Student FAQs
Below are answers that address many of the most frequently asked questions from students. For up-to-date information from the university, please visit BU’s official COVID-19 page. Should you have additional questions, please submit them via the contact page.
When will the building be open and accessible to students?
Effective Monday, March 23, 2020, the Hariri Building (Questrom) will close and only be accessible to faculty, staff, and PhD students via BU ID card swipe access. Should you have issues with your BU ID please email Hannah Sutton at suttonhm@bu.edu. For immediate access, call 617-353-2105.
How can students contact the student support offices?
All of our student support teams are working full-time virtually, including alternative meeting times for our students abroad. Students may contact the offices to make appointments and have questions answered by using the information below:
- Undergraduate Academic & Career Center: 617-353-2650
- MBA Center: 617-353-7800
- Master’s & PhD Center: 617-353-2673
- Graduate Admissions & Financal Aid: 617-353-2670
- Feld Center for Industry Alliances: 617-353-2834
- Questrom Information Technology Services: 617-353-9858
I was told to move out, should I come to campus?
On March 17th, President Brown announced that all students that have on campus housing, should prepare to move out of those residences by Sunday, March 22. However, if you did not return to campus, you do NOT need to return to campus to retrieve your belongings, yet. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore clarified this flexibility in a follow-up email to residents.
Also, please see the following information regarding the move-out process and options for those not returning quite yet to move out.
What happens to my possessions that are in my dorm room?
- For students who are not on campus, we advise the following – please do not return to campus. Your belongings are secure in your room and can remain there. Please log in to My Housing Portal and fill out the Personal Belongings Storage Information application. We will be in touch shortly to organize a conversation about shipping or storage at our cost.
- For students on campus and moving out, we advise the following – please take only those essential belongings that you need and can easily carry with you when you depart. Your remaining items are secure in your room. Please log in to My Housing Portal and fill out the Personal Belongings Storage Information application, and we will be in touch shortly to organize a conversation about shipping or storage at our cost.
- On campus, students who are moving out also have the option to work with our partner, the UPS Store, if they wish to box, store, or ship their possessions prior to departure.
- For students who are awaiting a response to their appeal to remain on campus, we will respond within 24 hours.
Residence Life has provided some guidelines for checking out of your residence and there will be additional communications in the coming days.
I am international student, should I leave campus?
We can only imagine how difficult of a decision this is for all of our students, but especially for our international students. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when making this decision as an international student (e.g., possible re-entry issues, OPT/CPT, etc.). ISSO recently published an advisory for students about these factors and will continue to be your source for the current advice pertaining to your decision.
I am a graduate student living in a BU apartment, do I need to move out?
Not at this time. BU apartments are run through the BU Leasing Office. Students renting from the Leasing Office enter into a landlord/lessee agreement. Any decisions made with regard to living status fall under your lease agreement. In the event of any changes, the BU Leasing Office will be in direct contact with you.
Should I come to Questrom for classes?
All classes will be delivered remotely, so you should not come to campus during your scheduled class times.
Can my student organization or team still meet or hold events?
No University-sponsored events may take place on-campus. In addition, no off-campus in-person meetings or events using University funds or those which process payments through the University are permitted. As with classes, we encourage you to find remote solutions for your meetings and events, as these are still permitted.
What public health measures are being taken to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, and students?
The building is being cleaned more frequently twice as often as normal using a series of virucide cleaners. You may also see members of the Building & Grounds team with backpack sprayers, spraying furniture and other fixtures.
What public health measures should I take?
Most important are frequent hand washing and social distancing to minimize the spread of the virus. Restrict the number of persons gathering in our spaces to no more than 10 individuals in a conference room, or fewer in smaller spaces like offices or team rooms.
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