Students from Brandon Hall have each received an email outlining their housing options. It is vitally important that they go to the link in the email where they may select and confirm their choice. The University cannot make a housing match for students unless this onlline form is completed.

Students can access the online firm by visiting https://resapp.mcmaster.ca/

We have secured enough hotel and off-campus Residence accommodation to house Brandon Hall students. Students will be informed on Friday where their new housing assignment will be.

Once the housing assignment is received were sure you will have many questions about move-in procedures. These are being confirmed and will be provided to you as soon as they are available.

Students access to residence rooms in Brandon is now complete and on Thursday a private restoration company will begin cataloguing packing and transporting all remaining personal items left in Brandon Hall to a secure facility.

Students from Second floor will be able to retrieve their items beginning Friday October 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The facility at 70 Frid Street, Unit 6 will also be available for second floor students on Sunday October 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Additional times will be arranged for the remaining Brandon students during the week of October 27th.

Parents cannot pick up these belongings unless the student is with them and he or she has their student ID.

We have heard from students and parents that they want to maintain as much of the residence experience as possible. Wherever possible we are trying to move students into alternate accommodation where they can be together with their floor mates and residence life staff will also be moving into the locations to maintain support and connections.

To give Brandon students ongoing opportunities to gather together we are creating a special lounge on campus in the Refrectory building that will only be open to Brandon students. There will be couches, television, computers and printers to help make this gathering place as helpful as possible.

The McMaster community has been pulling together to help. Earlier this week the Faculty of Humanities hosted a lunch for Brandon students and the McMaster Students Union has organized a drop-in-lunch for Brandon residents for this Friday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Quarters.

Hundreds of volunteers from across campus have also been assisting students access the residence building, help with support projects and a multitude of tasks that are helping us moves as quickly as possible to assist students. The Hamilton community has also been enthusiastic with offers of help and assistance.

We have had many questions from parents and we welcome your ongoing contact. Students or parents who want to send feedback or questions can do so through the Daily News website. Please click on Respond to this article at the bottom of a Daily News story or you can email at daily@mcmaster.ca

We will continue to update you with as much information as possible as the week continues.

The Crisis Management Team