USD moves 500 students onto on-campus housing

An updated look at boarding in college during a global pandemic.

Tyler Pugmire / News Editor

After USD canceled almost all in-person classes for the fall semester, they also delayed move-in for students by a month. Each bedroom has been limited to single occupancy, and there are no guests of any kind allowed in someone else’s room. 

There was a total of 1046 students that were assigned campus housing, and 527 indicated they would move into campus housing. As these students began arriving for move in on Friday, Sept. 20, where they were permitted two guests to assist them in their moving process. As students arrived, everyone had to be screened for temperature checks, given wristbands, and all guests had two hours to get in and out of the provided housing. 

Students were also required to schedule an appointment for on-campus COVID-19 testing, paid for by USD. Results for the test are expected within 24 to 48 hours. Students are required to be tested twice every month if they are living in university-provided housing. 

At least one residential student has tested positive for COVID-19 since move-in weekend.

In a faculty senate meeting, President James T. Harris III, D.eD noted that, “If a student comes down with the disease we’re not going to send them home. 

The positive number of cases will be recorded to the COVID-19 Dashboard, a graph that depicts the number of USD community members who contract the virus, including students and staff both on and off campus. As of Sept. 22, there have been a total of 30 self-reported cases for USD students or faculty since Aug. 16. When students moved into Pacific Ridge and Loma Palisades apartments on Aug. 13, there were three confirmed cases. 

For students who moved on to campus, the price of housing was prorated to make up for time not stayed in the dorms. Seeing around a $1,000 price decrease, the cost of living on campus for the Fall 2020 semester is now $3,195. The price for Spring 2021 housing is still being determined. 

As far as facilities available for students, benches have tape covering half of them in order to keep social distance. The basketball hoop’s net is tied together, the Valley Field has been locked and the goals are locked to the light poles. Bosley Cafe is still closed, but the fitness center is available to use by appointment. The pool, TRX Station, and tennis courts are all open as well with limited hours. 

Sophomore Isabel Saunders moved in this weekend and voiced concern about the school’s guidelines enforcement. 

“While I think it is super important to follow county and school guidelines, I’m concerned about how strictly the school will enforce this policy,” said Saunders.  “How are they preventing student gatherings? What have they done to enforce this in Pacific Ridge?” 

All of the expectations of students that have moved on campus can be found in the Student Guide to Fall 2020. Some of those include self-isolation, contact tracing, restricting oneself from gathering in groups, and travel. If a student is caught not following these guidelines they can be removed from campus housing and must be gone within 24 hours. How strictly this will be enforced is yet to be seen by students living on campus. 

There has been limited communication between Residential Life and students, according to some students. Alexia Rojas, a first year student, says she does not know who her RA is, and they have not made it clear what the consequences would be if a student isn’t practicing social distancing. 

As students wait for their results to come back from the testing center and begin settling on campus, USD will soon know whether its safety protocols will be enough to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks similar to those at neighboring SDSU, which now has over 600 cases. As lines get longer for pavilion dining and the Learning Commons starts to fill up, it is imperative that the case number stays low; otherwise USD could be the next SDSU, University of Wisconsin at Madison, or UNC Chapel Hill.