Office of Residential Life

Quinnipiac recognizes that learning occurs both in and outside of the classroom. The Office of Residential Life provides rich opportunities that promote student learning and enhance personal development. Students have the unique opportunity to live with students from a variety of diverse backgrounds. The Office of Housing is responsible for housing contracts, room assignments, housing selection processes, occupancy management, break housing, summer housing and the university's 3-year residency requirement.

The Office of Residential Life has two convenient locations for students. The Mount Carmel office is located in the Student Affairs Center on Bobcat Way. The telephone number is 203-582-8666. The York Hill Campus office is located on the fourth floor of the Rocky Top Student Center. The telephone number is 203-582-3615.

The Office of Housing is co-located with Residential Life on the Mount Carmel Campus. The telephone number is 203-582-8666 and the email address is housing@qu.edu

Graduate housing is available on a limited basis in our university-owned houses and apartments.

Residence Hall Staff and Organizations

Resident Assistants

Resident assistants serve as paraprofessional staff members in the Office of Residential Life. These 90+ student leaders develop a sense of community among residents and assist students with their personal, interpersonal and academic development.

Residence Hall Directors

A residence hall director is a full-time, live-in professional who serves as the supervisor and administrator of a residence hall community. Residence hall directors serve as part of a team that works with specific residence hall populations. Responsibilities include the development and training of resident assistants, coordinating programming to respond to the needs of the student population, crisis management and serving as student conduct officers.

Residence Hall Association

The Residence Hall Association is a body of students composed of elected members from each hall. Its purpose is to develop collective programming experiences and address student concerns in the residence halls.

General Information

Making Yourself at Home

Your residence hall is your home during your stay on campus. Quinnipiac supplies your room with a bed, dresser/wardrobe, desk and chair. To make yourself comfortable, you should bring extra-long twin sheets, pillow, curtains, towels, blankets, lamp, light bulbs and, if desired, rugs and extra furnishings. All university-supplied furniture must remain in the living unit. All common building furniture, including lounge, suite and apartment furniture, must remain in the respective common areas.

Most residence areas are equipped with a variety of vending machines (water, juice, soda, candy). Washers and dryers are provided in each residence area. Apartment-style housing units are equipped with kitchens. Study lounges are located in Irma, Dana, the Complex, the Commons, the Ledges, the Crescent, Westview and Eastview.

Statement of Responsibility

Each student is required to agree to the Quinnipiac University Statement of Responsibility at the time they move into the residence hall. Incorporated into the housing contract, this document explains the expectations and responsibilities of the condition of their living unit.

Residence hall rooms are inspected for damage prior to opening at the beginning of the fall semester. If a student finds damage in the room at opening, the student must contact residence hall staff by the end of the second week of classes. It is the responsibility of the student to report damage in the beginning of the year as well as damage that occurs throughout the year.

Work Request Systems

Quinnipiac students have access to both an online Facilities Work Request System and a Computer Help Desk Work Request System through the MyQ portal. If you experience a problem with your computer, room phone, cable or Internet connection, you should submit a work request through the Computer Help Desk MyQ page and a professional from that department will address your concerns. If you are having a problem with something in your room (i.e., the light bulb has burnt out), you can submit a work request through MyQ. Work requests are handled as quickly as possible, usually within 24–48 hours. The Facilities Work Request form is available under Quick Links on MyQ. Work requests for laundry rooms are submitted directly to the laundry vendor except in certain off-campus properties.

QCard and Key Procedures

Students use their QCard to gain access to their hall and room. Students’ QCards are activated at the start of the academic year and remain active when the residence halls are officially open. Students should be aware that their cards will not be active to access their hall or room during vacation/break periods. If you lose your QCard, you must go to the QCard Office, located at the Technology Services Help Desk in the library, during business hours to obtain a new QCard. Students will be charged the current fee for replacing lost, stolen or damaged cards or keys. Students must carry their QCard with them at all times.

