WSU held a public comment hearing on Wednesday on proposed changes to the first-year live-in requirement of the Washington Administrative Code.

Freshman undergraduate students are required to live in university-recognized housing for one academic year, according to the undergraduate housing requirement. Changes to the policy will allow for flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jill Creighton, WSU dean of students and associate vice president of Student Affairs.

“The first-year live-in requirement will remain in effect as an essential part of the student experience,” she said. “These proposed changes really encapsulate flexibility and accuracy in a global pandemic era.”

Some of the proposed changes include:

• Requiring first-year students to live in approved housing if room is available and living there would not put students at risk of contracting the virus
• Describing fraternities, sororities and co-op houses as “university-approved” in order to meet the live-in requirement
• Changing the university contact from the Department of Housing and Residence Life to the Vice President for Student Affairs

“Because we live in a more fluid environment, we wanted to make sure that the information we provided to the public in the WAC would remain accurate and kind of evergreen,” Creighton said.

The Board of Regents will review the proposed revisions at its meeting on Nov. 13, said Deborah Bartlett, director of WSU’s Office of Procedures, Records and Forms.

No members of the public commented on the proposed changes.