Student Life

We understand that returning to campus during a pandemic requires a different way of thinking about and approaching life – but we believe our students are conscientious and mature enough to adhere to the public health expectations of Tulane and the City of New Orleans.

Taking the steps necessary to protect others is who we are as Tulanians. Our motto, “Not for oneself but for one’s own,” says it all. We take care of one another. We must be hyper-vigilant and diligent in adhering to the University’s public health guidelines and protocols. We must understand how irresponsible behavior can impact our campus and city in which we live.

Student Commitment to Public Health Acknowledgment

Prior to arrival, students must acknowledge that they understand the public health guidelines and protocols. This acknowledgement form will be delivered and signed electronically.

We will provide each student with multiple opportunities to learn about the public health and behavioral expectations for the fall semester, including:

• Online COVID-19 education
• Individual in-person education at the time of initial testing
• Virtual “Question & Answer Sessions” for students related to individual and group conduct
• Continued University communications throughout the semester updating students on the current status and any changes to expectations issued by the University, City or State

Student Conduct

Students are expected to follow all of the public health guidelines and behavioral expectations set forth by the University, the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana. Students living on-campus must also abide by the Community Living Standards published by Housing and Residence Life. Changes to these guidelines will be available on Tulane’s website communicated to students, including via e-mail. Each student is responsible for apprising themselves of changes made to these expectations, so it’s more important than ever that students monitor their e-mail for such announcements.

Code of Student Conduct

In addition to COVID-19 specific public health and behavioral expectations, students are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct as in typical semesters. Our Code allows for the enforcement of the COVID-19 specific health and behavioral expectations through several existing rules:

• Causing harm or the reasonable apprehension of physical harm (such as flouting social distancing and mask wearing guidelines, intentionally spitting, coughing or sneezing on another person, or removing – or threatening to remove – a person’s mask).
   
• Interference with any educational process or other University sponsored activities, including material disruptions in the classroom or other learning environments (i.e. refusing to wear a mask in class; refusing to adhere to the safety instructions put in place by the professor; removing health and safety signage; engaging in lewd or disruptive behavior during an online class; creating harassing social media, instructional or discussion posts, etc.).
   
• Failure to comply with the directives of a university official (i.e. not following a request from TUPD, an RA or any other faculty or staff member; refusing to move 6 or more feet apart when instructed; refusing to show Splash card upon request).
   
• Violation of other University principles, policies, or rules, including but not limited to public health mandates, tailgating or game day policies, policies of the Office of Fraternity & Sorority Programs, policies of the Office of Campus Life, Community Living Standards through Housing & Residence Life, and rules concerning entry and use of university facilities, the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages, use of vehicles, or misuse of identification cards (i.e. hosting an unregistered party, having a guest from another building visit you, or recruiting underground members or hosting non-approved recruitment events).
   
• Creating or contributing to behaviors which jeopardize the relationship between the University and the greater community, including failure to comply with public health mandates. (ie. Hosting gatherings in which the university and city guidance is not followed, failure to maintain a clean-living environment, etc.).

Addressing Problematic Behavior

In order to support a safe and successful semester, we must all help each other act safely and with accountability. We know that individuals may have different ways of doing this, and some may feel uncomfortable addressing problematic behaviors. To help you begin to think about how you might address problematic day to day behaviors in a respectful and non-confrontational way, we have created this resource. If you try to respectfully address problematic behaviors and the situation escalates, we recommend removing yourself from the situation and filing an online concerns report.

Reporting Student Violations

You can report problematic behavior by using our online report system. These reports are received in real time. You can also call the Tulane University Police at 504-865-5381.

To support the health of our campus community Tulane has instituted an Arrival Center, where all students who live on campus may stay for two nights – as their first stop in New Orleans – before proceeding to campus. The Arrival Center will be at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 601 Loyola Ave., in downtown New Orleans. The Hyatt Regency has partnered with Tulane to provide the entire property for the TU Arrival Center. This provides a significant amount of space to maintain physical distancing and follow safety protocols.

First-year students are scheduled for move-in between August 10-13, while returning students are scheduled between August 14-17. Students sign up for their specific on-campus arrival day/time through the Housing Portal online.

The Arrival Center will serve a variety of needs, which include:

• Testing all students for COVID-19 prior to moving into their on-campus residence hall
• Providing the setting for student and parent orientation sessions prior to the start of classes (The schedule of programs and orientation meetings at the Arrival Center will be provided as they become available)
• After receiving a negative result, Tulane will provide shuttles from the Arrival Center to the Uptown Campus for students to check into their residence halls

For both the educational and social benefit of our students, we strongly encourage that all students arrive on campus at the scheduled time for their cohort. However, students for whom the arrival date poses challenges can contact Dean of Students Erica Woodley to discuss possible options. Additional move-in information and procedures can be found here.

