Operating under rotating schedules, 80 to 90 UR staff members are currently on campus each day during the coronavirus epidemic. The post office is sending mail and packages to students. The bookstore is taking online orders and doing as much as they can to help students as they adjust to virtual classes. And the Heilman Dining Center lobby is open for pick up meals while exercising social distancing.

As of early April, 55 University of Richmond students remained on campus and thousands more who had traveled home or elsewhere as college campuses across the country grapple with COVID-19. Keeping the campus running smoothly requires the work of many UR teams, including area coordinators in residence halls, the Heilman Dining Center staff, and the Emergency Management team, who are on call 24/7 and work to ensure both our students and campus are cared for and safe.

“The five area coordinators play a vital role,” said Patrick Benner, director of residence life and housing. “We started packing and shipping items on March 16 to get academic and medical items, along with essential identification to students. They’re continuing to do this daily as requests come in.”

The area coordinators live on campus in residence halls and have worked 12-hour days to pack more than 200 — and counting — shipments for students, Benner said.

Other UR teams have modified their schedules so that fewer people are on campus at the same time. Teams including facilities, dining services, and public safety have switched to rotating schedules that give everyone an opportunity to come in for a shift while also staying at home as much as possible.

“There’s been incredible flexibility both on the management and staff side of the house,” said Mark Detterick, senior associate vice president of campus operations. “We’ve gone to modified operations, and one of the ideas to get us through it is a rotating schedule. We are as flexible as possible changing the operations and doing what we have to do to serve the students who are on campus,” Detterick said.

As the University of Richmond community continues to adjust to this period of remote instruction, current information on COVID-19 and the University’s response can be found here.