Access to residence halls, campus buildings restricted
Students are asked to move off-campus if possible as university buildings close and faculty and staff begin working remotely following Gov. Walz’s “stay at home” order.
Courtesy of Hamline University
As of March 25, students have been encouraged to spend the rest of the semester living at home or in other off-campus housing if able. Food and access to residence buildings will continue to remain open for students who rely on it for housing, but Hamline is moving to minimize the on-campus population as much as possible.
March 25, 2020
Last updated 5:50 p.m. on March 25, 2020
Students with housing contracts are asked to move off-campus for the remainder of the semester if possible, according to an email from Associate Dean of Students Javier Gutierrez sent March 25.
As of March 25, card access to residence halls and the apartments has been switched off for students who indicated they would not be staying on campus over spring break. Future access to residential housing will only be available through appointment with Res Life by emailing reslife@hamline.edu.
Students who left campus for spring break or have the ability to move home or to another off-campus residence are encouraged to do so and should expect to stay there for the rest of the semester.
Any students who intend to remain in residential housing are required to notify Res Life no later than Friday, March 27.
Additionally, Minnesota governor Tim Walz issued a “stay at home” order effective midnight on Friday, March 27 through Friday, April 10. People are asked to stay home except for essential errands or work that cannot be done remotely to reduce spread of coronavirus.
Dining Services will continue to provide food for students remaining on campus. According to the Res Life email from March 25, to-go pickups are available Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In the meantime, other university buildings have been cleaned and closed, as have campus gathering spaces like the GameSpace in Sorin, the Anderson Forum and the seating areas on the second floor of Anderson.
A student run petition for refunds for housing contracts as well as a potential tuition reimbursement has been circulating among students on social media. The petition was launched March 17 by senior Gwen Fairlie and has gained 730 signatures as of March 25.
“Currently we have not been told if a refund/credit/reimbursement is happening for housing and meals,” Gutierrez said in an email interview. “If this changes we will be sure to communicate to students.”
Students have the option to check out early and can make an appointment to do so by emailing reslife@hamline.edu. If this is not possible, students may leave belongings in their room for the rest of the semester. Arrangements to pick them up can be made later in the spring, or students can make an appointment with Res Life to come pick up any items they need.
Health and safety inspections will be done on all previously occupied rooms, and staff will dispose of any food or beverages left. According to the email, “due to current circumstances, staff will not document any drug and/or alcohol violations found in rooms.”
Access (by appointment) to residence halls is expected to be available through the rest of the semester, but Gutierrez stated that Res Life “would prefer that decisions are made by the time remote instruction starts on April 1st.”