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Updated on July 19, 2019
Eligibility – Students must have a full-time course load in any academic program (defined as twelve (12) credits for undergraduate students or nine (9) credits for graduate students per academic semester) in order to live on campus. Anyone carrying less than these numbers of credits must have permission from the Office of Residence Life and Housing in order to live on campus.
Housing Application – All students who will reside in the residence halls are required to complete a Housing Application, which contains the terms of the agreement, prior to being assigned a room. This will allow students to acknowledge the responsibilities that they have as students.
Student Accounts – Student account balances per the requirements made by Office of Financial Services will be checked before business registration to determine if there is any outstanding balance due to the University. An outstanding balance remaining one week before business registration will result in the cancellation of a student’s course schedule. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain his/her student account and to pay any outstanding balance before business registration.
Meal Program – All students who live on campus, with the exception of students residing in Faculty Row Housing and apartments, are required to participate in the University meal program. Students who live off campus are not required to purchase a meal plan but may do so if they choose. Commuter students may purchase Dining Dollars by logging on to their Bison account. Dining Dollars are non-refundable and do not expire. Students will be given the opportunity to sign up for a particular meal plan during business registration; students who do not sign up during business registration will be billed the 190 block plan.
Block plans are non-transferable. Dining dollars are transferable from semester to semester during the academic year (e.g. Fall to Spring, Spring to Summer). Dining dollars are not transferable from academic year to academic year. Meal plans can be upgraded throughout the semester. Deadline for downgrading your meal plan is on the last day of Business Registration, on Friday after classes start each semester. All block meals and Dining Dollars can only be used by the student with their own valid student ID. If you want to treat a friend to a meal, you must be present with your ID to process this transaction.
The meal plans do not include early arrival before the fall semester, the winter break period between the fall and spring semesters, the spring break period during the spring semester (usually a week in mid-March), and Commencement week. All students are responsible for their meals during these periods. All meal plans expire at the end of each semester.
Board Waivers and Kitchen Access – Special dietary meals can be provided for those students who need them. These students are responsible for arranging a special diet with the Food Services Manager.
Students who believe the University meal program is unable to meet their dietary needs can apply for a board waiver. The procedure and an application form for board waivers can be obtained online here at www.gallaudet.edu/food-services-board-waiver or from the office of the Executive Director of Business and Support Services located in College Hall #314.
For students who already have a meal plan, however, due to special dietary needs, the student may need access to a kitchen. In cases like this, requests for kitchen access are to be made to the Director of Residence Life and Housing for consideration.
Students who have been granted board waivers or use of a kitchen will be assigned use of a kitchen located in Carlin Hall. Students are not required to live in Carlin Hall in order to use the kitchen. LLRH6 has community kitchens located on the second through fifth floors, which are accessible to students who reside on their designated floors. Students who reside in LLRH6 are still required to have a meal plan.
Room Cancellation – Any student wishing to request the cancellation of their assignment must submit their Housing Cancellation Request Form online. Cancellations will not be in effect until officially approved. To review the considerations, they can be found online on the Housing Cancellation Requests page.
Students who do not plan to reside on campus for the Spring semester must fill out a Housing Cancellation Form online by November 15 or the $500 Cancellation Fee will apply.
Room Charges and Refunds – Room charges are made for each semester at registration time. Prorated room refunds are made only when a student leaves the University, following proper room checkout procedures, and before the fifth week of the semester (Fall and Spring semesters only). There will be no refunds for disciplinary dismissals. (For additional information, see Refunds for Room Charges section below). Students who do not return as students and do not follow proper room checkout and notification procedures at the end of the fall or spring semesters may be charged additional fees.
Room rates are based on a variable rate structure based on residence halls and types of rooms. Room rates do not include the winter break between semesters. Room is provided only during the time the University is in session. In some instances, rooms may be occupied while the University is closed; this must be cleared with the Office of Residence Life and Housing. Students staying without permission will be charged a daily nightly rate and additional penalties may be assessed.
Graduate students who are required as part of the academic requirements for a degree to do a practicum or student teaching assignment off campus may have their room charges prorated for a semester, provided they vacate the room during the time period of the off-campus assignment. Upon returning to campus, students will be assigned to a room depending on space availability. Students who wish to leave personal effects in a room are required to pay the entire semester charge. Graduate students who wish to have their room charges prorated for the spring semester must make arrangements with the Office of Residence Life and Housing before the residence halls close for the winter break.
