All full-time undergraduate students are required to live on campus, as directed by the University Housing Policy. Research has shown that living in a residence hall helps students by:
In accordance with Chapter 416 of the Laws of 1988 and the State University Board of Trustees’ Resolution 89-130 adopted June 21, 1989, SUNY Oswego has developed procedures to assure compliance with the standards and guidelines prescribed by the trustees. Listed in order below are the five standards, followed by the implementation guidelines developed by the SUNY Committee on Minimum Living Condition Standards. The SUNY Oswego procedures established to meet those standards and guidelines are in bold print.
Standard I
The residential communities shall be constructed and maintained to conform to all applicable safety codes and health standards.
Standard II
The campus maintenance plan shall provide for a regular schedule of cleaning and repair for all common areas in residence halls.
Standard III
The campus shall provide each student resident with adequate living space, furniture, and appropriate and sufficient heat, light, and hot water.
Standard IV
The campus shall establish procedures for routine and emergency repairs to residence hall facilities.
Protocols will be established to address promptly inquiries, requests and complaints regarding routine repairs and maintenance for the provision of heat, lights and hot water. The student resident should also be apprised periodically of the status of their request. These protocols, along with appropriate telephone numbers should be provided in writing to each student resident. All repairs, especially those involving heat, light and hot water, should be accomplished within a reasonable amount of time.
Routine maintenance and custodial concerns should be reported through the Facilities Maintenance and Operations electronic work order link Service Requests | Facilities.
Oswego Service Request Portal will provide:
Residents may need to make an appointment, as maintenance staff will be unable to enter the room without the resident present or without prior consent from the resident and any roommate(s). Although we strive to deal with each report effectively, errors do occur. Residents should persist in reporting problems until they are resolved and maintenance emergencies should be reported to the front desk. If the desk is closed, contact the RSS on duty or University Police 315-312-5555).
Routine work orders generated for student rooms generally will be completed within 72 hours of the request. Loss of heat or electric service is considered an urgent situation and is addressed as soon as staff and materials are available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If a repair of this type cannot be completed in a reasonable and safe period of time, the resident(s) are temporarily reassigned until the problem is corrected. In order to determine the sufficiency of repairs, a Facilities, Maintenance and Operations representative follows up on all resident-initiated repairs, including timeliness and quality by contacting the resident(s). Complaints may be addressed to the Residence Life and Housing Office.
Note: Residential community temperatures should not drop below 68 degrees. If the room seems cold, residents are to check to be certain that windows are tightly closed and that there is one to two feet clearance between the baseboard heating unit and furniture and bedding. If neither of these two items seem to be causing the problem, the RHD/VCD is contacted so that they can take a temperature reading. If the temperature is below 68 degrees, maintenance personnel are contacted. If the problem cannot be quickly resolved, Residence Life and Housing provides a special heater for the room until 68 degrees can be maintained.
Standard V
The campus shall establish procedures for redress for student residents in the event of the loss of services such as heat, light, and hot water in residence halls for extended periods that are within the control of the campus.
Each residential community has posting space on resident floors and in the main lobby area. Typically, floor bulletin boards are used to advertise in-hall/floor activities (community council, programs, etc.), registered student organizations’ activities and official announcements from University departments.
Posting must conform with the campus policy which can be found in the Student Handbook. Organizations from outside Residence Life and Housing may request approval for posting promotional materials in residential facilities by emailing [email protected]. Posting of the material is the sole responsibility of the hall/community director and staff.
Note: For the purposes of the posting policy, any area outside of an individual student room, including the side of the door facing the corridor, is considered public space.
Mailbox distribution of material will occur only under the following guidelines:
Furniture, decorations, appliances, and other items which increase the flammability of residents’ rooms or public areas may be prohibited at the discretion of Residence Life staff.
All electrical appliances MUST be UL/ETL approved.
The list of prohibited items includes, but is not limited to:
The list of prohibited items (above) is for reference only and is not intended
to list every possible item that is prohibited in the residence halls. Refer to
the Student Conduct Policies and Procedures section of the Student
Handbook for the complete policy description.
Furniture, decorations, appliances, and other items which increase the flammability of residents’ rooms or public areas may be prohibited at the discretion of Residence Life staff.
All electrical appliances MUST be UL/ETL approved.
The list of prohibited items includes, but is not limited to:
The list of prohibited items (above) is for reference only and is not intended
to list every possible item that is prohibited in the residence halls. Refer to
the Student Conduct Policies and Procedures section of the Student
Handbook for the complete policy description.
Residents will be held responsible for any deterioration in the condition of their assigned room/suite/townhouse (including both sides of doors), its assigned furnishings, assigned bulletin board (as applicable) and for any loss or damage other than normal wear that may occur during their occupancy. All occupants of a living unit may be held equally responsible for losses or damages to the living unit or its furnishings and/or fixtures, including cost of replacement or repair and all reasonable expenses resulting therefrom. Residents of a living unit are responsible for the security and use of the living unit in accordance with University and Residence Life and Housing policies, rules and regulations. Charges for loss or damage will be added to the student’s University bill and are to be paid within 30 days.
Unauthorized use of furnishings or fixtures, including but not limited to the moving of furnishings provided in a common area into or to a resident’s living unit, is prohibited and shall result in a liability for the expense of return to the common area and/or repair or replacement of said furnishings or fixtures. Any unauthorized repairs and/or alterations made to the premises or its furnishings by a resident shall not mitigate any damage expense incurred by the resident. The University will not be liable for the amount of money incurred by the resident or any expense for the resident’s services resulting from unauthorized alteration or enhancement of the premises, its fixtures, or its furnishings. If a student receives prior authorization from the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing or designee, repairs and/or improvements may be made that could mitigate damage expenses if such work is accepted and approved by the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing or designee.
