RIT expands guest policy for on-campus students

Following feedback from students and the low prevalence of COVID-19 on campus, the administration has slightly relaxed the guest policy in residence halls starting today.

The new regulations allow students who reside in RIT housing to host one guest in their living space provided that the guest is also a resident of the same residence hall or apartment community. Prior to the policy revision, the no guest policy prohibited visitors in on-campus housing.

As a result of this change, the maximum occupancy for a standard double occupancy residence hall room is now three students. The maximum occupancy in RIT apartments and suites is equal to double the number of residents assigned to the apartment or suite provided all conditions below can be met.

• No more than one guest per resident at any time;
• Physical distancing, mask-wearing, and maximum occupancy requirements shall be maintained throughout the guest visit. In the event that physical distancing and maximum occupancy requirements are not maintained, the guest shall leave;
• Any guests in the room/apartment must be agreed upon by room/suitemates or the visit must happen in a common area (e.g., lounge) of the residence hall, or in a private bedroom (one-person bedroom);
• RIT will monitor building capacities. If guest numbers exceed what is allowable, RIT will follow up with residents and provide additional education. If the issue persists, those responsible may lose guest privileges;
• Personal aides, nurses, caregivers, or any other reasonable accommodations provided to students with disabilities are not counted as guests.

The current COVID-19 Alert level remains green, and students, faculty, and staff have played a vital role in keeping the RIT community healthy and safe. Allowing only guests from within a community will help ensure that this adjustment does not compromise RIT’s ability to remain vigilant and respond quickly when necessitated by its contact tracing and wastewater monitoring efforts.

If there is an increase in the prevalence of COVID-19 in the RIT community, this adjustment will be rolled back, and students within communities will not be able to visit each other in their living spaces.