Columbia Housing Continues On-Site Operation of Residence Halls Throughout Pandemic
It’s been stated countless times: 2020 was a year like no other. During the COVID-19 pandemic, each Columbia University Facilities and Operations department had a role to play in continuing campus operations. The Columbia Housing team worked with dedication and perseverance to implement health and safety guidelines set by the CDC, New York state, and University – all designed to protect residents and the campus community. Every operational plan had to be carefully evaluated and then reorchestrated to follow changing protocols.
“The team in Housing who remained on site has shown a tremendous amount of resiliency and courage, while redefining their dedication to our students,” noted Honey Fishman, Assistant Vice President, Housing Services and Student Center Operations.
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Slide 1: Columbia Housing COVID-19 Operations
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Slide 2: Jennifer Manghisi and Natalie Gomez review space in Wien Hall to discuss building plans, including room layouts, bathrooms, and shared space. The Columbia Housing team was responsible for determining a revised approach to room assignments based on public health directives to maintain low density in the residence halls and provide for a safe living environment for students.
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Slide 3: Glen Moore surveys building lounges and furniture configurations for safe usage. With guidance from University public health officials and in partnership with the Facilities Space Planning team, the Housing team assessed community space capacities and made furniture amendments to ensure residents could utilize lounges while adhering to physical distancing recommendations.
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Slide 4: Frances Gonzalez and Erik Sandhal review student rosters and building floor plans. Based on evolving public health protocols and capacity guidelines, the Housing team managed room assignments for the students approved to live on campus during the fall, spring, and summer terms – including quarantine assignments for students when necessary – and continued to adjust plans as the University shifted operations in response to the global health crisis.
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Slide 5: Carla Alba visits Furnald Hall which was used for quarantine and isolation housing during the year. The team worked with Columbia Health, Dining and other campus partners to assign students, coordinate support services like meal delivery and health supplies, disseminate instructions and information, coordinate cleaning, and organize other operational needs when students had to move to a temporary assignment due to COVID-19.
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Slide 6: Cherylann Cross places capacity signs within common space in the residence halls. Steps were taken to ensure residents were aware of health and safety protocols in place, while they lived in the residential community.
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Slide 7: Justin Wilson consults with a staff member from the custodial team to review cleaning protocols in the buildings. In addition to managing building capacities, Housing worked closely with Facilities and Operations custodial teams to follow other health protocols, like ensuring spaces were cleaned and well-kept.
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Slide 8: Wanda Suero, Dayana Moran, Jem Conway, and Jane Hutchinson
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Slide 9: Lorena Prosco meets with Neftali Rivera from Columbia Mail in Carman Hall. Members from Dining, Housing, Event Management, and Mail worked together to form “Campus Services Express” to deliver food and packages in the residence halls. During the Check-In period for both fall and spring terms, 47,800 meals and 3,658 packages were delivered directly to students in the residence halls during the required quarantine.
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Slide 10: Throughout the pandemic, routine operations had to be maintained. Fire systems, health and safety inspections, and routine maintenance all continued to take place. Angie Sanabria heads into Wallach to conduct a room check.
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Slide 11: Columbia Housing continued to serve students on campus throughout the pandemic. Members of the Hospitality Desk team like George Ayisi consulted with students 24/7 on questions and problems, from lock outs to moving bins.
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Slide 12: A small professional staff, the Columbia Housing team relies on student employees and interns to support operational tasks. Menlee Mansue and Lenwood James conducted orientations and daily briefings for student staff working with the team. Student staff help with room checks, maintenance reports, and other operational tasks to help maintain the business of running the residence halls.
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Slide 13: The Housing team outside Hartley Hall. Led by Honey Sue Fishman, the team remained on campus throughout the course of the pandemic to ensure safe and seamless residential operations for undergraduate students who remained on campus. Their dedication to the residential student community during a year of rapid and unpredictable change demonstrates the University's commitment to excellence in all areas.
Move cursor over photos for captions. Photos by Eileen Barroso, Columbia University
During the 2020-21 academic year, Columbia University community members upheld an agreement called the Compact, to agree to basic measures all would take to stay safe. A rigorous test and tracing program was executed to identify and isolate COVID-19 cases. Thanks to the measures taken, including those of the Housing team’s operation of the residence halls, Columbia maintained a low positivity rate during the year. For the nearly 2,500 students who lived in the residence halls at some point during one of the terms, it may not have been a typical year – but the precautions taken allowed them to remain part of the physical Columbia community.
“There is something distinctive and uniquely courageous about those who wake up every day and come on site to support our students and others,” remarked Scott Wright, VP of Campus Services, of the Columbia Housing team and other Campus Services staff who worked throughout the pandemic.
The Housing team is excited to welcome back the full residential community to the University in the fall of 2021.