Western Pa. colleges orchestrate student departures with eye on safety

As colleges and universities in the region transition to online-only classes in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus, students who haven’t done so already are being asked to move out and gather their belongings from residence halls. A small number of students will remain on campus.

Here’s a look at the situation at several local colleges and universities:

Seton Hill University

Seton Hill University has about 800 students who live on campus, but only 12 will continue to live on campus because of extenuating circumstances, including international students who come from countries with high numbers of covid-19 cases and students who have immunocompromised family members isolating themselves at home.

Spokeswoman Jennifer Reeger said the university has been working with the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania to see whether students are permitted to live on campus following Gov. Tom Wolf’s new mandate.

“We are working as quickly and efficiently as possible to move all other resident students off campus,” she said.

Students remaining on campus will be given their own suite with their own private bathroom to minimize their risk of exposure to the coronavirus, Reeger said.

Point Park

Point Park University has asked all students to leave the residence halls by 4 p.m. March 27.

Students wanting to stay after that date needed to file an exception request by Friday evening.

Spokesman Lou Corsaro said there are roughly 1,000 students who live on campus and about 110 to 120 are moving out per day. The move-outs have been “staggered enough” to avoid large groups of students exiting the residence halls at once, he said.

“While the students have undoubtedly had a lot thrown their way, we have been impressed with how they have handled this situation,” Corsaro said.

The university has provided large rolling bins to help reduce the number of trips to and from rooms, along with hand sanitizer at all entrances and exits. Signs ask people to use appropriate social distancing.

A limited number of students will be allowed to remain on campus, Corsaro said.

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon spokesman Jason Maderer said the university is asking students who are able to move home to do so.

He said students and parents have been “very compliant” with the university’s move-out guidelines, including observing proper social distancing.

“We are sanitizing move-out carts, and furniture at the move-out desk has been adjusted to provide 6-feet distance between those working the desk,” he said.

Maderer said there’s a low probability of multiple people moving boxes or carts in hallways at the same time. Only three residence halls have more than 250 student residents, with the largest housing 465. On March 15, which Maderer called “peak day,” the university had 500 students moving out across 25 residence halls.

Duquesne University

Duquesne University asked students to move off campus by Sunday, but will allow an additional week for those who need more time.

The university is asking students to share their move-out plans on an online form. Spokeswoman Rose Ravasio said this will help the university ensure there will be enough parking, staff, bins for moving and other assistance.

“The move-out process at Duquesne University has been very orderly,” Ravasio said Thursday.

Students with no other safe housing option will be the only ones allowed to remain on campus. They will be moved to one residence hall, and assigned to single rooms to comply with social distancing practices recommended by health officials, Ravasio said.

University of Pittsburgh

Kevin Zwick, spokesman with the University of Pittsburgh, said a majority of students had already moved off campus as of Thursday, but the university continues to provide housing and food service to a small number of students who have had to remain on campus because of special circumstances.

Zwick said the university assigned move-out dates and times to limit the number of students moving out at one time. It helped with social distancing, he said.

University of Pitt-Greensburg

Most resident students at Pitt-Greensburg moved out of the residence halls last week, spokeswoman Susan Isola said. About 40% of students live on campus.

Isola said the university will continue to provide housing to a small number of students who remain on campus due to personal circumstances, and provisions have been made for their safety and other needs. Social distancing will be maintained and those students will be moved into living spaces that include kitchens so they can prepare their own meals.