Campus during COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and how to solve them

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed campus life at the University. Moving in and boarding principles are different now. Yet students and staff are willing to offer a helping hand if problems arise. Dmitrii Mikhailov, Head of the Department  of Maintenance and Operation of Halls of Residence at the University, speaks about what measures have been taking to stop coronavirus, and how the Campus is prepared to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In late August, there was a long queue of students moving into the halls of residence. What were the reasons and how did you solve the problem?

In previous years, we introduced a number of measures aimed to make settling into the University accommodation easy and comfortable. We made some of our business processes fully automated; made the most effective use of our rules and principles; and delegated duties among our staff to name but a few (Campus: past and present, On effectiveness of appointing a student as Director of the Campus,  On effectiveness of appointing a student as Director of the Campus: with amendments from 15 October 2013).

When you settle into your accommodation, you need to provide three documents: passport; fluoroscopy test results; and vaccination certificate. Your personal data are transferred into our 1C database ‘Campus: Room Management’ from other information systems of the University. Then we allocate accommodation in advance by using a special software, and accommodation remains booked within the moving-in period. You don’t have to arrive early to book the best places.

However, the pandemic has brought significant changes to the way we proceed with settling in. According to the decision adopted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the Russian Federation, the dates of the Unified State Exams were rescheduled as was therefore the settling in period. In previous years, we started settling in on 25 August, that is seven days before the academic year usually starts. Obviously, this resulted in long queues of people awaiting to be attended to and proceed. Yet it was a problem only for the students who were enrolled on a fee-paid basis. The Unified State Exams were postponed for 30 days and so was the admissions period at the University. Besides, a number of academic programmes have additional admissions tests. The admissions orders therefore, especially for fee-paying students, were issued only on 29 August. Usually it was on 15–16 August. Finally, and most importantly, we can start the settling in process only when all admissions orders are issued. Settling in started only on 30 August 2020. We simply didn’t have enough time to allocate accommodation to fee-paying students. We had to enter data by hand and issue all necessary documents as appropriate. It did take time and consequently there were queues. Yet 3,000 budget students were allocated rooms in the halls of residence in advance and settling in was as usual.

We informed students beforehand that when allocating accommodation, we used the same settling in rules and principles for every student and you did not have to arrive early. Yet many of them thought that it was misleading information. They decided to arrive early in an attempt to get the best places. It had been a common practice for many years indeed until we introduced new rules that were approved by the Student Council. These rules are a guidance for all students, Student Council, and administrative staff.

The lectures and seminars for new students were scheduled in a way so that at least 90% of students could attend them starting from 6 September. Yet over 2,000 students decided to settle in on 30 August that was the day we started settling in. Even in previous years, we had 700 students who arrived on the very first day to settle in, while 200 of them arrived only to make settling in documents. We were quick to solve the problem by working longer hours, attracting more people to help us prepare documents, and making every effort to digitise the process. Everything was smoothed over by 1 September, and at a very high speed.

Over many years, the University has been engaged in the practice of making those who live illegally at the halls of residence leave their rooms and of solving the problem of the ‘dead souls’. What is the situation now? How many rooms are available at the moment?

Since 2011, we have been constantly involved in this practice. Before 2011, those who were no longer students yet continued to live in the halls of residence or stayed illegally numbered some 1,500. We have managed to solve the problem, either through pre-action procedure dispute resolution or by bringing a claim to court. Currently, we have only 38 persons illegally occupying 154 places. Yet the situation is more difficult with the ‘dead souls’. It is not an easy task to spot a ‘dead soul’ and make them leave.  Each year, we tackle from 1,000 up to 1,500 cases of the ‘dead souls'. It is quite a lot. Spotting those who illegally occupy places in the halls of residence and further terminating an agreement with them requires much skill and effort. It has also an economic background as maintenance cost of a place is about 200,000 roubles.

Since 2011, we have undertaken a number of major structural repairs in four of our halls of residence that can accommodate up to 2,873 students and staff. We have also developed a scheme for major structural repairs in the halls of residence No 1, 2, and 3 located in 20/1 Korablestroitelei Street that can accommodate up to 2,100 students and staff.

Nevertheless, today we still have about 67% of our halls of residence that must undergo major structural repairs. This is largely due to the fact that in the 1990s and early 2000s repair work was not carried out. Consequently, there are lots of problems arising now. Over 2,220 places fail to meet the sanitary requirements demanded by law and need to undergo repair as they are no longer exploitable; while some 1,500 places are at the brink of becoming dilapidated as a result of such neglect. This obviously can cause harm to the wellbeing and health of our students and staff.

From 2013 to 2020, the University has been constantly asking the Government, Ministry of the Higher Education and Science, and Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation to receive additional financial support for undertaking the major structural repairs of the halls of residence. However, we are far from being successful. Our revenues from fee-paying students in Law, Economics, International Relations, and Psychology significantly reduced maintenance and repair costs of the buildings where these students studied. We could therefore allocate the budgetary funds to major structural repairs of the halls of residence. Yet we attracted another 33 million roubles for these purposes. All in all, we need 2 billion roubles more to finish the major structural repairs and infrastructure development. Financially we are in dire straits.

We are trying to continue maintenance works in the halls of residence and prepare about 200–250 places each year.

What measures did you take to prepare the halls of residence as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Do students need to wear face masks in the kitchens and other indoor shared spaces?

