We know students have a lot of questions about living on campus. Below you will find answers to common questions about Fall 2020 housing decisions, safety procedures, and accommodations. 

We will keep this webpage updated as decisions are made. If you have additional questions, you are welcome to email us at housing@wsu.edu.

• How will I know if I need to self-quarantine when I move in?

  Students will be required to self-quarantine if

  1. they are moving from outside the United states or
  2. coming from areas listed as Medium-High or High Risk (Orange or Red), using the Harvard Global Health Institute COVID Risk Levels dashboard 

  Students living on campus who are required to self-quarantine will be able to do so in their assigned residence hall room. 

  More information about self-quarantine can be found here.

• What do classes moving completely online for fall mean for the First-year Live In Requirement (FLIR)?

  For the fall 2020 semester, WSU has expanded the FLIR definition of University Approved Housing to include your permanent residence. If you would like to live anywhere other than your permanent address or do not meet the demonstrated institutional need criteria below, you must have a FLIR exemption approval on file. You will be not allowed to live in fraternity or sorority house in fall 2020 as a first-year student. Decisions have not yet been made regarding the spring 2021 semester.

• What about my university-owned apartment?

  University-owned single student apartments will open as planned on August 1. University-owned family and graduate student apartments will open as planned per your individual license. All residents must comply with public health measures such as wearing a face mask, observing physical distancing requirements, completing a daily self-attestation, and adhering to common space use limitations.

   

• What about my off-campus apartment contract or contract with a Fraternity or Sorority House?

  WSU does not have authority to make decisions for private landlords, including fraternity and sorority housing corporations.

  If you have signed a lease with an off-campus landlord or property management company, please contact them directly to explore your options.

  If you have signed up to live in your fraternity or sorority chapter facility, please work directly with your chapter’s housing corporation to explore your options.

• What will the costs be for living in a residence hall in Fall 2020?

  All rooms will be single occupancy. Check out the Rate Estimator at 

  https://livingat.wsu.edu/estimator/reshall.aspx 

• If the halls close, can I get a refund?

  If a public health order requires the University to vacate residence halls due to COVID-19, the University will implement a refund or credit policy commensurate with the order(s). We have revised the 2020-2021 Housing Addendum to reflect this change.

• Can I have a friend who lives in the hall visit me in my room?

  At this time, only residents who live in the hall are permitted entry to the hall. Residents are allowed to have one other resident of the hall visit their room. When someone else is present, masks are required to be worn correctly at all times.

• How do I cancel if I am not coming to Pullman?

  You can cancel or change your housing contract by going to livingat.wsu.edu/reshall

• What will dining be like?

  Our dining centers, espresso locations, and food services across campus will be open with reduced capacities, wellness checks, physical distancing, no-touch payment options, and increased cleaning protocols. Our goal is that you have access to a delicious and healthy menu, so we plan to provide a mix of hot and cold options and a robust grab-and-go selection. Students are encouraged to download the GETFood app or order online to utilize food pick-up.

  Cougs Feeding Cougs and food pantries will still be available for those needing assistance.

• What is WSU doing if a student in the residence halls tests positive for COVID-19 or is a known close contact of someone who has COVID-19?

  Students who have been identified as testing positive for COVID-19 or identified through contact tracing as a known close contact of someone who has COVID-19 are relocated into sequester housing. Students are added to a special sequester meal plan at no additional cost and can order food delivery to their room three times daily. Health officials remotely check on each sequestered student daily, and each student must remain in sequester until they are individually cleared by health officials to exit sequester housing. Common spaces and touch-points at the outgoing location are sanitized by professional custodial staff. 

  Support information for students in sequester can be found on the quarantine resources page.

   

• Will residents be notified if a student in their hall tests positive for COVID-19?

  WSU works closely with Whitman County Health Department to ensure that students who test positive for COVID-19 in the residence halls are moved to sequester quickly. Health Officials perform contact tracing, and will notify anyone who is considered a primary close contact and let them know of possible exposure/provide further instructions. Students can find additional information on contact tracing here.

• What if I do not want to wear a mask/face covering?

  If you cannot adhere to the rules for living on the Pullman campus outlined below, there are non-residential options at WSU you can explore, such as enrolling at WSU Everett, WSU Global Campus, WSU Tri-Cities, or WSU Vancouver. Students enrolled in health sciences programs may also explore options at WSU Spokane.

  All of our physical campuses will be taking similar health and safety measures. We are all Cougs and we need to take care of each other. All students who attend WSU must abide by health and safety directives issued by WSU, the government, and health officials.

  If you will not follow the rules and do what is required of you, you should consider other arrangements for your education in the fall.

• University Recreation, Compton Union (CUB), and Cultural and Student Centers

  Our recreation facilities and programming, as well as other student spaces, will be open with reduced capacities, wellness checks, physical distancing, and increased cleaning protocols. Some activities may have a reservation system to ensure occupancy limits.

  We will continue to provide remote programming as well as some in-person options to enhance your Coug Experience.

• Once assignments are made, how do I find out what my room for the fall is?

  To find your room assignment, please log back onto your housing application by clicking “my account” in the top right hand at www.housing.wsu.edu. Once you are logged in, you can view your housing assignment.

• What does it mean to be designated as having a COVID-19 outbreak?

  The WA Department of Health defines a COVID-19 outbreak, as 2 or more positive cases within 14 days of each other in a non-healthcare congregate living environment.

• How can you ensure social distancing in the residence halls?

  WSU has been using CDC, as well as local and state health department recommendations, to inform campus response to COVID-19. In the residence halls this includes evaluating physical spaces and determining furniture configuration, signage and education, programming plans, staff training, and more to encourage all students to practice social distancing.

• What is custodial doing to clean in the residence halls?

  WSU Housing and Dining Custodial are using guidance offered by the CDC on proper cleaning procedures and chemicals to combat the virus that causes COVID-19. This includes increased cleaning/disinfecting of high-touch areas and limiting access to gathering spaces.

• I have a medical need to have a specific type of room, what should I do?

  If you have medical needs for which you need a housing accommodation, please contact the Access Center to complete an accommodation application. Once we have your approved accommodation documentation from them, we can work to re-assign you to a space that will meet your needs.  Access Center: 509-335-3417

   

• APARTMENTS: What will it look like to live in the campus apartments?

  Mainly the same as before, with a few small updates:

  • Residents will be required to masks/cloth face coverings when not in your private apartment.
  • Residents will be expected to follow physical distancing guidelines.
  • Residents will be expected to adhere to community space use limitations.
  • Residents will be expected to complete a daily self-attestation when leaving their apartment.