Housing update from Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs & Campus Climate Gail Sims-Aubert

On Monday, July 27, Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs & Campus Climate Gail Sims-Aubert shared a letter with Housing Residents and their parents with an update to fall 2020 housing. The full letter is below.

Dear Housing Residents,
 
Hello again! I hope this finds you in the midst of enjoying your summer and looking forward to moving to campus in a few short weeks. The Office of Residence Life has been busy preparing for your arrival, and is dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date information possible. The global pandemic persists, which means that our planning has to remain flexible and fluid. This is why it’s so very important that you check your UWGB email daily and consult the campus COVID-19 Update page  several time each week. We will continue to monitor changes, and will communicate those out to the best of our ability. Please read the following for the most current housing information.
 
An Express Check-In email will be sent to you the week of August 3. It is important that you not only read this message, but also complete all required fields. In doing so, you will be able to sign up for a check-in date/time, select a meal plan, and access information about move-in. Once this communication has been received, be sure to reach out to the Office of Residence Life (920.465.2040 or housing@uwgb.edu) if you should have questions or need clarification. Until then, please see the following for important campus housing information.
 
COMMUNITY STANDARDS
The pandemic has made it necessary to alter many of our community standards. All students living in campus housing will be expected to abide by these guidelines, which have been designed to support a healthy living environment. Help us to keep one another safe, by adhering to the following

• Masks – Campus residents will be expected to wear face coverings in the residence halls and apartment buildings except for when in the privacy of their room/apartment.
• Common Area Spaces – Residents can continue to utilize spaces such as lounges and laundry rooms, but will need to follow the capacity limitations set for each of these spaces. Notices will be placed at the entry point of each common area that indicates the capacity. If students are the only occupant of a common space, they may remove their mask until joined by others, at which time a mask will need to be worn by all.
• Physical Distancing – Residents will be expected to physically distance themselves from others in 6-foot intervals in all common areas (lounges, laundry rooms, etc.).
• Physical Hygiene – Residents will be expected to maintain a basic level of cleanliness in their rooms/apts. Proper and frequent handwashing is expected. Sanitizing stations will be placed at various entry/exit points throughout housing, and residents are encouraged to utilize this option when leaving or returning to their campus residence. 

Residents who fail to cooperate with the community standards identified by Residence Life may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of their housing contract and/or suspension from the university. Every reasonable effort will be made to gain voluntary cooperation from a student before engaging in the formal disciplinary process.
 
SYMPTOM MONITORING/HEALTH EXPECTATIONS
Campus residents are also strongly encouraged to self-monitor at all times for COVID-19 symptoms. Any student who develops symptoms should immediately contact the UWGB Wellness Center for further assistance. Any student living on campus who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to move to a self-isolation room on campus until they have been medically cleared to return to their permanent housing assignment. Any roommate of a student who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to move to a self-quarantine room on campus and monitor for symptoms for 14 days.
 
GUEST EXPECTATIONS
In an effort to keep the virus from spreading through campus housing, guest access will be temporarily restricted. Each resident will be able to bring one person with them to assist with move-in. From that point forward only other UWGB students will be allowed to visit campus housing residents. Additionally, the number of guests will be limited to one per residence hall and two per apartment at any given time. Guests will only be able to be hosted during non-quiet hours.  Overnight guests are not permitted.   
 
TRAVEL EXPECTATIONS
Students arriving in Green Bay via international or domestic air travel must self-quarantine for 14 days in a designated self-quarantine location. After this time, they will be allowed to move to their permanent housing assignment. Personal air travel during the fall semester is highly discouraged and residents may be required to self-quarantine and monitor symptoms for 14 days upon their return. Per recommendations from public health officials, if a resident does travel outside their community or travels using confined means he/she should limit contact with non-household members for 14 days and monitor symptoms closely.
 
FACILITY AVAILABILITY/ACCESS
The Community Center front desk will remain open for the fall semester. However, no equipment check-out (board games, sporting equipment, etc.) will occur. Vacuums will also not be available for your use except for extenuating circumstances such as a large/dry spill. The community kitchens will be accessible, but capacities will be limited. It is expected that residents use provided cleaning products to wipe down cooking/prep surfaces before/after usage. Personal cooking equipment may not be stored in the community kitchen spaces.
 
Vending machines will remain stocked. Residents should plan to use hand sanitizer before and after each use to ensure against contamination. Residents should plan to do the same in laundry rooms, where cleaning products will be provided in addition to the daily cleaning regimen performed by staff. Lastly, elevators will remain operational, but it is requested that only one person utilize the elevator cars at a time. Exceptions will be made for members of the same family during move-in and for roommate pairs.
 
CLEANING AND DISINFECTING
Housing residents are expected to clean and disinfect their rooms and bathrooms on a regular basis. Common areas will be cleaned daily, but it will be up to the students to maintain their personal living spaces. Students are encouraged to bring additional cleaning supplies to keep their personal spaces clean and may want to consider bringing their own disinfecting wipes.
 
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
All of our housing communities will continue to be fully staffed with the following team members:

• Area Coordinators: These live-in professionals supervise the student staff within a building complex. They are here to assist you in your transition to college providing academic, social, wellness, and personal development support.
• Community Advisors: These senior-level student staff live in your housing communities and assist the Area Coordinators with day-to-day operations, community development and staff supervision.
• Resident Assistants: Your RA is your go-to person for all concerns on your floor/wing. Whether you want to get more involved, are in the middle of a roommate conflict or are simply wanting a person to talk to, your RA is ready to assist you.

 We are planning many safe and virtual options to build community and connect housing residents to one another. Plans are in place for you to get to know other residents as well as your campus resources. Regardless of academic course modality, we feel confident that living on campus will still provide many benefits in the coming year. This would include but not be limited to close proximity to academic buildings and dining locations, immediate access to campus resources and connections to peers in a diverse environment.
 
This is an incredible amount of information to throw at you at once, but it’s important for you to understand what will be expected in the near future. We are doing the best we can to create a structure in which we can co-exist in a safe manner. Daily life will undoubtedly be different, but many things will remain the same. We have always been and will continue to be committed to providing an out-of-classroom experience that is supportive, educational and meaningful for each of our residents – that will not change! I am so very pleased that you’ve made the decision to live on campus, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
 
Go Phoenix!
 
Gail Sims-Aubert
Interim Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs & Campus Climate
Office of Residence Life, Director