Overview
Residence Life and Housing, a unit of Student Affairs, has the primary responsibility of managing the facilities and programs in our five residence halls, Faculty Row Houses, and the Kendall Apartment Complex.
We provide quality programs and services to assist with the challenging transition to college living. Our office provides monthly dorm events that ease the many issues faced by students. These programs are designed to:
- Provide opportunities for students to learn skills that contribute to living successfully in a pluralistic environment
- Cultivate the development of character, civility, and community
- Develop an understanding of the interrelationships that support a productive and meaningful life
- Ensure the safety and security of the residents
- Offer proper referrals to available services on- and off-campus
- Maintain discipline in the residence halls, Faculty Row Houses, and Kendall Apartment Complex
- Runs several paraprofessional programs in and out of the residence halls
Our office is made up of three major components: Housing Operations, Residence Hall Management and Supervision, and Marketing and Assessment.
Housing Operations
The Housing Operations component of our office covers everything related to daily living in the residence hall rooms and on-campus apartments, including the room lottery, roommate changes, and housing assignments.
We have six University residence halls and three Faculty Row Houses. We also offer housing at the Kendall Apartments where units are available for use by families with children. Housing for married couples without children is available in our University residence halls. For both Married Housing and Kendall Apartments, at least one spouse or parent must be a matriculated student at Gallaudet University. For information please visit here.
Residence Hall Management and Supervision
Residence Hall Management and Supervision covers the daily educational programming aspects of residence hall living and policy enforcement. Our staff work closely with the Department of Public Safety to ensure that our residents have a safe and positive living experience. Please visit Residence Hall Policies to view the Student Handbook online. We also have a Frequently Asked Questions page where you will find answers to the most commonly-asked questions.
Marketing and Assessment
The Marketing and Assessment component of our office covers the efforts of getting the message out to the community about Residence Life and Housing.
Have more questions or want more information? Contact us or visit us at Ely Center 132.
Programs
Commuter Programs
Explore Gallaudet University's Commuter Programs. Discover resources, support, and community connections for a vibrant campus experience while living off-campus.
Meet the Team
Andy Schewe
Director, Residence Life and Housing
Stephanie Sforza
Housing Operations Manager
Michael Slane
Associate Housing Operations Coordinator
Nikki Surber
Residence Life Manager
Marlena Demmon
Residence Education Coordinator
ReNelle Baker
Residence Education Coordinator
Mauri Lynn
Residence Education Coordinator
Kevin Farrell
Housing Operations Specialist
Information
FAQs
Room Lottery
To request a meal waiver, you can contact Sherri Necessary at Contact here. You will be provided with information on what is required to provide proof of medical reasons for the request. If you have been approved for a meal waiver, Ms. Necessary will contact Residence Life and Housing, who will then contact you with further instructions on how to retrieve a kitchen key for Carlin Hall. Please note that you are not required to live in Carlin Hall when you have a meal waiver.
Yes, you are guaranteed housing on campus as long as you participate in the Room Lottery.
Safety
All entrances and exit doors are monitored 24 hours a day/7 days a week via cameras connected to the front desk offices and the Department of Public Safety.
In addition, panic buttons have been installed in each room of the Ballard Residential Complex and the Living and Learning Residence Hall 6, as well as every residence hall office. These buttons are for the use of emergency summons only. When a panic button is pushed, a signal goes directly to the Department of Public Safety, facilitating an immediate response.
All Gallaudet University students, whether they live on-campus or off-campus, receive information through the following:
- Orientation Programs meetings and videos
- Sessions by Residence Life and Housing Staff
- Department of Public Safety brochures, safety programs and workshops, and crime alert bulletins
- Residence Life and Housing Staff receive training sessions for preparation in aiding and advising students in non-academic issues, including safety and security
- Peer Health Advocates and Resident Assistants conduct workshops on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and the problems of acquaintance rape;
- DPS and the Office of Residence Life and Housing also share tips with residents about off-campus safety.
Gallaudet University permits guests in the residence halls as long as they are escorted by residents. Guests are defined as off-campus students and visitors who are not members of the University community.
All guests of residents must sign in, state who they are visiting, and provide a valid picture identification card to residence hall staff upon entry:
- The visitor’s information will be logged in by the staff on duty;
- Upon registration as an overnight guest, an overnight pass will be issued to the guest;
- The overnight pass is required to be carried at all times and must be surrendered at departure.
