The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) may impact students’ residential experience as the University continues to make public health-informed decisions designed to protect the health and safety of our community. Students who choose to reside on campus assume inherent risks associated with communal living and, as in any shared living environment, those risks include potential exposure to contagious viruses, including COVID-19. To help protect the residential and larger University community, the following public health-informed policies have been incorporated into this section and apply to all residential students. Compliance is required under the Code of Student Conduct.
- Compliance with Health and Safety Guidelines: All residents must act in a manner that demonstrates respect and consideration for the health and safety of all community members. Residential students are required to comply with health and safety laws, orders, ordinances, regulations and health and safety guidance adopted by Villanova University as it relates to COVID-19 or other public health crises. This guidance may change as the public health crisis evolves and may include, but is not limited to, social distancing; wearing a face covering; limitations on gatherings; limitations on visitors to the residence halls; limitations on guests in rooms, suites or apartments; cleaning and disinfection protocols; quarantine/isolation requirements (including before or upon arrival to campus); contact tracing; and/or vaccination requirements. Adherence to health and safety requirements may extend to all aspects of residential life, including individual rooms, bathrooms, hallways, and other common spaces. Students are also responsible for ensuring that their guests comply with all residential policies and may be held accountable for violations committed by guests. The University may request or require a resident to leave on-campus housing on a temporary or permanent basis if their continued presence in the housing community poses a health or safety risk for community members.
- Quarantine and Isolation: Residential students are required to comply with University requests to vacate their assigned space on a temporary or permanent basis due to COVID-19 or other public health emergency. Failure to comply may subject a student to emergency removal from their assigned residential space. If, in the judgment of University officials, a student is required to self-quarantine or self-isolate, the student may not be permitted to continue to reside in their residential space and the student may be required to self-isolate at home or alternative housing arrangements may be provided, as needed. Reassignment, relocation, or temporary removal from the residence halls to isolate or quarantine does not constitute a termination of the housing contract.
- Housing Assignments: As housing is assigned in the sole discretion of the University, residential students are required to comply with any de-densifying efforts needed on campus due to COVID-19 or other public health emergency, including, but not limited to, the relocation of all or some residential students to alternative housing. Reassignment does not constitute a termination of the housing contract.
- Cancellation: Upon reasonable notice, the University reserves the right to cancel housing contracts due to public health emergency needs, including COVID-19. In the event the University cancels housing contracts due to public health concerns, the University may offer fair and reasonable reimbursements for impacted students as appropriate, with the amount to be determined at the sole discretion of the University.
Residential students are equally responsible for complying with these rules, policies and regulations as they are for those found in their individual Housing Contracts. In the event of a conflict between this “Public Health-Informed Housing Policies for COVID-19 or Similar Public Health Crises” Section and the remaining sections of the Residence Life Policies, this Section will apply.