Lockouts

In the event you find yourself locked out of your building or room, contact the Office of Residential Life. After hours, you should contact the RA in central duty on your appropriate campus:

Mount Carmel Campus: 203-582-8622

York Hill Campus: 203-582-8291

Each resident student will be permitted two lockouts per academic year. The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to charge $25 for each additional lockout.

Roommates

One of the most important experiences you have in college involves your relationship with your roommate(s). Incoming students can select one roommate when signing up for housing or they will be matched with a roommate according to the information provided in a lifestyle survey. Returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors, you have the opportunity to choose your roommate(s). All first-year residents are required to complete a room and/or suite contract within the first three weeks of the fall semester. Successful group living is built upon mutual respect and respect for the rights of the individual. Disruption among roommates is handled by the residential life staff and may result in student conduct action or a new room assignment. These decisions are made at the discretion of the director of residential life or designee.

Room Selection

Room selection is done through a lottery process in the spring semester (fall semester for rising juniors and seniors). Information and materials regarding this process will be distributed to all resident students in advance. Students participating in the process must have paid their housing reservation fee and complete the housing contract on time to return to the residence halls. Students studying abroad for a semester are eligible to live in housing upon their return. Residential Life cannot hold a room during the fall semester or reserve a space for an entire year.

Room Change Procedure

Students are permitted to change rooms on a space-available basis. Prior to any room changes, students need to meet with their resident assistant and residence hall director. A member of the Residential Life staff will assist with the next appropriate steps. Students will be encouraged to talk to roommates first regarding minor conflicts. The university reserves the right to fill any vacancies that occur in student rooms. Students changing rooms should go to the Office of Residential Life to have their QCard access changed.

Vacant Spaces

Students must ensure that vacant spaces in their assigned room are clean and ready for new residents. Once a student is assigned to a vacancy, they may begin moving within a few hours. It is imperative that available spaces are in move-in condition. Move-in condition means that the furniture is in its original configuration. Available beds, wardrobes, desks and chairs must be free of any belongings, and in suites or apartments, located in their assigned bedrooms.

If a student visits your room or contacts you about moving into a vacancy in your room, it is expected that you will be welcoming and kind. Unless you are assigned to a designated single room, any vacancies can be filled by the Office of Residential Life at any time.

Medical Accommodations

Students who request housing accommodations must complete a housing accommodations form, which is available online on MyHousing. Individual student requests will be reviewed by staff members in the Office of Student Accessibility. Questions may be directed to the office at 203-582-7600. New students requesting accommodations must complete paperwork by May 1; returning students need to submit paperwork by March 1.

Residence Area Closing

The residential areas shut down over vacation and recess periods. With the exception of those who are approved to remain on campus, students must vacate the residential areas. All unauthorized students who do not vacate the residential areas by the designated time are subject to immediate removal, possible fine and disciplinary action. The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to charge students who arrive early or stay late during break periods.

Financial Matters

Housing Policy/Room Reservation Fee

Quinnipiac guarantees housing for the first three years of a student’s college experience. Seniors and graduate students are housed on a space-available basis. Housing is guaranteed to two groups of students: incoming students who choose to live on campus at the time of their admission to the university and returning students who pay their housing deposit by the designated deadline. Each year students who wish to live in the residence halls for the following year must pay a non-refundable housing reservation fee by the established deadline. Failure to do so may result in loss of housing privileges. In addition, each student must pay a security deposit when they move onto campus.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Housing contracts are for the full academic year, both fall and spring semesters, and exclude all vacation periods including Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring breaks. Housing and food charges are billed by the semester. Enrolled students may cancel their housing contract for any reason and without paying an additional fee within 30 days of the date the student signs the contract, and no later than August 1 for students who sign their contract after July 1.

Enrolled students who select housing and are registered will be financially responsible if notice of cancellation is not received within 30 days of signing the contract. Students who are removed from the residence halls for disciplinary reasons will remain financially obligated.

