July 24, Important Update and Housing Form Needed by Wednesday, July 29th

From the Dean of Students

Dear Arcadia Students,

I hope that this email finds you safe and well!  The Arcadia University Community has been hard at work preparing for an All-Modes Ready Approach to the semester. We continue to monitor the latest data, information, and recommendations regarding the prevention and management of COVID-19. Our top priority is our community's health and safety while following the mission and values of the University.

For the last several months, we have been preparing to open our residence halls with normal occupancy. However, the widespread surge of COVID-19, particularly among those under the age of 35, requires us to reconsider this plan. Therefore, we are moving to an almost all single bedroom model in University Housing to reduce further the density of individuals living on campus. The following factors have contributed to this decision:

  1. The exponential rise of COVID-19 cases across the country.
  2. The increasing time it takes to obtain accurate results for COVID-19 testing.
  3. Recent CDC data are demonstrating an 85% increase in positive cases among those under the age of 35.

Although no measures can eliminate the risk of the spread of COVID-19, we have determined that moving to almost all singles is an important tactic to de-densify campus and mitigate the spread in our community. The health and safety plan includes extensive contact tracing, social distancing, and cleaning protocols on campus.

Unfortunately, this means that we do not have enough single rooms for our entire residential population who wish to reside on campus. We are hard at work, securing off-campus properties to house additional students. Still, we now anticipate not being able to accommodate about 25% of our residential population who have requested University housing. We need you to complete the following form by no later than 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, to confirm if you still want to reside in University Housing. (Updated Fall 2020 Housing Form) 

We will be using the following prioritization to place students into University Housing.

  1. Student staff members (Resident Assistants) to support a residential population.
  2. Students who, based on ADA accommodation needs, need to live on campus
  3. Housing insecure students 
  4. First-year students 
  5. Graduating seniors (Class of 2021)
  6. Students with specific academic needs (this could include students in the arts who need access to studio space, students in for-credit internship experiences, student teachers, etc.)
  7. Students from countries and states where timezones in their home location would pose an academic hardship
  8. Students with on-campus or off-campus jobs that require their physical presence
  9. All other deposited residents based on the date of deposit

We anticipate updated housing assignments will be sent to students no later than August 6. Students who we are unable to house in the immediate will be placed on a waiting list. With fewer students moving in, we expect students to move in from August 18 through the 30th. New students will be moved in by August 26 for Fall orientation. Move-in appointments will be delivered as soon as possible after you have received your assignment.

We will keep the Arcadia community informed if there are any changes in state or local restrictions that will directly impact in-person operations. Our All-Modes Ready approach for instruction enables us to be flexible and encourage students to consult with Self-Service, their academic advisors, and their instructors for the latest information about the intended modes of their classes. 

We appreciate your patience as we work to reassign students and respond to your inquiries. Any questions can be sent to housing@arcadia.edu. Stay well, stay safe, and stay Arcadia Strong!

Sincerely,

Andrew Goretsky (Dean Drew)
Dean of Students