Marist Will Use Community College Dorm for 14-Day Quarantine, Additional Housing

International students and students from 31 restricted U.S. states are required to return between August 1-3 for a mandatory 14-day quarantine, per New York State guidelines. 

The college will offer living accommodations for students to self-quarantine off campus at Dutchess Community College (DCC). The cost to students will be $100 per week, not including approximately $20 per day for food. Marist will also allow students to explore other options such as staying with relatives or reserving a hotel for the two-week time period, according to the Frequently Asked Questions page. 

Since DCC will complete the fall semester completely online, Marist will utilize their housing facility. The residences at DCC in Conklin Hall, located approximately 2 miles from campus, will also be used during the fall semester to meet the additional on campus housing demand. With study abroad programs canceled for the fall semester, an additional 300 students are looking for campus housing. 

All students will be able to bring their vehicles to campus for the fall semester, regardless of their credits, in case they need to return home to quarantine. A shuttle service will run between Conklin Hall and Marist from  7:30 am to 10:00 pm. Monday through Friday, with an abbreviated schedule on weekends. 

Students will be able to drop off their belongings in their assigned rooms at Marist before moving into quarantine housing. Students and no more than two additional individuals must follow the college’s guidelines outlined in the campus reopening plan while moving in, including wearing facial coverings and practicing social distancing. 

Those who choose to self-quarantine at DCC will be assigned to designated rooms for two weeks. During their stay, students must adhere to New York State guidelines. Marist will release additional details about meal accommodations with Chartwells, the hall’s food provider, in the coming days. The suites are equipped with a full-size refrigerator and microwave oven, but students must bring their own pots and pans if needed. 

Marist encouraged students travelling from restricted areas to arrive between August 1-3 because it will allow them to start the fall semester in person and on time. If students have exceptional cases and cannot arrive within that time frame, they should consult Bridget Stillson, admission counselor. 

The Circle contacted a number of affected students, and multiple expressed frustration about extra costs for the 14-day quarantine at Conklin Hall. For Mac Mugabo ‘21 of Rwanda, the increased costs are daunting. 

“Some students such as myself are flying with international flights, hence we are paying exorbitant fees in airfare as flights and travel routes are scarce at the moment,” Mugabo said. “Therefore, paying to self-quarantine is an added cost that can easily stimulate financial stress. Also, some international students are in countries that haven't opened up their airports. Therefore, as much as we would like to abide by the arrival time, there is little one can do in such a scenario.” 

Julia Fishman, Marist’s director of media relations, said that the college recognizes the financial burden, but identified Conklin Hall as a cost-effective option for students to fulfill the state’s requirement. 

“Conklin Hall offers a layout that complies with NYS quarantine requirements (separate living quarters, limited occupancy for bathrooms) and allows the College to continue to prepare its traditional residence facilities on the main campus for the arrival of students,” Fishman said.

Ani Stein ‘22 from California said that she will quarantine at Conklin Hall. 

“I really do not have any alternatives to look at considering it is such short notice. I was a little shocked to hear that we have to pay for quarantine, especially considering it is not necessarily our choice to quarantine off-campus,” Stein said. 

Fellow California resident Emma Kittay ‘22 highlighted the additional costs associated with the early move-in, including a last-minute $250 plane ticket and $375 private car from the airport to Marist in order to limit COVID-19 exposure. 

“[Marist] should have formed an initial timeline and released it to the students in this position sooner so they could have planned accordingly. I understand that this is a very hard thing to plan for, so I do want to send my thanks to those committees who are organizing everything for a safe arrival back,” Kittay said. 

That said, Kittay emphasized the challenges that students from distant states and countries face traveling to college, particularly amid a pandemic. 

“The process of moving into a school who advertises their West Coast and international students often needs to make their students’ move in and travel lives easier,” Kittay said.