Keys are issued to residents for entrance into their rooms/suites. In residence halls with public restrooms in their wings, the room key is able to gain access to the restroom in the wing.
University residence halls are locked 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Residents gain access through one main entrance for each residence hall via their access card which also serves as their Gallaudet University identification card. These cards are issued by the Department of Public Safety.
Residents may enter their own residence hall with their access card 24 hours a day, and their access to other residence halls is permitted from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. daily.
Residency Requirements
If you have never been enrolled in a higher education institution, you will be required to live on-campus as a first-year undergraduate. If you have been enrolled in a higher education institution, you may be required to live on-campus depending on your undergraduate status. Contact the Housing Operations Office if you have questions.
Spring will be counted as the first semester living on campus for undergraduates enrolled in college for the first time in the spring. Residency through the summer will not count as a semester under this policy. Residency must be through the fall and spring academic semesters.
The Office of Residence Life and Housing often hears concerns from parents about campus safety. While safety can’t be guaranteed for any individual, our staff works closely with Gallaudet University’s Department of Public Safety and the Office of Student Conduct to see to that a number of policies, programs, and services are in place to optimize the safety and security of our on-campus residents. Examples of these initiatives include:
- Restricted visiting hours
- Sign-ins of guests and required escorts
- Exterior doors are locked 24/7 and are alarmed
- Residence hall staff and Department of Public Safety personnel are trained on safety and security issues
- Residence hall staff are trained on mediation tactics
- Educational programming safety training in residence halls
- The Department of Public Safety provides escort services, monitors a large bank of security cameras, and conducts campus patrols to ensure the continued safety and security of residents.
The Office of Student Success and the Office of Residence Life have developed a year-long comprehensive programming model that will allow both first and second-year undergraduates to adjust to on-campus living while ensuring academic success. Participation in on-campus programs and activities around these focus areas is encouraged: celebrating differences, academic support, campus resources, drug and alcohol awareness, and community service.
Yes, many schools across the country require first-year and second-year undergraduates to live on-campus because data has overwhelmingly shown that on-campus living helps students to succeed academically. In fact, this has become common practice for most four year institutions.
A study in 1997 by Gary Pike, Charles Schroeder, and Thomas Berry discovered that students living in residence halls are more likely to persist to graduation and those who live in residence halls structured around academic themes had higher levels of achievement and persistence than other students
(Enhancing the Educational Impact of Residence Halls: The Relationship Between Residential Learning Communities and First-Year College Experience and Persistence, Journal of College Student Development, November/December 1997, Vol. 38, No. 6, p. 611).
We have known for some time that students who live on campus are retained and achieve success in academics and social development.
Meal Plans
Gallaudet University is very conscious of our students with special dietary needs. The University Dining Services manager is available to anyone who has concerns about dining on campus. If you need special meals or are requesting a waiver from the University Meal Plan, please reference the Food Services webpage for further instructions.
Yes. All on-campus residents are required to participate in a meal plan. You have a choice of three different meal plans (21, 15, or 10 meals per week). Residents who reside in the Faculty Row houses, married apartments, and family apartments are exempt from this requirement. However, these residents can sign-up for a meal plan if they choose. Reference the Food Services webpage for more information.
Yes, but only with the authorized and pre-approved cooking appliances such as a microwave. For a full list of approved appliances and other questions, please contact us.
Items I Can or Cannot Bring
No. For health and safety reasons, pets other than service animals are not permitted in the residence halls or on the Gallaudet campus. Those who plan to bring a service animal must contact the Assistance Animal Accommodation Coordinator for policy information and registration via e-mail. For more information, please review the Gallaudet University Service Animal Policy. You may also contact us for more information.
Guests residing on campus, who are not students, are only permitted upon invitation. It is the responsibility of the host or hostess to ensure the guest is properly registered and that the guest’s presence or behavior does not infringe on the rights of roommates or other residents.
Yes. Cars are allowed on campus as long as they are registered with the Department of Public Safety (DPS), where you will be issued a parking permit. You must provide proof of insurance. Please contact us or visit Campus Parking for more information.
You will need your own small wastebasket, study lamp, 80″ long mattress pad, extra long twin sheets, hangers, alarm clock, iron, small ironing board, laundry basket, and other personal items. Be aware of your room size and space limitations. There are no storage rooms in the residence halls.
