Housing COVID-19 Info

 

UNT Housing COVID-19 Info

UNT Housing is excited to welcome residents to campus this fall. We are utilizing CDC guidance for Shared or Congregate Housing and direction from University administration to identify strategies to maintain operations as well as a healthy living and working environment.  We hope our residents will join us in making COVID-19 prevention a priority for throughout the 20/21 academic year. 

Student well-being and success remain our highest priority.  As we all have a responsibility to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 for ourselves and for each other, please utilize the CDC's best-practice strategies to protect yourself:

UNT's COVID symptoms and monitoring information provides a scenario guide for student use as well as guidance for persons self-monitoring for COVID-19.

UNT's Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates can be found at https://healthalerts.unt.edu/. 

Jump directly to info on this page regarding:

On-campus housing for the 2020/2021 academic year

UNT Housing and Residence Life is proceeding with plans for the 2020/2021 academic year to deliver the full complement of on-campus capacity.  Students will access shared locations including suite bathrooms, community bathrooms and common living space within their room and the residence hall community. 

To mitigate COVID-19 transmission, Housing will encourage all residents to follow healthy hygiene practices, practice physical distancing to lower the risk of disease spread, use a cloth face covering in public setting when physical distance cannot be maintained, and utilize UNT Health Services resources if they have symptoms or are sick. 

The residence halls and Dining facilities will remain open through December 11th in the Fall 2020 semester, including the period of time after Thanksgiving break when classes go remote. The residence halls will remain open through April 30th in the Spring 2021 semester.  All offices and services will continue to be available for students through the end of finals week.

Housing and Residence Life will also be making appropriate adjustments to its programmatic delivery to our residents by using online tools as the primary way to communicate with their residents individually and in floor/wing meetings and providing a hybrid model for in person and online programming in the residence halls. 

The Department of Housing and Residence Life will not stray from its mission to provide high-quality service and transformative experiences that further the vision of the University of North Texas.  Our goals for our response during the COVID-19 pandemic are to protect health, support our residents and continue the institution’s mission.

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Testing Requirement for 2020/2021 on-campus residents

Effective Monday, March 8, the University will require on-campus residents to complete COVID-19 testing on a weekly basis.  Resident testing is available at no cost to residents though the University Union, UNT Gateway Center and Student Health and Wellness Cetner testing locations.  These specific locations have been added to supplement on-campus testing availability and are prepared to accept the participation volume that meets University testing goals. 

Students are asked to register in advance for a scheduled test time at on campus locations using the below links. 

Union (rm. 381) test location - cur.tv/UNTunion

Gateway Center (rm. 52) location - cur.tv/UNTgateway

Student Health and Wellness Center location - myosh.unt.edu

Residents are able to meet the requirement by testing at University test sites once in every seven day cycle.  More information regarding testing and COVID 19 can be found at https://healthalerts.unt.edu/covid-19-testing.  Students should contact the Division of Student Affairs with any questions regarding this policy.  

Residents are expected to comply with:

  • weekly on campus testing for COVI-19
  • university mandates regarding the containment of the COVID 19 virus
  • reporting of symptoms and testing information/results to the UNT COVID Hotline - 844 366 5892 or covid@unt.edu.
  • actions required following COVID-19 positive test results or potential COVID-19 exposure as directed by the UNT Contact Tracing Team and/or Housing and Residence Life staff.
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Resident Weekly Testing FAQ

How often am I required to get COVID tested?

The University is requiring residents to be tested on a weekly basis.  You should complete a COVID test once every 7 days.  Sign up for either on-campus location using the links provided in Testing Requirement for 2020/2021 on-campus residents

If I’m not feeling well should I participate in weekly testing?

Students should continue to self-monitor and report COVID symptoms.  If you are experiencing symptoms, please follow the guidelines for self-isolation and contact the UNT COVID Hotline immediately at 844-366-5892 or COVID@unt.edu.   

If I’ve been positive for COVID-19, do I have to participate in the weekly testing?

If you’ve been confirmed as positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, you do not need to participate in weekly testing.  Once 90 days have passed from your positive COVID quarantine period, you will need to resume participation in weekly testing. 

If you tested COVID-19 positive more than 90 days ago, you will be expected to participate in weekly testing. 

If I’m currently quarantining or isolating because of COVID, do I need to complete a weekly test?

If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, you don’t need to participate in weekly testing. 

If you are a close contact of a positive COVID case, you are able to be tested but should not schedule at the Union or Gateway locations.  Close contacts that are in quarantine should schedule testing with the Student Health and Wellness Center for any testing needed until they complete quarantine.  Information about SHWC testing is provided in the email that goes to students required to quarantine. 

What happens if my COVID-19 test comes back positive?

Students with a positive COVID-19 test result can expect to be contacted by the UNT Contact Tracing Team and Housing staff to provide next steps regarding a quarantine period.  Click for more information on Housing quarantine options.

What will happen if I don’t participate in weekly testing?

The University intends for the weekly testing requirement to be a necessary measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within our on-campus community.  The hope is that residents will continue to voluntarily comply with all COVID guidelines that have been implemented, including weekly testing, to allow the on campus experience to continue through the remainder of the academic year. 

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Guest and visitor policy for 2020/2021 residents

As of Monday, January 25th 2021, residents are able to have guests and visitors that are current residents of campus, including from other residence halls, visit them in their residence hall room.  Residents are not able to have guests or visitors from off campus locations in their residence hall room.

Residents and their guests must still abide by Housing policies listed at https://housing.unt.edu/housing_policies/guests.

