Housing and Residence Life Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

Housing and Residence Life Update

• Letter to Residents from UNF COVID Taskforce

  Letter to Residents from UNF COVID Taskforce

  August 4, 2020

   

  Dear Student,

   

  We wish to extend a warm welcome to the University of North Florida. We would like to share with you some of our safety protocols to help reduce risks of exposure to COVID-19 during the Fall 2020 semester.

   

  Before reporting to campus for your housing check-in, we highly recommend that you test for COVID and bring a negative test result to campus.

   

  Please begin to perform the Safe Osprey app daily. If the assessment indicates you should not report to campus, complete a self-report and follow the nurse's instructions. (https://unf.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqT3JLdzLMlztch)

   

  Nurses will be available to perform a health screening. The health screening will include a body temperature evaluation, review of viral symptoms and high risk exposures. COVID testing will not be available on campus during check-in. If the health screening indicates that you have had a high risk COVID exposure or infection, you will be required to delay check-in and stay at home. Ill students will not be permitted to check-in and will need to quarantine or isolate.

   

  Students living on campus or in local apartments in the vicinity of colleges and universities are considered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to be living in shared or congregate housing. The University will make COVID 19 testing available to students in university housing to protect for their safety and the safety of the UNF community.

   

  Shared housing residents often gather together closely for social, leisure, and recreational activities, shared dining, laundry facilities, stairwells, and elevators and may have challenges with social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

  Protect yourself:

  • Social distance by staying at least 6 feet apart from others that you do not live with.
  • Wear cloth face coverings in any shared spaces, not including your room.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer, especially after you have been in a public place.
  • Be alert for symptoms , including fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath.

   

  In shared kitchens, dining rooms, laundry rooms, and bathrooms:

  • Access will be available, but the number of people will be restricted so that everyone can stay at least 6 feet apart from one another.
  • People who are sick, their roommates, and those who have higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 should eat or be fed in their rooms whenever possible.
  • Do not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, or eating utensils. Non-disposable food service items used should be handled with gloves and washed with dish soap and hot water or in a dishwasher.
  • Guidelines for doing laundry such as washing instructions and handling of dirty laundry will be posted.
  • Sinks could be an infection source and you should avoid placing toothbrushes directly on counter surfaces. Totes can be used for personal items so they do not touch the bathroom countertop.

   

  The following are hygiene habits that the CDC recommends for everyone during a disease outbreak:

  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in your area daily, including phones, remote controls, countertops, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom handles, toilets, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.
  • Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap often, including after coughing, sneezing, using the bathroom, and before and after eating.

  Isolation

  If a resident has or thinks he/she has COVID-19, the student is required to complete a self-report form (https://unf.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqT3JLdzLMlztch) for review by Student Health Services. If possible, the student is encouraged to isolate at home off-campus; otherwise the University will attempt to provide housing that will enable the student to self-isolate on campus.

   

  In the event of a positive COVID-19 test, the University will notify persons who may have had close contact with the sick person of the potential exposure. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent required by law.

   

  Physical and mental health services will be provided via telehealth as well as daily check-ins by a nurse. This is important in order to assess the person's progress or deterioration of health.

  Referral/Transfer

  In the event a student is experiencing any of the following, they should be transferred to a health care facility:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Bluish lips or face
  • Severe depression, or anxiety or ideation of self-harm.
  • Unable to perform activities of daily living such as eating and bathing.
  • Dehydration from severe vomiting /diarrhea

  Quarantine

  If a person has been exposed, defined as close contact of less than 6 feet distance for 15 minutes or greater without a face mask or other personal protective equipment, to a person suspected of having COVID-19, he/she should enter self-quarantine. Current CDC guidance indicates that this quarantine should last for 14 days. The rationale for this separation is that usually any symptoms of COVID-19 appear within 2 weeks or less after an exposure or infection. Some people with COVID- 19 do not experience any symptoms. Quarantine should last for up to 14 days to allow time to confirm that the person is not infected and will not spread it to others. If possible, the student is encouraged to quarantine at home of-campus; otherwise, they should self-quarantine in their room.

   

  During this time, quarantined individuals should:

  • Stay in their assigned room unless they absolutely must leave, such as for essential medical appointments.
  • Separate from other household members, classmates, and teachers.
  • Use a separate bedroom and bathroom if possible.
  • Not share utensils, dishes, cups/glasses, bedding, towels, and other personal items

  On campus:

  • If you have a meal membership or would like to purchase one for the quarantine period, food will be delivered.
  • You will be provided daily mental and health checks.
  • You will have access to online academic resources.

   

  For additional information you may call the University's COVID Hotline at (904) 620-1779.

