Transportation, other information shared for spring
WVU Today
To help students, faculty and staff prepare for a safe return to campus in January, West Virginia University is providing details on parking, transportation and more for the spring semester, which begins Jan. 19.
Parking
A limited number of winter break and temporary parking permits for the spring semester will be available to students on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking permits will be available for Downtown, on Evansdale and Health Sciences.
Permits will be valid Jan. 15-May 15.
Students may purchase a permit by visiting the Parking Portal, selecting “get permits” and logging in with their WVU credentials. Permits also may be purchased at the Parking Management office, at 1112 Van Voorhis Road. Permits will be available for pickup at the beginning of the spring semester at the Parking Management office.
Parking is available for students who wish to leave their vehicle on campus during the winter break. Costs will be based on standard weekly or monthly parking rates and may vary depending on duration. Students should call the parking office at 304-293-5502 to make specific arrangements.
Visit the Transportation and Parking website for more information and to purchase a permit.
Transportation and Parking will continue the special temporary parking program for employees who are working exclusively remotely this spring.
Remote employees’ parking permits will be suspended through May 30.
As with the fall semester, parking fees included as an automatic payroll deduction will continue to be suspended.
Permits for remote employees will remain active in WVU’s parking database, which will allow Transportation and Parking to share important parking updates and announcements with these employees.
Remote employees’ permits and/or parking spaces will be guaranteed upon their return to on-campus work in the summer.
WVU bus routes and schedule
The Personal Rapid Transit system will remain out of service for the spring semester. However, WVU will operate additional buses to transport students and employees between the Downtown, Evansdale and Health Sciences areas of campus.
As with the fall semester, buses will follow the WVU Bus Routes and operate from 6:30 a.m.-10:15 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturdays. Students should expect longer wait times due to heavy traffic or other unexpected traffic disruptions and should plan accordingly to make it to their destination on time. Visit the Transportation and Parking website for expected bus travel times.
Bus safety guidelines
All bus safety guidelines from the fall semester will continue this spring. Passengers and drivers on WVU and Mountain Line buses will be required to wear a mask or face covering during the entire trip. Buses will follow occupancy guidelines to allow for physical distancing. Additional bus safety protocols are available online. Information about fleet vehicles and other modes of transportation also is available on the Return to Campus website.
COVID-19 updates
All incoming new students for the spring semester will be required to take a COVID-19 education module by Jan. 16. More information will be sent to those new students in early January.
All general COVID-19 protocols from the fall semester will remain in place in the spring, as well, including but not limited to: campus visitors, classroom safety, cleaning, dining, residence hall policies including visitors and student organizations.
All COVID-19 policies for faculty, staff and students will also continue in the spring semester, including physical distancing, mask/face covering and testing requirements on campus.
The university has recently updated its travel policy to align with new CDC guidance. All those who travel outside of the state — including now out of the country — are required to quarantine for five days upon return to the state. Previously, international travelers had to quarantine for 14 days upon return.
Tuition and fees
Spring semester charges will be available on, or around, Tuesday in STAR (via the WVU Portal) for students enrolled in spring classes (or with other institutional charges such as meal plans or on-campus housing). Parents with proxy access to billing information will be able to view charges via the WVU Parent and Guest Portal. Students who owe a balance will receive an eBill through their MIX email in early December that will be due Jan. 4. For more information on payment methods, payment plans, and more, visit our billing webpage. The earliest refunds will be available Jan. 19, for those who are signed up for direct deposit.
As was the case in the fall, students at the Morgantown campus whose final spring coursework is entirely online (excluding those in Online programs) may see a reduction in University fees up to $440 reflected on their account after the add/drop period is complete. Students with at least one in-person, hybrid or HyFlex class will not see a change in University fees. There will be no reduction of fees for housing and dining for the spring semester.
Student activities
The Refresh WVU student activities series will return in the spring semester. The University will offer a variety of in-person and virtual cooking, crafting, lifestyle and wellness activities throughout the semester.
The Student Rec Center will continue to be closed to start the spring semester. The University may re-evaluate that in the spring semester if the University deems it to be safe to re-open the facility.
The university will provide final reminders for the spring semester during the weeks of Jan. 4 and Jan. 11. If you have questions prior to those reminders, email returntocampus@mail.wvu.edu.
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