UMD offers housing to approximately 2,950 students. Photo by Madison Hunter

Editor’s Note: The interview with UMD Housing and Residence Life Director Jeremy Leiferman took place before the announcement of the delay in the the Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan.

Approximately one month after students moved into on-campus housing at the University of Minnesota Duluth, the system was scheduled to begin the third phase, or Step Three, of their COVID-19 housing plan. However, a recent rise in positive cases has led officials to delay the advancement of the plan.

After a two week postponement, UMD allowed students to move into on-campus housing starting Sept. 9 under the guidance of the Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan implemented by Chancellor Lendley Black in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan consists of four steps designed to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 while allowing students to remain on campus.

Each step consists of guidelines and regulations for students living on campus, including curfews and caps on how many students can be in a room at a time, with four allowed in a dorm and six allowed in an apartment. There are no guests allowed in rooms after curfew.

Students moved into on-campus housing during scheduled times with COVID-19 guidelines in place. Photo by Madison Hunter

“The thought is we want to slowly open the valve… to allow students to get out and about and monitor it to make sure that it's safe,” Jeremy Leiferman, the Director of Housing and Residence Life at UMD said.

Step Two of the plan began on Sept. 20 and permitted the students to leave their campus housing as long as they obliged to a curfew lasting from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., with the exceptions of essential errands or off-campus jobs. This step was scheduled to last for 14 days.

However, on Oct. 5, students living on campus received an email informing them that due to a recent rise in positive COVID-19 cases, they would remain in Step Two of the plan until further notice.

“Chancellor Black has indicated his support for remaining at Step Two in the Maroon & Gold Sunrise Plan,” the email read. “We will continue to monitor data around case numbers to determine when we are able to move to Step Three.”

As of Oct. 8 UMD students saw 39 positive cases, with 11% of quarantine and isolation rooms occupied.

Students that either test positive for COVID-19 or experience symptoms are required to isolate in the designated space of Oakland A Apartments on the UMD campus. UMD Health Services works with the Minnesota Department of Health to provide contact tracing for these students to determine who else may have been exposed to the virus.

Students who come into close contact — less than six feet for longer than 15 minutes — with a person who tests positive are required to quarantine in the same designated building.

According to the CDC, the difference between quarantine and isolation is a matter of whether or not the student has tested positive and/or has symptoms of COVID-19 or has simply had contact with someone who tested positive.

Those in quarantine or isolation are not allowed to leave their spaces and are required to have separate living quarters and a separate bathroom. They are provided with a daily delivery of food at noon designed to provide them with three meals for the day. Students receive this food regardless of whether or not they have a dining plan. UMD Health Services then works with each student to determine when it is safe for them to leave isolation or quarantine.

Returning students who elected to live in Oakland A Apartments on UMD campus were re-located in order to designate the building for isolation and quarantine procedures. Photo courtesy of UMD Housing and Residence Life website

Leiferman said that UMD Health Services and the Minnesota Department of Health’s guidelines for college campuses greatly influence the decisions made by UMD officials regarding the pandemic.

Leiferman also said that there are many steps that would happen before UMD on-campus housing completely closed and students were sent home. He said that if this were to happen, it would be done following the advice of the Minnesota Department of Health.

According to UMD Health Services, if necessary, UMD would be able to move backwards in the steps of the Maroon and Gold Sunrise Plan before closing the housing facilities completely.

“There are many challenges with this pandemic, but I think educating the public regarding the importance of practicing prevention strategies consistently is critical,” UMD Health Services Clinic Manager Debra Mitchell said. “We all want this pandemic to be over, but the reality is that it is not. If each of us does not change our behavior, more infection will occur and more of what we all want will continue to be limited or unavailable for an even longer period of time.”

Sophie Druckrey, a sophomore living in the campus apartments at UMD, said she feels that the current regulations are a “good bar to start at,” but that there are going to be people who don’t follow them.

“It’s just tough,” Druckrey said. “There’s not a good way to meet new people right now.”

According to Druckrey, students have violated some guidelines, but it can be hard for the Resident Assistants to constantly watch and enforce the new rules.

“People who also are students, who are busy, are in charge now of everyone’s health,” Druckrey said.

Leiferman said that reprimand for students who break the COVID-19 guidelines varies depending on each situation.

“Generally speaking our approach initially is educational,” Leiferman said. “We want to help students understand the policy and the expectations.”

According to Leiferman, consequences for not following guidelines could range from a warning to termination of a housing contract.

Editors Note: This story was corrected on Oct. 10, 2020. The original story stated that UMD has seen 190 positive COVID-19 cases as of Oct. 3. While this number is accurate, the number used in this story has been changed to represent only positive student cases for clarity purposes.

UMD delays third step of COVID-19 housing plan due to rise in cases