COVID and Campus Living; NIC Residence Hall Reopens with New Restrictions and Rules

New and returning students moved back into the North Idaho College Residence Hall before the semester began under certain guidelines to keep the campus and students safe.

A sign welcoming students back into the dorms. Despite the challenges regarding the current pandemic, the staff in the residence hall has tried their hardest to make the reopening of the dorms safe.

Residents were required to wear masks at all times during their move-in under both campus and hall requirements. They were also asked to keep a 6-foot distance between one another as they moved into their living spaces on Saturday. 

A double room converted to a spacey single room. Students who would normally be paired with a roommate now have a room to themselves in order to comply with social distancing and sanitation rules.

Due to COVID-19 housing restrictions, the hall has reduced the housing capacity to 103 students at a maximum. This falls to nearly half the normal occupancy of 198 students.

Because of housing restrictions, each student has been given their own room, instead of two to a double room like in previous years.  

In case a resident tests positive for COVID-19, the residence hall has devoted several rooms as quarantine rooms. 

The theatre, study, and gaming rooms have been closed until further notice to prevent foot traffic and extra unnecessary cleaning. Students have also been advised to not linger in the common areas and hallways to reduce foot traffic.  

In addition to the extra cleaning measures taken by the janitorial staff, residents are also advised to complete daily cleaning items, such as sanitizing door handles, desktops, personal electronics and other items that would be touched often. Residents can submit a sheet of their daily cleaning items in monthly drawings for prizes. 

While there are still events planned for the students in the residence hall, these events will be held outside or will follow campus guidelines with masks and social distancing. There will also be virtual events and events held over Zoom. 

All face-to-face meetings with Residence Life Manager Paula Czirr will now be held online.