St. Edward’s University has permitted on campus housing for fall 2020 up until the end of the semester.. To ensure the safety of residents, the school made some changes to the Hilltop, which include a mandatory COVID-19 at-home test before returning to campus. 

Safety precautions include mandatory face coverings while on campus and in shared community spaces, as well as participating in a required daily screening program through the TopperSafe app. Social distancing guidelines have been put in place throughout campus and in residence halls. These include limiting occupancy levels in elevators, public restrooms and community spaces. Dorms and on-campus apartments are permitting only single rooms and no more than two students per room sharing a bathroom. 

Residence halls have implemented guest policies for students. Only students living on campus are permitted inside residential communities and are allowed one guest at a time in their room.

These safety precautions have made campus life look a little different this year. “It’s pretty empty on campus,” sophomore Linh Nguyen, a resident of the St. Andre Apartments, says. “There’s still people you can visit but you definitely have to be more careful. We can’t socialize as much as we did the other years.”

Though RA activities and community events are still permitted, Nguyen expresses the difficulty in interacting with her fellow Hilltoppers this semester. “Everyone is more to themselves. There are still ways to connect to people, but you definitely have to try harder. The strict guest policies in the residence halls have also made it more difficult to socialize.” 

Amid the changes in campus life this semester, Nguyen reveals that she still enjoys living on the Hilltop. “I still like the environment of the campus. The vibes are nice. I also like the ability to have access to the resources St. Edward’s still offers,” she says.

Nguyen believes that St. Edward’s is doing a good job of spreading its residents out and taking adequate precautions. “The student population is already so small here. There’s not so many people here to cause problems,” she says.

Though she feels safe with the regulations St. Edward’s has enforced, Nguyen acknowledges that responsibility lies in the students, not just the faculty, to uphold the precautions. “We have to put effort in it too to keep [the campus] safe.” 

For more information on St. Edward’s Housing Response to COVID-19 and a FAQ of Residence Life Opening Fall 2020 visit the St. Edward’s University website.