Naismith Hall Announces Plans for Affordable Single Room-Only Floors in Response to COVID-19

Private Residence Hall Balances Social Life and Social Distancing: Creates Affordable Single Room Only Floors

With the global outbreak of coronavirus COVID-19, universities across the country are endeavoring to figure out what life on campus will look like this fall on campus, and families with students heading off to school are faced with new questions about their on-campus experience, especially when it comes to their housing. Residence halls have always offered some of the safest and most social and supportive experiences, but now students are wondering if that social experience is really indeed the safest option out there, and if whether they will need to sacrifice social connection for social distancing.

At the University of Kansas, Naismith Hall, a privately-owned residence hall, has some unique solutions to provide both a safe and social experience for their residents. Since they already offer some of the largest rooms on campus, they have plenty of in-room space for residents to distance from each other. Their all-suite layout also means no overcrowding in large community-style bathrooms; residents can choose from either a semi-private suite that shares a bathroom with only one room, or a private suite which has its own private bath.

Naismith has also made the decision to convert a majority of their 252 rooms to single occupancy on a number of floors. “While we believe social connection and development to be a vital part of the university experience, we are keenly aware of the importance of maintaining physical distancing to safeguard community and resident health” said Ed Coyne, Vice President of Bromley Companies, the private company that has owned and operated Naismith for the last 7 years.

The reduced occupancy floors will have single-room only semi-private and private suites for residents that require or prefer an even higher level of physical distancing and will also help to decrease the overall number of residents in the building as well. Ed indicated that their goal in providing these options is to “provide a residential experience that facilitates physical distancing for health and safety, but also facilitates a safe, social community that minimizes emotional distancing”.

Naismith Hall is planning other strategies to decrease density and manage traffic flow, including meal delivery to resident’s rooms, increasing stair usage to complement elevator access to floors, and increasing the number of student lounge spaces on the floors. Cleaning and maintenance procedures for resident rooms and community spaces have also been upgraded and will continue to evolve to adapt to all State and CDC guidelines.

One other barrier to students’ finding safe on-campus housing is the hefty price tag for single occupancy rooms. To help remove this obstacle, Naismith has also announced that they will be lowering their single room rates for 2020/21. “We know that families are experiencing financial stress as a result of this pandemic and want to offer financial relief wherever possible, including making single-room housing more accessible”.  These new lower rates could make the decision to come to campus this fall that much easier, knowing that you can have privacy and social distancing without social isolation, and at an affordable price.

Before you make your final housing decisions for Fall 2020, be sure to ask about privately owned housing options too. There could be more housing options out there than you think, that can support both your emotional and physical wellness.

To apply or learn more about Naismith Hall, email info@naismithhall.com or visit www.naismithhall.com/community-wellness for more information.

About Naismith Hall

Located steps away from the historic Allen Fieldhouse and the KU School of Business, Naismith Hall is owned and managed by The Bromley Companies. The Bromley Companies has over 40 years’ experience operating successful residence halls across the country. Since purchasing Naismith Hall in 2012, Bromley has embarked on a multi-phase renovation program to enhance the resident experience throughout the building. They are dedicated to creating vibrant, innovative environments with engaging communities in their residence halls. At Naismith, Bromley’s mission is to provide students and their families with an affordable, personalized housing experience, with exceptional service and programs that support students’ success at KU and beyond.