Key takeaways:- DePaul University is shifting to a mainly online instruction format for fall quarter; University Housing is being largely reduced to further promote health and safety of our community.
- Criteria have been established for students with a high level of need to live on campus.
- Original early move-in dates associated with Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order have been adjusted.
- All fall housing and dining charges for students not living on campus will be refunded; winter quarter housing is pending.
Dear residential students,
DePaul University announced today plans to
further minimize our on-campus presence in the fall out of concern for the ongoing safety of our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We know this leaves our residential students with a lot of questions and hope this letter will serve to begin to answer those. While some information is still being worked out, please know we will work as quickly as we can to respond to your questions and concerns.
From the start, our top priority has been, and continues to be, the health, safety and well-being of our DePaul community. As it relates to university housing, reducing our overall density on campus will assist in those safety measures. Unfortunately, this means most students who were planning to live in a DePaul residence hall this fall will no longer be able to do so. However, in accordance with our university’s mission to provide access to education for all, we will continue to accommodate on-campus housing for those students whose situations make it extremely difficult or impossible for them to live or study from home. With the start of the academic year quickly approaching, we understand timing is critical. This message outlines next steps and a process by which students can submit a request to live on campus if certain criteria are met.
Students who are not requesting to stay on campus will automatically be refunded for all housing and dining charges for the fall quarter.
Students who would like to request an exception to live on campus must fill out an online form by 5 p.m. on Monday, August 17 noting whether they meet any of the criteria Student Housing has established to guide us through the housing selection process.
The criteria are as follows (and will be verified where possible):
- Students dependent on campus resources such as housing, dining and technology in order to successfully and safely navigate college.
- Students with safety and security concerns in their current living environment.
- Students who still have classes/labs that will meet in-person (in-person classes will be announced in a few days). Please wait for further info before submitting a request if in-person course work is your reason for living on campus.
- International students who are already in the U.S. or otherwise in need of being in the U.S. for educational Visa requirements.
- Student athletes with a need to be on campus for fall sports/practices deemed necessary by NCAA.
Students who meet any of the above criteria and wish to move to campus should complete the
Request for Campus Housing form by
5 p.m. on Monday, August 17. Please note that completing this application does not guarantee on-campus housing for the fall. In addition, this application is NOT a binding agreement to live on campus; students who apply and receive approval to live on campus may choose to decline their housing offer with no financial penalty.
After the August 17 deadline, a committee of University staff and administrators will work thoughtfully and quickly to consider housing requests, verify necessary information and respond to all students who have completed a form with a decision no later than Wednesday, August 19 by 5 p.m. We hope to accommodate as many students in need as possible but will be keeping in mind the need to reduce the overall density on campus.
Students who will be living on campus this fall will likely be assigned a single room (but will be charged the double room rate of $3,367 per quarter) and will still have a meal plan (pricing yet to be determined though it will likely be the same rate for everyone). With fewer student residents on campus, dining options will be more limited. Most students will be given new room assignments, possibly in a different residence hall. Students assigned to University Center will still have the option to live there, though we recommend that students live on the Lincoln Park Campus if feasible.
Emergency Travel Order information: For those students who were planning to arrive to quarantine on campus on either August 16th or August 22 due to Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order, please note that both of those move-in days have now been adjusted. Because we will have significantly fewer students living on campus, we will manage the mandatory quarantine differently. More information will be forthcoming, but please take note that neither August 16 nor August 22 are move-in dates. Move-in for students from states affected by the travel order will likely be scheduled in the August 26-September 2 time period. All other students will likely move back Labor Day Weekend.
Living on campus this fall: Should you be approved to live on campus, Student Housing wants students to understand that academic and campus life will be different from a typical fall quarter. Classes will be offered online with very limited exceptions. Most student support services will be delivered online as well. Many common gathering areas on campus will be closed, and gathering sizes must remain very small. Face coverings will be required on campus grounds, whether indoors or outdoors and in residence halls, unless a student is alone in their room. Visitors will not be allowed in residence halls, and students may not visit residence halls that are not their own.
We are taking the health and safety of the DePaul community very seriously. Any students living on campus who do not abide by city, state and university guidelines may be referred to the student conduct process and could be removed from housing.
Winter quarter housing: We hope to be able to welcome more students to campus in January for the start of winter quarter. This decision will depend on state and local guidelines and whether DePaul believes it is safe to do so. We, like you, look forward to returning to on-campus residence and predominantly in-person instruction when conditions allow. Please know that if winter quarter housing is possible, we will inform you as soon as possible. Students who are approved to live on campus this fall will be allowed to continue living on campus in the winter and spring quarters, assuming it is safe to do so.
We know that this decision and the timing of this announcement are very difficult, especially for our students looking forward to an on-campus experience and their families. The university only made this decision to further minimize our on-campus presence and limit disruptions to academic progress after careful review and consultation with medical and public health experts.
You undoubtedly have many questions not answered by this message. Our online FAQs can be found at
go.depaul.edu/housing-fall-quarter-faqs, and we will continue adding updates in the days ahead. We are grateful to everyone in the DePaul community for your understanding and patience as we continue doing our best to serve students under incredibly difficult circumstances. Thank you for being our partners in this ever-changing situation.
Yours in service,
Rick Moreci
Director of Housing, Dining,
and Student Centers
Rod Waters
Director of Residential Education