All new fall students arrive in late August for New Student Orientation. Please consult the New Student website for details. The Orientation Leaders and Admissions Staff assist students and parents in unpacking the car. The Resident Assistants (RAs) are available on the floors to assist with move-in and offer suggestions.

At check-in, you will be given a copy of the Student Handbook, Guidelines for Residential Living, your Room Condition Form (RCF), your room key, and any other pertinent opening information. It is important that each student check, sign, and return the RCF upon arrival. Be sure all the information on the check-in form is accurate. If you find any discrepancies on your form, return to the staff person in charge and have your room checked again. We are unable to make adjustments not reported within 24 hours of check-in.

At the end of each semester, the Department of Residential Life publishes check-out procedures. To avoid unnecessary charges, follow all guidelines. If you leave the residence halls during a semester, please contact your RA and/or AD for the procedures to follow. You cannot leave and give your key to a friend to turn in for you. Residents who fail to follow the proper check-out procedures may be charged for damages for which they may not be responsible and fined for improper check-out. Return your room key to the Residential Life Office. After hours the key can be dropped off at the lock boxes outside Residential Life or Campus Safety by filling out the key return form available at the box.

In an emergency, call campus safety at 585-389-3333 or 585-389-2850. This department is staffed 24 hours per day and has personnel trained to respond to all types of emergencies. Notify the RA on duty or your AD of the nature of the situation if you have a chance. If not, notify residence life personnel and they will notify campus safety.

If a situation arises, on or off campus, that the campus safety director considers an ongoing threat, a campus-wide warning will be issued through Nazareth's NazAlert system to students, faculty, and staff.

(For more complete Fire Safety Procedures, see the Student Handbook. In a community, we all have to work together to keep it safe.)

Bonfires, propane gas tanks/grills, open flames, and other combustibles are prohibited in residence halls and on patios and lawns near student housing. Keep combustible products to a minimum. Open flame devices (including candles and incense) are not allowed in residence halls. Make sure that wiring on any electrical appliance is in good condition and UL-approved. Do not run any wiring beneath carpeting. Lofted furniture and lofts not supplied by the College are prohibited. Report any accident or fire to Campus Safety at 585-389-3333 or 585-389-2850. State your name and room number clearly. If you discover an empty fire extinguisher, report it to your RA or AD.

If the fire alarm sounds, leave the building right away by the nearest exit. Respond to all alarms as real. Certain precautions should be taken in case of a fire:

• Stay low to the floor to protect yourself from smoke and toxic gases.
• Check your door before opening to see if it is hot. If hot, do not open! If the door is not hot and your path to the exit is clear, leave the building as quickly and calmly as possible, closing your door behind you. If you cannot leave your room, do not panic. Walls and doors are constructed to keep fire out for at least 1 1/2 hours. Place wet towels at the base of the door to help keep smoke out of the room.
• Signal for fire fighters by hanging a sheet or blanket out of a window if you can, and then stay low. Fill your bathtub or sink with water to keep wetting the towels used to seal the room. All rooms in a fire area are immediately searched by fire fighters, who arrive within minutes of the alarm.
• Smoking is prohibited in all public areas including halls, kitchens, and lounges.
• DO NOT tamper with fire safety equipment.

Housing and food payment does not cover vacation periods when the halls are closed. Students must vacate rooms during Thanksgiving, winter, and spring recess. Official opening and closing times are posted in the academic calendar.

Students who are requesting approval to remain on campus for any period of time during one of the College Breaks (Thanksgiving, winter, or spring break) are required to fill out an application requesting authorization to stay. A staff member in the Department of Residential Life will review this application, and students will be informed if they are approved or denied to remain on campus for any part of the break. Work of any sort does not constitute a legitimate reason to remain in on-campus housing, even if that work is for a faculty or staff member. The "Break Housing Request Form" can be found on the Residential Life website under Break Housing.

As a reminder, at the end of each semester, students must vacate the residence halls 24 hours after their last final exam.

Every Spring Semester, Residential Life runs housing selection for our returning students.

To read more information on how this process runs, please read the information on the housing selection.

If you accidentally lock yourself out of the room or your roommate absent-mindedly leaves you stranded:

• During regular business hours, go to the Residential Life Office on the ground floor of Kearney Hall with your student ID.
• After hours, contact campus safety or the RA on duty.

Under no circumstances will you be given access to someone else's room.

Always make an effort to check for your keys before leaving your room. Do not expect immediate response to lock-outs.