View Arrival Center Schedule of Events

Tulane’s New Student & Leadership Programs team, along with our campus partners, has re-designed New Student Orientation (NSO).

• On July 10, students received a Special Edition: NSO 2020 Schedule Navigator e-newsletter explaining these changes.
• The schedules for New Student Orientation 2020 have been published on the New Student Orientation website. For legibility, schedules have been split up by move-in date, with special editions for commuter, transfer and virtual students.
• Students will receive a more detailed, personalized schedule in August. Our new schedule creates additional time for students to meet each other and the use of innovative platforms allows NSO programs to adhere to public health guidelines.

The expanded schedule offers you more contact time with your Wave Leaders, trained upper division student volunteers who guide and assist students in the first part of the semester. The schedule also includes time for 2024 Convocation, Innovative Welcome to the Wave, expanded Academic Workshops, and opportunities to learn about New Orleans and the Tulane Community.  Many key topics will be offered in a rotation format of smaller groups to allow for proper social distancing.
 
Finally, new students don't have to wait to arrive on campus to start meeting your peers and student leaders, thanks to a new online platform. The Welcome Wave portal will help students meet each other and begin to build their community at Tulane. Check your email inbox for the invitation to join the Welcome Wave portal.
 
As you pack, ship, and prepare to come to campus, continue to complete your pre-arrival Learning Modules; finish up tasks on the New Student Checklist; and take care of yourself by wearing a mask when going out in public, practice social distancing, and taking time out for self-care. We can’t wait to see you soon!
 
If you have any questions now about New Student Orientation, you can review resources online at https://orientation.tulane.edu/ or email the New Student and Leadership Programs staff at orientation@tulane.edu.

COVID-19 Off-Campus Healthy Living Guide

The Healthy Living Guide has been created to help students make healthy choices regarding living and visiting off-campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will benefit students’ own health and well-being, as well as others in the Tulane and greater New Orleans community.

View the guide

The residential student experience is a hallmark of the Tulane experience. This year, students living on campus will be asked to commit to several changes that are being implemented for their safety. The foundation of our plan is built around personal responsibility. Each student will be asked to make a commitment to their personal safety and the safety of the community as we navigate the fall and spring semester. For all COVID-19 Housing updates visit: https://housing.tulane.edu/

Residence Halls

Each residence hall community may include different elements of the following, depending on building style, age and location on campus:

• No guest visitation during the Fall semester (students are not allowed to have guests including visitors from other residence halls on campus). For more details, visit the Community Living Standards published on the Housing & Residence Life website.
• Face coverings must be worn at all times in the residence halls, except for when students are in their room or bathroom.
• Common areas and study rooms have been de-densified. Students must adhere to the new capacity guidelines for personal safety and wear a face covering.
• Personal hygiene is expected. Students must routinely wash their hands and use the sanitization stations placed throughout the facility.
• Increased cleaning will occur in all residence halls. Community bathrooms will be cleaned twice a day. Suite style bathrooms will be cleaned once a week. Additional cleaning will routinely occur in the residence halls on a daily basis. Students will be expected to proactively assist in keeping their personal space and community spaces clean.
• Students are required to follow the Community Living Standards published on the Tulane Housing and Residence Life website.
• Students are expected to follow the new elevator capacity guidelines and to follow directional signage for stairwells, entries and exits.
• Proactive conversations, roommate agreements and education regarding safety protocols will be ongoing throughout the semester.
• Students that test positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed will be expected to utilize the infirmary located in Paterson Hall.

HVAC and Engineering Protocols

The university has made a commitment to support the safety of community members. This includes maintenance and modifications in the residence halls, to include:

• Filter changes, changes in filter types, frequency of cleaning of HVAC equipment, increased use of outside air and increased air flow changes where possible.
• Ingress and egress directional signage throughout the residence halls, where possible.
• Engineering safety controls (plexiglass) in high-interaction areas.
• Signage limiting common area bathroom and lounge capacity.
• Hand sanitizer stations outside every community bathroom.
• Air dryers disabled in bathrooms.

Green Wave Hall (singles)

Green Wave Hall, located in the Hyatt Place on Convention Blvd, is the newest (temporary) member of the Housing and Residence Life program. This community is designed as an off-campus community for students requesting single bedroom accommodations for the fall and spring semester. Below are several critical items:

• Students living in Green Wave Hall will be required to follow the same expectations as students living on the Uptown Campus, including wearing face coverings and maintaining personal hygiene practices.
• Guest visitation is not allowed at Green Wave Hall during the fall semester.
• Daily grab-and-go breakfast will be provided.
• Shuttle service and package delivery will be offered on-site.