Landline telephone services are not provided by the University and if a telephone is desired, Voice-Over Internet Phones (VOIPs) can be used. You can buy a VOIP and install it in your room, however, you will be responsible for covering any VOIP service fees.
Yes. Gallaudet University has been superb in keeping pace with computer technology advances. Each room is equipped with an ethernet hookup to allow for networking. You will be required to purchase an Ethernet card if one does not exist in your hardware (information will be provided by the Gallaudet Technology Services during business registration).
You are encouraged to buy insurance for your computer and to register it with the Department of Public Safety when you arrive. Please reference the Gallaudet University Technology Policy governing the use of University network resources.
Any appliance that does not contain an open heating element, is approved by the Underwriters Laboratory (UL), or has a Factory Mutual (FM) label is allowed.
For example, microwaves, electric clocks, blankets, electric razors, irons, radios, stereos, and hair dryers are allowed, but they must be in safe operating condition. The following items are NOT permitted: toasters, toaster ovens, sandwich makers, cooking burners. Some items that are not on this list may still be forbidden. When in doubt, lease contact us.
Alcohol and Other Drug Policies
Yes. Federal law and the Student Code of Conduct prohibits these activities on and off campus.
Possession or use of kegs, beer balls, large punch bowls, or other common containers of alcoholic beverages of a similar nature is prohibited in the residence halls. Consult Gallaudet University’s alcohol and other drug policies for more information.
No opened bottles or cans of alcoholic beverages are allowed in public areas. This includes the hallways and lobbies in the residence halls. Consult Gallaudet University’s alcohol and other drug policies for more information.
Guests are allowed to possess, transport, or consume alcoholic beverages in the residence halls if the guest is of legal drinking age and they are not in a dry residence hall. If your guest is underage or violates the Alcohol and Other Drug Policies such as giving alcoholic beverages to an underage individual, your guest will be removed from campus by the Department of Public Safety, and you will be charged for a policy violation for your guest’s conduct.
Depending on the severity of the alcohol policy violations, there is a range of sanctions that may be assigned. Please review the Alcohol and Other Drug Policies and the Alcohol and Other Drugs Point System Policy section in the online Student Handbook.
Gallaudet University is committed to providing a campus environment that is free from illegal or abusive use of drugs and alcohol. All students are subject to state and local laws pertaining to alcohol. Students must be 21 years of age to consume or possess any form of alcoholic beverage. There are residence halls designated as alcohol-free and, regardless of students’ or guests’ ages, no alcoholic beverages are permitted. In other residence halls that are not designated as alcohol-free, people of legal drinking age, either resident students or guests, may consume or possess alcohol.
Roommate Questions
Limited single rooms are available for those who have medical or disability needs. Once distributed, any remaining available single rooms will be open to individuals who have applied for a single room through the Room Lottery process.
For new students, rooms and roommate(s) are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. The Office of Residence Life and Housing matches roommates by sex and age similarities. If you have a preferred roommate, you and your roommate of choice must both fill out the application with the name of your roommate preference. After your first year on campus, you will participate in the regular room lottery process based on the university point system (GPA and credits accumulated).
We encourage you to work on developing quality communication with your roommate to resolve any challenges. If you are unable to find a solution, contact your residence hall staff for alternatives. A room change can only be made if space is available or a switch can be arranged. A Roommate Change period will last through the second week of each academic semester (Fall and Spring) when students may be shuffled and rooms may be consolidated.
Housing Contracts, Eligibility, and Holiday Breaks
You may stay on campus over the summer only if you are attending the summer session or are working in the metropolitan area. Students should expect to move to a designated summer residence hall. You will be paying for the room should you decide to stay during the summer.
Yes. Students may remain on campus during the Thanksgiving and Spring breaks. However, meal plans do not extend through Spring Break. During the Winter Break, students must physically vacate the building, but they may leave their belongings in the room. Refer to the academic calendar for the dates of the Winter Break.
Yes. The residence contract will be terminated for students who violate their contract or are academically dismissed.
All first-year and second-year students are required to reside on campus. Other full-time students are eligible to reside on campus, however, part-time students may reside on campus, pending availability.
Contact
- Residence Life and Housing
- Ely Center | 132
- click to show email
- (202) 651-5255
- (202) 250-2002
Monday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Thursday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am-5:00 pm