Room Changes – Only the Housing Operations Manager or Coordinators of Residence Education may grant authorization for students to change rooms and only when circumstances allow. When a bed becomes available in a student’s room, the student must keep the bed and corresponding furniture in half of the room vacant for a potential roommate in case of room consolidation, room changes, new room assignments, or any other reason deemed necessary.
After the residence halls close for the Spring semester and during Commencement Week, students in Carlin Hall, Clerc Hall, and LLRH6 (graduating students, ushers, dancers, interns, etc.) may have to relocate to other residence halls to free up suites for families of graduating students.
Room Consolidation – At the end of the room change period, all students who do not have roommates will be consolidated. The occupants of rooms with vacancies will be merged with others in a similar situation to make a full room. This means some students will be reassigned to different rooms in order to maximize the use of space as well as to retain vacant rooms for emergencies and guests.
Refunds for Room Charges for Fall and Spring Semesters – Refunds for the unexpired portion of the semester will be made according to the time of withdrawal as follows:
A student is not eligible for a refund if he/she stops attending classes but remains as a student in the residence hall. The refund will be determined by the date of checkout from the residence hall.
Housing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities – Pursuant to the Section 504/Americans with Disabilities Act, the Office of Residence Life and Housing will provide reasonable housing accommodations to students with disabilities who request accommodations through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD) depending on availability.
In order to qualify for accommodations on campus, students must apply for OSWD services and the application will be reviewed by OSWD staff to determine whether the student qualifies and is eligible for OSWD services. In addition to providing medical or psychoeducational documentation for OSWD services, it must be explicitly stated in the documentation what accommodations are needed and the reasons must be included in the report. To apply for OSWD services you must complete an OSWD intake form and submit medical and/or psychoeducational evaluation report along with the intake form.
If you are already a student receiving services from OSWD and you desire housing with additional accommodations for health or medical conditions, then submit medical or psychoeducational documentation supporting your need for housing accommodations to the Housing Accommodations Committee (HAC) for review and approval. HAC will communicate with the Office of Residence Life and Housing of any approved requests for housing accommodations.
Housing for Single/Married/Partnered Students with Children – Housing is available on a limited basis in unfurnished apartments located on the upper level of the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School for students who have children. To reside in the Kendall Apartment Complex with children, at least one parent must carry a full academic load. Individuals such as boy/girlfriends do not qualify as occupants. All couples must either be married or domestic partners. To apply, submit a completed Apartment Application Form to the Office of Residence Life and Housing.
Housing for Married/Partnered Students with No Dependent Children – Housing is available on a limited basis in unfurnished apartments located in the residence halls for married couples. To reside in married housing, at least one spouse must carry a full academic load. All couples must either be married or domestic partners. Children may not live with parent(s) who are students residing in the residence halls. To apply, submit a completed Apartment Application Form to the Office of Residence Life and Housing.
Withdrawals/Leave of Absences – Students who withdraw from all classes and/or declare a Leave of Absence (LOA) during the semester submit a Housing Cancellation Request Form online and must vacate their rooms within 48 hours of submitting completed paperwork to the Registrar’s Office. The student’s belongings cannot be moved into another student’s room and must be removed from the residence halls completely upon check out. Any property left behind will be considered the property of the student who assumed responsibility of the previous owner’s. If it is not removed by the student when the student checks out, it will be considered abandoned property and promptly thrown away. The student is also responsible for returning their room key and access card to the residence hall office when checking out of their room. Failure to return key will result in a lock change being done at the student’s expense.
Check-Out Procedure – Prior to leaving the University when you are no longer a student or when the residence halls close, it is highly recommended that students check out of their rooms properly. Students have the option of choosing between Express Check-Out or Regular Check-Out prior to checking out of the room/suite.
Regular Check-Out involves checking the room/suite with the staff on duty. Both the staff on duty and the student will document the condition of the room/suite prior to checking out.
Express Check-Out involves the potential of being responsible for the condition of the room/suite and any additional costs as determined by the Coordinator of Residence Education (CRE). The student will not have a final walk-through in the room/suite with the staff on duty. By signing the Express Check-Out form, the student will be agreeing to the final observation of the room/suite as decided by the CRE.
