Our top priority is to keep you and our entire community safe; in order to do so, we need to work together. All residential students will have a duty and obligation to follow physical distancing guidelines, limit face-to-face interactions with peers, and uphold our updated policies and procedures (outlined below). Please know that violations will likely result in a removal from campus housing.

• In order to reduce risk of disease transmission, no guests will be allowed in Viterbo housing for the foreseeable future. This includes anyone not assigned to your current living space, including other Viterbo residents, partners, family members, off-campus friends, etc.
   
• Masks will be required in all common spaces, including bathrooms, hallways, and social spaces (Hawk’s Nest, Port, and Student Union). You are expected to provide at least two reusable cloth masks for yourself; a limited supply of masks will be available for those unable to provide them.
   
• The Office of Residence Life will not approve any roommate changes for the foreseeable future in an effort to avoid cross-contamination of spaces.
   
• Occupancy will be reduced in all common spaces, including restrooms. In most buildings, lounges will not be available or will have reduced occupancy to reduce exposure risk for residents.

A community agreement that outlines the above guidelines will be shared with you prior to your arrival to campus. You must review and accept this agreement before moving in.

• All on-campus apartments will function as family units; you will keep your previously assigned roommates. You are not required to physically distance within your family unit. This decision was made based on the availability of private bathrooms, living rooms, and kitchens within those facilities and in recognition of the importance of social interaction. Housing assignments will remain as is, provided you complete the online form and indicate your intent to live on campus.
   
• Most Bonaventure and Marian residents will also have a roommate. We are creating as many single spaces as we can, and will prioritize requests from those with demonstrated medical need before considering other single requests. You can indicate your desire for a single using the online form. 
   
• We’re doing our best to continue to locate new housing spaces in an effort to reduce density in Bona and Marian. This will allow for more physical distancing in those buildings, as well as less people using each community restroom.

We will update housing assignments and send revised information to your Viterbo email account on Friday, July 24.   
 

Understandably, this fall’s residential experience will look unlike any in history. Our priority is to keep our community as safe and healthy as possible, and while we cannot eliminate risk in our buildings, we are committed to reducing it as much as we can. We also understand that many of you choose to live on-campus for the supportive, engaging community; here are some changes you can expect to life on campus that balance these two priorities:

• As COVID-19 travels faster in large groups, we are re-envisioning our in-person programming and social experiences. Recognizing that these experiences serve as a vital piece of your college experience, we will be transitioning to a hybrid model which includes both small in-person gatherings and virtual experiences.
   
• Daily health screenings will be required for all members of the Viterbo community. Those who live on-campus will be required to participate in mandatory health checks as required by our Director of Health Services (may include temperature check and/or COVID-19 checks).
   
• Common spaces, such as elevators, laundry rooms and restroom facilities will have decreased occupancy limits. Signs will be posted with the maximum number of people allowed in each space at a time.
   
• We will increase cleaning in common spaces and on high-touch surfaces. In addition, we strongly encourage you to keep your own cleaning supplies on hand, and sanitize your living space, including your outer doorknob, regularly.
   
• A bottle of hand sanitizer, locally produced by the La Crosse Distillery, will be in your room when you arrive. We will refill this for you (as long as we have supplies available!) at no cost. We ask you to bring your own hand sanitizer as well, to make sure you always have it readily available.
   

Viterbo University has developed plans for self-isolation and self-quarantine of students who test positive or are exposed to COVID-19 and awaiting test results. Please note that for the safety of all involved, entire floors or wings may need to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine while testing occurs.

If a student contracts COVID-19, we will follow the protocol below.

• Infected students will be asked to return home for the duration of their recovery for their safety and the safety of others.  Temporary departures from University housing for isolation (or quarantine, if desired) will not constitute a termination of a residential student’s housing contract.
   
• For those who are unable to return home, the University has designated four apartments on campus for isolation spaces. We have created  a COVID Go Bag list for your reference; it outlines items you should plan to bring, and items we will provide for you.
• Meal delivery protocols have been established to ensure safe and continuous meal service for quarantined and isolated students.
   
• If a student tests negative for COVID-19 and is cleared by the Director of Health Services, they will return to their assigned living space.
   

• Viterbo is waiving its freshman/sophomore residency requirement for the 2020-2021 academic year. This requirement will be reinstated for the 2021-2022 academic year.
   
• For the 2020-2021 school year, Viterbo will waive the $2,000 off-campus merit scholarship reduction policy for any student currently signed up to reside on campus, but who now chooses to move off campus ($1,000 for transfer merit scholarships). The waiver will apply ONLY to students who notify Viterbo of their decision to move off campus between June 26, 2020 and 4:00 p.m. on July 15, 2020, using the form identified below. This policy waiver is only applicable for the 2020-2021 school year.
  
  A student who qualifies for waiver of the merit scholarship reduction for 2020-2021, then chooses to remain off campus for 2021-2022 and beyond, will have the off-campus merit scholarship reduction enforced starting with the 2021-2022 school year.
  
  Students who made the decision to move off campus prior to June 26, 2020 are not eligible for waiver of the merit scholarship reduction policy. This waiver of the off-campus reduction applies ONLY to your merit scholarship. You are asked to contact the Financial Aid Office to determine how the rest of your Financial Aid Offer will be affected by moving off campus.

No guests are permitted on campus at this time. This includes visiting from room to room. This policy will be reconsidered as the semester goes on, as we monitor the COVID-19 situation both in La Crosse and globally.