Updates on changes to food, housing, and other services

The Campus Times is providing information regarding campus services for this semester. While there is information here that applies across campuses and schools, this information will be most pertinent to River Campus. An Eastman-specific updates page can be found here. This article will be updated as we receive more information. All relevant updates will be on this page, and will be time-stamped.

Residential Life Services 

[Newest updates – March 17, 1 a.m.]

• A new FAQ for undergrads details new changes and clarifications, listed below:

• • Criteria for students to stay on campus was expanded to include domestic students who face financial insecurity and all international students.

• • Reimbursements should begin to be processed on March 20th.

[Last updated March 14, 1:20 a.m.]

• The exemption request form for students who wish to remain on campus was posted on the WCSA Facebook page Friday evening. 
• Jimmy Yang, a senior in Arts, Sciences, and Engineering started an IMPACT petition to expand the criteria for students who will be permitted to stay on campus, as well as requests for policies that lessen the financial hardship for students due to the changes. At the time of this update, the petition has received 689 signatures.

[Last updated March 12, 8:15 p.m.] 

Dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Jeffrey Runner sent an email Thursday evening with the following details regarding housing for the semester. The most important information is compiled below.

• The encouraged departure deadline for all students leaving campus for the semester is March 22. After March 28, access to residence halls will be limited to only students with permission to stay on campus. 
• Students currently on campus should plan to move out, check out, and go home as soon as they can. 
• Students currently off campus should stay at or go to their permanent residence rather than return to campus, though they may return to collect their belongings. 
  • Those who cannot return to move out can ask friends to pack for them, but should contact Residential Life for room access. Another option is to leave their belongings and return to Rochester between now and May to collect them. (More information should be provided by Residential Life later.)
  • Reimbursements will still apply if the student has left campus, even if their belongings remain in their room.  

• Students allowed to stay on campus must fall into the following categories:
  • Students who face housing insecurity (homelessness or a precarious living situation)
  • International students who are experiencing one or more of these things:
    • Immigration, travel, and/or visa restrictions
    • A home country currently designed at CDC warning levels 2 and 3 as well as US Department of State Levels 3 and 4 for COVID-19.
• Reimbursements for room and board will be issued for students not living on campus, using March 20 as the date for calculating the reimbursed charges. Room and board changes will not affect financial aid packages.
• There will be no tuition refunds because classes are continuing online.

Dining Services 

[Newest updates – March 17, 7 p.m.] 

• All Dining locations are take-out only, effective March 17. All stations will only provide take-out containers or prepackaged food, and students are expected to leave once they’ve picked up food and paid. 
• Use of personal reusable cups and clamshells is halted as a precautionary measure.

[Last updated March 17, 1 a.m.]

• For students who will not stay on campus, meal plans and declining accounts will not be active beginning March 20, when reimbursements will start to be processed.

[Last updated March 12, 8:15 p.m.]

Details of the changes to Dining Services are still being worked out, but members of the community can expect large deviations from normal functioning, according to an email to CT from Cam Schauf, Director of Dining Services. 

• The Dining Services operations will be similar to spring break operations. The full schedule for March 15 through March 21 was posted today:

• There is currently no limit to the number of people allowed in a Dining Hall at once, but seating arrangements might be modified to reflect social distancing efforts. 
• Dining Services is following protocols for continuous cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces, and other protocols outlined by the CDC and local health authorities. Additionally, by Monday, all utensils will be individually wrapped, and students will not be able to serve themselves food, unless the food is also individually wrapped. 
• For all Dining Services workers, including students, there is no clear plan yet for how the changes will affect work hours and compensation. 

Libraries 

[Newest updates – March 22, 11:45 p.m.]

• Sibley Music Library is closed indefinitely. 
• The physical space of Edward G. Miner Library is closed, but online support from the library is still available.

[Last updated March 20, 10 p.m.] 

• Library staff can no longer retrieve or provide physical items for graduate students and faculty, due to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order instructing all non-essential workers to stay home. 
  • Requests for items placed before March 20 will be available for pickup at the back entrance to Rush Rhees Library, near the bus stop, from 2:30 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 21. This is the last chance to pick up items. 
  • Staff will be unable to digitize print materials or take requests for physical materials, though electronic interlibrary loans are still available.
  • Checked out items should stay checked out for the time being.

[Last updated March 19, 9:30 p.m.]

• Library book due dates will be extended to the fall, with no late fees. Though students who do not need their checked-out materials should return them before leaving, if they can. Materials can be returned via the book return slot outside the library, near the bus stop. 
• Only faculty and graduate students are able to check out physical items, and they can do so by requesting the item through the online catalog using their account. Items will be delivered to Rush Rhees for pick-up. 
• Online materials are still available, and people can get research help through the library website or by reaching out to their specific outreach librarian.

[Last updated March 17, 1 a.m.]

The changes to these libraries’ operations were posted to their respective Facebook pages.

• All River Campus Libraries locations will close starting Wednesday, March 18.
• Sibley Library will now require a UR ID for entry.
• Miner Library’s Reading Room will now be closed until further notice, but the front of the library will remain open. The hours have changed to 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there will be no 24/7 swipe access.