   

  Sincerely,

  Bob Greenlaw

  COVID Task Force Coordinator of Operations

   

  Dr. Doreen Perez

  COVID Coordinator

   

  University of North Florida

• Housing Update #1 - Campus Housing Notification

  Campus Housing Notification

   

  The University of North Florida does not guarantee a COVID-19 free living environment. Taking steps to reduce the risk of COVID- 19 is the shared responsibility of the University and every member of our campus residential community.
  
  The risks occasioned by the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 have presented substantial challenges for the University of North Florida's Department of Housing and Residence Life as the University continues through the 2020-2021 academic year.
  
  The Department is responding to those challenges and is reaching out to you:

  • to advise you of some important changes to the Resident Handbook and the Housing Rules and Regulations the Department has made. (You are required to comply with those changes by your Housing Contract.)
  • to remind you of some of the occupancy and payment terms of your Housing Contract that are important to consider due to the uncertainty of COVID-19.

   

  Because the changes to the Handbook and Rules and Regulations are substantial, and because the University's decisions about the COVID-19 pandemic may result in a change in the housing occupancy dates you may be expecting, it is possible that you may no longer desire to live in University Housing
  
  The Department wants to be certain that you are aware of the risks and understand the changes.
  
  Please read carefully the following changes and information, which you and every resident needs to know about:
  
  

  1. Health and Safety
     1. There is an inherent elevated risk associated with living in a community environment like University Housing, and the Residents have a shared obligation to prioritize health and safety for the benefit of the entire community.
     2. Exposure to the coronavirus and contracting COVID-19 can result in very serious illness and, in some cases, death to those who contract it. Residents may face an increased likelihood of serious illness if they have certain pre-existing medical conditions like disorders and diseases related to any of the following: immune deficiency; heart, lung, and other major organ problems; diabetes; high blood pressure; and asthma. All health and safety risks associated with COVID-19 may not yet have been fully determined by medical experts.
     3. Residents are responsible for considering their own personal health status and increased risk factors inherent with community living, including the risk of exposure to the coronavirus and contracting and transmitting COVID-19, when deciding to live on campus.
     4. Residents must adhere to University expectations intended to minimize risk of exposure to COVID-19 consistent with health and safety guidance including, but not limited to, limitations on mass gatherings, practicing physical distancing as recommended by CDC, and wearing appropriate face covering when within six feet of another individual (except when a Resident is in the Resident's assigned room).
     5. University staff will educate and inform Residents on appropriate cleaning protocols within their personal living space and shared spaces. It is the responsibility of Residents to keep their personal living spaces in a sanitary condition and to adhere to sanitation standards in shared spaces. UNF staff have the right to conduct health and safety inspections of Residents' living spaces.
     6. Residents may be required to submit to symptom checking, daily self-screening, and COVID-19 testing in order to access the residential community. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disciplinary action, including removal from housing.
     7. Residents must disclose to the appropriate University medical official immediately upon notification of positive COVID-19 test status or contact from Florida Department of Health about exposure and instruction to isolate. Failure to comply with this may result in disciplinary action, including removal from housing.
     8. Residents must comply with University direction requiring quarantining, isolation, and separation. At any time, the University may request or require a Resident to leave housing when that Resident's continued presence in the community poses a health or safety risk for community members. Residents are required to comply with requests from Housing and Residence Life to leave their assigned space due to COVID-19 or other public health emergency, and failure to do so is a violation of their Housing Contract and may subject them to emergency removal from their assigned spaces. Not all UNF housing rooms or halls are appropriate for quarantine or isolation. Removal from housing to isolate or quarantine does not constitute cancellation of a Resident's Housing Contract.
     9. Residents are required to comply with all health and safety law, orders, ordinances, policies, regulations, and guidance adopted by the University or Department of Housing and Residence Life as it relates to COVID-19. This guidance may evolve as circumstances warrant. 
      
  2. Access, Use, and Room Changes
     1. A. The University may restrict the full use of spaces and amenities within the residential community including, but not limited to:
        1. No visitors, including overnight guests, are permitted.
        2. Access to residential spaces is restricted to residential Residents, University staff, and approved vendors, except in connection with move-in/move-out procedures approved by University Housing, and except in extraordinary circumstances when first approved by Housing and Residence Life.
        3. Residents may only enter the residential community to which they are assigned unless otherwise posted or permitted by Housing and Residence Life
        4. A Resident may have only one other Housing community resident as a guest in the Resident's assigned room (one guest in a room at one time).
        5. Access to and use of housing amenities/space may be restricted or limited in capacity including. Those include, but are not limited to: lounges, study rooms, cooking kitchens, laundry rooms, lobbies, atriums, elevators, multi-purpose space, recreational fields and courts, pools and pool decks, game rooms, and fitness rooms.
     2. Building, room, and roommate assignments may be changed prior to arrival or at any time during the term of the Housing Contract.
     3. Resident-initiated room change requests may be restricted or limited after occupancy. 
      
