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Policies and Procedures

Our Housing and Dining License, Student Handbooks, and other departmental publications contain specific policies and procedures of SUNY Oswego.

These publications outline student rights and responsibilities and cover all policies, procedures, and guidelines you need to know while living in one of our residential communities. If you have any questions regarding information in these publications, please contact the Residence Life and Housing office at 315-312-2246 or email [email protected].

University Housing Policy

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:

  • providing them with crucial connections to campus resources, 
  • supporting their successful transition to university, and
  • offering engagement opportunities that are fun, while also adding to what they learn in the classroom.

First-Year Students

  • If admitted in the fall, first-year students are required to live on campus for four (4) consecutive semesters.
  • If admitted in the spring, first-year students are required to live on campus for three (3) consecutive semesters.

Transfer Students

  • If admitted in the fall, transfer students are required to live on campus for two (2) consecutive semesters.
  • If admitted in the spring, transfer students are required to live on campus for one (1) semester.

Residential Policies

Rules Governing Residential Facilities

Any person signing/accepting the terms of the Housing and Dining Contract 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 Village Resident Handbook, and The Oswego Forward website. 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 imposition of administrative reassignment,
  • University disciplinary action
  • and/or civil and/or criminal action including the denial of on-campus accommodations.

The Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing and designees reserve the right to: 

  1. Affect disciplinary action against a resident and/or revoke privileges to use any residential facility for that resident’s breach of any terms or conditions set forth in this license and/or failure to comply with Federal or State laws and/or failure to comply with policies, rules and regulations, as set forth in this license, the Student Handbook, Resident Student Handbook, The Village Resident Handbook, and The Oswego Forward website; 
  2. Repossess or reassign living units with notice; 
  3. Periodically inspect living units to determine the condition thereof, in which case written notice shall be given at least two [2] class days in advance; 
  4. To affect other steps, including entry and inspection of living units necessary and advisable to the safety, maintenance, security and/or management of the residential facility and 
  5. Make policy decisions regarding unforeseen circumstances that adversely affect the residential environment that are not specifically addressed in this license, the Student Handbook, Resident Student Handbook, The Village Resident Handbook, or The Oswego Forward website. 

Students upon whom sanctions are imposed in relation to the Housing and Dining Contract 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.

Use of Residential Facilities

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 $20 per day for room (plus approx. $30 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 Contract, personal property shall include any property, excluding University-owned furnishings, in the possession of the resident, located in the confines of their assigned quarters or in other areas including luggage and storage 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 of this 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 Contract. If personal belongings are not removed from the premises, the resident, by signing the Housing and Dining Contract, 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.

Responsibility for Room and Furnishings

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.

Posting and Distributing Promotional Material in Residential Communities

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. 

Procedure to Post

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.

  1. The following is the number of postings each building requires for the floor bulletin 
    boards: 
    • Cayuga Hall..........................18
    • Funnelle Hall........................9
    • Hart Hall..............................17
    • Johnson Hall........................9
    • Oneida Hall..........................18
    • Onondaga Hall......................21
    • Riggs Hall............................8
    • Scales Hall...........................8
    • Seneca Hall..........................21
    • Waterbury Hall......................9
    • The Village...........................2
      • flyers must be separated and labeled per hall. 
  2. Postings should be no larger than 11" x 17".
  3. All information on postings must conform with University policies and Residence Life and Housing policies.
  4. Posting will be done by building staff assigned that responsibility, not the representatives of the posting organization.
  5. Postings will be displayed as soon as reasonable, and removed after the date of the event. 
  6. The door-to-door distribution of promotional materials in residence halls is not permitted.

Procedure for Mailbox Distribution of Promotional Materials

Mailbox distribution of material will occur only under the following guidelines:

  1. All materials with proper U.S. postage will be distributed.
  2. Distribution of materials without U.S. postage will be limited to:
    1. University offices and departments
    2. Building purposes
    3. Registered student organizations with approval of the Residence Life and Housing Marketing and Communications Coordinator. 

Student Rights and Responsibilities

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.

Contact Us

303 Culkin Hall

315-312-2246

[email protected]