YPSILANTI, Mich. — Eastern Michigan University is working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 for the fall 2020 semester.
The university announced its "EMU Single Room Guarantee," which gives every student enrolling and living in campus residence halls for the fall semester the option to have a single room without a roommate.
“We are pleased to be able to offer this important safety feature - a single room for everyone who wants one,” University President James Smith. “Student safety is our number one priority and keeping students farther apart from one another is an important component of our #EMUSafe initiative for the fall semester.
“We have heard from many students and parents about this issue. They question how students can practice safe physical distancing when they have a roommate in close proximity to them in a residence hall room. We understand a single room may not be for everyone, but we also know and have heard from many who desire such accommodations at this time.”
EMU said single rooms typically cost about $2,500 a year more than a shared, double room. However, the university said under the new plan, it will be offering a credit to reduce the annual cost of a single room to $100 per month more than the cost of sharing a double room, which amounts to $800 annually.
The university said the credit will provide annual savings to those who choose to live in a single room of $1,700 over the typical single room rate.
“We are fortunate to have the flexibility to offer single rooms to everyone who requests one,” said President Smith. “Due to our extensive and ongoing renovation of academic and residential facilities in recent years, we have residence halls that are used to accommodate the closing of a building -- utilizing the additional flex-space when needed for faculty and staff offices. In recent years, we have utilized the flex-space while we invested more than $90 million to renovate academic buildings across campus with state-of-the-art facilities. This space will now be utilized for additional rooms for students.”
EMU said it is the only public university in the state to currently offer a single room option to every student who wants one.
“We have stated that this fall semester will represent a ‘new normal’ on our campus,” said President Smith. “We are modeling and preparing for several possible operating scenarios in order to be prepared, and safe. Our #EMUSafe planning is guided by a singular focus: Ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty, staff and visitors.”
As part of its plan to keep students safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has created an #EMUSafe initiative that offers various methods of instruction including online and hybrid courses. The university said it has also created a Public Health Work Group comprised of university public health experts including an epidemiologist, nurses, an occupational therapist, in addition to experts in facility cleaning and disinfection.
For more information on EMU's plan for the fall semester, click here.
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