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As part of the University's announcement of a transition from on-campus instruction to remote delivery, Campus Safety and Security stated that all dining facilities, libraries and residence halls will be closed through April 10.
But some students expressed concern at potentially being unable to retrieve personal items after the unexpected closure of campus.
“I panicked a lot because all of my books and everything I need for school are in my dorm ... which they are closing,” said Camille Preston, sophomore in neuroscience and Aubie Hall resident in the Village. “Not to mention, all of my clothes and everything that I need to have with me at my home if I am going to be out of school for a month.”
University Housing sent an email to on-campus residents shortly after the initial announcement.
The email states that residence halls will reopen on Sunday, March 15 from noon to 4 p.m. Students are only allowed access to their room and must leave the hall as soon as they get their belongings. A small number of resident assistants will be facilitating movement on Sunday, said Isaiah Pompo, sophomore in biomedical sciences and RA for Talon Hall in the Village.
Residents also have the option to retrieve their items outside of these hours by appointment though a request form attached with the email. The form allows students to choose Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday to get their belongings in one-hour time slots from 9 a.m to 3 p.m.
“Luckily I live only an hour away from Auburn,” Preston said. “But for those who live farther away, that really is the worst.”
Limited exceptions are made for those who need to remain in their residence halls — international students, those who are unable to return to their home country if it’s been hard-hit by the virus and those who don’t have a home or a safe home.
“I work with a few international students, and I know that the transition for them has not been easy,” said Frances McNeal, a senior majoring in HDFS, and an RA for Plainsman hall in the village. "They have been at school during the break working, and now they will not have a job and have to make special arrangements to stay at school while everything gets settled. I was also told by a RA that works in Boyd (the International Residence Hall) that there was mild panic when news broke about the campus shutting down.”
An accommodation request form for those who qualify was also attached to the email.
The form includes a box to explain any other reasons that the student believes warrants them remaining in a dorm.
Like other residents, resident assistants also have the opportunity to fill out the form to stay. But their current situation leaves them without pay and potentially without a place to stay.
“Honestly, I was excited at first about having a few more weeks away from school, but then I thought about my job and some of the other people that I work with.” McNeal said. “I began to feel a little unprepared for classes and not having a job for the next month basically, as I began to calculate things.”
University Housing also announced through email an opportunity for students to get replacement Tiger Cards to access their halls. The Tiger Card office will be open on Sunday, March 15 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. There is no fee for residents to get a replacement card, and the office encouraged students to use its online photo submission website.
“Obviously, this all occurred quickly, and I live in New York, so I have to act quickly as well, but the University did a good job of communicating with us given the lack of time before all of this will take place,” Pompo said.
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