On Aug. 26, NC State closed campus residential facilities in response to the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases, and since then, University Housing has been working with students who need special circumstance housing. 

Students eligible for special circumstance housing include students with: high-risk family members at home, unstable home environments, housing insecurities, food insecurities, Wi-Fi insecurities, out-of-state students or international students, grad students, permanent residents of E.S. King Village and Western Manor Apartments, students with a job or research project on campus or students who have another compelling reason to stay on campus. 

According to Katrina Pawluk, director of administration and occupancy management, the University decided on eligibility qualifications for special circumstance housing using the same requirements as the last spring semester.

“It was case by case, and if there was anything that we thought within University Housing that we weren’t sure if it was compelling enough, we allowed other people to review so it was more eyes than us if we were on the fence,” Pawluk said. 

Students who are living in special circumstance housing still have access to residential life professionals, a community service desk, mail and packaging services and residential advisors (RAs). 

Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of University Housing Donna McGalliard said the remaining housing staff has done a lot of work to create a positive experience for students in special circumstance housing. 

“As hard as the decision was to release student staff, those 37 RAs that are here are knocking it out of the park, and we are really happy that they are with us and that we still have community assistance that are willing to service our desks and keep those open for us too,” McGalliard said. 

According to McGalliard, 1,770 students in total originally applied for special circumstance housing on campus. Since then, 192 have canceled their requests due to changes in circumstances and 16 people were denied, two of whom were denied because of violations to community standards, or North Carolina’s regulations concerning COVID-19. Overall, around 1,562 students are currently living in condensed housing.

Enforcing the community standards is one way the University has been able to keep residential facilities open for students. Another way University Housing is managing this is by condensing the remaining students into specifically selected dorms Pawluk said. 

According to Pawluk, remaining students were condensed into four residential buildings: Wolf Village, Wolf Ridge, Avent Village and the Tri-Towers. These buildings all offer single bedroom rooms and bathrooms that enable social distancing and reduced contact between dorm residents. Several other things were also taken into consideration in regards to choosing special circumstance housing, including safety, where more students were already located and dining options. 

Currently, students’ dining options are limited to 15 out of the normal 36 dining locations on campus and all dining halls are closed. One Earth World Cuisine in Tally Student Union is currently operating as a makeshift dining hall for students. 

The condensing process was finalized on Sunday, Sept. 20, and 315 students were asked to move to a different building during the condensing process. These students will be given first priority when selecting their room assignment in the spring if they choose to continue their housing agreement, McGalliard said. 

Special circumstance housing is also being extended to students during the winter months betweens semesters for a possible flat fee of about $700, McGalliard said at the Chancellor’s Liaison meeting on Sept.17  However, the fee amount is not finalized and will be released in the upcoming months. 

“We want to make sure that students know that just because the academic calendar ends in November doesn’t mean that we don’t care about what happens to them after that,” McGalliard said.

Additional information for requesting winter special circumstance housing is set to come out within the next few weeks on the University Housing website and by email.