Housing Policies and Procedures

To stay on-campus during a University break (Thanksgiving, Easter, Spring Break), you must submit an application on ResLife Online. Applications will be reviewed by ResLife and you will be informed if you are approved or denied. You may not stay during winter break.

Fees and Fee Waivers

On the form, you will be asked why you are requesting to stay and, if approved, you will be charged a fee based on the length of the break. This charge helps defray the costs of having you on campus during times outside your contract.

If you are a student teacher or in-season athlete (requested to stay by your coach), you will not be charged a fee but will have to fill out a "Request for Housing During University Breaks" form.

If your home address on record is more than 225 miles from Fisher, you can request the fee be waived. Additionally, if you feel you have extenuating circumstances, you may also request the fee waived. Such requests can be made on the application.

Student Responsibilities

You are responsible for understanding that:

• If currently on disciplinary probation, or if placed on probation between signing the agreement and the break, you will not be allowed to be in the residence halls during the break.
• During the break you may not have guests (anyone not approved to stay for break), regardless of if they are Fisher students.
• Food service is not provided during breaks.
• You are expected to follow all Fisher policies and if you violate any policy, including the guest policy for breaks, the violation will be documented and you will be asked to leave campus without a refund.
• An email will be sent either confirming or denying your request to stay on-campus; it is your responsibility to check your Fisher email.
• You may be billed for the break ($20 per night for the duration of the break period).
• You must move out of your residence hall no later than 24 hours after your last culminating experience or final exam at the end of each semester.
• During vacation periods, Facilities Services may find it necessary to enter rooms to make repairs.

Fisher reserves the right to consolidate students any time a room is not at full occupancy. This includes suites in Founders Hall when there are no longer four students in the suite. Consolidation is at the discretion of the Office of Residential Life.

Before move-in, the Office of Residential Life will consolidate students based on (1) housing selection numbers or (2) date of deposit. After move-in, the Office of Residential Life will consult with the impacted students, when the consolidation is not emergency in nature, to consolidate students through the steps outlined below.  

Students who are required to consolidate may:

• Identify someone who would like to move into the room or suite.
• Move to another room that has a vacancy.
• Be reassigned by the Office of Residential Life to either:
  • a different room within the same residence hall; or
  • receive a new roommate assigned based on (1) housing selection numbers or (2) date of deposit; or
  • for Founder’s suites, students may be reassigned to a room in a different building when the suite is not fully occupied.

Consolidation During the Housing Selection Process

During the housing selection process, consolidation will happen when two students without mutually requested roommates choose to live in the same building. The person with the higher selection number will be moved into the room with the student who has the lower (or better) selection number. Although the room may change, the residence hall will not. Residential Life will notify students by email when a consolidation is complete.

Fisher provides housing accommodations on campus for full time students who are between the ages of 17 and 23 at the start of the Residence Hall License. Requests for age exceptions may be submitted in writing to the Assistant Dean of Students.

In order to support the advertising of various programs and events on campus, the Office of Residential Life has a process to review and approve posting requests. This process exists to promote Fisher organizations and departments, and support the living environment and experience for students in the residence halls.

Postings will only be approved for University activities that are sponsored by the Office of Residential Life or approved by the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. Postings will be displayed in designated public areas in the residence halls, including walls, bulletin boards, and doors. Postings will not be distributed to student rooms or mounted on student room doors.

University organizations and departments may submit posting requests using the Residence Hall Posting Request Form.

Fisher will inspect all residence halls, including assigned student rooms, a minimum of twice per academic year. At least one of these inspections will be conducted by the University's fire and life safety officer in conjunction with the New York state appointed fire protection specialist in accordance with New York state law. The purpose of residence hall inspections is to ensure that all residential spaces are free of items and issues which pose a risk to the health and/or safety of the community.

Correspondence Regarding Inspections

Fisher is not required to notify students in advance of any room inspection, however, whenever possible and/or practical, the Office of Residential Life, the University's fire and life safety officer and/or another designated campus official will announce the approximate date(s) and time(s) that inspections will occur.  Additionally, inspections will occur with or without students’ presence, per the Housing License [pdf].

Correspondence Regarding Violations

When a violation(s) is found during any inspection, all students assigned to the location in question can expect to receive information, via their Fisher email, with the date of the inspection and the violation(s) found. In addition, the correspondence will include either, or both, of the following:

• The student will be given a date by which the violation(s) must be corrected and by which the room will be re-inspected by a Residential Life staff member or another designated University official.
• The student will be given a date, time and location to appear for a to discuss the violation(s).

Process for Addressing Violations

Any area found to have a violation will be re-inspected by a Residential Life staff member or another designated University official. If the violation(s) is corrected it will be noted as such by Residential Life staff and/or the University official.  If it is not corrected at the time of re-inspection, and/or if any additional violations are found, the Residential Life staff member or other University official will document the non-compliance and new violation(s) and the student(s) will be subject to the Student Conduct process.  

In addition, should a violation which was previously discovered as part of a Health, Safety & Fire Inspection in the current or any previous academic year be re-discovered at any time in a residence hall room, the student may be subject to the Student Conduct process.