HOUSING AND RESIDENCE LIFE
1100 E. 14TH STREET, PMB R-7 • ADA, OK 74820
580-559-5602 • FAX: 580-559-5994 • WWW.ECOK.EDU
July 23, 2020
COVID-19 Information
At this time, East Central University Housing and Residence Life (HRL) plans to open in the fall with normal occupancy, which includes housing with roommates. We want to reassure students that we remain committed to providing safe and comfortable housing for all of our residents.
We are taking extra steps to sanitize and disinfect the residence halls. While these times can cause added stress, the University community is here to assist you. There are many online campus resources available, please visit https://www.ecok.edu/ for more details.
Our number one goal is your wellbeing, and we remain vigilant in that objective. As we all know the situation is constantly evolving, if changes or alterations need to be made in order to maintain resident and campus safety we will communicate that via email to your ecok.edu email address, so please check often for updates. We will also post updates at https://www.ecok.edu/housing. We are all ECU Tigers and together we can do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Let’s have a great year!
Safety Measures Being Taken
- All of the residence halls are being disinfected and sanitized using hospital-grade disinfection, applied by a professional custodian.
- The frequency of cleaning is being increased for all community and public bathrooms, community spaces, and touch points.
- East Central University Facilities and Maintenance will ensure adequate supplies of hand soap and hand sanitizer are available in all residence halls.
- Designated quarantine spaces have been identified if a resident were to test positive for COVID-19.
- Signage is being installed throughout every residence hall to reinforce safe practices and behaviors.
- Plexiglass shields are being installed on all service desks and staff desks, and masks are provided for all full-time and student staff.
- Residence hall programs are being postponed or redesigned to be provided virtually.
Cleaning Frequency
The Housing and Residence Life (HRL) team has increased the frequency of daily cleaning of residence halls for the 2020-2021 academic year, including:
- Community bathrooms will be cleaned 2 times per day, Monday through Friday
- Community bathrooms will be cleaned once on Saturday and Sunday
- Touch Points (e.g., door handles): will be cleaned 3 times per day
Student Quarantine Facilities
Dedicated rooms for isolation have been reserved, should a student require quarantine upon a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
Other Plans and Precautions in Student Housing
- HRL will provide face coverings for all professional and student staff.
- Sneeze guards/plexiglass will be placed at all front desks in residence halls with the exception of Stadium Apartments and Tiger Commons.
- HRL will not provide carts, hand trucks, or carriers during move-in this fall. HRL will encourage parents and students to bring their own masks, carts and hand trucks via summer email notification. HRL staff will not assist with moving in residents’ personal items. Volunteers may be available but should not be expected.
- Community lounges will be open however, social distancing measures are expected to be followed. The Outdoor Basketball Court, Oscar Parker Tennis Courts, and the Sand Volleyball Court will only be available by scheduling a time slot with the Housing and Residence Life Office, and “no large gathering” signage will be placed at indoor recreational areas. We will also not be checking out pool or ping pong equipment, but residents can use their own.
- The number of students allowed to gather in spaces will be decreased and social distancing emphasized through appropriate signage, social media posts, departmental website updates, and email notifications.
- Interactions facilitated by departmental staff will be done with less than 5 people. Resident Assistants and other residential community staff will be prepared to interact with residents through a virtual format.
- A priority will be placed on virtual programming when trying to include large groups of students. HRL may offer some face-to-face interactions for groups of 5 and under.
- Residents will not be allowed guests from outside of their designated resident hall with the exception of move in day.