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EMU announces "Single Room Guarantee" for enrolling students ahead of fall semester

Published  June 11, 2020 9:07am EDT
Education
FOX 2 Detroit

YPSILANTI, Mich. - The patchwork of solutions schools are deploying to salvage their 2020-21 school year continues, with Eastern Michigan University rolling out its "EMU Single Room Guarantee."

Responding to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the school says it is the only public university in Michigan to offer a single room to anyone who wants one.

“We have heard from many students and parents about this issue. They question how students can practice safe physical distancing when they have a roommate in close proximity to them in a residence hall room," said University President James Smith. "We understand a single room may not be for everyone, but we also know and have heard from many who desire such accommodations at this time."

The single room plan is available to every student enrolled who wants one. Students who wish to have a roommate in the fall will continue to have that option.

To make the plan more feasible, the school is offering credit to reduce the monthly cost of a single room by $100. Typically, single rooms cost approximately $2,500 more a year than the standard double dorm.

EMU's president said the school has additional flex-space to accommodate more students interested in a single dorm due to the ongoing renovations the campus has undergone. 

"...we have residence halls that are used to accommodate the closing of a building -- utilizing the additional flex-space when needed for faculty and staff offices," Smith said. "In recent years, we have utilized the flex-space while we invested more than $90 million to renovate academic buildings across campus with state-of-the-art facilities. This space will now be utilized for additional rooms for students.”

In addition to EMU, most public universities in Michigan, including Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan, have confirmed they will hold some form of in-person lectures for the fall semester. However, face masks rules, hand sanitizer dispensers, and other safety protocols will likely be in effect when school does start back up.