Social distancing and mask requirements remain in place in public locations within the residents halls.  Residents and their allowed visitors are encouraged to maintain social distance and mask wearing guidelines, even while in a private resident room.

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Spring 2021 Housing and Spring 2021 class registration

Students with a housing assignment from the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 application were assigned to on-campus housing for both semester of the academic year (fall 2020 and spring 2021) and are expected to complete the full term of their bookings, per the Housing License Agreement. 

Students are responsible for the full term of their room assignment from the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 unless they meet cancelation criteria outlined in Section VI of the Housing License Agreement.  Section VI outlines the extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances that able to be considered for cancelation of a room assignment. 

The License Agreement does not allow for an opportunity to cancel housing based on enrollment in online coursework.  As students are afforded an opportunity to register for Spring 2021 in-person classes, course enrollment choices will not be considered to allow for cancelation of Spring 2021 housing bookings.

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Fall 2020 class schedules and Housing

UNT has finalized Fall 2020 course offerings and students are able to review their class schedule using myUNT, including the details to determine how their courses will be taught - in-person, partially in-person, or online/remote course delivery. 

As all freshmen have been given the opportunity for in-person classes and Housing will be open for the fall semester, the first-year student residency requirement will remain applicable to incoming freshman students.  Change to Housing status for fall will be evaluated on the student’s current class schedule (following the 7.10.2020 course finalization) and the on-campus housing requirement, as applicable. 

As the Fall 2020 semester has begun, students no longer have the ability to affect their on-campus housing status by making changes to their class schedule.  

The residence halls will remain open in the Fall 2020 semester, including after Thanksgiving break when classes go remote. Housing offices and services will continue to be available for students through the end of finals. 

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Housing's Operating Plans

Housing and Residence Life have adapted many of our procedures and practices to provide a safe, healthy environment for our students in the midst of this health pandemic. As we continue to refine our processes, updates will be made to this information 

Modifications to our operations in the following areas include:

Move-in

  • Scheduled Move-In over a 5-day period
    • Mean Green Move-In for Fall 20 occurred over a 5-day period - Friday, August 14 through Tuesday, August 18
    • Spring 2021 Move-In will occur from Wednesday, January 6 through Sunday, January 10.  
  • Provided move-in sign up for students to identify their intended arrival date and arrival window, including early arrival requests and post-Move-In arrivals
  • Capped arrival time windows during Move-In days to no more than 15 residents per 30 minute window to better allow for social distancing in unloading locations and residence hall check-in locations
  • Providing pre-move-in COVID symptom self-monitoring form and instructions for student use in days leading up to move-in

Social events and programming

  • Gatherings within the residence halls will be limited to adhere to social distancing capacities of the space
  • Facilitation of programmatic events through online platforms by Housing and Residence Life staff

Daily operation for common areas - lobbies, lounges, recreation space, meeting rooms, practice rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms

  • Adherence to campus mask requirement in public locations
  • Social distance signage in prominent locations 
  • Reduction and configuration of furniture in public areas to promote social distance
  • Cleaning supplies provided in music practice rooms for use by students upon arrival and prior to departure
  • Discontinue equipment check-out from front desks

Cleaning protocols

  • 7-day-a-week cleaning by Housing Custodial staff in public areas and community bathroom facilities. 
  • Training for desk staff to perform additional wipe-down cleaning of high-traffic locations, including counters, doors and other public high-touch surfaces
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COVID Quarantine Room Use for On-campus Residents 

Housing will provide quarantine isolation rooms for on-campus residents that are identified in need of accommodations by the UNT COVID Contact Tracing Team.  Residents referred to quarantine by the COVID Contact Tracing Team will relocate from their current room to a quarantine room for the duration of the quarantine period unless the student decides to return home for that entire time. 

Quarantine relocations will require that student take any personal belongings needed for the full period with them to quarantine.  Students will not be required to fully vacate their regular room assignment for the period but they will not have access to their room until the isolation period ends. 

Residents relocated to quarantine rooms will be housed in a private room with an individual bathroom.  Meals will be coordinated for delivery with UNT Dining Services for the isolation period and students will be provided with a refrigerator and microwave in their room. 

Upon clearance from isolation/quarantine by the Contact Tracing Team, residents will be able to return to their regular room assignment. 

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Quarantine Information for Residents Following International Travel

Per UNT requirements, students arriving from any international location are required to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in the U.S.  The requirement is applicable to International Students with an on-campus room assignment for the Spring 2021 as well as domestic residents who traveled abroad during the winter holiday.  

Students with a Spring 2021 on-campus room assignment are able to reside in an on-campus quarantine room upon arrival at UNT to complete the 10 day quarantine period.  

Students must have already completed the Spring 2021 room booking process to receive on-campus quarantine room accommodations.  Quarantine housing is not available to students that are not scheduled to live in the residence halls for the Spring 2021 term.  

Students with an arrival date prior to the Spring 2021 Move-In (January 6, 2021) are able to reside in an on-campus quarantine room at an additional cost.  Charges for the quarantine room stay leading up to January 6th will be assessed based on the arrival date at a rate of $25.25 per night*. 

To submit a quarantine room request following international travel, students should: 

*During the Winter Break, on-campus Dining/Retail Restaurant options are limited or unavailable.  Winter residents, including those in quarantine room assignments, will be responsible for securing their own meals leading up to Spring 2021 Move-In on January 6, 2021 when Spring 2021 meal plans will be activated.  

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