Tulane is committed to a thriving student experience outside of the classroom. Currently, a committee of students, faculty and staff are developing opportunities and programs to engage students in the new normal of campus life.

This will include hybrid offerings – in person and online – for events, programs and gatherings to develop and sustain the thriving campus community for which Tulane is known. It will include in-person spaces for students to meet in small groups; to create opportunities for physical distance in Tulane’s beautiful outdoor spaces; and to encourage individual, small group gatherings in keeping with city and campus guidelines. Online it will include opportunities for students to learn, celebrate, and have fun through guest speakers, live streaming concerts, and innovative leadership workshops and trainings.

Service-Learning and Community Engagement

Tulane’s commitment to public service is unwavering and we are revising or designing new opportunities focused on education, training and engagement with the New Orleans community. Students participating in public service are expected to adhere to Tulane’s COVID-19 guidelines and protocols and local public health guidance. Working with our community partners, Tulane is dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities for students to engage and reflect about their own role during a global crisis.

As you plan events for the upcoming year, it is essential to keep in mind that space on campus will be limited. Many spaces traditionally used for events will be instead be used for classroom instruction (and those spaces will need to be cleaned and sanitized much more regularly than in the past). You will need to plan ahead and begin thinking about transitioning events into smaller groups and/or to a virtual environment.

To learn more, review Meeting & Event Policies for University Departments and Recognized Student Organizations during COVID-19 Reopening.

Hours of Operation

The Reily Student Recreation Center will resume operations for Tulane Affiliates only beginning Monday, July 27. The facility will close for two hours for cleaning between 2–4 p.m. Hours of operation will fluctuate in accordance with University holidays, home football games, maintenance projects, and staff training events. Click here for a detailed list of facility hours. Reily Center hours and operations are subject to change during the pandemic.

Facility Reservations Required

Prior to entering the Reily Center, members must make an online reservation. Click here for step-by-step instructions on making a reservation. Reservations can be made in 50-minute increments. Please plan for longer wait times than normal to get checked in. Be advised that you will not be allowed to exercise in the facility without a reservation. If you are unable to make your reservation, you are required to cancel at least 30 minutes prior to the reservation. Failure to do so may result in suspension of access to the facility and/or suspension of membership privileges.

To reserve a court, ping-pong table, or studio, click here. Court reservations may display as 1-hour though they are for 50-minute increments.

Tulane Affiliates Only

To support the health and safety of the Tulane community, Campus Recreation will limit Reily Student Recreation Center membership and access to Tulane University Affiliates only.

Campus Recreation defines Tulane Affiliates as: Tulane University Students, Tulane University Employees, Tulane University Alumni, Tulane University Emeritus, and additional members of the aforementioned affiliate groups with proof of shared residence and financial co-dependency (Family Memberships, only. This does not apply for the Early Bird pass).

New Memberships

New membership purchases must be made online and will be available beginning Wednesday, August 19. There will be no cash sales and no purchases can be made in the facility. To purchase a membership, visit https://campusrec.tulane.edu.

Member Code of Conduct

While visiting the Reily Center, it is imperative that members abide by social distancing guidelines and some basic rules. Members may not enter the facility if they are experiencing a fever, cough or other symptoms related to COVID-19.

• You should bring your own water bottle, towel, member ID, equipment and face covering.
• You must wear a mask/face covering at all times while in the Reily Student Recreation Center.
• Wash or sanitize your hands before, during and after using the Reily Student Recreation Center.
• Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from others when walking throughout the gym and at least 10 feet while participating in physical activity.
• Limit the items you touch within the gym.
• Clean each piece of equipment before and after each use.
• Pre-plan your workout routine to avoid lingering/socializing and to allow others to work out during this period of reduced occupancy.
• Follow the instructions of all Campus Recreation employees.

Group Exercise Class

Group Exercise classes will have reduced capacity numbers, and studios will have floor markings to provide a physical radius around each participant. Advance reservations are required to attend classes.

• Reservations for Group Exercise classes will follow the same process as reservations for facility access (See facility reservations for more information).
• All cycling classes will take place in the Riverside Studio. The Auxiliary Gym will become a space for Mind/Body Classes. The Diboll studios will be used for academic classes.
• Participants must bring their own mat or towels for in-person classes when needed.
• All participants and staff will be required to wear face coverings at all times while using the facility. Participants are required to clean all equipment before and after use. Group Exercise studios will be thoroughly cleaned in-between classes.
• Virtual Group Exercise classes will continue to be offered.

