February 3) will be limited to the retrieval of items only.
Community Advisors will be available between 5:00PM-10:00PM on these dates to support students who need to retrieve personal items from the trunk rooms.
Details for how to contact the Community Advisor will be shared via the students’ Colby email.
Please note, all personal items must be removed from the trunk room at the time of entry. Due to the expected high demand for support and limited staffing resources to provide this support, Office of Residential Experience staff will be unable to access the trunk room space multiple times for a student nor will they be able to wait as students make multiple trips with personal items to their assigned residence hall.
Please view our Student Packing Guide for what to bring and what to leave at home.
