Be safe. Be smart. Do your part.™

We’re dedicated to creating communities where you can thrive. As you prepare for the fall semester, we want to assure you that we’re committed to putting your wellbeing first. That’s why we've created “Be safe. Be smart. Do your part.™” — our community disinfection and resident responsibility program, in collaboration with RB, the makers of Lysol and global leaders in hygiene.  

Our commitment to you. 

The past year has been full of changes and uncertainty. We know you’re ready to return to campus life but have some questions about what to expect. Our goal is to provide you with a home where you can be empowered to have fun and be successful, no matter what form classes may take. We’ve been working hard to disinfect and prepare our communities. And we’ve created a new “Be safe. Be smart. Do your part.™” program to remind us all to do our part. We’re in this together. 

We’ve evaluated our community touchpoints. 

Putting students first means designing our communities with you in mind. As you’ll see throughout your community, we’ve created cleaning protocols and disinfection stations, as well as touchless features in shared spaces to encourage hygienic practices and safe socialization. We also spent our summer analyzing high-traffic touchpoints in our communities and reduced them by adding features including touchless soap dispensers and hand dryers, step-n-pull attachments on doors, disinfectant wipe stations, and touchless hand sanitizing stations. And where we could not eliminate touchpoints, we’ve installed anti-microbial surface overlays that continuously self-clean high-touch surfaces. 

We’ve overhauled our cleaning protocols. 

We’ve collaborated with RB, makers of Lysol, to overhaul our cleaning protocols and train our staff on the products and disinfecting methods to use in helping to mitigate pathogens. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently approved Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist as the first to test effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, when used as directed on hard, non-porous surfaces.  

When you and your roommates arrive at your unit, you’ll see a “Clean & Confident” seal on your unit and bedroom doors -- meaning our team has disinfected the space, conducted a thorough inspection for cleanliness, and closed the unit and rooms off for any further entry until residents enter for the first time.  

We’ve also worked with RB to develop amenity-specific cleaning regimens to regularly disinfect shared spaces throughout our communities.  

Let’s all do our part. 

Helping to curb the spread of COVID-19 will take collective, collaborative effort. We must all do our part to help protect ourselves, other residents, staff members, friends, family and members of the surrounding community. 

We are requiring every resident to sign a COVID-19 personal responsibility acknowledgement for resident code of conduct. This includes a pledge to practice physical distancing, wear a face covering when required, and perform a Daily Wellness Self-checklist to identify any COVID-19 systems. 

And we’re aiming to do our part, too. In addition to following comprehensive cleaning practices in our amenities and shared spaces and disinfecting all of our units prior to move-in, our team will be instructed to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and monitor and follow state and local guidelines for prevention measures. 

We have a plan for illness or exposure. 

We respect and listen to our public health experts, and have used guidance from the CDC to shape our protocols: 

• If you experience COVID-19 symptoms (as outlined in your Self-checklist), you should contact your healthcare provider and follow their guidelines, which typically include self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days. 

• Any community staff member who contracts COVID-19 should contact their healthcare provider and quarantine under their care. 

• We will conduct an extensive cleaning and disinfecting procedure of any affected areas. 

• If we believe you have come in contact with a staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19, we will notify you so you can take any needed precautions. 

We’re in this together.  

We know you may be facing many added pressures this year, and it’s so important to take care of your mental health. Our communities are designed to help students flourish personally and academically, and this includes sparking meaningful conversations around mental health and wellness for students.  

We’re proud to partner with the Hi, How Are You Project – a non-profit organization created to fund research, events, thoughtful media content, and comprehensive training programs to start new conversations around mental health issues. Our partnership with the Hi, How Are You Project is a guiding tenet for our Residence Life program, which offers events and information on health and wellness as key topics in all of our facilities. 

Through our partnership with the Hi, How Are You Project we’ll be providing you with tools to safeguard your mental health. And we’ll be keeping an open dialogue with you throughout these dynamic times. 

We all have the ability to make a difference in the lives of others, starting with four simple words: Hi, how are you? 

We’ll support you. 

American Campus Communities is the leader in student housing, managing more than 200 communities serving 139,300 students nationwide. Putting students first is our passion. We’ll tap into our experience managing student communities, listen to healthcare professionals and learn from their expertise, and continue innovating with new processes like “Be Safe. Be Smart. Do you part.” to help our residents and our team to practice clean and hygienic living and socialization and stay healthy and happy.

We are continuing to evolve all our protocols, and you may see differences between communities and also may see adjustments, as we continue to consider local practices, government requirements and guidance, and the situation where the community is located. 

Everything we do is to support student success. Let’s work together to create an environment where you can live, learn and thrive. We’re looking forward to a fantastic year with you! 

   

Additional Resources 

ACC COVID-19 Statement 

ACC and RB/LYSOL Press Release 

CDC Guidelines