All new students arrive in late August for New Student Orientation. Please consult the "Dates to Remember" section for definite times and other information. The Orientation Leaders and Admissions Staff assist students and parents in unpacking the car and the RAs are available on the floors to assist in move-in and offer other 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 sorry, 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 procedures to follow for check out. To avoid unnecessary charges, be careful to follow all guidelines. If you leave the residence halls during a semester, please contact your RA and/or AD for information of the procedures to follow. You can’t just 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. A final tip: Call your AD during office hours to schedule check-out. Leaving telephone messages in the middle of the night requesting to check-out the next morning is not in your best interest. Do Residential Life and yourself a favor, take the necessary steps early enough to insure a smooth departure.

Each piece of furniture has been inventoried and must remain in your room. We repeat, no furniture can be removed from your room. We have spent a considerable amount to purchase student room furniture in the past several years and we must keep it in the best condition. Hall residents may be held jointly responsible for damage to corridors and public areas and assessed accordingly for necessary replacement and/or repairs.

Room and board 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 Student Handbook and are listed under "Dates to Remember".

Housing When Residence Halls are Closed for College Breaks

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 “Request to Remain on Campus for a Portion of the College Break” application can be found below or in the Department of Residential Life in the basement of Kearney Hall.

Students will be asked why they are requesting to stay and if their reason is approved, they will be charged a nightly fee based on the maximum conference rate at the time, which will be added to their term bill. This charge helps defray the cost of having students on campus during times not covered under their room contract. [Student Teachers, Student Interns, and Athletes (who are in season and required to stay by their coach for the purpose of practice or competition) will not be charged the fee but will still have to fill out the “Request to Remain on Campus for a Portion of the College Break” form.]

Please note, students are responsible for understanding the following:

• During the break you may not have guests (anyone not approved to remain on campus for the break), regardless if they are Nazareth students or not. Food service is not provided during breaks.

• You are expected to follow all College policies as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Handbook and Guidelines for Residential Living. If you violate any policy, including the guest policy for breaks, it will be documented and you will be asked to leave campus immediately without a refund.

• You will receive an email either confirming or denying your request to remain on campus for a portion of the break; therefore, it is your responsibility to check your Nazareth email account.

• You will be billed for each evening you are in your room after campus closes. The cost is based on the maximum conference rate at the time and is added to your term bill.

• During vacation periods, the Facilities Department may find it necessary to enter rooms to make repairs.

• During vacation periods, the Department of Campus Safety conducts fire safety inspections in all buildings.

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

Summer 2007 Closing Information

(There is a more complete Fire Safety Procedure in the Student Handbook, please consult it for more information. Remember in a community we all have to work together to make it safe for us and our neighbors.)

• Keep combustible products to a minimum. Lofts and open flame devices are not allowed in residence halls. Yes, this means candles and incense too.
  
  
• Bonfires, propane gas tanks/grills, open flames and other combustibles are prohibited in residence halls and on patios and lawns in the vicinity of student housing.
  
  
• Make sure that wiring on any electrical appliance is in good condition and UL approved. Do not run any wiring beneath carpeting.
  
  
• Report any accident or fire to Security at ext. 3333. Be sure to 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. Alarms are sometimes pulled by students as “pranks,” but there is no way of knowing which are real and which are not. React 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 cool and your path to the exit is clear, leave the building as rapidly as possible, closing your door behind you.
    
    
  • If you cannot leave your room, do not panic. Construction of walls and doors are such that a fire will be kept out for at least 1 1/2 hours. Wet towels will help keep smoke out of the room if placed at the base of the door. 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.

If you accidentally lock yourself out of the room or your roommate absent mindedly leaves you stranded, there is a procedure in place to assist you. During regular business hours, please go to the Residential Life Office on the ground floor of Kearney Hall. Be sure to have your student ID with you. After hours, please contact Security or the RA on duty. Under no circumstances will you be given access to someone else’s room or vice versa. Always make an effort to check for your keys before leaving your room. It will save everyone a great deal of trouble. Do not expect immediate response to lock-outs. If you lose a key, report it immediately to your RA or AD. A lock change will be ordered for your room, suite or apartment. Losing keys can be very expensive; your best bet is to hang onto your key. All lost keys require a lock change; there are no exceptions. There is a $25.00 charge for each key and a $25.00 charge for each core that has to be changed as a result of the loss. You can secure 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.

No, you can’t move because the room down the hall is open and your roommate dyed his hair green. If you are having problems adjusting to your roommate, talk with your RA. No student may change rooms without prior approval of the AD. Students requesting room changes may complete a form in the Residential Life Office. During the first few weeks of each semester, there is a freeze on room changes.