Student Affairs

Zag Volunteer Corps (ZVC) Program 
Zag Volunteer Corps connects members of the Gonzaga community with Spokane area nonprofits for educational and fun service experiences. Zags serve on the same day at the same time with the same group of students each week for the semester. Volunteer opportunities range from 1.5 to 2 hour long weekly commitments. 

At Gonzaga Outdoors we believe that outdoor experiences have the power to help us build beautiful communities, learn about ourselves and others, support physical, mental, and spiritual health, and bring play, laughter, and joy into our lives. We hope to ensure that every Gonzaga student has the opportunity to benefit from outdoor experiences. We do this by providing inexpensive gear rentals, subsidized outdoor adventures, and educational events on and off campus. GU Outdoors offers hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing/snowboarding, backpacking, kayaking, fishing, rock climbing, and more!

Looking to get connected? Our weekly email informs students of our trips and events for the week. Add your name to the list by stopping by the office or emailing outdoors@zagmail.gonzaga.edu. Some of our biggest and most popular events include Adventure Week, GOOB, and Spring Break trips.

• Adventure Week takes place each semester and provides opportunities to get involved on campus and in the local community, as an introduction to our program and the outdoors.
• GOOB is an extended orientation program where 75 first year students come together for 5 days before move-in. GOOB includes three full days of activities: hiking, biking, and rafting.
• Spring Break: Each year GU Outdoors sends out Spring Break trips for students to adventure in places like Moab Utah, Banff, Olympic National Park, or Mount Baker.

We can’t wait to welcome you to this wonderful community. Some ways to get involved include participating in GU Outdoors Trips, applying to be a Student Trip Leader, or working in our bike shop or office. At Gonzaga Outdoors and we believe that professionalism and fun go hand in hand. Our office and programs provide space for professional and personal growth and development as well as space to come ask questions about where to go adventure, relax, or study for their next big exam.

The University operates 22 traditional residential communities, largely devoted to first-, and second-year students. These on campus options offer you a variety of housing experiences as you complete your residence requirement.  Most students in their third and fourth year live off campus in the surrounding neighborhood.  A couple hundred beds usually exist for students wishing to remain on campus after the residence requirement, yet the demand significantly exceeds supply. The approximate student population in housing is 3000 students, inclusive of some off- campus spaces.
 
A Faculty in Residence and Visiting Scholar program exists which allow for a few opportunities for faculty to live in facilities with residents and contribute to the community.

Residential housing and dining options are open throughout the academic year with the exceptions of winter vacation. During these times there may be limited service provided. Opening and closing dates are published and disseminated by various means, including the housing and residence life website, departmental publications, and community meetings. As the university may observe and publish various dates of openings and closings of numerous offices, it is important to note only those dates communicated by the Office of Housing and Residence Life pertain to their operation. You should rely on these dates when making travel and lodging arrangements. The university will not be held responsible for expenses incurred by referencing conflicting dates referenced by other offices or departments. 

Living in any residential setting (on or off campus) may present risk to personal property. As such, the University does not assume responsibility for the loss or damage of personal property. You are encouraged to obtain “Renter’s Insurance.” Information from private insurers will be made available during summer communications and will be posted on the department’s website. Additionally, a comprehensive list of residential regulations and expectations is published separately in the student handbook. 
 
Residence Policies (overview)
The University requires all full-time first- and second-year students, who are unmarried and under the age of 21, to reside on campus in university managed residential facilities. Likewise, students required to live on campus must take part in the university dining program. All students residing in housing owned, leased, or managed by the university are contractually obligated to the University for the Room and Board Fees as outlined in the “terms and conditions” portion of the Residential Living Application/Agreement. Campus dining services are operated by Zag Dining by Sodexo. For more information about meal plans and other services provided, you may visit Zag Dining’s website at http://zagdining.sodexomyway.com or call the Zag Dining office at (509) 313-6906. 
 
To be eligible for university housing, you must be at least 17 years and 3 months of age prior to the first day of class. Students younger than this must reside off-campus with their parent(s) or legally recognized guardian who must be over the age of 21 (typically an immediate family member). Exceptions to this policy or special requests, including those of students who are under 21 and unmarried but want to continue living with parent(s) or immediate family members, should be made in writing to the Assistant Dean for the Residential Experience. Students who reach the required age for residency after the first day of class may request a housing assignment during term. Accommodation of these requests will be honored as appropriate vacancies exist. Note, sometimes there is confusion when referencing this residential requirement policy. This requirement refers to the actual time a student has attended Gonzaga University and not to their academic standing.
 
Residential Living Application/Agreement
All students who are required to live in University Housing or who wish to continue in housing after their first and second year must complete and sign a Residential Living Application/Agreement. This document serves several purposes: it serves as the room and board contract between the University and the student; it outlines some of the University’s housing policies; it refers students to where they may obtain the rest of the policies regarding on-campus living and expected behaviors, and it provides information on room and damage deposits.  
 
