In preparation for the special session of the Board of Regents meeting on Monday, August 24th, 2020, we implore the University to adopt President Gabel’s pivot plan and to take additional steps to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on campus. While the University is adhering to the public health guidelines as set forth by the CDC and the MDH, we call on the Board of Regents to implement additional measures including testing/screening residential students when moving onto campus, regularly screening individuals working in on-campus housing,  enforcing social distancing and mask wearing (no mask, no service), and further enacting a two week quarantine on campus at the start of the fall semester.

Testing and Screening of Residential Students
Before the outbreaks, UNC Chapel Hill had similar standards as the University regarding mask mandates, staggered move-ins, and sanitizing. Even with their stricter guest policy of suspending all residential hall visitors, they were unable to prevent outbreaks on campus. In order to protect students and residential staff, we must test students before they are approved to move in to ensure that only healthy individuals are entering into the residential halls and apartments. As the move-in process has already begun, any individual who has moved on campus within the past 14 days would also need to be tested. Additionally, the University must be prepared to support individuals who test positive for COVID-19  and are forced to isolate. Individuals who test positive still have a right to their housing and dining access, so protocols must be developed to safely isolate these residents while ensuring they are provided the proper care.

If the University is unwilling to provide tests for residential students moving on campus, they need to screen students for COVID-19 when moving in. When registering, students must successfully pass a temperature screening and sign a form affirming the following: they have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days, they have not been in close contact with someone who has tested positive or has been self-quarantining in the past 14 days, and they do not have experienced any COVID-19 symptoms in the past 24 hours which are new or not explained by another reason. Only students with no fever and a self-reported clean bill of health would be allowed to move in at that time. Anyone else would need to self-quarantine or present a test confirming that they do not have the virus. The University would need to be prepared to support these individuals who need to quarantine as a result of the screening.

Screening of Employees in HRL Buildings
The University needs to implement regular screenings of all student workers and individuals working on campus, specifically in residence halls and apartments. This screening should reflect the student move-in procedure where temperatures are checked and individuals sign a form reflecting the statements above. 

Limiting In-Person Student Interactions
Although President Gabel’s proposal for moving classes online for at least the first two weeks of the semester will limit student interactions, additional steps can be taken specifically for on-campus students. For at least the first two weeks of the semester, we propose providing alternate dining options for students, supplying hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies for use in commonly used community spaces (bathrooms, lounges, dining halls), and formally limiting social gatherings (restricting the max number of people, limiting gatherings to the outdoors). In order to make our communities safer, the University needs to better enforce social distancing and implement stricter mask policies (no mask, no service). 

Supporting Community Advisors and Staff
We call on administration to communicate directly with CAs about COVID-19 related additions and impacts to CA duties before campus-wide emails are sent. We also demand that the administration communicate clearly about measures being taken to limit spread within housing. We also call on the University to pay the hazard pay for hourly workers within one week of the pay period ending. 

The present measures that the University of Minnesota and Housing & Residential Life have taken are insufficient to ensure safe and sustainable housing. We call on the University of Minnesota to take these additional measures to protect their students and staff.