An earlier version of this article provided open hours for these libraries that are no longer in effect. This information has been removed.

Athletics 

[Newest updates – March 17, 7 p.m.]

• Spurrier Gymnasium is closed for the semester.

[Last updated March 17, 1 a.m.]

• Goergen Athletic Center (GAC) is closed until further notice, in accordance with New York State guidelines, according to a post on the UR Athletics Facebook page today. 

• Students will have limited access from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for the retrieval of their belongings from lockers.

An earlier version of this article provided information about the Goergen Athletic Center, including open hours, that is no longer accurate given the recent changes. This information has been removed.

International Students Office

[Newest updates – March 14, 10:30 p.m.]

In an email sent to international students, ISO detailed these changes in their operations, as well as an FAQ. Key information is compiled below. Contact questions@iso.rochester.edu for more details.

• Major takeaways of the FAQ: 
  • F-1 and J-1 students can still maintain proper immigration status even if they’re taking online courses outside of the US, due to recent changes in the light of COVID-19 that include: 
    • Allowing more than one online class to count towards full-time enrollment requirements.
    • Inclusion of online study as valid study for maintaining their immigration record, meaning that even if students are out of the country for more than 5 months, it will not be a problem for their SEVIS record and I-20/DS-2019. 
  • Seniors planning to apply for F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) must be in the US to apply, though they can leave after their application has been received by US Citizenship and Immigration Service. ISO recommends that those planning on applying for OPT either apply before they leave the US, or remain in the US for the semester in valid F-1 status.
  • International students should consider staying in the U.S. if they anticipate connectivity issues, rather than a Leave of Absence, since failure to maintain full-time enrollment will result in termination of the SEVIS record, and a new record and I-20/DS-2019 are needed before return.
  • If a student’s visa sticker expires, they can still remain in the US, but if they leave the US, they must renew the visa before they can re-enter the U.S. as an F-1 or J-1 student.

• All advising will shift away from in-person meetings to online technologies. Online systems will also be used for document submission, though PDFs via email will also be accepted. More information can be expected soon. 
• ISO will still accept calls and emails during their hours, which are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Wednesday hours, which begin at 9:30 a.m.
• All satellite offices (River Campus and Eastman) are closed for the semester.
• All immigration processing for newly admitted students is postponed until April 1.

Campus Mail Center 

[Newest updates – March 19, 9:30 p.m.]

• Those off-campus can get their mail forwarded to their current address by signing up at this link.

[Last updated – March 14, 1 p.m.]

• The Campus Mail Center Service Desk will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, a change from normal holiday operations which do not provide hours on Saturdays, according to a call with CMC staff.
• Students who need mail forwarding but are not able to make it during open hours should write on a sheet of paper their name, CMC Box, forwarding address, and how long forwarding should last. This paper can be submitted through the mail slot at the service desk, according to CMC staff.
• Seniors who need to return their CMC keys should tape their key to the paper before dropping it in the drop box.
• For students who are off-campus and cannot return, more information will be coming regarding mail forwarding.

University Health Services 

[Newest updates – March 13, 1:20 p.m.]

• Access to Aetna student health insurance benefits will still remain the same and coverage still extends regardless of location, including internationally, according to an email sent by the UHS insurance team.
• Starting Sunday, March 15, UHS hours of operation will continue with no changes for all offices (River Campus, Medical Center, and Eastman School of Music), wrote Michelle Livingston, Executive Assistant to the Director of UHS, in an email to CT. But, Livingston noted, this is subject to change as the situation develops. 
• There will still be an on-call physician who can be contacted after hours through 585-275-2662. Full descriptions of hours and other information regarding UHS and coronavirus can be found at http://www.rochester.edu/uhs/.

[Last updated March 12, 8:15 p.m.]

• University Counseling Center (UCC) will remain open according to their normal operating hours — 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday — according to the UCC website.
• People remaining in the Rochester area can start or continue in-person sessions at UCC.
• Existing therapy groups will continue to meet for the week of March 16, when they will decide what to do for the rest of the semester. 
• Existing UCC clients not in the Rochester area will be contacted by their therapist to discuss options and resources, but all scheduled appointments will take place unless a student contacts UCC to cancel or they do not show up. 
• Students in quarantine or isolation at the University will have access to telehealth options. 

Additional Offices and Resources

[Newest updates – March 19, 9:30 p.m.]

• Students who need financial support during this time for necessities such as food, shelter, and academic assistance can submit a resource request form, and they will be connected with campus and community resources. Demonstrated need, availability of resources, and timing of the request will all be taken into account when allocating resources.

[Last updated March 17, 7 p.m.]

• Public rooms in Genesee Hall and O’Brien Hall will not be accessible.
• All of Spurrier Hall is closed.
• Wilson Commons and Douglass Commons will only be open when their dining services are operational. Only three rooms, the ones with Zoom capabilities, within both commons will be accessible, and only on request by departments.

[Last updated March 17, 1 a.m.]

• Students can still get support from additional offices such as the College Center for Advising Services, the Greene Center, Office of Minority Affairs, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and the Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity. The only difference will be that students must contact advisors and other support staff virtually.