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MSU using Akers Hall for isolation housing, relocating some incoming students

July 20, 2020
<p>A quad style dorm room in Akers Hall photographed on Feb. 25, 2020.</p>

A quad style dorm room in Akers Hall photographed on Feb. 25, 2020.

Photo by Jack Falinski | The State News

Michigan State University will use Akers Hall as isolation housing for the upcoming fall 2020 semester, per a decision from Residential and Hospitality Services, or RHS.

Students originally assigned to live in Akers Hall were notified in an email from the Housing Assignments Office sent Friday.

"The Housing Assignments Office has evaluated and confirmed the need to relocate residents out of Akers Hall as we prepare for Learn From Home and isolation housing impacts to occupancy," according to the email.

Akers's quad-style layout, which includes a self-containing bathroom, is ideal for isolation housing, said Bethany Balks, Assistant Director of Communications for RHS said in a statement.

"Residential and Hospitality Services has decided to use the living wings in Akers Hall as isolation housing, should students need it," Balks wrote. "Since there are a great deal of unknowns in our future, the university feels it is best to prepare for isolation housing."

Incoming students assigned to live in Akers will receive their relocation assignments throughout the week.

With students choosing to stay at home with the Learn From Home option for fall semester, they will be able to relocate the students throughout campus.

"We have begun to transition students out of Akers as we’ve had openings from the Learn From Home option and university departures," Balks said in a statement to The State News. "As we update housing assignments for these impacted residents, we will do our best to honor student's roommate requests. We intend to offer housing to any MSU student unable to secure housing necessary to be successful."

The housing office is working to honor all roommate requests as best possible, the email states.

They will not be able to accept hall or neighborhood requests from the students being reassigned due to the unpredictability of room availability.

Housing will work with students with accommodations from the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities directly through their specialist to ensure all needs are honored. 

Students that haven't filled out their application should do so in their My Housing account no later than Aug. 5.

Housing also sent an email to students with housing updates Monday. Room and roommate assignments will be posted on students' My Housing accounts this week, as well as their move-in times.

Those intending to send packages to their dorms may begin sending packages to their building Aug. 10. Items arriving August 10-19 will be placed in student rooms; the remainder will be at their Service Center at move-in.

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