FAQ For Enrolled Participants

You can find our 2025 program schedule here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should we pack?
A: Here are some suggestions:

Comfortable walking shoes. UMass Amherst is a large campus, and workshops, craft sessions, evening readings, and meals are located in various buildings on campus.
Layered clothing, including a rain jacket or umbrella — summer in New England can be unpredictable! June can range from quite warm (80s to 90s) to chilly (50s), and can be rainy, so we suggest you check the area’s forecast before packing.
Refillable water bottle.
Whatever you need for writing: pencils, pens, notebook, laptop, books for reference and sharing, etc.
Allergy meds, if you have seasonal allergies!!
Bug spray.
At least 3 at-home COVID-19 rapid tests, if possible. (Please see “COVID-19” section below)

If you are staying in the North Apartments, you may want to bring:

Extra bath towels
An extra blanket or sweatshirt (if you get cold in A/C).
Flip-flops or shower footwear.
Hangers (not provided in closets).
Desk lamp, flashlight, or book light.

Q: Do we need to bring bedding & towels if we’re staying in the North Apartments?
A: All North Apartment residents are provided with a linen pack containing two flat sheets, a pillowcase, a thin blanket, and two small bath towels. If you want extra towels, fitted sheets, or a cozier blanket, please bring them.

Q: Do I need to bring supplies for the bathroom?
A: Toilet paper will be provided in the North Apartments. Juniper will provide you with bar hand soap. Please bring tissues and whatever other toiletries you will need during your stay.

Q: Do we need to pack our tuxedos and cocktail gowns?
A: No, the Institute atmosphere is casual.

Q: What’s the deal with parking?
A: More information about parking for folks staying in the North Apartments will be provided closer to the summer. Temporary parking for loading and unloading while checking into the North Apartments is available; please turn on your hazard lights! If you plan to bring a car with you but are not staying on campus and would like to park closer to South College, discounted passes for the parking garage will be available at Registration on Sunday.

Q: I’ve heard UMass campus is huge. How will I get around?
A: This is an important question! It’s worth noting that the UMass campus is wide and sprawling. Most daytime events are fairly close together (see South College B3 and Old Chapel C4 on this campus map [PDF link]), but it’s important to note that the on-campus housing that is available to us this summer is a 15-to-20-minute walk (0.7-0.8 miles) from South College. If you have accessibility concerns or need accommodations, please let us know when you enroll, and we’ll be in touch. If you’d like to visit Downtown Amherst, that is about 1.5 miles from the center of Juniper activities on campus, and there are a few local buses running from UMass to Amherst over the summer.

Q: What’s the deal with printing?
A: Printing needs will vary depending on the workshop. Your workshop leader will let you know in their welcome letter if they want you to bring printed materials. If your workshop leader requests that you bring printed materials, please print your materials before arriving in Amherst, if possible. The maximum number of participants in a workshop is 12, so 13 copies of the work you intend to bring should suffice. If printing ahead of time doesn’t work for you, there is paid self-service printing available in the W. E. B. Du Bois Library. The process for printing is outlined in full in the Participant Guidebook.

Q: I’ve signed up for a Manuscript Consultation. When do those happen?
A: Hopefully by the time the Institute starts, you and your consulting author will have already been connected by a liaison in our office and confirmed your meeting plans. Once the Institute begins, please seek your author out and introduce yourself to confirm your time and place. For help locating your author, ask any member of the Institute staff. (See “Manuscript Consultation” section in the guidebook for more information.)

Q: Where is the closest grocery store?
A: You’ve got several options via the bus (#33 and the B43, free/no fare is collected). All of the options (Big Y, Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Target and CVS) are all located within 2-3 miles of campus. All are located either on Route 9 (aka Russell Street) or University Drive and are accessible by car or bus. Atkins Farms Country Market in South Amherst is also nearby, but it will take two buses to get there.

Q: Will we have access to fitness facilities?
A: Yes! As a UMass Conference attendee, you are eligible for a discounted rate at the UMass Recreation Center. Passes will be available at registration on Sunday, and in the Juniper office in South College (E354) during the Institute week. Payment is collected at the Rec Center front desk (card only, no cash). Please be advised that the summer hours are sometimes inconsistent. Please call the Rec Center to confirm hours ahead of time.
The Amherst area also has lots of great hiking options (The Notch, Seven Sisters, and Mount Tom are noteworthy) and trails (Robert Frost Trail, Amethyst Brook, and Quabbin are nearby). The Norwottuck Rail Trail is an 11-mile paved trail running from Amherst to Northampton.

COVID-19 Precaution and Protocol

At Juniper, we aim to cultivate a community of care, including centering the health and safety of our most vulnerable community members to the greatest extent possible. In 2024, the Juniper Summer Writing Institute experienced a COVID-19 outbreak that put our community at risk and significantly disrupted our programming. We at Juniper have reviewed our protocols regarding COVID-19 exposure and infection, and we are making masks and rapid tests more accessible to our participants and guest writers.

