University Housing COVID-19 Updates
The residence halls and SOU Dining will remain open during the Spring Term, where classes are being delivered remotely online. We are dedicated to continuing to provide a positive and healthy living experience for our students. Please see below initatives we are taking, along with some of the frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at housing@sou.edu.
Custodial Services
Enhanced cleaning has been taking place in all of the SOU residence halls since Monday, March 16.
High-touchpoint areas in residence halls include:
- crash-bars on exit doors
- door knobs and handles
- mailboxes
- faucet handles
- elevator buttons
- soap dispenser levers
- paper towel dispenser controls
- light switches
- handrails in stairwells
The Hawk will remain open and provide essential services.
All food is being served in single-use takeout containers so that students may take their food to-go and eat in the location of their choosing.
Extra hand sanitizer stations have been added to The Hawk, along with designated social-distancing locations.
SOU Dining is also extending Community Meal Plans that have been purchased until August 31, 2020.
Student Engagement
University Housing staff will continue ensuring that residence halls are secure and promoting a healthy environment for students to focus on their academics. Student staff will continue to complete nightly rounds through the building, as well as Professional Staff are still on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
In observance of social distancing, we will not be hosting in person events/ programs. Students should expect small activities, digital activities, and more personal interactions with their RA’s. Students may be texted more than usual from Housing staff.
Residence Halls - Frequently Asked Questions
Is my residence hall remaining open, or do I have to leave campus? Can I stay for spring break?
Yes, the residence halls are open during spring break and spring term, even while campus has moved all of the classes to be online.
What if I decide to move out but I can’t get my stuff due to travel restrictions, quarantine, etc?
We ask that students observe the travel restrictions for their state and the state of Oregon. Please continue to keep in contact with University Housing by emailing housing@sou.edu We will continue to keep you updated on deadline and timelines.
We've coordinated with Dorm Room Movers to offer some specials which would allow their background-checked movers access to rooms in order to pack items for storage and/or shipping for you… without you being present!
On your day of pickup, they'll send you a private link to live video chat with the movers while they pack and pick up your belongings! You'll also receive a link to stream/download the video of their time in your room in case you can’t make the call!
Dorm Room Movers will be conducting their first round of pickups between April 9th and April 20th for students who will not be present on campus, so if your belongings will be ready within that time-frame and you do not plan to return to campus until Fall term, we recommend setting up your service now. If pick-ups are needed after April 20th, please communicate this with SOU Housing, as this may impact billing. We will work with you if these timing issues become a scheduling problem.
Follow the steps below:
- CLICK HERE and follow the instructions in this form thoroughly. Please take your time while filling out the form and read all the instructions provided to ensure you have a clear understanding of how the program works. (Note: If you want to donate or throw anything away, please be specific, as the movers will follow your instructions, and it doesn’t make financial sense with storing things that are not worth saving.)
- The form will guide you through the Dorm Room Movers registration process, if you have not done so yet. Please make sure to select the earliest date your items will be ready for pickup without you present on campus in your "ready by date" field of your account.
I already moved out of the hall, but I still have my keys?
Please email us at housing@sou.edu to let us know that you are mailing your keys to us.
Please mail your keys to:
SOU Housing
450 Wightman St
Ashland, OR 97520
When will I hear about the removal of fees for Shasta/ McLoughlin?
Students who are currently living in University Housing facilities and wish to move out for spring term should contact University Housing directly at (541) 552-6371 or housing@sou.edu to discuss all available options.
We have previously notified students that those living in Shasta and McLoughlin halls have leases with a third-party owner of those buildings. We have now resolved how SOU will handle the petitions of students who wish to leave those residence halls for spring term.
Each petition to leave Shasta or McLoughlin will be reviewed, approved, and a credit (refund) will be applied to the student’s account. The student will receive a refund equal to any excess amount paid.
The University Housing Office will work through case-by-case issues with each student. Those who wish to leave the Shasta or McLoughlin residence halls should submit petitions to do so no later than Monday, April 20. All other leases will be considered to be in effect for all of spring term.
We thank you for your patience as we have worked to resolve this issue in a way that supports our students. If you decide to leave, we look forward to seeing you back in resident housing next fall term.
What about Greensprings & Madrone Halls?
For students who lived in Greensprings and Madrone Halls and have moved out, your Spring Term housing charges will be reversed, as SOU owns those buildings. We will begin processing these refunds when the housing petition and move-out are complete. This process could take several weeks to complete, and we ask for your patience as we move through this process while still handling the ever-changing nature of the current state of the world. Students need to complete the Housing Petition in order for this to happen.
How do I check out of my room?