  3. Occupancy Period; Contract Sum
     • Under your Housing Contract, specific occupancy dates begin and end on the dates the residence facility is designated "open" and "closed," respectively. The "open" and "closed" dates are not required to align, but traditionally have aligned with the University's academic calendar, which is itself subject to adjustment.
     • At this time the future course of the coronavirus is unknown, and no one can accurately predict how life-threatening or pervasive the coronavirus or COVID-19 will be or how quickly it will continue through our area during the 2020-2021 academic year. Due to the current uncertainty about its spread, it is possible that the Department of Housing and Residence Life would designate residence facilities "open" later than the beginning of the semester term and it is possible that the Department would designate them "closed" before (even substantially before) the end of the semester term. It is possible that there could be a closing and re-opening in the same semester. It is also possible, and the Department hopes that the "open" and "closed" dates will more closely align with the academic calendar.
     • The contract sum you pay under your Housing Contract covers your occupancy in University Housing for the occupancy dates specified by the Department, whatever those dates turn out to be. The contract sum is fixed, and neither you nor any other resident is entitled to reimbursement of any portion of the contract sum as the result of an "open" date that is later than the beginning of the semester term or a "closed" date that is earlier (even substantially earlier) than the end of the semester term, or as the result of any closing and re-opening within the semester term.
       
       
      
  4. Dining and Meal Memberships
     • While Dining Services will be offering nutritious meals to those with meal memberships, the Osprey Café will be modifying operations from previous semesters to ensure health and safety remain at the forefront of the service model. As examples, the self-service salad bar will be replaced with employee-built or prepackaged salads, members of the dining services team will create all plates, and milk and soda dispensers will be replaced with cartons, bottles and canned beverages.
     • While sustainability has always been a focus of the University's program, it is critical that measures are taken to increase use of disposables and to-go packages. Face masks will be required of Residents when on-site, except when eating. Seating capacity will be reduced and a 6-foot separation from others will be required. There may be scheduling or reservation requirements, building occupancy maximums and other measures implemented, such as dine on-site with the option to take the next meal to-go to ensure social distancing can be maintained within the Osprey Café.
     • First-time-in-college Residents living in University Housing are required to purchase a meal membership. This will not change for the Fall 2020 or Spring 2021 semesters. Limited kitchen space in Housing facilities will not allow for regular personal meal preparation while maintaining adequate social distancing.
     • The cost of your meal membership is fixed, and neither you nor any other mandatory meal plan member is entitled to reimbursement of any portion of the meal plan as the result of a residence hall "open" date that is later than the beginning of the semester term or a "closed" date that is earlier (even substantially earlier) than the end of the semester term, or as the result of any closing and re-opening within the semester term.

  
  

  Completion of UNF Housing Contract serves as confirmation Resident understands and agrees to comply with these expectations.

   

• UNF COVID-19 Testing: Informed Consent
  We would like to invite you to have a COVID-19 PCR test. Testing on campus is highly recommended but not required. Therefore, if you would like a test, please complete this consent form and return it per instructions. Once we receive your consent, we will arrange an appointment time for you and send a message at least 2 days in advance. August 17, 2020 will be the first testing day. In order to be prepared with enough testers we will not be able to accommodate walk-in students.
• April 6, 2020

  Update and Reminders for Current Residents (April 6, 2020)

   

  VISITORS/GUESTS - visitors/guests to any housing area, including resident rooms, suites and apartments are prohibited. Violations of this restriction put health and safety at risk.

   

  WELCOME DESKS - The Osprey Fountains Welcome Desk and The Flats at UNF Welcome Desk remain open and available 24 hours a day at this time.

   

  MAIL & PACKAGES - Letter mail for residents approved to be in housing continue to be delivered to all student mailboxes at Osprey Clubhouse, Osprey Fountains and The Flats at UNF. Package pick-up is available for residents approved to be in Hall, Landing, Cove, Crossings, Village and Fountains at the Osprey Fountains Welcome Desk (open 24 hours/day). Package pick-up is available for residents approved to be at The Flats at UNF at The Flats at UNF Welcome Desk (open 24 hours/day).

   

  SOCIAL DISTANCING - To assist with social distancing, the following areas and amenities continue to be closed until further notice: Osprey Clubhouse (including the pool deck); Osprey Village basketball and volleyball courts; The Flats at UNF clubhouse, pools, pool deck, fitness room, study room and basketball court; Osprey Fountains game room, fitness room, pools and pool deck as well as the basketball, volleyball and tennis courts.

