Updates for students living in off-campus housing

In following up on our July 15 announcement regarding remote instruction for Fall 2020, a number of students who will be living off campus in the immediate neighborhood, or who are thinking about living near campus this fall, have asked about which campus services will be available to them. Health and safety requirements, including the testing protocols we will have in place for those working and living on campus, mean that students living off campus can use outdoor spaces on campus, including the Quad. However, they will not be allowed to enter campus buildings including academic buildings, the Academic Commons, and the residence halls. County public health regulations currently bar the operation of the College fitness center; the availability of athletic facilities this fall, which is dependent in part on staffing issues, has yet to be determined. As a result, no students, even students living on campus, will be able to use our athletic facilities.

Students living off campus WILL be able to purchase meal Plan D, using a no-contact pick-up system, which is currently being developed. You can select a meal plan here: http://apps.oxy.edu/cas/sbsforms/meal-plan-select.aspx. (You must be a student to be able to access this form.) Off-campus students will also have access to curbside pickup service for the Academic Common’s circulating analog materials, including books, DVDs, and CDs. (All students, including those living off-campus, can request digitization of print and media materials the library owns, including articles and book chapters, DVDs, and CDs, or may check out analog materials from the library’s collection, which will be mailed to them).

While we urge off-campus students to use their off-campus address for package delivery and mail to reduce density on campus, we are also designing an outdoor, no-contact system to make it possible for them to pick up packages and mail at the Oxy Postal Center and online Bookstore orders. Stay tuned for more details. All off-campus students visiting campus will be required to follow critical safety practices, including face coverings, social distancing, and a wellness check via our Daily Health Check app (details forthcoming) prior to arrival on campus.

All Oxy students, regardless of where they are living this fall, will have access to all virtual services at Emmons Wellness Center, including telemedicine and counseling. If a student living off campus needs specific in-person care, including testing, Emmons will invite them in, or facilitate a referral.

Best,

Rob Flot

Dean of Students