Topeka, Kan. – Washburn University sent a notice today to students living on campus that the university is closing its residence halls. However, the university will allow some students with special circumstances to keep living on campus with continued access to a limited food service.
“Following spring break, access to residence halls has been limited to those who received special approval to return to campus housing,” according to Eric Grospitch, vice president of student life. “As we continue to work to protect the health and safety or our community, we have decided to close our residence halls for the remainder of the semester and restrict living on-campus to a limited number of students who have no other option.”
Decisions are being made on an individual basis, but in general, students who will be allowed to remain on campus will have special circumstances, including:
• Students whose permanent residence is outside of the United States, and the student is unable to travel to their home country.
• Students whose academic department has deemed and verified their internship, clinical, or practicum will continue and requires the student’s on-site presence. In addition, the student must have accepted that arrangement.
• The student has personal circumstances such as a student who is part of the foster care system, whose home community is quarantined or where returning home represents a health/safety threat.
“This has been a difficult decision in a period of change and uncertainty,” Grospitch said, “but we feel this is the best way to protect the health and safety of all our students.”
Students who are moving out of the residence halls are required to make an appointment with the Office of Residence Life to retrieve their belongings. Move out will begin on March 20 and conclude no later than April 1. Students arriving without an appointment will not be given access to the residence halls and they will be limited to no more than two guests to assist in the process.
Students moving out of residence halls will receive a pro-rated refund for both room fees and their dining plans. Details on that refund are still being finalized.
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