Thousands of students begin to move into University of Arizona dorms

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The University of Arizona is welcoming about 7,600 students back to campus this week as move-in begins at 23 residence halls.

Around 300 staff members and volunteers are on hand to help families unload cars and carry items into dorms. Dana Robbins-Murray, director of administrative services with U of A Housing and Residential Life, said resident assistants have been preparing for weeks to guide students through the transition.

“We have RAs in every dorm, and they’re on the wings and on the different floors so they’re there to help the students, guide them, give them suggestions and advice,” Robbins-Murray said.

She also mentioned that while freshmen aren’t required to live on campus, it often sets them up for success. “It’s not required for students to live on campus. We highly encourage them to do so because we do find that students who live on campus at least one year have a better GPA and have a stronger foundation to finish up their college experience,” she said.

The university reviews its process each year to keep move-in running smoothly. “We fine-tune the moving process every year. We try to look at what went well and what we can do better,” Robbins-Murray said. “Students will get to campus, unload their car, check in, and then move it to a garage so that we make space for other families.”

This summer, several dorms also saw some upgrades. “We are continually doing renovations to our dorms,” Robbins-Murray said. “We did some new carpeting and some of the dorms new furniture in the community spaces. Some fire safety upgrades were done so we continue every summer to do upgrades and replacement of furniture and carpet.”

Move-in runs daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the week.