Custodial Services – Each residence hall has custodians assigned to do general cleaning in public and common areas, bathrooms, lounges, and hallways. Custodians strive to provide the students a safe and clean place to live. Their work is greatly facilitated by students’ efforts to maintain the cleanliness of the residence hall by the proper disposal of trash and minimizing unnecessary mess. The custodial staff is not expected to clean up after students’ parties, practical jokes, or any other unusual circumstances. Students are responsible for the cleanliness of their residential units.
Custodians are not responsible for cleaning bodily fluids, feces, and/or vomit. An external contractor will be responsible for safely removing bodily fluids, feces, and/or vomit with appropriate chemicals and equipment. The cost of clean-up will be billed to the person(s) responsible.
Entry into Student Rooms – The University reserves the right of entry into any residence hall room for purposes of inspection, cleaning, repair, painting, maintenance, or assessment of damages. The University also reserves the right of entry into any residence hall room for health and safety concerns, to provide for the security of persons and property, or if there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a University policy or regulation has been violated.
Regular room/apartment inspections are made of all areas. When possible, inspections will be arranged in advance. However, the University has the right of immediate entry in the event of fire alarm, emergency, or when a violation of law, University policy, or residence hall policy is suspected. Members of the Residence Life staff, University administration, Department of Public Safety, or Facilities Department will exercise the right of entry under those circumstances. The Office of Residence Life and Housing reserves the right to conduct unannounced health and safety inspections each semester. The Director of Residence Life and Housing, Program Manager, Housing Operations Manager, Coordinators of Residence Education, Graduate Assistants, or University staff designated by the Director of Residence Life and Housing are empowered to conduct an administrative search of student rooms and University property when it is deemed necessary.
Items observed in plain view during any inspection that are in violation of University policy or regulations will be noted and may be removed from the premises, if necessary, and at the discretion of the administrative staff conducting the inspection. During an administrative search for a possible violation of University policies or regulations, the University reserves the right to search private property (such as a refrigerator or cooler in an administrative search for a possible alcohol policy violation, for example) if the property or location is typically used to store such items, or if the University receives specific information from a source of where the item(s) in violation of University policies and regulations are specifically stored.
Extermination – The University provides extermination service twice each year to prevent pest infestation. When this happens, students will be notified in advance. If you find your room to be infested with pests, immediately notify the residence hall staff so that a maintenance work order can be issued immediately to the Facilities Department to correct the situation.
Furnishing – In each room or suite, the University provides one each of the following furnishings for each student:
Housekeeping – Housekeeping is the responsibility of the student(s) who occupies the room. Rooms must be kept clean for health and safety reasons. Industrial-type vacuum cleaners may be borrowed from the residence hall office. However, for those who suffer from allergies, it is recommended that a personal vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter be purchased at the students’ expense.
Insurance – Because residence hall living presents a unique set of living circumstances, it is strongly recommended that students purchase renter’s insurance or student insurance to protect their items against theft, fire, and/or damage and liability insurance to protect the student if the student has caused damage to University and other student’s property. Gallaudet neither undertakes nor assumes any responsibility for protecting private personal property from any type of loss. It is strongly recommended that students insure any personal property on campus through a family policy or the purchase of separate insurance. Second, Gallaudet reserves the right to hold people responsible for any damage that they cause to University property or any liability claims. Liability insurance coverage can protect students from this risk. If liability coverage in a family insurance policy does not extend coverage to a student’s campus activities, separate insurance for this exposure is advisable and available from any insurance agent.
Laundry – Every residence hall is equipped with coin and debit/credit card-operated washers and dryers in their respective laundry room. The laundry rooms are located in the basement in all residence halls and on the second floor in LLRH6. The laundry machines are for use by on-campus students only. Any machine malfunctions should be reported promptly to the residence hall staff.
Maintenance and Repairs – Prompt reporting of maintenance and repair requests by each student will keep residence hall costs to a minimum, therefore keeping student room fees low. Any maintenance or repair issues should be reported to any residence hall staff in the residence hall office and a Maintenance Work Order will be filled out by the student. The residence hall staff will complete an on-line Maintenance Work Order with the appropriate department on campus depending on the nature of the maintenance and/or repair request. The University repaints all residence rooms on a regular schedule. Students will be notified in advance if their rooms are to be painted during the school year.