This contract and associated financial obligations will terminate automatically in the case of non-enrollment, authorized withdrawal, academic suspension, participation in study abroad or other approved academic experience, and/or graduation.

For further information, refer to the Withdrawal and Refund Policies on the university website.

Eligibility to Reside on Campus

To be eligible for university housing, individuals must be full-time matriculating students, at least 17 years old, who are in good academic, student conduct and financial standing with the university and have paid their housing reservation fee according to established policies.

Residential Life Policies

• Roommates’ Rights—For the purposes of this handbook, a roommate is defined as an individual who resides within the same room, suite, apartment or house. Disruption or interference with a roommate’s right to study, sleep, live in a clean, secure environment and/or have full access to one’s own room is prohibited. Each member living in a particular housing unit is responsible for ensuring that Quinnipiac University policies are followed by all of the residents and their guests and/or visitors.
• Personal Belongings—The university is not responsible for students’ personal belongings. Personal items must be removed when a student moves out of university housing for any reason, including leaves of absence, withdrawal from university housing, withdrawal from the university or at the conclusion of the housing contract term. Items left behind will be discarded.
• Playing Sports—The use of any sporting equipment in the hallways, common areas, individual rooms or courtyards is prohibited.
• Pets, Service and Support Animals—Pets, other than fish contained in a tank no larger than 10 gallons, are prohibited in the residential areas. Students requiring service or emotional support animals must complete the medical accommodation form when applying for housing and submit necessary information to the Office of Student Accessibility. Please refer to the Animals on Campus Policy for additional information.
• Health and Safety—Resident students assume responsibility for the use and general care of their living space and its furnishings. Members of the Residential Life staff and Facilities staff inspect all rooms on a regular basis, including during each vacation period, for health, safety, damage, fire code and security reasons. Violations may result in a monetary fine and/or disciplinary action. Any prohibited items that are found will be confiscated and not returned.
• Maximum Occupancy—The maximum number of people permitted to occupy any individual room, suite or apartment at any one time may not exceed twice the number of residents of that living unit +1, except where designated in certain QU-owned houses.
• Administrative Moves—An administrative move may occur when there is not an immediate resolution in a roommate dispute, there is behavior that is disrupting the room, or a concern is being addressed or is under investigation. The director of residential life or their designee will determine when an administrative move is necessary, how long it will last and how many members of the living unit will be moved.

Routine Inspection

During the routine inspection, items including but not limited to the following are evaluated:

• pictures, posters and other decorations improperly hung on the walls (only removable adhesive tape should be used)
• damage caused by nails, tacks, pins, screws, masking tape and/or scotch tape
• overloaded wastebaskets
• fire hazards (decorative door items may be placed only on the bulletin board)
• evidence of unauthorized animals
• condition and structure of university furniture
• missing university property
• damage or misuse of fire safety equipment
• evidence of vandalism
• violations of the student code of conduct

Prohibited Items

If any prohibited item is found in the residence hall/student’s residence hall room, it will be confiscated and discarded. If any approved item (see below) is used NOT in accordance with the established criteria, it will be confiscated and discarded. There will be no warnings given or second chances. Confiscated items will not be returned to students. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to the following:

Quiet Hours

• All resident students and their guests and visitors must abide by the quiet hours that are in effect from Sunday–Thursday, 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., and Friday–Saturday, 12 a.m. (midnight) to 8 a.m.
• Courtesy hours are in effect at all times. Students are to respect the rights of others to read, study and sleep without interference, undue disturbance or unreasonable noise. Students living in university-owned or leased properties must be respectful of the greater community in which they live.
  • During the period of final exams, quiet hours are in effect 24 hours per day beginning at 6 p.m. on the Friday before final exams. Exam hours are defined as 24-hour quiet hours during final exams.

Housing Contract

Students are responsible for maintaining and abiding by their housing agreement. The housing agreement can be viewed on MyHousing or qu.edu/housing