Assessment for damaged or missing property shall be made in accordance with the schedule of charges prepared by the Department of Residence Life and Housing. Items not covered by this schedule will be assessed by proportion of depreciation or the cost in labor and materials to restore them. Residents are expected to report to staff specific items which they notice as damaged or in need of repair in their assigned living unit, public areas and corridors.
Resident’s rooms are furnished with beds and mattresses, desks and desk chairs, dressers, floor lamp(s), mirrors, and wastebaskets. Rooms without closets are furnished with armoires. Each item within the room is inventoried and assigned to the room. The exact inventoried items must be in the room upon final inspection prior to checking out. Residents must review with a Residence Life and Housing staff member and sign the Room/Suite/Townhouse Inventory and Condition Record form prior to taking occupancy. Upon termination of occupancy, residents must have a staff member inspect the condition of the room/suite/townhouse; whenever possible, the resident will be informed and assessed a repair or replacement charge for damaged or missing items. Residents may appeal all or any part of the damage assessment with the exception of those who choose the “Express Checkout” option or fail to checkout. Payment is to be made by the resident or parent or legal guardian whose signature appears on this license, within thirty (30) days of the date the charge was placed on the student’s bill.
Removal of University furnishings from a resident’s room may result in liability to the occupant(s) for the replacement cost of the item(s) or expense incurred by the University as a result of such unauthorized removal. No such removal shall be deemed authorized unless designated in writing, dated, and signed by the resident and the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing or designee.
Any person signing/accepting the terms of the Housing and Dining License is required to comply with all University and Residence Life and Housing rules, regulations, and policies as stipulated in the current Student Handbook, Resident Student Handbook. The use of residential facilities is limited to residents and their authorized visitors or guests, and conditioned upon compliance with State and Federal laws and University regulations. Students are responsible to report all violations of the Residence Life and Housing License to University officials. Failure to comply with these policies, procedures, regulations, or law may result in:
The Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing and designees reserve the right to:
Students upon whom sanctions are imposed in relation to the Housing and Dining License shall have the right to appeal. Such appeals shall be addressed to the appropriate administrative officer as provided in the University's Student Handbook and/or Resident Student Handbook and/or The Village Resident Handbook.
Rules and regulations are authorized by the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing subject to the approval of the University Council and subject to periodic change. Prohibited items confiscated from living units will not be returned to their owners.
For complete descriptions of policies, please refer to the Rules Governing Residential Facilities section of the Resident Student Handbook.
A room/suite/townhouse may be occupied only by the resident(s) to whom it is assigned and that resident’s visitors and guests. (See Rules Governing Residential Facilities section of the Resident Student Handbook for further guidelines regarding guests and visitors.)
New and returning students may occupy their rooms according to the schedule published by the Department of Residence Life and Housing. Students given permission to occupy their rooms prior to the published date will be charged $25 per day for room (plus approx. $35 per day for meals), unless the charge is specifically waived by the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing or designee.
Unless otherwise provided for by the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing or their designee, a resident shall have no right to enter, use, or occupy residential facilities during any period when the University is not in session for formal academic purposes.
Residents may leave personal property in assigned accommodations during periods of recess. However, the University cannot guarantee security or assume responsibility for any loss of those belongings. There is no storage available over the summer. For the purpose of the Housing and Dining License, personal property shall include any property, excluding University-owned furnishings, in the possession of the resident, located in the confines of their assigned rooms in any building or on the grounds of the campus. Residents are encouraged to obtain insurance coverage for such belongings. The resident’s and/or the parent’s or guardian’s acceptance the Housing and Dining License shall be construed as acceptance of any and all such risk.
All residents must vacate the residential community and remove all personal belongings from the premises in accordance with the termination or expiration of the Housing and Dining License. If personal belongings are not removed from the premises, the resident, by signing the Housing and Dining License, authorizes and agrees to pay the room rental charge to the University for each day that the room was not available for reassignment by the University. Further, the resident agrees to pay such fees as are assessed by the University for the labor involved in the removal and temporary storage of the resident’s personal belongings, and the University shall not be responsible for any resulting loss or damage to those belongings abandoned by the resident.
Housing and room assignments are not transferable; students may not assign this license or sublet the premises or any part thereof. Subletting includes, but is not limited to, short-term or temporary rental arrangements such as those offered through peer-to-peer services like Airbnb, Craigslist, or Couchsurfing. Assigning or subletting may result in disciplinary action and/or cancellation of the license without compensation.
Our university communities and members of those communities matter. The University itself is a community, but each residence hall and each section of each residence hall constitute communities themselves. As members of a community, all residents have rights; they also have responsibilities to the community. Living in a community is a very rewarding, yet often challenging experience.
Students living in residence halls quickly learn that they are not alone, and that their choices, actions and behaviors affect their neighbors. They also learn that they depend on one another at some level. Living in a community doesn't necessarily mean that the members must all be close friends; however, mutual respect is a necessity.
Visit Student Conduct for more information about student rights, code of conduct, reporting an incident, and more.
Residence Life and Housing maintains fire safety in the residence halls as a top priority. As such, the University expects residents, guests, staff and faculty to be both proactive and vigilant in their approach to keeping themselves, friends, visitors and the community fire safe.
Contained within this section you will find a campus Fire Safety training presentation as well as important information regarding Fire Safety within the residence halls.
This presentation highlights policies and procedures related to Fire Safety and living on campus. Reviewing this video will help you become better prepared for residing in or visiting the campus residence halls.
Fire Safety violations will result in University Housing Probation or Suspension from University Housing. If you have any questions, please speak with your Residence Hall Director or contact the Residence Life and Housing office.
