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Coronavirus Information

Spaces on campus you can use

January 27, 2021

Dear Students,

If you are in Baltimore for spring semester, you may notice some new temporary structures dotting the Homewood campus, as well as some changes in operation for some of your favorite common spaces like the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, Brody Learning Commons, Hutzler Reading Room, Levering Hall, and the Mattin Center. These modifications are necessary to ensure that we can properly adhere to public health guidance while still providing opportunities for you to safely study and socialize with your peers. We have created some additional spaces for you to gather (socially distanced of course) and study given the need to de-densify our existing spaces.

Please review this information carefully to learn more.

Sincerely,

Alanna W. Shanahan
Vice Provost for Student Affairs

Important Takeaways

  • In general, access to campus buildings will require the use of J-Card-enabled doors or security stations.
  • MSE Library, Brody Learning Commons, and the Hutzler Reading Room will open on February 1. Hours of operation and occupancy limits for MSEL and BLC have been reduced to comply with university health and safety guidelines.
  • JHUnions and Programming spaces—including Levering Hall and Mattin Center—will be open with modified operations. Limited open seating will be available, and student organizations will have access to designated spaces only with approval from Student Life staff.
  • Spaces like the Digital Media Center and Student Leadership and Involvement will be accessible by appointment only.
  • Temporary outdoor facilities have been constructed around campus to provide additional space for studying and activities.
  • New outdoor seating has also been placed on the Beach and several quads.
  • Do not move the furniture—indoors or outdoors—as it has been strategically placed to abide by public health guidance.
  • A separate communication detailing operations in the Recreation Center will be shared in the next several days. 

Details

General Access to Campus Buildings

To monitor building use and compliance with health assessment and testing requirements, access to campus buildings will generally require the use of J-Card-enabled doors or security stations to support monitoring of building use and compliance with health assessment and testing requirements. For more information, view the university’s recent message on the use of campus facilities.

Library facilities

The Milton S. Eisenhower Library, Brody Learning Commons, and Hutzler Reading Room will reopen on Monday, February 1 for students with an active J-Card. Both entrance doors and MSEL/BLC turnstiles will require a J-Card swipe for access, and students are expected to abide by the single-direction entry/exit pathways indicated on the doors. Hours of operation and occupancy limits have also been reduced to comply with university health and safety guidelines.

Density sensors have been installed in MSEL and BLC to monitor occupancy in real-time. Occupancy tracking will be displayed on the Sheridan Libraries website and on digital signage throughout the buildings. Entry will be denied when the limit is reached, except for faculty and students who:

Masks must be worn at all times and library spaces will be monitored by university Safety Ambassadors for compliance.

Seating has been reduced and spaced for physical distancing. Study rooms and Quiet Reading Room seating require a reservation; all other seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Open study seating has been set for social distancing with chair locations marked on the floor; chairs are not to be moved from these locations.

Eating and drinking are not permitted. Water fountains may not be used. Items purchased from library vending machines must be consumed outside. The BLC Café will remain closed until further notice.

Public equipment has been reduced and may require a reservation.

View the guide to using the library for more information.

JHUnions & Programming Spaces

All JHUnions and Programming spaces have been reviewed by the university to ensure adherence to public health guidance. As state, local, and university policies are modified, we may need to make changes to our spaces as well. 

All spaces are reserved through Hopkins Groups unless otherwise noted. There is no need to reserve spaces as well through Event and Scheduling Services, as the process has been streamlined through Hopkins Groups. Spaces will be prioritized on a first come, first served basis for meetings and events at the JHU-approved capacity. Once spaces are full, events will be prioritized and meetings will be approved through a lottery.

All spaces are also kept in the same configuration for use as marked so select the space that fits your needs. Due to the need to adhere to social distancing and safety guidelines, alternative setups are not able to be requested. Chairs need to stay in the direction they are placed and are not to be turned around for group meetings. Group spaces will be marked in a conference square. 

No food or drink is allowed to be eaten inside the spaces—all purchased food must be consumed outside the buildings or in your residence hall room. If guidelines are updated and indoor dining is allowed, those spaces will be clearly marked where food can be consumed and masks would be allowed to be taken off indoors. 

Note that choral and a cappella activities are allowed outside only, with masks and social distancing, per health and safety guidelines and with registration through Hopkins Groups. Vocal activity will not be allowed in Mattin Center spaces including practice rooms and the DMC recording studio.

Levering Hall

Through Jan. 29, Levering Hall will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Beginning February 1, operating hours will shift to Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m.–10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

Levering’s lounge and lobby are available for limited seating when the building is open. The Great Hall is available as a study space from opening until 5 p.m. and for student organization use only from 5–10 p.m. The Glass Pavilion is serving as a COVID-10 testing site, but limited space is available for student organization use as testing permits. Arellano Theater is currently closed due to construction.

Specific hours for Levering operations are as follows:

  • Levering Café: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Levering Kitchens: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. daily
  • Tech Store: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

The LaB 

Due to construction, the LaB will be closed during the spring semester.

Mattin Center

Beginning February 1, Mattin Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.–10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.–10 p.m.

The following spaces are available for student organization use and can be reserved through Hopkins Groups:

  • Mattin 160 – capacity 8, conference square
  • Mattin 161 – capacity 6, conference square
  • Mattin 162 – capacity 8, conference square
  • Caplan Dance Studio – capacity 5, open room for dance 
  • Mattin 105 – capacity 7
  • SDS Room Mattin 101 – capacity 8, open room for dance 
  • Swirnow Theater – capacity 10

The Digital Media Center will be open seven days a week from 12–10 p.m. daily. Capacity is limited to eight students and appointments must be scheduled through the DMC website. The four gaming computers are available through BookIT. The recording studio is open for use during operational hours with 60-minute limit and 60-minute quarantine in-between uses. No vocal singing/recording is allowed. The VR studio is closed for spring semester. 

Student Leadership and Involvement will be open by appointment only for practice room use, package pickup, copier use for student organizations, and meetings with SLI and JHUnions and Programming professional and student staff.

Temporary Outdoor Facilities 

The approximately 9,000-square-foot Freshman Quad Annex building has 119 individual tables for students, some of which have access to electrical outlets. It’s also equipped with Wi-Fi and a J-Card Pharros print station. Four separate HVAC units supply heat and outside air for a 50/50 air exchange rate. Seating availability can be checked through the Prodensity app, which is also used to check into the building and upon exiting. A “green” campus pass will be required to access the space in addition to scanning a QR code using the Prodensity app for entry. Two staff from Student Life will serve as monitors and will be augmented periodically by Safety Ambassadors. Eating will not be allowed, and all other health and safety requirements will remain in effect.

There are also six 18-foot by 24-foot “tailgate” tents located on the quads—two on Wyman and four on Keyser. They are equipped with lights, electrical receptacles, USB, and small heaters. Seating allows six students to gather safely outdoors, with opposite ends of the tent open for ventilation. These tents are available on a first come, first served basis. 

New outdoor seating will also be placed on the Beach and the Keyser, Wyman, Freshman, and Decker quads. Please do not move the furniture and keep the seats at least six feet apart.

Have Questions?

For general questions regarding campus facilities, please contact Curtis Brown, Director of Construction, Space, and Planning, at cbrow268@jhu.edu. 

For questions regarding MSE Library or Brody Learning Commons, please contact 443-615-2409 or circmail@jhu.edu.