THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND RESIDENCE LIFE
General Information
The Office of Housing & Residence Life is located in the lower level of the O’Leary Hall at the corner of Sharp and Dakota. Office hours are 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m., Monday through Friday, except for University holidays. Our telephone number is 323-4103 or extension 4103.
The Policies and Procedures contained within this section apply to residents and guests of all buildings operated by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. In addition to the following information, rules, and policies, all residents are advised that policies rules and expectations contained elsewhere in this Handbook and the Student Code also apply to them.
Services of the Office of Housing and Residence Life
1. Residence applications and processing
2. Management of annual spring sign up for returning students
3. Roommate conflict resolution
4. Room Change Requests
5. Student Conduct Interventions
6. Residence Hall Association (RHA) activities
7. Residence Life Staff management
8. Information and advice about living off-campus
9. Design and implementation of collaboration efforts with academics on specialty housing
10. Social, cultural, educational, and academic programming in student residences
Mission Statement
The Office of Housing and Residence Life provides management, resources, and systems which allow for the support of Gonzaga University‘s mission and academic endeavors. Working in concert with a number of other departments, we strive to provide well maintained facilities, modestly appointed, wherein students can come together on common ground to develop community among themselves, through which the mission of the University can develop and have an impact on the individual. Our work will be guided by industry best practices, professional ethics, values and knowledge, with fervent loyalty and devotion to the appropriate use of these in the context of the mission and values of Gonzaga University.
I. Philosophy of Residence Life
Residence hall living provides students with the opportunity to become part of a larger community. Gonzaga University’s residence halls support an informal environment designed to help students develop responsibility and accept opportunities for leadership. Living in a residence hall is a unique experience. It is unlikely that students will ever again find themselves in coexistence with such a variety of people. To develop community within the residence halls, paraprofessional residence hall staff members have been selected to live and work with residents. As in a classroom, what one receives from one’s residence hall experience depends upon what effort one puts forth. Spending time meeting new people, attending the many hall programs and activities, and participating in the available leadership opportunities will greatly enhance the residence hall experience.
Gonzaga University, and the people with whom one lives, have expectations regarding appropriate behavior, resolving conflicts, and abiding by community policies and standards. In addition, one will have expectations of roommate(s) and other people living on the floor or wing. As the new semester begins, residence hall staff take a leadership role in providing structure for communication to occur and trust to develop. As the year progresses, students will be challenged to assume more responsibility and leadership for continuing the growth of their community and a responsible living environment.
Gonzaga’s philosophy and mission encourages its students to develop certain personal qualities: self-knowledge, self-acceptance, a restless curiosity, a desire for truth, a mature concern for others, and a thirst for justice. We also believe that a knowledge of traditions (Catholic, Jesuit, and humanistic education) and cultures different from our own draws us closer to the human family of which we are a part, and makes us more aware of both the possibilities and limitations of our own heritage. The opportunity to become familiar with a variety of personalities and other human cultures is offered to our students through the development of the living-learning community of our residence life program. Thus, residential living fosters understanding of the world we live in while providing the opportunity for the development of interdependence and cooperation. We operate a variety of residence halls in both size and building type. It is here where our student body comes together on common ground to learn from each other in these ways and participate in the life, energy and vitality of the campus.
II. Residency Qualification and Requirement
You must be a regularly matriculated full time student to live in Gonzaga University residential facilities. Full time is defined as 12 credits per semester for undergraduates, and 9 credits per semester for graduate and law students. In the event that a student withdraws from classes during the semester for legitimate reasons, exceptions to this policy must be requested from the Associate Director of Residence Life, in writing, within one week of the change.
You must attain the age of 18 within nine months of your first day of classes to qualify to live on campus. Students younger than this must live off-campus with parents, a guardian or immediate family member over the age of 21.
The University requires full-time undergraduate first and second year students under the age of 21 to reside on campus in the residence hall system and to take their meals in the dining halls. As a general rule to measure this requirement, if you have completed four full academic semesters of college since you graduated High School (not including summers) you qualify to live off campus, even if you are not yet 21.
Undergraduate first and second year students who are under the age of 21 but who are married or living with immediate family in the local area must arrange, in writing, for exemption from this requirement with the Office of Housing and Residence Life. It is important to be aware that a written request to move off-campus does not constitute permission to do so, nor should students consider entering into an off-campus lease or agreement unless written permission is granted by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. In some cases, permission to be exempted from the Residency Requirement will accompany a financial penalty if there is a Rental Agreement already filed with the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
All students residing in campus-owned housing are contractually obligated to the University for the room and board fees as stipulated in the "terms and conditions" portion of the Residential Living Application/Agreement.
III. People to Know
- Resident Assistant (RA): a student who lives on the residence hall wing or floor with residents. RAs are selected and trained to help residents develop a positive living, studying and social environment. RAs assist students with personal and academic concerns, organize social and educational activities, and serve as general resource people.
- Senior Resident Assistant (SRA): Typically an experienced and returning staff member, this person is assigned a smaller building as either the only staff person in residence or a medium sized building with one or two Resident Assistants as a staff. This person oversees the management of the area assigned and reports to a Residence Director. In most cases, this staff member accomplishes everything a Resident Assistant does, in addition to carrying some extra responsibility for overall building and facility management.
- Assistant Residence Director (ARD): An experienced student staff member and leader, this person is generally assigned to a second tier sized residence hall building. In addition to performing the functions of an SRA, the ARD may assist the Residence Director with such things as RA oversight, programming efforts, and disciplinary interventions. The ARD reports directly to the Residence Director and provides for the management of the area in the Residence Director’s absence.
- Residence Director (RD): These important staff members are full time, permanent professional level employees who possess at least a bachelor’s degree and often a graduate level degree. These individuals live in the residence halls and supervise a small area of buildings comprising between 275 to 500 residents. The RD serves as the direct supervisor of the RAs and facilitates open lines of communication between Residence Hall Staff members and residents, and is concerned with developing an overall living-learning culture within the building.
- Chaplain-in-Residence: The University assigns a Jesuit Priest, Religious Sister or Lay Minister to each residence hall. Chaplains may also be full time administrators or faculty members who wish to take the time to get to know students on a deeper level. The primary reason for assigning a chaplain to a residence hall is to provide spiritual leadership to staff and students through spiritual programming and to be a resource for faith based issues to the people living in the building assigned. In some cases, these important members of our community actually choose to live in the building with the students.
Residence Hall Government
- Residence Hall Association (RHA) is a group of elected representatives from each of the residence halls. The elected representatives form the General Assembly. RHA is led by an elected Executive Board and is involved in residence hall programs, community service events, and the review of residence hall policies. A member of the Office of Housing and Residence Life serves as the advisor to RHA.
- Block Council is a group of students who organize and implement activities for students within a block or smaller area of residence halls. Block Council members are elected and the council is advised by the Residence Director. Some members of each block council sit on the RHA General Assembly. Not only is involvement in Block Council fun, it also provides an excellent leadership experience for residents.