On a normal Monday in March, the Santa Clara University (SCU) campus would be buzzing midday with students going to and from class. On Monday, March 23, there were just a handful of students on campus at noon, and almost all of them were moving their things out.
The University sent a note to students on March 20, telling them they had just days to move out. The decision to close the residence halls, neighboring housing and graduate and law residences was made after a law student living in the law residences tested positive for COVID-19. According to the University, the student is self-isolating at their off-campus home. The student was last on campus on March 6 at Charney Hall.
Despite the urgency, most students were understanding.
“It’s fine. It kind of sucks; I miss my friends. I think [the University has] handled it pretty well,” said sophomore Alanna.
The Los Gatos resident says she’s heard from friends who attend other universities and were simply kicked out of their living situation without notice. She was able to park near her residence hall and pack up without much incident.
Jane Mudge, an SCU alumni was also outside the residence hall helping her daughter move out. The pair drove down from San Francisco to complete the move out in time.
Mudge says she’s disappointed that her daughter is missing out on the experience of her freshman year, but she has appreciated how the University has handled the situation.
“The school’s been great about communicating,” said Mudge. “Kids are coordinating so they’re not moving out at the same time.”
“It’s fine. Kind of annoying,” said Andre Collen, a junior, who lived in university housing across the street from campus.
Students who were unable to move their items out this week will have an opportunity in May, but only with preapproved permission from University Housing.
Most students say they’re getting ready for a full load of classes in the spring quarter. All of them will be online. Most of the professors were very understanding at the end of the winter quarter. Many of them made the finals optional, allowing students to only take the final if they wanted to improve their grade in the course.
For the latest updates on how SCU is dealing with COVID-19, visit https://www.scu.edu/covid-19/.