Dining tents announced for fall 2020 semester
To maximize physical distancing during the fall 2020 semester, Campus Dining’s reopening plan does not include seating in dining halls. Meals will be served to-go style, to be eaten in designated areas, in a physically distant manner. In addition, the university has installed three large tents at Alumni Lawn, Library Lawn and Peabody Esplanade to serve as dining locations.
Capacity at each tent will be managed by on-site Campus Dining staff stationed at check-in tables, and time within the dining tent will be limited to 20 minutes. Dining tents are available to all members of the VU community, regardless of whether the meal to be eaten was purchased from a Campus Dining location. All guests must present their Vanderbilt ID at check-in and register by either scanning the QR code or by visiting one of the online sites customized for each tent location, posted on signage outside each tent. After completing the web form and entering the dining tent, guests may dine until they receive a text notification after 20 minutes that their allotted time in the tent has ended.
All campus protocols must be followed in and around the tent locations, including physical distancing of at least six feet and wearing a mask of face covering at all times, except when eating or drinking. To facilitate the timely turnover of tables, Campus Dining is also asking that guests be sure to clear away their own tables, disposing of all waste in the appropriate receptacles. Signage will be posted throughout the tent areas to direct circulation and provide protocol reminders. All signage must be adhered to at all times.
In addition to the dining tents, circles have been marked on lawns throughout campus to help identify safe, physically distanced locations for use by the campus community, including for outdoor dining. Examples of these circle locations are available on the Return to Campus website. These are illustrative and not meant to be exact. Due to mowing and lawn maintenance, circle patterns and distribution may vary slightly over the course of the semester.