The University announced several policy and campus life updates in a Thursday email from the Division of Student Affairs.
Beginning Feb. 3, following the conclusion of pre-matriculation testing, students may visit residence halls other than their own in designated 24-hour common spaces, while maintaining physical distancing, wearing masks and adhering to occupation guidelines. Students may also attend all hall Masses.
Students in the same residence halls may continue to visit one another's rooms in the same manner as last semester, the email said.
“Residents may have guests in their student rooms, but those guests must be from the same hall and are limited to no more than two students beyond the number of residents assigned to the room,” the policy from last semester states. “When resident guests are present in student rooms, everyone in the room must wear masks, distance appropriately, and leave doors open to increase ventilation.“
The email also said students who are interested in residing with fewer roommates in the spring semester may reach out to the Office of Residential Life for options.
Campus dining policies have been updated to include South Dining Hall operating for indoor dining at 15% capacity and North Dining Hall at 20% capacity. Additional dining spaces include tents on North Quad and South Quad, the Duncan Tent, the Fieldhouse tent, the Scholars Lounge in Hesburgh Library, McCourtney Hall and the Rasmus Club on the eighth floor of Duncan Student Center.
Students must continue to provide their own reusable bags and utensils.
Café Commons, Café de Grasta, Charron Family Café, Decio Café and McCourtney Espresso Cart are closed until future notice.
Additionally, the University will open two new temporary facilities, called South Lodge and North Lodge for student use.
“We hope these Quad Lodges will be comfortable places to connect with one another during the colder months of February and March until the Library and South Lawn spaces return in April,“ the email said.
The Student Activities Office (SAO) has updated its guidelines for the semester, including a 50-person cap on in-person gatherings for SAO events. Music groups will operate “largely the same“ as last semester, but could be subject to change.
Student groups may now host blood drives, car smashes and virtual runs, as well as serve to-go prepared bulk food items, all with the permission of SAO. Serving food will require special training.
Additionally, a subscription to the Calm app, a meditation, sleep and mindfulness audio service, will be available to all Notre Dame students, faculty and staff. Details for signing up for the service will be forthcoming next week.
The email also announced several residence halls — including Carroll, Cavanaugh, Keough, Knott, Pasquerilla West and Walsh — will be the first “pilot communities“ for a five-year, $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., “designed to strengthen our campus culture of well-being, resilience, and restoration.“
