The room in North Hall was ready for its next occupant. But this wasn’t just any dorm room. It came equipped with fresh sheets and towels, a thermometer and a red “Get Well Soon” bag stuffed with snacks.
This spring, all of North Hall’s 120 rooms are serving as quarantine and isolation spaces for students who had been exposed to or tested positive for COVID-19, along with units in E.S. King Village and the Avent Ferry Complex, for a total of 285 spots. That’s an increase over the number of rooms set aside last fall, when the system quickly became overwhelmed and the university had to send students to local hotels.
Donna McGalliard ’92, executive director of University Housing, says a survey of all students who were in quarantine or isolation in the fall helped bring about some changes. Students wanted more variety in their snack bags, for instance. “Coffee was definitely one of the things they wanted, so we included that,” McGalliard says. Students also wanted shorter emails as well as a clearer list of what they needed to bring.
It’s almost more like running a hotel.
—Donna McGalliard ’92
Lock boxes that can open with a combination on the doors mean no keys have to change hands. Each room has a microwave and refrigerator and is stocked with water bottles and disposable plates, cups and flatware. University dining will deliver meals for students who request it, charged at a meal plan rate.
And if students forget something, McGalliard’s team will bring it to them. “Someone for-got their charging cord the other day, so we brought it to them,” she says. “The other day, a guy said he needed his razor and shaving cream.”
The length of the stay can range from several days to two weeks depending on a student’s exposure and test results. It’s isolating, so someone from the Division of Student and Academic Affairs calls each student every day to ask how they are and if they need anything. The Counseling Center also operates virtual drop-in group sessions for students in quarantine.
The number of students checking in varies from day to day — sometimes none, sometimes eight to 10 in one day. McGalliard added a position on her staff to handle the logistics, which include deep cleaning after each stay. “This is like move-in move-out, flipping the rooms,’’ she says. “It’s almost more like running a hotel.”
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