BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Move in day may be the last chance you get to see your son or daughter’s new home because this semester dorm rooms at University at Buffalo are strictly for UB residents.
“Well I can tell you, we’re taking it very seriously,” director of campus living at University at Buffalo Thomas Tiberi said.
And even students living inside the residence halls will see social gatherings taken for granted in the past put on hold.
Tiberi says gone are the days where friends can bounce from dorm room to dorm room. Starting next semester, students will only be allowed in their own room.
“Everything that we’re doing is trying to reduce the number of people that are interacting whether that be a classroom or a lounge. So if we allowed guests in residential hall rooms, it would be kind of counter to what we’ve been doing as a university,” Tiberi said.
Tiberi says the schools main goal is to reduce density. UB has even gone as far as making all rooms doubles.
“And that reduced our occupancy about 14%” he adds.
Inside the room, students do not need to wear face masks, but in the hallways or common areas, they do.
“So it’s not like people can’t interact in the hall that they live in. Just not in their respective rooms,” he said.
Tiberi is calling on RA’s to help implement these rules, but the school is also trusting the residents to implement them themselves. UB students start returning to campus on August 22. Classes start August 31.
“Safety is our first priority which, it has to be. But at the same time, we do want to provide the best student experience possible for students, and we’re gonna maintain that as best we can, but in the safest manner possible,” Tiberi said.