Area-Specific Closures

The Indoor Track, Locker Rooms, Main Gym, Squash Court and Equipment Check-Out areas pose challenges to both managing social distancing and meeting safe expectations for sanitizing and will remain closed until further notice.

Indoor & Outdoor Pools

Both indoor and outdoor pools will be closed to complete previously scheduled maintenance. Due to COVID-19, the project timeline was adjusted. All aquatics programming and swim lessons have been canceled until further notice.

Other Programming

Intramural Sports, Club Sports and Outdoor Adventures will be required to follow health safety and social distancing guidelines as directed by the university. For information regarding these programs, please visit https://campusrec.tulane.edu/.

Tulane University Dining Services will continue to offer a variety of to-go and packaged meals from retail locations across campus, as well as seated, all-you-care-to-eat dining in the Dining Room at the Commons and Green Wave Grille. In addition to our existing dining venues, a structure has been added on the Berger Family Lawn to provide extra serving and seating space. Additionally, Dining Services is launching a new online ordering app that will allow students to order meals for pick-up or on-campus delivery.
 
Students are expected to social distance in dining venues. This means maintaining at least 6 feet distance from other people. While waiting to enter the dining space, waiting in-line, or sitting at tables, social distancing must be maintained. Students are expected to wear masks in dining venues except when eating. Safety precautions for the fall include frequent cleaning of spaces and surfaces, installation of plexiglass barriers and hand sanitizer stations, transition to full-service rather than self-service, and reduction of capacity in dining venues to maintain social distancing. Dining Services staff will complete a daily symptom self-assessment to support the safety of fellow staff and customers. In addition, our reciprocal dining plan agreement with Loyola University has been suspended until further notice, and all venues will be closed to non-Tulane affiliates and the general public.

Dining Pavilion & Relocated Concepts

Tulane University Dining Services is adding a temporary structure dubbed the Dining Pavilion on the Berger Family Lawn, which will act as a secondary all-you-care-to-eat, resident dining location. It will house former retail concepts, The Currier tuk tuk, Healthy TU tuk tuk, Global Mobile food truck and Roulez food truck. We’ve also added a Chef’s Table that will feature entrees and sides. Students and guests will use meal swipes to enter the Dining Pavilion and dine. Our new food truck concept Bowlful will feature all plant-based bowls and will be located on the Academic Quad.

Other Dining Venues

We have extended dining plan meal swipes to be offered at Le Gourmet featuring Rollin’ n Bowlin’ and Zatarain’s in the LBC Food Court. Zatarain’s will feature Simplified recipes (freshly prepared proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates made without milk, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, eggs, or gluten).

Existing Dining Venues

All locations will have a defined entrance and exit to avoid cross flow of traffic as well as capacity restrictions. This will promote 6 feet of social distance between groups. Directional floor stickers and signage will also aid in the implementation of social distancing. Table-top signage at all dining locations will help encourage guests to sit with “cohort” groups, as well as signal if the tables have been properly sanitized or are waiting to be sanitized by a clean team member. All dining venues will also feature acrylic plexiglass barriers, as well as full-service stations to help prevent any contact between student/faculty/staff and Sodexo workers.

Safety Measures

All Sodexo employees will be tested for COVID-19 according to University policy and complete a symptom and temperature check before entering the operation for work. All Sodexo employees will be required to wear masks during work hours unless eating a meal during lunch breaks. Sodexo is providing additional COVID-19 training for all dining employees. Hand washing and hand sanitizer stations will be added throughout dining facilities to encourage hand hygiene. Additional clean teams have been added to each shift so that tables and stations can be cleaned between guests.

Grubhub

Tulane University Dining Services has partnered with the mobile ordering app Grubhub, which will be implemented at all retail locations on campus to allow for contactless ordering and payment, as well as delivery pick-up stations.

1834 Club & Catering

1834 Club, our faculty and staff dining room, will be converted into restaurant-style dining for Fall 2020. We have taken extra precautions to reduce seating capacity and discontinue buffet service. Guests will be greeted by a host who will take their order and serve them throughout the meal. Catering will be providing limited services that will be determined by capacity. As we continue to open the university, we will be offering selections from our Grab ‘n’ Go menus.

Tulane University is committed to the return of all graduate and professional students, with campuses and schools reopening on or before August 19.

For information on financial assistance, unemployment insurance, stipends and student emergency aid please connect with your individual school department head or advisor. Graduates should also connect with the Graduate and Professional Student Association which can provide further assistance.

International graduate and professional students should connect with the Office of International Students and Scholars, the designated office on campus that provides immigration advising and support services to Tulane's international community.