Room Lottery – Current students who plan to reside on campus for the next academic year should participate in the Room Lottery, which takes place early in the spring semester. Priority goes to students who have been approved by HAC for housing accommodations. General Lottery Options are as follows:
To determine priority in each group, individual points are calculated by multiplying each student’s cumulative GPA and total number of credits, including transferred credits. The points of each member of a group will be added up and the total points will determine the group’s Lottery Points and standing for each Lottery Option. Re-admitted students, who have been approved by Registrar’s Office, are able to participate in the Room Lottery. New incoming undergraduate, graduate, and ELI students will not be able to participate in the Room Lottery and will be assigned rooms by the Housing Operations Manager.
All students who wish to participate in the Room Lottery will be required to do the following prior to participating, in order as shown:
Students who require special housing accommodations due to their medical needs and/or disability are required to go through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSWD) to receive approval from the Housing Accommodations Committee (HAC) for housing accommodations prior to applying for the Room Lottery.
Graduate students can choose their rooms in the Graduate Community that is reserved for graduate students only. Graduate students are placed in order by Groups of 4, Groups of 2, then by singles within suites.
Students who participate in Groups of 4 must choose one group to participate in prior to submitting paperwork and applications online. If a suite has been chosen and a student backs out of the group, the Housing Operations Manager will work with the group to find a replacement. Random room/suitemates for Groups of 4 cannot be selected by the Housing Operations Manager prior to the selection of suites.
Students who participate in Groups of 2 must choose one group to participate in prior to submitting paperwork and applications online. If a room has been chosen and a student backs out of the group, a replacement can be made either by the other student in the group or by the Housing Operations Manager.
Students can choose the Single Room with Private Bathroom or Single room with Community Bathroom option during the Room Lottery. The assignments will be determined by the number of rooms available and who has the highest amount of Lottery Points. Those who do not make it will be placed on the Waiting List and be assigned rooms by the Housing Operations Manager.
Students who do not have a roommate preference will be placed on the Waiting List and be assigned rooms after the Room Lottery ends. The matching of random roommates will be determined by the Housing Operations Manager.
More information on Room Lottery is usually shared with the community in advance through e-mails, flyers, and via the digital signage system in the University residence halls.
Room Occupancy – Students are assigned a room as space permits. If a student fails to occupy his/her assigned space on or before the first day of class, the assignment may be cancelled unless advance notice of late arrival, subject to approval, is given to the Office of Residence Life and Housing. All students are required to have a roommate. All new, incoming freshmen are required to reside in the freshmen designated residence hall(s) during their first year of attendance with the exception of older students who may request a different housing arrangement depending on availability.
During the winter break, all residence halls are closed. Special permission must be obtained from the Office of Residence Life and Housing to remain on campus.
Summer Housing – To request housing during the summer period, Summer Housing forms are to be submitted to the Residence Life and Housing office.
Students who are taking summer school courses or internship with credits during the summer may reside on campus. The room charges will be billed to the student’s account.
Students who are not taking summer school courses may reside on campus, however, the room charges cannot be billed to their student account and students will need to pay for their room in full prior to receiving a room assignment and checking into their rooms.
University Liability – Students are responsible for any property brought to school. The University cannot assume any responsibility for property damage or loss of property use, nor can it assume responsibility for harm caused by other students or their guests. It is strongly recommended that students take measures to protect valuable property and to insure any belongings before arriving at the University. A student’s family may have a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy that extends to property located on campus, or an insurance policy can be purchased directly by students from any insurance agent.
Gallaudet University also reserves the right to transfer any costs or expenses for property damage or liability claims to any person responsible for causing such damage or liability. Students are responsible for the consequences of their actions or neglect. Again, a family’s existing insurance coverage may protect the student for his or her activities on campus, or students can purchase separate insurance.
Vending Machines – Vending machines providing a variety of food and beverages are available in every residence hall. In the event of a monetary loss in a machine, go to the Cashier’s Office, located in the basement of College Hall, to make a report and request reimbursement.
Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (SARP)