If you lose a key, report it immediately to Residential Life. A lock change will be ordered for your room, suite, or apartment and you will be charged $150 for this service. You can get a loaner key from the Residential Life Office until your new key is available. Generally, new keys will be available in two to three days.

All undergraduate students, regardless of credit-based class status, must reside on campus for their first two years of college. Transfer students that did not complete two years of residency at their previous institution must comply with the residency requirement. If you wish to request a housing exemption, you must complete an online form that our office provides.

On-Campus Housing Exception Request >>

Maintaining a secure residence depends upon the entire community. By following these guidelines and using common sense, your residential experience should be safe and rewarding. It is difficult to go into detail on safety measures; however, here are some ways to reduce the chance of theft or personal harm:

• Always lock your door, even when leaving to visit a friend or going to the bathroom.
• Travel with a companion at night on campus. Avoid midnight excursions to the laundry room and basement areas alone. Call Campus Safety for an escort when necessary.
• Do not prop entrance doors.
• Notify the RA or Campus Safety of any unusual occurrences in the halls.
• Use emergency exits and stairwells appropriately.
• Never sign or allow strangers into your residence hall.

Do not lend your key to anyone. Always lock your door. Any theft or unauthorized entry of your room should be reported to campus safety (585-389-3333 or 585-389-2850) immediately.

You are responsible for your belongings. Nazareth College does not carry personal property insurance on students' belongings. We recommend that you carry your own insurance to cover loss due to damage, vandalism, or theft. You may want to review your parents' homeowner's or renter's policy to see what is covered. We suggest that you specifically review the section on theft of your property (many policies cover damage, but not loss).

At Nazareth, we have a multi step process for room changes.

1. Talk to your roommate. We know that this is not always ideal, but most of the roommate conflicts that we see are due to some form of miscommunication. We ask that you sit down and discuss any issues that you may feel have arisen with your roommate(s).
2. Reach out to your RA. We understand, sometimes talking to your roommate won't work, or you don't know how to approach a situation. That's why the next step is to go to your Resident Assistant. They are highly trained in mediation and have gone through hours of training on the resources and options that we offer.
3. If you have already gone through steps 1 and 2 and feel that there has been no change, reach out to your RA and ask if you can meet with the Area Director (AD) of your building, or email your AD.

We look at room changes on a weekly basis. Approval will be dependent on space and availability, and we review requests in the order that they are submitted. 

Moves take place on Friday's allowing the weekend to move your belongings. You must have the key to your previous room placement returned to our office the following Monday. Failure to return your key by the deadline will result in a non-refundable fee of $150.00 that will be automatically added to your student account. In addition, if you move your belongings prior to your scheduled move date, you will be charged for improper room change check in/out which consists of $200.00 non-refundable fee for occupying two spaces.

Residential life reserves the right to approve or deny any room changes. Filling out the form does not guarantee that the change will occur.  Once a room change is approved, the student may not move again during that semester. Should a student move rooms without going through the proper channels, they will be held responsible through the judicial system.

We have FREEZE OUT DATES when no room changes or room switches are allowed. Due to the high volume and demand for housing, this freeze allows for us to place all of the students who requested housing. These dates are the following for the Fall & Spring Semester:

• Start of Fall Semester: August 1 - September 8
• End of Fall/ Beginning of Spring: November 12 - January 27
• End of Spring Semester: April 27 - May 9

The College reserves the right to change room assignments when necessary.

To fill out a room change request form, login to your housing.naz.edu. Once you have logged in, click on the "Application/Forms" tab at the top of your screen and then you will see the "Room Change Request Form". Once you have completed this form, a member of our staff will review your request.

The residential life staff or campus safety officers will enter a student’s room unannounced under exigent circumstances and when it is reasonably determined that an emergency exists or when, for reasons of health, safety, or fire prevention, entry is necessary. Routine room inspections are conducted for reasons of fire prevention and safety, and are often conducted during break periods. Any prohibited items will be removed.

Nazareth College cooperates with law enforcement in a manner consistent with its legal duties and the interests of the community. We reserve the right to enter student rooms if we have reason to believe that there is unlawful behavior occurring or violations of the Code of Student Conduct taking place.

Students should use the bike racks available around campus in various locations. In recent years, many bike racks have been added.

The fire code stipulates that all entrances, exits, corridors, and stairwells must be free and clear at all times, so you should not at any time park your bicycle there. Bicycles should not be chained to fences, doors, trees, lamp poles, or other objects.

