Baylor Fall Preparations: On-Campus Housing

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

There are only two weeks until all of our students, faculty and staff will be back on campus for the new academic year! We are thoughtfully and prayerfully pursuing the best practices and precautions to provide a safe and successful on-campus start and completion of Baylor University’s fall semester.

Last week, I discussed our cleaning and sanitization efforts across the campus and the addition of more than 43,000 square feet of usable space for our students with the installation of 16 premium, fully equipped tent structures. I offered what you can expect when you visit any of our fully operational on-campus dining options and the steps our faculty have taken to meet the academic needs of all our students, whether they are returning to campus for the traditional in-person experience or opting for robust and engaging online learning.

Each of these measures offer a glimpse of the larger, layered Baylor strategy to safely resume on-campus teaching, learning and residential life for the full duration of the fall semester.

Today, I’d like to offer some details of what on-campus living will be like for our students residing in any of the University’s numerous housing options.

Working within the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other state and local health agencies, the residence halls will follow adjusted operating procedures to help mitigate the risks of COVID-19 to the campus community.

Enhancements to on-campus housing operations include:

• Face coverings required in all residence hall areas, with the exception of the student’s assigned rooms;
• Social distancing signage posted throughout residence halls to encourage safe social gatherings and interactions in common areas;
• Occupancy limits on common spaces, such as study lounges, classroom spaces and lobbies;
• Improved indoor air quality by increasing outside air circulation and the installation of state-of-the-art air filtration technologies like HEPA filters and UV-C light treatments;
• Regular cleaning and hygiene throughout the residence halls – in line with previously mentioned campuswide sanitization efforts – with three daily disinfections of high-touch areas, including community bathrooms and public bathrooms;
• Suspending the allowance of overnight guests to reduce extended exposure to individuals from outside the on-campus community; and
• Guests during normal visiting hours must have advance permission from all roommates, suitemates or apartment mates. Each resident may only have one guest at a time and suites with six student residents may not exceed 10 total occupants at one time.

All kitchen, laundry, bathroom and shower spaces will operate as usual under the above guidelines.

In the event that there is a positive test result for an on-campus resident, the student will be temporarily relocated to designated housing off-campus with intentional support offered to the affected students. Meal delivery for those with meal plans, assistance in contacting faculty, check-ins from the Resident Chaplains and more will be provided by the University.

For those who are believed to have sustained direct exposure to COVID-19, the students will be asked to quarantine to their primary living area, whether that is on or off-campus.

As a reminder, students who are unable to produce a negative COVID-19 test result will not be permitted to move into their residence hall assignment during Move-In, which begins this weekend.

There is growing excitement across the Baylor campus and in Waco, as your Community Leaders and small groups of students have begun to arrive for the fall semester. I am excited to welcome the rest of you back to campus over the next two weeks to join together with our Baylor Family.

Let’s look out for our community of friends, family and loved ones by wearing face coverings, regularly washing our hands and avoiding large gatherings or groups. The countdown to Aug. 24 is here!

Praying for you daily,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President