To support students’ academic success through attending to health and well-being, Tulane Campus Health offers a wide variety of services and initiatives. The Health Center is staffed by licensed and board-certified providers to provide accessible, high-quality medical care for students during their time at Tulane University. We provide comprehensive medical care, including both primary care and preventive health care services. We also offer referrals for specialized care in the community. The Counseling Center is committed to providing developmentally appropriate mental health services both in the office setting and as outreach, along with consultative support throughout Tulane University. The Well for Health Promotion provides resources, programs, and services that help Tulane students make healthy choices in support of their academic, personal and professional goals. For more information, please visit https://campushealth.tulane.edu/

Sports activities (such as conditioning and training) for football, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball are ongoing, but subject to additional public health and safety practices.

Staff and coaches have been returning in phases since June 12 with the last group of staff and coaches expected to arrive on campus for testing on July 31.

Student-athletes from all other sports will return with the rest of the Tulane undergraduate population. They will follow procedures and protocols as established by the university for move-in and testing. They will also undergo a full Athlete testing protocol designed by Tulane’s Center for Sport before they can return to team activities or workouts.

The Athletics COVID-19 public health and safety practices are as follows:

• A testing protocol for student-athletes upon their arrival and throughout the summer and into the fall are expected
• COVID-19 prescreening/medical questionnaires of all staff, coaches and student-athletes are to be filled out daily upon entering athletics facilities
• People entering our athletics facilities will be subject to temperature screenings
• Extra precautions in training rooms, locker rooms and weight rooms include, but are not limited to, installation of engineering controls like plastic shielding and adding space between equipment and lockers, using additional spaces to distribute density, and adding additional cleanings as recommended by industrial hygienist
• Development of guidelines, in conjunction with university and NCAA guidelines, on how to handle student-athletes that require quarantining, isolation and those who are predisposed to certain illnesses
• Procurement of all additional equipment and cleaning devices that will be needed
• Review department protocol with coaches and sport administrators

An “Athletics Campus” has been created around our facilities with only one staff entry point. This was done for the safety and security of our staff, coaches and students. We have maintained strict adherence to the CDC guidelines as well as the recommendations of industrial hygiene consultants. We have also worked with Tulane’s Center for Sport following their medical testing and protocol to ensure our environment is as safe as any for the return of our staff and students.

• Screening all upon entry into the Wilson Center, this will include a questionnaire and forehead temperature scans
• Face coverings are required inside the Athletics Campus for all students, student-athletes, staff and coaches
• Requiring strict adherence to 6-foot social distancing guidelines
• Work with our partners like Sodexo and Barnes & Noble to support compliance with contactless service delivery

Athletics Events

• Football is scheduled to begin on Sept. 3 and volleyball is scheduled to begin on Sept. 1, contingent on American Athletic Conference scheduling and evolving public health circumstances
• Assuming spectators can attend under government rules, event modifications to address guidelines may include ticketing sections; longer queue lines for entry; for catered areas, food may be served to patrons; and, technology permitting, seat delivery solutions and contactless points of sale may be available

Due to new safety considerations and restrictions placed on our operation by public health officials, Tulane Shuttles & Transportation will adjust operations and service for the fall 2020 semester. While several fixed shuttle lines will be suspended and Tulane TapRide hours will be modified, we are working to best serve our community. New schedules and routes will be shared soon and go into effect on Monday, August 10.

All riders on Tulane vehicles will be required to wear masks and maintain 6 feet social distance between other riders not in their immediate family or cohort. Seating capacity in all vehicles will be reduced. Vehicles will be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day by Shuttles & Transportation staff using approved cleaning and disinfecting agents. Where applicable, plexiglass shields have been installed behind the driver’s area, and HEPA filters have been installed. In addition, all vehicles have been equipped with hand sanitizer dispensers.

Online textbooks service

The Tulane Bookstore textbook department has shifted to online service. Students must order their textbooks online directly from the Tulane bookstore’s website. Students may pick up their orders from the bookstore when they arrive on campus or have them shipped to the Tulane mail room.

Safety Protocols

To support the safety of our staff and students, the Tulane Bookstore is required to follow the safety guidelines implemented by Tulane University and the City of New Orleans, including the following:

• Face coverings must be worn while in the store, by both staff and visitors.
• Regular cleaning of high-traffic areas will occur.
• Complimentary hand sanitizer will be placed at the check-out and pick-up areas.
• Social distancing guidelines will be required.
• Contactless payments (i.e. Apple and Samsung pay) and e-receipts are now available.
• The number of people in the store will be limited based on current City of New Orleans guidelines.