Residential Life

Our on-campus Residence Halls at East 25th St (Brookdale), The Apartments at 79th Street and the 51^st Street Residence will house Hunter students. Of utmost importance is offering and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for residents. The Brookdale Residence Hall has a number of features that have allowed Hunter to open and manage this facility safely, specifically it has a capacity of 650 beds in single occupancy rooms and there are both outside spaces and large indoor spaces. The apartments at 79th Street offer units that accommodate shared occupancy. This building features a laundry room that is open 24/7 and an outdoor patio available to residents during posted hours. Our newest facility, the 51^st Street Residence also offers shared occupancy but is limited to 2 students per room. It provides our residents with a variety of open communal spaces such as a laundry room, gym and study lounges.

The following broad community mitigation strategies are essential for limiting the risk of spread of COVID-19:

Promote Behaviors that Reduce Spread

• Teach and reinforce proper hygiene and respiratory etiquette
• Teach and reinforce use of face coverings
• Offer supplies such as soap to support proper hygiene
• Post signage that promotes the prevention of the spread of COVID-19
• Maintain a Healthy Environment
• Increase cleaning and disinfection of common and high-touch surfaces and areas
• Ensure proper ventilation/circulation of outdoor air
• Monitor Close shared spaces (kitchen/laundry/lounges)
• Maintain Healthy Operations
• Hold in person and virtual meetings
• If staff receive information that a student tests COVID-19 positive, campus designated COVID-19 liaison will be alerted. The Liaison will continue to contact trace and notify exposed individual. Exposed individuals are directed to follow updated CDC guidelines.
• Initiate isolation/quarantine as necessary.

See Isolation and Quarantine below for more details.

Hunter College is taking extensive measures to ensure that students who move into rooms in our residence halls remain healthy and safe – and that those with whom they interact are equally protected. The requirements cover every aspect of the process.

Capacity

Hunter College will operate at building capacity for all of our residential spaces.

Self-identified students at Brookdale who qualify for reasonable accommodation due to being immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions can utilize the shared ADA single-use bathroom. Such bathrooms are located on each floor of the North Building (11 in total).

Vaccination and Testing

Students moving into all on-campus and off-campus properties will be required to be vaccinated.

Housing Agreements

Students will be required to agree to:

• An assumption of risk clause
• Any additions to expectations for conduct
• A requirement that they will return to their permanent or alternate residence in the event that isolation is required
• A requirement that they will return to their permanent residence or an alternate residence in the event that evacuation is required

Increased cleaning frequency in high-touch areas. See the General Guidelines for more detail.

Kitchens

• Kitchens on the Residence Halls at East 25th St (Brookdale) are located in the North Building on every floor and the East Building on every floor. Kitchens are cleaned on a schedule but students are encouraged to clean after themselves.
• 79th St - Kitchens are available in every apartment and students are responsible for the cleaning.
• 51st - Large kitchen with multiple stoves is available on the main floor and students are responsible for cleaning.

Elevators

• Elevators will operate at full capacity.

Bathrooms (Brookdale)

• Thorough cleaning and disinfection will be scheduled prior to and after morning and evening use, following protocols outlined in the general guidelines. In addition, showers will be sprayed down with an EPA-approved disinfectant

Floor Lounges (Brookdale)

• Floor Lounges are located on every floor in the North Building and the East Building

Laundry

• There is one laundry room at Brookdale
• There is one laundry room at 79th St.
• There is one laundry room at 51st St.

Game Room

• Brookdale - Game room will be open and administered by USG with oversight by Student Life
• 79th Street - Outdoor Patio - The patio will be open for students to use
• 51^st Street - Gym/Game room/Study Spaces will be open and managed by 51^st

Check-ins will take place online. All documentation will be emailed to students for completion and move-ins will be conducted only by appointment.

As rooms are fully furnished, we strongly urge students to only move-in their essential items and not any large items.

• Education – training will be provided on signs/screens of COVID-19 for residents
• Student Engagement – both virtual and in-person community and educational programs and activities will be offered, with an enhanced focus on wellbeing, mental health, health promotion, safety, and education. In-person programming/gatherings will follow appropriate guidelines and precautions.

Messaging designed to broadcast information on preventative measures, with an emphasis on individual responsibility for adopting recommended personal-level actions, will be posted throughout the property.

Procedural changes and precautionary measures will be communicated to all residents prior to their arrival.

You do not need to quarantine if you were exposed to someone with COVID-19.  You do, however, need to wear a mask around others for 10 days, get tested at least 5 days after your close contact (the date of your exposure is considered day 0).

You isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

Isolation

Brookdale/79th St./51^st St. cannot serve as isolation sites – students who require isolation will be required to return to their permanent residence or alternate location until they receive clearance from an appropriate medical professional to return to the residence.

Students will be required to identify where they will move in the event that evacuation from the residence is required. Information regarding emergency preparation in the case of a campus closure will be shared with students via routine informational emails. Where possible, students will be given sufficient notice such that they have the opportunity to plan departure and pack. Students will receive notice via email.

• Masks are no longer required but anyone who would like to continue wearing masks in any setting is welcome to do so at any time.
• Procedures for leaving keys, packing belongings (where applicable), etc. will be communicated to students
• To decrease traffic in buildings, move-out scheduling will take place online by appointment.