UTM offers a number of different housing options, all of which are implementing protective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Browning and Ellington are traditional dormitories that house one or two people to a room. A suite in Browning or Ellington is made up of two rooms that share a bathroom.
University Villages Phase 1 and 2 are apartment-style suites each tailored to specific age groups. Phase 1 mainly houses upperclassmen, whereas Phase 2 prioritizes freshmen.
Cooper Hall houses students by major or academic program. Students in Cooper live in a designated Living Learning Community (LLC) that offers a set of study rooms for students to use.
University Courts is an off-campus set of apartments available to upperclassmen.
In the case that a resident tests positive for COVID-19, they will be able to isolate in a space away from their suitemates.
“This will help to decrease the risk of passing COVID-19 to others,” said Ryan Martin, assistant director at the Office of Housing.
If a student is isolated, they will be expected to keep track of their symptoms in a self-check sheet. This will allow Student Health and Counseling Services to determine if the student needs additional care at their daily check-ins with students. They will also be on standby to provide to help students when needed.
Contact tracing will also be used to determine if anyone else needs to undergo testing or isolation.
University employees will routinely come by to pick up trash and bring students their meals. If a student is isolated for over a week, laundry services will also be provided.
Housing also requires residents to enter their dormitory from the side doors and only use the lobby entrance as an exit. This allows students to easily socially distance when entering and exiting the dormitories.
Facial coverings will be required in any public areas such as the lobby or study rooms. Hand sanitizer will also be provided in public areas to allow for easy access. Public areas will also be sanitized at least three times a day to further protect students.
Study rooms will be open, but altered to accommodate for social distancing. For example, any furniture that does not allow for social distancing will be removed from the space. Occupancy will also be limited. Students will know how many people are allowed in a room by a sign outside.
“We plan to keep these areas open for student use as long as students are abiding by the occupancy limitations,” Martin said.
Dormitories will not allow visitors who are not UTM students into the buildings. Each person is limited to one guest between noon and midnight. The visit must be approved by all members of the suite or room.
Any events taking place in residence halls will be arranged so that they are as online as possible. If an event must take place in person, residents are required to RSVP on Runway, and temperature and face covering checks will be done before they can enter.
Housing will also no longer provide custodial services within the dormitory bathrooms in order to limit the contact between residents and staff. Residents will be expected to keep their bathrooms clean. However, public spaces will be cleaned and disinfected more often.
To learn more about UTM housing and the measures that are being taken, visit http://www.utm.edu/departments/housing/ or call the Office of Housing at 731-881-7730.
