Officials roll back no-guest policy on campus, approving one guest per student

March 8, 2021

File Photo by Danielle Towers | Staff Photographer

On-campus students whose roommates test positive for COVID-19 have the option to move into empty rooms on campus, but no student used the option last semester, a University spokesperson said.

Students on campus can now invite one guest from their residence hall into their room, following a rollback of campus COVID-19 restrictions.

In an email sent to on-campus students Friday, Stewart Robinette and Seth Weinshel, the assistant deans of students for Campus Living and Residential Education, said students can invite one guest to their room between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. with overnight stays prohibited. The policy change comes after officials have enforced a no-guest policy since the start of the semester while about 1,500 students live in campus residence halls.

“We have confidence in our residents’ ongoing commitment to the health of our campus as we implement this revised guest policy for, hopefully, the rest of this semester,” the email states.

Officials also eased COVID-19 restrictions more than two months into the fall semester with 500 campus residents, shifting from the no-guest policy to permitting one guest per student. The email states the University still restricts guests from any outside buildings, including other residence halls, off-campus sites or athlete affinity housing, and guests must continue abiding by social distancing guidelines in each room.

“The host resident is responsible for their guest’s behavior when their guest is in their unit,” the email reads. “A violation of the guest policy may result in the resident and the guest each receiving similar sanctions.”

The email states student-athletes who live in an affinity space must maintain their “testing bubble,” only gathering with their teammates within COVID-19 guidelines. Officials said the policy was subject to change based on shifts in COVID-19 cases, transmission rates “and/or other public health or behavioral assessments” on campus or across D.C.

“Thank you for your patience and flexibility in adapting to decisions made to keep our community healthy and safe during this unprecedented time,” the email states. “Any adjustments to the guest policy will be communicated to building residents by email and building notices. Please continue to read all email updates and observe all posted notices to maintain the health and safety of our residential community.”