Housing and food payment does not cover vacation periods when the halls are closed. All residences close at 10 a.m. on the day following the last day of classes for the Thanksgiving and spring recesses. Residents must vacate the halls by the announced deadlines or be subject to a fine. Residence halls re-open at noon on the Sunday before classes resume.

For more information on specific breaks please see our Break Housing page.

Curtains, tapestries, posters, pictures, string lights, and other room decorations are allowed to be hung in residence hall rooms with a few restrictions:

• All fabric items must be fire sprayed / treated each academic year and display the appropriate tag. 
• LED lights must be hung on painters tape to prevent damage to the walls during the removal process.
• ALL items in the residence halls must be hung 18" or more from the ceiling and no items can be hung on the ceiling.

Please talk to your RA/CA if you have any items that need to be fire sprayed or if you aren't sure where / how to hang things in your room.

Due to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws, we are unable to disclose any personal or identifying information about our students on campus unless they have signed a waiver. The waiver is located in our office. Once a student moves into their housing assignment FERPA laws come into place, regardless of the students age. This allows for us to insure the safety and privacy of all of our students living on Nazareth University campus.

All students are responsible for any college debts they have incurred, including library fees, parking fines, tuition charges, related fees, etc. If a college debt must be referred  to outside sources for collection, the student will be responsible for paying any additional collection costs including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney fees and disbursements.

Housing and food reduction are based on a prorated basis.

The use or possession of firearms or explosive agents of any kind is not permitted. Even if you have a license and the weapon is unloaded or modified, FIREARMS ARE NOT PERMITTED ON CAMPUS. Violations of this policy will result in severe disciplinary action.

Candles and incense are prohibited from residence halls. Fireworks are explosive agents, are illegal to possess, and their use is prohibited. Certain other weapons such as knives, Chinese shooting stars, and  machetes are also prohibited. If you have questions about a weapon of any kind, check with Campus Safety.

Gambling is forbidden in the residence halls. Any activity illegal under New York state gaming laws is prohibited. Casino Nights and other game events for which money is not exchanged are permitted in designated areas and with special permission of the Department of Residential Life and/or student engagement. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.

Guest: Defined as an individual age 18-25 who is not a Nazareth University student and is visiting a current Nazareth resident student.

Register a guest >

Visitor: Defined as an individual age 18-25 who is currently an enrolled student at Nazareth University, but not assigned to live in that room. A "visitor" might live off campus or in another room, suite, or apartment.

All guests visiting between the hours of 8 pm - 8 am must be registered through Residential Life via the link below. Hosts must also obtain the consent of their roommate prior to having an overnight guest. Residential Life retains the right to deny any guest request.

Overnight visitors/guests must be accommodated in the room of the hosting student. Public spaces, including apartment living rooms or suite lounges, may not be used for visitor/guest accommodations.

If the guest is under the age of 18, a Minor Guest Registration Form (signed by their parent or guardian) must be on file with Residential Life by the time the guest arrives on campus. The link to this form can be found in the sidebar to the right. 

Each floor has community standards and guests/visitors are expected to observe those standards. Community objection to actions of guests/visitors may require removal or ban from the residence hall. All residents are responsible for their visitors' or guests' actions and should escort visitors or guests in the residence halls at all times. All visitors/guests must agree to follow these regulations:

• All guests and visitors must observe University policies and procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook and the Guidelines for Residential Living.
• All guests and visitors must be registered with a Residential Life staff member. The guest must carry a Guest Pass, which must be obtained from a Residential Life staff member, at all times. All visitors must carry and present their Nazareth ID upon request.
• Residents may not have more that two overnight guests/visitors at a time.
• The number of guests/visitors may not compromise fire safety regulation limits for the room, suite, or apartment.
• Any guest/visitor may not spend more than three consecutive nights as a guest/visitor in any Nazareth room, suite, or apartment.
• Any guest/visitor may not spend more that six nights in a 30-day period as a guest/visitor in any Nazareth room, suite, or apartment.
• Guests and visitors are reminded that all restrooms at Nazareth are marked and designated for the appropriate sex. Students should not enter or use restrooms marked for persons of the opposite sex. The appropriate restroom may be on a different floor or wing. In most buildings, there are restrooms for the public and visitors to use on the first floor.
• If guests/visitors violate any of the aforementioned regulations or any University policies, they may be removed from campus and subject to student conduct actions.
• Misconduct of a guest, including any violations of University policies and/or any damage to University property, is ultimately the responsibility of the host.

