Residential Life: Inviting, Intellectual and Inclusive

Transitioning to Life in the Residence Halls

Moving into a campus residence hall directly from home will require some adjustment. At home, you may have had a room of your own, and even your own bathroom. Living in a campus residence hall will be an important time for you to grow as a person, as it will test your ability to live peacefully with others in very close living arrangements. Students find this very exciting as it is a time to make friends that will be with you for a lifetime, but living in such close proximity also has its challenges.

One of the things that makes UAlbany great is the fact that there is a wonderfully diverse population of students who come to this university. In fact, many students choose UAlbany because of the diversity that is valued here. You will have the opportunity to meet and get to know others who have very different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities than you and this will help to expand your worldview.

You are encouraged to work together with your roommates in order to develop a mutually respectful relationship that will create and maintain a positive living environment. Room change requests are not accepted during the first two weeks of the semester as it generally takes at least this long to work things out in the room so that it is fair for all. If you are having trouble working things out, residence hall staff are trained in conflict resolution and will help you resolve any roommate conflicts.

If after two weeks, the conflict cannot be resolved, a room change can be made based on room availability. This process begins with a Room Change Request Form (available in the Quad Information Center), and is usually followed up with an individual appointment with the RD for the building where you currently reside. Your RD will provide you with information on how to move.

It is important for all students new to the campus residence halls to understand that living in the residence environment is based on mutual respect. It is also important that students live in an environment that is conducive to the academic mission of the University. Be sure to talk to your RD regarding any situation that you are not comfortable with in your room.

Guest Policy

You may have a guest in your residence hall room for up to 72 hours over a 30-day time frame. Because of space constraints, you need to talk it over with your roommate if you expect to have an overnight guest. You must register your guest with the Quad Information Center. It is also important that you understand that you will be held accountable for your guest’s actions if there is a violation of University policies through the duration of the visit.

Room Cleaning, Maintenance and Overall Condition

Students are expected to clean their own rooms. Bathrooms on the quads, however, will be cleaned by custodial staff. If you need something fixed, fill out a maintenance repair slip in your QIC. Once your request is submitted, maintenance personnel will follow up with you. If it is a maintenance emergency, e.g. broken glass, flooding, etc., contact your QIC immediately. You should realize that when you move out of your room, a RCR (Room Condition Report) will be utilized by your RD to assess the condition of your room. Change in condition of the room that is not attributed to normal wear and tear is considered damage and will result in a damage bill to your account.

Personal Property Insurance

All students should give careful consideration to obtaining insurance coverage for personal belongings while living on campus. Please note that the University assumes no responsibility for personal property. The University works with Haylor, Frier, and Coon (HFC) to provide a personal property insurance program to our students. For more information visit the HFC Web site or call (866) 535-0456. You may also check with your parents to see if your personal property can be covered as part of their homeowner’s insurance.