For students who want to move out, we are asking that they remove all of their items, clean the room, and bring the keys to the University Housing Office. Students who are moving out of the halls are encouraged to complete the Housing Petition, which can be found on the Housing Portal through your InsideSOU account.
University Housing will also have carts and vacuums available at the University Housing Front Desk, located in Greensprings Hall. Carts and vacuums will be disinfected between uses.
There are also dumpsters located in the Shasta Parking Lot, and between Shasta and McLoughlin on Stadium Street. We ask students who have more than their usual room trash to take items to these locations.
We will not have our annual donation program we typically operate during move out. We ask students to take ALL of their belongings with them.
Should students fail to follow checkout procedures, damage and excessive cleaning fees may apply if there is damage to the room or items left behind that staff have to remove.
What do I do with the MicroFridge I rented?
We ask that you defrost the unit, clean it, and contact the company here: https://www.collegiateconcepts.net/submit-a-service-request/index.html University Housing will work with the company to remove units when they are able to come to campus.
I am starting SOU Spring Term, and signed up for housing, but I plan to live at home now that everything's online?
Students who are not planning on living on campus for Spring Term to complete the Housing Petition, which can be found on the Housing Portal through your InsideSOU account.
I live in Shasta, McLoughlin, or Madrone, and have to supply my own toilet paper, however I can’t find any in the stores. Will I be provided any?
Yes, University Housing will gladly give you two rolls to get you through this short-term shortage until it becomes more readily available in our stores. Please go to the University Housing Front Desk in Greensprings Hall to pick some up.
Student Apartments & Family Housing - Frequently Asked Questions
Is rent being reduced or frozen?
No, rent for SAFH will not be reduced or frozen. However, our staff are happy to assist in the creation of a flexible payment plan to help individual students navigate the financial impact of COVID-19. University Housing will also not issue any late fees for the months of April and May of this year to support students changing needs.
Will I be getting a late fee?
During the months of April and May we will not be issuing any late fees.
I lost my job due to COVID-19, will I get evicted?
If you communicate with our office in advance and develop an approved payment plan with our staff, we will help our students avoid eviction. However, you may not be allowed to sign a new lease if your balance is too high or goes unpaid for too long.
How do I set up a payment plan?
Students can contact Assistant Director of University Housing Christopher Young (youngc9@sou.edu) or Area Coordinator of SAFH Jason Mendoza (mendozaj1@sou.edu) to discuss payment plan options. You can also create your own plan and submit it for approval through this link: https://goo.gl/forms/lOpOaBRh3n0BMPUD2
How do I make rent payments during this time?
Card payments will ONLY be taken over the phone. Check payments can be mailed in or students can call the desk to be let into the Greensprings building (where the housing office front desk is located). The front desk is no longer open access to the public to minimize possible exposure from folks who are not students. Below is the address and phone number for the University Housing front desk:
Southern Oregon University Housing
450 Wightman St,
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 552-6371
May I still have friends/family visit me during the shelter-in-place orders?
We ask all SAFH tenants to please refrain from allowing guests into their homes and the SAFH community so that we can reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Are the playground structures open?
We have also closed all the play structures throughout SAFH indicated by caution tape and a sign regarding their closure. Please encourage your children to keep the play structure areas clear, especially with children who may not realize the play areas are not closed. Their closure is to help limit potential exposure of COVID-19 to the community’s children. We encourage parents to inform their children of what proper social distancing is and how to maintain it.
Is the laundry room still open?
Yes, the laundry room will stay open. The Resident Managers (RMs) for SAFH will continue to sanitize the laundry room doors, dryer/washer buttons, and the dryer/washer handles every night. The handles for both of the trash compactors will also continue to be sanitized every night when RMs are doing their rounds about the SAFH complex.
Because of COVID-19’s impact on my finances/online coursework I want to move out of SAFH early. Is this possible?
In order to request an early move out please complete and submit a lease breakage form as soon as possible (link: https://inside.sou.edu/assets/housing/docs/SAFH_Lease_Breakage_Form.pdf). Typically, ending a lease early involves a lease breakage fee of 1.5 times the cost of your monthly rent. You can petition that the fee be waived by filling out a petition form and explaining your needs (link here: https://forms.gle/d4X8RNH4Ky84Jyp97). A petition form does not guarantee the waiving of fees, but will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If I need something repaired how do I maintain social distancing when letting University Staff into my unit?
If you have any maintenance concerns, please submit the concern to the maintenance link here: https://inside.sou.edu/housing/maintenance.html. Though Facilities Management & Planning is still in operation to fulfill your maintenance needs, for the health and safety of our staff and yourselves we are strictly enforcing the 6ft distancing rule. Please respect this by keeping your distance while our staff work. If this cannot be accommodated, our staff can arrange to come back at a more convenient time.
