Covid-19 Changes FAQs

We will continue surveillance testing this fall. All students, faculty, and staff may participate in regular testing even if you have been fully vaccinated, but we especially encourage those who have not been vaccinated to get tested weekly. 

• We encourage everyone in the Georgia Tech community to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendations, vaccinate, and wear a mask in campus buildings.  

  • Getting vaccinated at Georgia Tech is easy and free. If you choose not to get vaccinated, you are encouraged wear a mask in indoor public places, including campus buildings, as recommended by the CDC.

  • The CDC recently issued new interim guidance recommending the use of masks inside public buildings even by fully vaccinated individuals. At Georgia Tech, everyone is encouraged to wear a mask or face covering while inside campus facilities. To be clear, neither vaccination nor masking in indoor public spaces is required at Georgia Tech.  

  • The free asymptomatic surveillance testing program remains available to all students and employees. You may participate in regular testing even if you have been fully vaccinated. We especially encourage those who have not been vaccinated to get tested weekly.

• Increased cleaning and scheduled closing to disinfect common area spaces.

• Reserving the right to relocate any affected students to another room, hall, or other location in the event of a required self-quarantine or isolation as determined by Stamps Health Services. 

In the event a resident does not feel well or is exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19, we ask them to reference the Coronavirus Decision Tree linked below. Those residents should operate based on that guidance. 

Decision Tree

Residents with pre-existing conditions that put them at greater risk from Covid-19 are entitled to some accommodations through the Office of Disability Services. If you are concerned about your health risks, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 404-894-2563 to discuss your needs.

Accommodation Request Information

Housing & Residence Life encourages incoming residents to engage in communications with their roommate about important topics prior to arriving on campus, while room assignment swap is still possible. Now that the semester has begun, Housing & Residence Life can offer three options that work within Institute policies for residents concerned about living with unvaccinated students: 

You may request a roommate agreement meeting with your Resident Assistant and Hall Director. We recommend this option first. During this meeting, roommates will review the agreement together and sign the document at the end. You are permitted to discuss mask wearing inside the room/apartment; however, any decisions made must be agreed upon by all roommates.  While the room swap process has concluded for this fall, residents can still request a room change through their Hall Director. Receiving a new assignment is not guaranteed, is handled on a case-by-case basis and depends on availability. We are currently at capacity but that is subject to change in future.  

To reduce the spread of Covid-19, Georgia Tech encourages all residents to wear face coverings inside campus facilities, participate in free weekly surveillance testing and to monitor yourself for any symptoms. For more information about preventing the spread including viewing the exposure decision trees, please read more here.

Housing & Residence Life encourages incoming residents to engage in communications with their roommate about important topics prior to arriving on campus, while room assignment swap is still possible. Now that the semester has begun, Housing & Residence Life can offer three options that work within Institute policies for residents concerned about living with unvaccinated students: 

1. You may request a roommate agreement meeting with your Resident Assistant and Hall Director. We recommend this option first. During this meeting, roommates will review the agreement together and sign the document at the end. You are permitted to discuss mask wearing inside the room/apartment; however, any decisions made must be agreed upon by all roommates. 
2. While the room swap process has concluded for this fall, residents can still request a room change through their Hall Director. Receiving a new assignment is not guaranteed, is handled on a case-by-case basis and depends on availability. We are currently at capacity but that is subject to change in future.  
3. You may cancel your housing under the terms of the contract. 

To reduce the spread of Covid-19, Georgia Tech encourages all residents to wear face coverings inside campus facilities, participate in free weekly surveillance testing and to monitor yourself for any symptoms. For more information about preventing the spread including viewing the exposure decision trees, please read more here. 

For updates on the Institute’s policies and procedures, please continue to visit the Georgia Tech Moving Forward Operations Update page. 

Isolating in place means you will stay in your current room assignment while also distancing yourself from your roommates as much as possible for the safety of yourselves and others.

For a resident who tests positive:

While you are not required to disclose your medical information to your roommates, it is encouraged you share as much as you are willing to so that they are aware of the situation. If you share an apartment, you can discuss with your roommates how to share the space including the bathroom and kitchen area.

Anytime you are in a shared space, please wear a mask and make sure to wash your hands often. If there is more than one bathroom in the apartment, plan to have your roommates use another until the end of your isolation period. And if possible, avoid using the kitchen and living room.

Discuss with your roommates if they feel comfortable dropping something outside your bedroom door, example: coffee, a snack etc. Please do not leave the apartment for any reason other than a fire alarm.

At the end of your isolation, you may go to your area office to pick up disinfectant wipes to clean your surfaces should you want them.

For roommates of a resident who tested positive and is self-isolating:

• Respect the confidentiality of your roommate’s situation. This means limiting discussion outside of roommates.
• Do not attempt to engage with your isolated roommate in any in-person capacity.
• Remain flexible and accommodating to the situation. Allow other non-isolating roommates to use your bathroom for the time being and respect their space if you are asked to use someone else’s in the apartment. If there are any shared surfaces, disinfectant wipes are available in your area office. Please wipe down shared surfaces regularly.
• Please do not have any guest over during your roommate’s isolation period.
• You are not required to serve in any assisting or nursing capacity for the isolating resident, however should you choose, you may at your own risk.
• Housing and Residence Life staff that must enter residential rooms will be required to wear appropriate PPE at all times.