We are implementing every measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus, including those that are recommended by the Rospotrebnadzor. Each hall of residence has a hand sanitiser dispenser and we have assistants who monitor that everyone who enters a hall of residence wears a face mask and sanitises their hands. They also use non-contact temperature assessment devices at entrances. We also have regular cleaning of contact points such as door handles, indoor shared spaces, and others. We have ultraviolet devices with pulse current for disinfection of air and surfaces. You must use a mask in indoor shared spaces, including kitchens and rooms for study. You must be coronavirus-conscious and wear a face mask to lessen the risk of passing on or catching coronavirus. Social distancing is compulsory in the indoor shared places and administrative buildings. The advice is to stick to 1.5 metres. There is clear signage and markings on the floor in front of the rooms and in the waiting halls. Moreover, the University has introduced restrictions to lessen the risk of spread of coronavirus. We have temporarily restricted changing rooms for students, no guests are allowed to enter the halls of residence, and you are not allowed to visit other halls of residence. It definitely does cause inconveniences for everyone. Yet we do ask everyone to be conscious as all these measures aim to minimise the risks we are all exposed to.

Students from across Russia and other countries arrive at the University. Yet the situation is different for each of them.  Many of students are worrying about what to do if someone in the hall of residence is tested positive for infection. How can you avoid contact with people with confirmed coronavirus? Are there any places of isolation?

Following the guidance issued by the Rospotrebnadzor, we have places for isolation in each hall of residence. People who have arrived from elsewhere, or have been exposed to infection, are placed in quarantine for 14 days. Such places are in the halls of residence No 16 and 19 and can accommodate up to 385 people. An enhanced cleaning regime has been introduced across these premises. The University’s Volunteering Centre is eagerly helping those who have gone into or remain in quarantine by delivering food, making documents and others. People must be isolated and remain in quarantine until tested negative for coronavirus.

What should you do if you think you have COVID-19? What measures should be taken if you are tested positive?

You should inform the head of the part of the Campus in the first instance. They will call for an ambulance and tell you what to do next. Until your test results are ready, you must remain in quarantine. If you test positive, you should be isolated in a hospital. We will also trace people who have recently been in close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19; they must self-isolate under the surveillance of health and care workers and be tested for coronavirus. Our voluntary students will help you with food delivery and care for you.

Tell us about the challenges you face during the pandemic? How many students are tested positive? How many of them have been self-isolating? Do they inform in due course that they might be experiencing symptoms? Do they follow guidance on safety measures?

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic last spring, Russia introduced a period of paid 'non-working' days and self-isolation. Yet we did not stop working. Quite the opposite, we were still working as our halls of residence were open. We have to constantly monitor the situation and take action as appropriate to make sure everything is done in accordance with the government guidelines to stop the spread of coronavirus. Students are welcome to contact our staff 24/7 if they are experiencing any symptoms and we will take action. This involves calling for an ambulance; isolating any cases of COVID-19 among our staff and students; helping to prevent transmission to the wider community; tracing and isolating those who have been in close contact with the people who tested positive; supporting their wellbeing and health; helping with household chores; disinfection; and providing facilities for distance learning to name but a few. I am grateful to my colleagues for being responsible and concerned at the forefront during hard times.

Updated 9 November 2020. Since the pandemic started, 56 students residing in the halls of residence have been tested positive. About 250 students who were in contact with those who tested positive were required to self-isolate.

Unfortunately, few students are fully aware of the situation relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. More often than not, we are informed about the COVID-19 cases by the health and care workers rather than by students. Some of them were tested positive or were in contact with those who had been tested positive. However, they did not show consideration to others and continued to attend face-to-face lectures and avoided self-isolation, even when having a high temperature! Nevertheless, even self-isolating can cause problems. Students say that they are not experiencing any symptoms and therefore there is no evidence to self-isolate. They leave the halls of residence and act in a way which is likely to put members of the community at risk. Sometimes, when tested positive, students refused to be admitted to hospital for treatment. The heads of the parts of the Campus regularly monitor how many students live in the halls of residence, with the accuracy of even one student. When self-isolation and distance learning were introduced in Russia, we had a number of cases when students ‘miraculously’ disappeared from the halls of residence without having informed us. Sure enough, we had no idea where they could be. We are advising our students to wear a face covering in public places. Otherwise, we have to refuse to work with them. In autumn, students who live in the halls of residence in Peterhof acted in a way that was likely to put members of the community at risk by arranging gatherings in the Campus. Among such gatherings is ‘zashaiba’ which is widely covered in the social networks. They behaved in a way that breaks the law. Apart from disturbing the peace, they do not follow the safety measures. This is an extreme example of being utterly irresponsible during the pandemic. The risk of catching and spreading coronavirus is definitely higher. In the most serious cases, students who have broken the law will be liable to police enforcement.

Let’s get back to settling in. Each year, volunteers help administrative staff organise settling in. Were any of them willing to help this year? Or were they more inclined to remain in self-isolation?

Yes, volunteers have been helping us over many years. As a rule, they are selected by the Student Council at the University. Volunteers are actively helping the administrative staff at all stages of the process. They manage student traffic, inform them about how to settle in or how the University offices work, usher them to their rooms, and help new students adapt to campus life. This makes settling in easier for administrative staff and students. Any student can be a volunteer.

This year, we had over 300 students as volunteers. They were provided with personal protective equipment, followed all safety measures, and controlled the behaviour of others. They were incredibly responsible and prompt to offer a hand in any situation. We do thank them for helping us and being brave.

When you were a master’s student, you were appointed as the Director of the Campus (Campus: past and present, On effectiveness of appointing a student as Director of Campus). How can students help the University work better today?

We are striving to attract as many students as we can when we accept the works made by the contractors in the halls of residence, especially repair work as it is students who will live there. Besides, we invite students to discuss projects that focus on developing the halls of residence and their infrastructure. It is incredibly beneficial. We are always happy to employ our students as they are high-calibre specialists and have better understanding of how the University works. If a student can balance study and work, we can employ him or her and offer them an individual schedule.