The University of Nevada, Reno announced this morning it will offer refunds to students for dorms they are being forced to vacate because of COVID-19.
UNR’s email to students yesterday, saying students would still be on the hook for dorm fees, drew significant community outrage. A Change.org poll was signed by more than 8,000 people demanding what they said was a more equitable approach.
“It is unfair and irresponsible for the University to not grant refunds to the students who are being emergency evicted and will not be using school services,” the poll stated.
UNR officials this morning announced they changed their minds.
“Effective immediately, [UNR] is modifying its decision about on-campus housing for the remainder of the spring, 2020 term, to protect the health and safety of our student residents and also to reassure their families that we understand the circumstances many of them now face,” the university wrote in a statement.
UNR’s statement
The following accommodations will now be made:
- The University will prorate occupancy and provide a refund to all student residents who have been asked to stay home in order to receive remote instruction. These refunds will be processed as these residents are identified and issued within 14 days.
- Those students with extenuating circumstances who have been approved to remain in on-campus housing (for example,international students, students who are homeless, in foster situations, or from areas where travel has been ordered to cease) will continue to be responsible for completion of their rental and meal plan contracts.
- If a student resident has belongings remaining in the residence hall room after spring break, those rooms will be locked and the owner of these belongings will remove materials by May 13. One does not need to return immediately nor does one have to fill out a survey with explanation of extenuating circumstances. As always, students unable to meet the May 13 deadline should notify the Housing office by May 1 so that accommodations can be made.
- For those who purchased meal plans and cannot use them due to their absence from campus, a prorated refund will be issued for the number of weeks remaining in the term.
Residents are encouraged to call 775-784-1113 or emailhousing@unr.edu.
This Is Reno’s COVID-19 news coverage
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COVID-19 cases dropping in Washoe County, vaccine misinformation persists
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Bob Conrad is publisher, editor, and co-founder of This Is Reno. He has served in communications positions for various state agencies and earned a doctorate from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2011, where he completed a dissertation on social media, journalism and crisis communications. In addition to managing This Is Reno, he holds a part-time appointment for the Mineral County University of Nevada Extension office.