You have been provided with key(s) to access your room. It is your responsibility to carry your keys and lock your room at all times.

Never loan or give your residence hall keys to anyone.

All residence hall keys must be returned to the lock boxes located outside of Residential Life or Campus Safety offices when you move or check out of a room.

Duplication of college keys is not permitted and will result in disciplinary action.

Download the Guidelines and Key Receipt Form »

Quiet hours in all residence halls:

11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays

1 a.m. to 7 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Courtesy hours are in effect at all times. Televisions, radios, stereos, conversations, musical instruments, etc. should be kept at a level that doesn't interfere with other residents' study or sleep. Residents disturbed by noise should speak to the offending party directly. If the disturbance persists, please contact your RA or the RA on duty. Do not get into a battle of stereos or retaliate in any manner. This only escalates the situation and is not conducive to community living.

During final-exam weeks, a 24-hour quiet policy is in effect. There are no exceptions and this policy is heavily enforced.

ALL PETS, EXCEPT FISH, ARE FORBIDDEN in residence halls!

Fish may be maintained in student rooms in containers with a maximum volume of no more than 25 gallons.

Any animals found to be in violation of this policy must be removed from campus immediately.

Notices, posters, or signs may only be hung in specific designated posting areas, that are specific based on the residence hall. Notices, posters, or signs may not be placed on poles, posts, signs, trees, walls, buildings, doors, windows, glass, transparent partitions, or painted surfaces not marked as posting areas. Notices, posters, signs, etc., shall not be placed in manner or location that may obscure exit signs, fire alarm boxes, safety rails, fire extinguisher cases, hand rails, and similar devices installed as safety equipment in a building.

All posters must approved through Residential Life prior to being hung. Once approved, it is up to the individual getting the approval to hang up and remove the posters. Failure to do so will result in loss of posting privileges.

Full-time undergraduate students are required to live on campus for their first and second year of college, unrelated to credit-based class status, unless they meet the requirements of exemption.

Residency Requirement >>

Returning students are assigned rooms in the spring in accordance with an established housing selection procedure. First year students and incoming transfers are assigned rooms by the Department of Residential Life and notified of their assignments during the summer.

Students in the residence halls who, during a semester, voluntarily or involuntarily withdraw from the College or go on inactive status shall be liable for payment of rent for that semester according to the Office of Student Accounts’ refund policy. Such students are required to vacate the room within 72 hours of the date of withdrawal.

Residents are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of their room. Residents are expected to maintain reasonable sanitation and safety standards. Furniture assigned to the room must stay in that room. Occupants will be charged full replacement cost for furniture missing at time of check-out. Other disciplinary actions or fines may be applied for failure to comply with this policy.

Residents are responsible for cleaning their own rooms. Rooms and furnishings are to be left in the same condition at the end of the year as upon arrival.

Upon arrival, each student should inspect their room and sign and return the room condition form. Be sure all the information on the check-in form is accurate. If you find any discrepancies on your form, return to the staff person in charge and have your room checked again. We are unable to make adjustments not reported within 24 hours of check-in.

When decorating, remember that the residence halls have to remain in good condition for future residents. If you damage or alter your room, you will be billed the cost of repair and restoration.

Residential Life staff reserve the right to place any student who wants to live on campus in any space that is vacant. This includes the Special Interest Housing. You will hear from us if a new student has been placed in your room.

As the resident(s) with the vacancy, you do not have the authority to deny any student the opportunity to live on campus. 

Nazareth University does not permit selling goods or services in the residence halls for causes it does not directly sponsor. No solicitation by students or by outside companies is allowed in the residence halls.

We have made every attempt to provide adequate recreational space for use of sports equipment. Because of noise and potential property damage, football, lacrosse, handball, flying discs (e.g. Frisbees), softball, and other such games must be played outside the residence halls.

This means no playing in the lounge, stairwell, hallway, or student rooms. Please remember the guidelines for effective community living.

When a student decides to terminate on-campus residency, the following  procedures must be followed:

1. Complete a cancellation of housing form in your housing portal.
2. Remove all belongings from the premises by noon on the following Monday. All items will be donated or discarded after this time frame expires.
   
3. Return the room key to Residential Life. After hours the key can be dropped off at the lock boxes outside Residential Life or Campus Safety by filling out the key return form available at the box.
4. Return your student ID to campus safety.
5. Vacate the campus by the date specified by Residential Life.

Termination of the residential life room contract before the end of the academic year will result in a $350 cancellation fee. Other fines may be applied as deemed appropriate.