A better move-in experience for all

Housing & Conference Services student staff checks student into residence during Move-In 2017.


On Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th, Housing & Conference Services will welcome over 3,500 students to their new campus home using a process that has been honed over the past year. While barcode technology is nothing new, for the second year in a row Housing & Conference Services (HCS) is using this simple tool to help deliver an exceptional residence move-in experience.

A few days before arriving on campus, each incoming residence student will receive a personalized barcode email that will help expedite the move-in process and keep the lines of vehicles moving. HCS staff will be able to check-in students by scanning the barcode on the iPad and bring them their new residence room keys – all without the student leaving their vehicle.

This process has reduced the digital transaction component of the check-in process time from an average of 3 minutes to just over 7 seconds. Now HCS staff have more time to welcome excited families and keep traffic flowing towards the cheers of student faculty and residence representatives.

“We are excited to have over 950 student leaders volunteer this weekend to help make move-in day special for incoming residence students and their families,” said Kevin Beatty, Director, Housing & Conference Services. “Their McMaster spirit, coupled with our department’s innovative process really showcases what the coming academic year has in store for our residence students.”

What you need to know about move-in traffic

As the construction of the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning continues, Housing and Conference Services has partnered with Campus Security and Parking Services to create move-in weekend driving routes that will minimize the impact of traffic on the McMaster and neighbourhood communities. 

On Saturday, August 25th, over 2,300 first-year students will move into all North Quad residence buildings including Brandon, Edwards, Hedden, Les Prince, McKay, Whidden and Woodstock Halls.

  • Vehicles will be directed to enter campus through the Sterling Street entrance and Lot H, where they will be directed to the marshalling and unloading areas for their residence
  • After unloading, all cars are directed to ‘short-term’ parking in Underground Parking and Lots B, C, and I.
  • To keep the traffic moving, all routes will have clear signage and staff at key locations

We will be sharing the Sterling Street entrance with employees, emergency vehicles, delivery trucks and HSR buses. University employees who must attend campus using the Sterling Street entrance should try to avoid the large volume of traffic moving north to south through campus; these employees will be directed to park in Lot B.

Employees are asked not to park in the following areas on Saturday:

  • Lot H. All areas and along the roadway between Alumni Field and the 10-acre field. All parking spaces plus the roadways will be used for move-in traffic
  • Lot G and along Stearn Drive opposite the main entrance to the Commons Building/McKay Hall
  • Lot D opposite the David Braley Athletic Centre/Ivor Wynne Centre and Lot C opposite the Michael G. DeGroote Building. 

On Sunday, August 26th, students living in all West Quad residence buildings including Mary E. Keyes Residence, Bates, Matthews, Moulton, and Wallingford Halls will arrive on campus.

  • Residents moving into Bates and Moulton will enter off Cootes Drive and be directed to holding areas for their specific residence and then proceed to unloading zones
  • Residents moving into Mary E. Keyes, Matthews and Wallingford will enter campus off of Main St. West and be directed north on University Avenue, through the center of campus, and proceed to check-in and unloading zones. All cars are then directed to ‘short-term’ parking in Lots I, M, and P.

University employees who must attend campus using the intersection at Main St. West are encouraged to access the east side of campus by using the roadways in the Westdale community due to the higher than usual volume of traffic entering campus via University Ave. 

Employees are asked not to park in Lot I on Sunday.

For a detailed view of the areas mentioned above, please view the parking lot map on Parking Service’s website.

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