It should be noted by first year students that acceptance of the Residential Living Application/Agreement does not constitute confirmation to the University as a matriculating student. Accepted students, however, are encouraged to apply for housing as early as possible prior to their expected term (fall or spring) of attendance. If you withdraw from the University during the semester, you will be refunded room and board fees on a prorated basis.
 
Room Reservations
It is highly recommended that students apply for housing once the application window opens for the semester you intend to occupy an assignment. The application timeline will be posted on the website of the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Completion of the Residential Living Application/Agreement found on-line provides the Office of Housing and Residence Life with information they need to facilitate your being a member of the residential community at Gonzaga University. Along with the completed application, you must submit a $200 housing deposit, which is automatically converted to a “damage deposit” upon check-in to your assignment and will be used to defray any damages up to that amount which may have occurred while you are in residence. Any remaining balance of the $200 will be refunded when you check out after all applicable fees and charges have been processed. 
 
Housing and Residence Life processes room assignments. As an incoming student, you will have the opportunity to select the space you want to live in. Students who do not select by the deadline will be assigned a space based on vacancy, and the profile question responses. Living-Learning Community housing options are also available each year and published on the Office of Housing and Residence Life website. Living Learning Communities require a supplemental application. Additional information on each Living Learning Community can be found on the website.  

No guarantees can be made to first-year students regarding building, roommate, or Living Learning Community preferences, but realistic attempts will be made to honor requests. Returning residential students are eligible to participate in a sign-up process during the spring semester which allows for selection of specific rooms for the following fall semester.
 
Sodexo Zag Dining
All students who reside in the residence halls are required to eat on campus under a board plan. Sodexo Food Service provides a full-service food program to the University under the direction of the Executive Vice President. 
Sodexo Food Service assists students with many health needs, including special diets when prescribed and approved in writing by a medical doctor.
The food service offers a "flex-dollar" option (Bulldog Bucks) to enhance the student's board plan. Students may use this allotment to purchase meals and/or snacks at any on-campus Sodexo food service location. Meal Plan changes can usually be made during the first week of each semester.

Immersive Outdoor Learning

Hughes Hall 008

509-313-4169

edenfield@gonzaga.edu

www.gonzaga.edu/student-life/student-affairs/our-departments-and-programs/immersive-outdoor-learning

Gonzaga University’s Immersive Outdoor Learning program offers experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond textbooks and lectures, immersing students in the natural world and challenging them to engage with complex questions that affect our environment and communities. Imagine students learning about local geology while rock-climbing, discussing the cultural significance of salmon populations while kayaking on the Spokane River, or studying human physiology while snowshoeing in the Selkirk Mountains. We believe education is not confined to the walls of a traditional classroom.

Located in the Inland Northwest, our university provides a premier setting for outdoor education. Our students have the chance to explore and learn in natural environments while developing self-confidence and deeper understanding of our interconnected, dynamic world. Faculty, staff, and student partner to transform outdoor spaces into immersive classrooms. A range of course offerings engage students with diverse topics such as: environmental justice, sustainability, indigenous perspectives, and more. We welcome students of every background and strive for inclusive environments that foster meaningful connection and dialogue.

Participation in field-based excursions empowers students with personal responsibility for interactive learning and creates better informed, more engaged citizens. These experiences range in duration from experiential half-day labs to multi-week expeditions and are taught across a variety of disciplines.

We invite you to explore our array of course offerings, that include Mountain Science; Human Ecology; Environmental Engineering; Politics of Space & Place; Nature Writing; Parks, Forest, & Wilderness; Earth Systems; Outdoor Leadership; and Gonzaga-in-the-Wilderness. Uniquely tailored to promote experiential learning, each course encourages students to reflect on feelings, thoughts, and values as part of their learning curriculum.

Crosby Center 206
509-313-5399
ohp@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/ohp 

The Office of Health Promotion (OHP) fosters student well-being through proactive, non-judgmental, and inclusive public health principles and practices.  Our goal is that all students will cultivate behaviors while at GU that contribute to sustainable, life-long well-being. The professional and student staff in this department lead initiatives, create programs, deliver trainings, and identify services and spaces that promote positive, holistic, equitable well-being and reduce high-risk behaviors. Contact us if you are interested in consultation for an event, project, or idea you have.

Zags Help Zags – This is a program coordinated by OHP that helps develop students, faculty, and staff members to be active bystanders who step in to make a positive difference in the Gonzaga community. As a Jesuit University, we have a commitment to the dignity of the human person and strive to be in service to others. We aim to find proactive ways to establish healthy community norms, as well as identify strategies for intervening when challenging situations do arise.