Coronavirus Updates

August 3, 2020   |  Campus Communication

Return to University Housing Plan | Fall 2020

Students and families,

We are looking forward to seeing you in person, on campus this fall. In preparing to welcome you back to BenU residence halls and apartments, we have updated our housing guidelines to help keep our residents and students safe and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Please read the University Housing Plan as students will be asked to sign an acknowledgement of the expanded procedures on move-in day. Some of the changes you will see in the attached Housing Plan include:

• Overall occupancy has been reduced by 25% allowing for the availability of additional single-occupancy rooms if needed.
• Cleaning procedures have been adjusted to accommodate more frequent cleaning of shared spaces and additional cleaning commitment is expected of residents in individual spaces.
• A quarantine and isolation procedure has been developed to maintain the safety of our community should residents be exposed or test positive for COVID-19.

Move-in is currently scheduled for Thursday, August 27- Sunday, August 30. Individual move-in time slots will be assigned to each student and will be communicated the week of August 10. All students are required to log back into the housing portal to review and sign their updated housing agreement. This update includes health protocol language and fall semester occupancy dates, which will begin on move-in day and conclude on Saturday, November 28 at 12:00 p.m. Any changes to your housing preferences must be requested by emailing housing@ben.edu. Please note that August 10 is the last day to cancel your housing preferences to avoid cancellation fees.

University staff and administration are working daily to ensure proper protocols and plans are in place to allow us to return to campus. However, we need your help to keep our community safe. It is incumbent upon all of us to do our part – socially distance, wear masks, perform daily self-checks and follow enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices – to keep residents, staff, faculty, students and our extended BenU families as healthy as possible.

For incoming students, we’re excited to invite you to share in Ben Beginnings – Benedictine University’s Welcome Weekend. Be on the lookout for more details about how you can participate later this week

Thank you for your commitment and please continue to visit our COVID-19 Updates page for the latest information, including Housing FAQs, and see below for a list of helpful hints to prepare you for campus life this fall.

 

Sincerely,

Mark McHorney

Get your Eagles in a Row

Prior to Move-In

• Review your housing preferences and move-in date/time slot on the housing portal
• Obtain insurance card and immunizations
• Quarantine for 14 days prior to move-in
• Purchase cleaning products and personal hygiene supplies
• Sign the Housing Acknowledgement within the housing portal

On Move-In Day

• Arrive during your designated time slot
• Receive your welcome kit
• Wear PPE while moving into your room

After Move-In

• Dispose of or sanitize PPE and moving materials
• Explore the dining facilities
• Maintain personal hygiene
• Adhere to routine cleaning procedures
• Discuss and implement a cleaning and safety procedure with roommates
• Complete the symptom reporting form if you exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19, to mitigate potential spread of the virus
• Follow visitor and guest procedures outlined in the Housing Plan

For any additional questions or concerns please contact housing@ben.edu.