Hofstra changes COVID-19 isolation policy
In light of the new isolation policy, students stated that they were uninformed of the changes and believe that the new policy is unsafe.. // Photo courtesy of Ahjané Forbss.
Hofstra University residential students have expressed concerns after a new isolation policy was put into effect on Monday, Sept. 12, when signs were placed on bathroom doors in the towers without prior notice.
“Students who are isolating in their single room may use the bathrooms for unmasked activity (showering, brushing teeth, face washing, etc.),” the signs read, specifying that students in isolation could only use the bathroom without a mask for those activities during five half-hour windows throughout the day.
The new policy was implemented after feedback was given to Student Health Services (SHS) and the Office of Residence Life from students who previously resided in isolation housing, according to Jessica Eads, the vice president for Student Enrollment, Engagement and Success.
“The students felt alone [because] they were isolating. It was something we knew we had to think about when we started coming back this year, to try to help students feel a little bit more like they’re at home when they’re isolating,” Eads said. “The world is changing, and we lean toward our medical experts to really help us out, that’s Northwell Health and SHS, to help us out in terms of staying on top of what’s happening in the changing CDC guidelines.”
Some students living in the towers believe that even though the university was taking feedback from students who were previously in isolation housing, they should have also considered feedback from students currently residing in the towers.
“I feel that the new policy is extremely unsafe. They also just didn’t communicate or ask students how we would feel,” said Carlos Silva, a senior journalism major with a sports concentration. “Sometimes I think the school just chooses to do things without actually thinking about the people they are affecting.”
Over the summer, the university looked at isolation policies at peer institutions. Eads added that other universities are having students isolate in place, meaning in their assigned dorm rooms, instead of offering isolation housing. Hofstra still offers isolation housing in the Nassau Residence Hall for students who have roommates or live in suite-style living situations.
“Students may find it more comfortable to isolate off campus with family or friends. For those residents that prefer to isolate on campus, Hofstra has arranged for those COVID-19 positive students who reside in tower single rooms to isolate in place,” said Rob Stahl, executive director of SHS. “During these times, students who do not have COVID-19 are able to choose to avoid these spaces. The bathrooms are then cleaned and disinfected more frequently, according to CDC guidance.”
Typically, the bathrooms in the towers are cleaned once a day, but they will only be cleaned more frequently if there is a student with COVID-19 on the floor. Currently there are no COVID-19 positive students isolating in a single room in the towers, according to Eads.
Russ Smith, director of residential education, added that spray bottles with disinfectant are now available in the tower bathrooms for students to use if they feel uncomfortable.
If there is a COVID-19 positive student on the floor, other students living on the floor will not be notified to “protect the rights and privacy of our students,” Eads said.
Although the university wants to protect the rights and privacy of students with COVID-19, some residential students want to be notified if there is a chance they can encounter someone with the virus.
“I’m not a fan of [the policy], however, I wouldn’t mind it as much if they just sent an email to everyone living on the floor like they do when you’ve been in close contact with someone who tested positive,” said Cai Yale, a junior theater arts major with a concentration in performance. “They already have the capability, so I don’t see why they can’t do it for this too.”
Yale continued to voice concerns about how the new policy affects students with disabilities and claimed that they directly spoke to a SHS official regarding their concerns.
“[The SHS official] essentially minimized every concern I had and made it seem like I was overexaggerating everything,” Yale said. “As a disabled student, I did not feel as though my health was being taken seriously. I didn’t feel safe in that office. After the bathroom policy was released, I emailed Residence Life voicing my concerns, and it was the same ordeal. We are the ones paying tuition. We should be listened to.”
