Dear Resident,

The situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is evolving rapidly, and we understand your concern and desire to know what Wayne State University and the campus housing staff are doing to prioritize your health and safety in this unprecedented time.

Campus Housing Is Open: First and foremost, the university and WSU housing and dining facilities are open and operational. We want to assure you that you still have a home within our community if you need to be on campus. Our staff is still on campus and available should you need their assistance.

Dining On and Around Campus: State-wide restrictions have been placed on restaurants and dining facilities, and Towers' Café is complying with that guidance while open for breakfast (8-10 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m. – 2 p.m.), and dinner (5-7 p.m.) with to-go meals only. Meals will be prepared by a dining staff member and available for pickup. You can check for changes to the dining hall hours and daily menu offerings online here.

If you don't have a meal plan, Towers Café will have items for purchase during open hours. The W Food Pantry will also continue to serve students and is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1 - 5 p.m. Bags of supplies will be packaged in advance for pickup. If you have questions, the W Food Pantry is available via TheW@wayne.edu or 313-577-0154.

Many on-campus retailers are still open for business or are offering take-out items. 1000º Pizza, Jimmy Johns, and Little Asia Mart on Anthony Wayne Drive, and Shield’s Pizza in 5057 Warren are just a few that are open for business. We have started a list of campus retailers that remain open here.

Enhanced Common Area Cleaning: The health of our residential community is a top priority for us all. Our facilities/housekeeping staff are working diligently to make sure that common areas and high touch surfaces (door handles, handrails, elevator buttons, surfaces, etc.) are cleaned and sanitized on a more frequent schedule.

Practice Social Distancing and Good Hygiene: You can do your part by practicing common-sense precautions and practicing social distancing when in common areas like hallways, laundry rooms, lounges, and as you get on the elevator.

Wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes. Consider using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer regularly throughout the day.
Avoid large groups of people, consider practicing social distancing and try to stay away from individuals who are coughing or sneezing. The CDC website has more information about prevention.

Not Feeling Well or Need to Quarantine? Currently there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in the WSU campus community. A resident who return from travel or stopovers at any countries or areas with travel advisories set at CDC levels 2 and 3 (currently China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Venezuela, and Japan), or who have been exposed directly to a confirmed case of COVID-19, must quarantine themselves for 14 days immediately upon return.

Campus residents who believe they qualify for self-quarantine should notify the Campus Health Center (CHC) at 313-577-5041 to discuss their situations.
Those who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 should contact the CHC or their primary care provider immediately to begin COVID-19 testing.
Those who test positive for COVID-19 should alert the CHC and/or their primary care provider immediately.
Those returning from domestic travel in areas with sustained community transmission of COVID-19 are encouraged to practice self-observation for the development of any symptoms and contact the CHC if they develop a fever or respiratory symptoms.

If you need to self-quarantine, we offer a meal delivery service. You will be provided more information regarding meal delivery should you be assigned to a temporary room. While these changes are inconvenient, please remember that the CDC recommends social distancing as a critical strategy to slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

Housing and Dining Credits: While campus housing remains open, we are encouraging residents who do not need to be on campus to go to their permanent off-campus residence. As classes go fully on-line next week, we have been receiving questions about checking out of campus housing and receiving a credit or refund. We appreciate your patience as we are working to understand the continuing demand for services and our on-going fixed expenses. One part of that is understanding who is here now and who plans to stay.

We Need Your Help! Later today you will receive an email with a link to a Winter 2020 Housing Intent Form which you will need to complete indicating your intention to remain in your campus assignment or seek to check out. Please complete this intent form by Friday, March 20 at noon. Then look for another communication from housing by Monday, March 23 which will provide more detail on check out instructions and credit/refund options which may be provided.

We are sure you will have more questions as time passes and we are here to help! Please contact your RA or stop at your front desk is you have questions or concerns. Please check wayne.edu/coronavirus and wayne.edu/coronavirus/student-information for the latest information.

This has been a challenging time and certainly not the semester any of us anticipated. Our Warrior community has shown remarkable resilience, patience and caring for each other as we have navigated the coronavirus together, always with the dual purpose of continuing our mission of education and prioritizing the safety of the campus community. We will finish this semester Warrior Strong!

Sincerely,

Tim Michael

Associate Vice President and Chief Housing Officer

Student Auxiliary Services