The Housing and Residence Life operation at Ferris State University is serving approximately
150 students who could not return to their home countries or residences in other areas
of the country. The vast majority of those students are residing in the West Campus
Apartments and East Campus Suites.Ferris State University’s residential facilities are nearly vacant, but the Housing
and Residence Life staff are still on the job. Nearly 150 students are completing
the Spring 2020 semester on the Big Rapids campus.
Housing and Residence Life Director Bryan Marquardt said that the majority of the
students residing in their system are staying in the West Campus Apartments and East
Campus Suites.
“The moves that were necessary went very smoothly,” Marquardt said. “We required that
students identify the hardship they faced, that brought them to continue in our system.
Some of them cannot return to their homelands because of the global situation, and
others could not manage the interstate travel necessary to continue the semester at
their homes. Those requests were thoroughly reviewed, and we moved these students
into vacant apartments and suites.”
Marquardt said residence hall directors remain in their on-campus residences and are
supporting the operations.
“There has been excellent collaboration with the Dining Services program, where students
can acquire ‘ready-to-heat’ meals and other staples they require, to meet their nutritional
needs,” Marquardt said. “We are prepared to follow through with these commitments
through the end of the spring semester. There are determinations to be made on how
our facilities may be put to use during the summer semester. We will await the administration’s
direction on whether traditional programming and operations are appropriate, or possible
during that time.”