   

  LIMITED CAMPUS SERVICES - Campus services continue to be limited, including food service. For the most up-to-date food service hours of operation please visit https://www.dineoncampus.com/unf/hours-of-operation

• March 25, 2020

  Housing and Residence Life Update #6 (March 25, 2020 2:30pm)

   

  Urgent: Rooms will be locked beginning this Friday, March 27

   

  To ensure the safety of all our students and their personal belongings, UNF Housing and Residence Life will be disabling card/key access to all rooms - with the exception of those students who have reported extenuating circumstances and have been approved to remain on campus - beginning Friday morning, March 27.

   

  If you feel you have an extenuating circumstance and have yet to report your situation, you must do so IMMEDIATELY by logging into myHousing and clicking "COVID-19 Request for Housing Information" on the top navigation bar.

   

  If you are still in the residence halls and have not received approval to stay, you must move out by Friday morning.

   

  If you are currently residing off campus, you should not return to campus until further notice. Your belongings will be safe and secure.

   

  Please continue to monitor your UNF e-mail account for any updates or changes. The Department of Housing and Residence Life understands this is a challenging situation and appreciates all your cooperation in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

   

  Sincerely,

  Robert Boyle, Senior Director

  Department of Housing and Residence Life

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will we receive any refunds or credits for housing and dining that has already been paid?

  Housing

  The contract sum you pay under your Housing Contract covers your occupancy in University Housing for the occupancy dates specified by the Department, whatever those dates turn out to be. The contract sum is fixed, and neither you nor any other resident is entitled to reimbursement of any portion of the contract sum as the result of an "open" date that is later than the beginning of the semester term or a "closed" date that is earlier (even substantially earlier) than the end of the semester term, or as the result of any closing and re-opening within the semester term.

  Dining

  The cost of your meal membership is fixed, and neither you nor any other mandatory meal plan member is entitled to reimbursement of any portion of the meal plan as the result of a residence hall "open" date that is later than the beginning of the semester term or a "closed" date that is earlier (even substantially earlier) than the end of the semester term, or as the result of any closing and re-opening within the semester term.

• How can I submit a contract for Fall 2020?

  You can submit a Housing contract through myHousing! Please continue to monitor your UNF e-mail account for information related to both campus operations and the status of housing for Fall 2020.

• If I need to cancel my Fall 2020 contract, how can I do that?
  E-mail housing@unf.edu and state your name, n number, and communicate what term you are requesting to cancel your contract.

Ospreys United As One

• Osprey Community

  During this time of transition, in order to make sure all of our Ospreys are safe, UNF has taken precautionary measures in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The Osprey community has come together to make this time as easy as possible for you. A lot of resources you would get in person are still available, they are just modified to keep everyone as safe as possible while still having access to the resources you would receive on campus. We are all doing our best to make sure our Ospreys are well taken care of while temporarily being away from the nest.

   

  This is a time for all of us to band together, exercise patience and understanding. We are all adjusting to remote instruction or work of some kind. We are doing our best to respond to each person in accommodating needs as best we can as follows with university guidelines. We care about you and your families. We are all in this together!

   

  Through this time, our Instagram stories will contain helpful campus resource information, our Facebook will provide you with Housing updates and we are doing our best to respond to any questions you may have there (however, make sure you are monitoring your UNF email account, your UNF email is the main source of how we will be communicating important updates to you) and our Twitter account is another resource for helpful information.

   

  We have loved seeing our Ospreys banding together to combat the coronavirus in practicing social distancing and helping each other in the ways that we can!

   

  We are proud of you! 

• Lend-A-Wing
  Lend-A-Wing Pantry is designed to combat food insecurity, and they’re here to help students who may be struggling during this challenging time. Lend-A-Wing recently set up a "grab bag" pick-up where a LAW employee will bring a bag out to students (in support of social distancing). Overall, Lend-A-Wing strives to create a safe and comfortable environment where students can request food anonymously. Your support could be crucial for a student in need.
• Emergency relief for UNF students

  Emergency Relief for Students

  We are all feeling the effects of the COVID-19 situation and its impact on our daily lives. In these unique times, it's vitally important that we take care of ourselves and one another.

   

  UNF has taken proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, including transitioning to remote instruction for students through the Spring semester and temporarily transitioning to remote work for employees. Many of our students have returned home to finish the semester safely with their families. However, the COVID-19 situation may have additional effects, as some of our students are now facing unexpected financial hardship and other unfortunate circumstances related to food, employment, housing and concern for their personal and emotional well-being. We are working hard to bring together resources for those students in greatest need.

   

  This is your chance to help.

   

  By giving to any of the funds below, you can directly support critical areas of need for UNF students. Your gift will make an immediate impact on those hit hardest by COVID-19.

   

  Thank you from the entire UNF family.