Sample COVID Protocols for Foyers and Apartments

The COVID-19 world health crisis has significantly upset operations in the field of International Education. As we look forward, many universities and organizations are currently putting in place plans to re-open and find solutions to allow international student mobility.  One aspect of student mobility that is likely to require significant attention is housing, whether students are housed in residence halls, apartments, or homestays.

In an effort to provide information to its members and their partners concerning the current situation, APUAF proposes sample protocols that members can adapt to their programs and the needs of their partner institutions.  The situation evolves quickly and continually, and as such, APUAF recommends that all readers verify the information provided before making definitive decisions. The sample protocols compile information from official French government sources in order to provide a convenient resource and reference document for APUAF members and their partners. They do not seek to interpret this information nor is their purpose to prescribe what measures APUAF members and their partners should adopt. Members who wish to do so, can develop a clear policy that can be communicated to all stakeholders before students arrive or incorporate some of the sample protocols items into the housing policies they already have established for their students.

After consulting a variety of protocols and guidelines established by French authorities for the education, hospitality and tourism sectors, the COVID-19 housing committee has drafted sample bilingual protocols for students staying in apartments or dorms intended to help safeguard the health and safety of all parties.  Separate sample protocols for students living in homestays can be found in a separate post on homestays.

The APUAF housing committee has also developed:

• a checklist of potential points that can be used as a road map for discussing apartments and residence halls onsite or with their home institutions
• an info sheet that gathers recommendations by French authorities for Residence halls housing 

The CA thanks members of the Foyer/Apartment subcommittee:

Céline Chataing, (IES Abroad Paris)

Noemi Haire-Sievers (Fondation des Etats-Unis)

Lucy King’oo (Middlebury)

Erin Reeser (Brown)