However, because Juniper is housed within UMass Amherst, the Juniper Summer Writing Institute is required to follow UMass Amherst policy and guidance with regard to COVID-19 prevention and safety, and we are unable to mandate precautions above and beyond UMass policy. This means that we cannot require masking, testing, or vaccination, and we’ll elaborate more on all three of those points below. While UMass Amherst no longer maintains a COVID-19 website, UMass Amherst does follow Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA DPH) guidance for its COVID-19-related protocols. In the case someone tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to someone who tested positive, we will follow MA DPH isolation and exposure guidance during the week of the institute.

With the change in mandates, the onus of responsibility now rests with the individual to practice care for the health and safety of the community. The contagious nature of COVID-19 puts everyone at risk of illness and a disrupted or truncated institute experience. In order to do everything we can to keep our community safer and hold our programming as intended, we strongly encourage all participants and guest writers to mask during their travel to Juniper and for the first 24 hours of your time here.

In July 2023, UMass Amherst lifted its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. From a public health perspective, we know vaccines are the most important tool we have against COVID-19 and perhaps the best way to prioritize the safety of our community. We encourage you to learn more about the newest vaccine designed to protect against Omicron variant KP.2, available since September 2024. We will not be collecting vaccination information.

We encourage all guest writers and participants to take a rapid test sometime on Sunday, June 15, prior to attending Registration/Orientation. However, we understand that rapid tests, especially free ones, are no longer as accessible in the United States. We will not be collecting test results, and we understand if you are unable to test yourself. If you are able to bring rapid tests to the institute, we strongly encourage everyone to test themselves whenever they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. We will have rapid tests available in the Juniper office.

In March 2022, UMass Amherst lifted its indoor mask mandate. All participants and guest writers will be provided with three KN95 masks with their registration materials on Sunday, June 15. If you are feeling unwell in any way or believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, we strongly encourage you to wear a mask, in accordance with MA DPH guidelines, and contact us at juninst@umass.edu. If you’re staying at the North Apartments, we will deliver rapid tests to you if you’re feeling sick and request them. When asymptomatic, we welcome guest writers and participants to mask at their own level of comfort while participating in our programming (during scheduled workshops, sessions, readings, etc.).

If a participant tests positive for COVID-19, we will ask them to not attend any Juniper programming. If you have any concerns about a participant in regards to COVID-19, please contact the Juniper office at juninst@umass.edu.

The above policies are subject to change in accordance with MA and UMass Amherst guidelines.

Payment Information

Submitting Credit Card Payment

During the online registration process, you may select to pay by check or to pay by card. If you select to pay by card, you will be brought to a secure online payment gateway and will be able to use a Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card. If you wish to provide card information over the phone, you should contact the Registration Office at 413-577-8102 (open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Only submit your payment information using the online payment gateway or with the Registration staff at 413-577-8102 — for your security, we will only accept payment/card details from the attendee, cardholder, or authorized purchaser.

Mailing Payments

All payments by check should be mailed to the Registration Office at the address below. Checks must be made payable to UMass Conference Services/Juniper to be deposited.

Juniper Summer Writing Institute c/o University Conference Services
810 Campus Center
1 Campus Center Way
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA 01003

Payment Policy

The first non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration. If you are offered acceptance to the Institute, you must register with the $200 non-refundable enrollment deposit at the link provided in your acceptance message, or contact us within one week of notification. After one week, we will accept our next wave of applicants, and your preferred workshop and/or genre may fill to capacity quickly after that point in time, or you may lose your independent residency spot. We are unable to hold your spot in your given genre or your residency without the enrollment deposit. If you are planning to enroll but need time to gather the deposit funds or make other arrangements (e.g. child care) before making the deposit, please be in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can best assist you.

The second non-refundable deposit is due on April 1. This $500 deposit is considered part of the payment plan and must be paid by April 1 to continue to hold your spot in your workshop or residency.

Both non-refundable deposits count toward the total cost of your tuition.

The remainder of your balance, including any optional housing or manuscript consultation fees, is due by May 15.

Tuition Cancellation Policy

If you cancel your enrollment before May 1, you will forfeit all non-refundable tuition deposits ($200 deposit due at enrollment and the $500 deposit paid by April 1). If you cancel after May 1, you will forfeit all non-refundable tuition deposits and be charged an additional $500 cancellation fee. There will be no tuition refunds for cancellations after June 1 and no refunds in the event of early departure.

Housing Cancellation Policy

If you cancel your North Apartments lodging reservation before April 29, 2025, you will receive a refund less a one-night lodging cancellation fee of $65.00. North Apartments lodging cancellations received after April 29, 2025, including cancellations made on-site or no show reservations, will be ineligible for a refund. For more information or questions, please contact Conference Services at 413-577-8102 or registration@umass.edu.

Juniper partners with UMass Summer Housing for our on-campus housing option, and all housing payments are made directly to UMass Summer Housing through UMass Conference Services. As a result, we’re unable to accommodate any refunds for housing cancellations.

Please note that program details and personnel are subject to change as necessary. The University of Massachusetts reserves the right to cancel any program it deems necessary. In the event of program cancellation, payment will be refunded in full.

All payments are subject to a 3% transaction fee

Enrollment Policies & Forms

Attendees must sign a Liability and Photographic Likeness Release form by May 1, 2025. These forms will be sent via electronic signature to the email address you provide in your enrollment profile when paying your deposit. If you’d prefer to receive paper documents, please contact Conference Services at 413-577-8102 to request they be mailed to your home address.