Housing Information and Policies

Animals in Campus Housing & Other Buildings

Information about animals on campus and the process for requesting Emotional Support Animals in campus housing can be found on the Disability and Accessibility Services website. Outside of an accommodation exception, only small fish are allowed as pets in student housing (in a fish tank no larger than 10 gallons). Guests are to keep other animals outside.

Students are not able to leave bedding, food, or other supplies outside or around their living area that would attract unauthorized pets or other animals. Keeping an unauthorized pet on campus will result in a fine of $50/day for each day that the animal is in housing.

Bicycles

Bicycles may be locked up at the bike racks or stored in residence hall rooms, but are prohibited from being inside other university buildings. Bicycles may not be left in hallways, stairwells or entryways, as this is a fire hazard. Carey, Edwards, Gulley, Hobson, Macy, Pennington, and Sutton Halls, as well as at the Austin Sports Complex on Crestview Drive, have covered bicycle racks. Brandt, Le Shana, and Newlin Halls have uncovered bicycle racks. Questions about bicycle safety or storage may be answered on this page, or can be directed to Campus Public Safety.

Break and Holiday Closures

Mid-Semester Break

Campus housing does not close.

Thanksgiving Break

On campus housing does not close for Thanksgiving break. However, there are no dining services available, and the university is officially closed during this school break.

Winter Break

All on campus housing closes at noon on the day after the last day of the fall semester and reopens at noon on the Sunday before the first day of the spring semester. Dining services are not available, and the university is officially closed during this school break.

Spring Break

All on campus housing closes for spring break at noon on the day after the end of the week before spring break and opens at noon the Sunday before classes resume. Dining services are not available, and the university is officially closed during this school break. Students who cannot travel home for the break may stay in campus housing over spring break but sign up is required. Fees may apply.

The Break Housing page has additional details and a list of criteria for students who need to remain in campus housing during winter break for athletics, employment, or due to difficulty or inability to travel home for winter break.

Summer Break

All on campus housing closes at noon on the day after the last day of the semester. Dining services are not available during summer break. Students may apply to stay in designated summer housing for any portion or all of the summer session for students needing to remain for athletics, employment, or due to difficulty or the inability to travel home for summer break. Housing is limited and charges apply.

Housing Eligibility

Students living in campus housing must maintain a minimum of 12 credits in a given semester. Any student dropping below 12 credits at any point in time may not be allowed to continue living in campus housing. Appeals to this policy should be made in writing to the Director of University Housing. Students are also advised to speak with their financial aid counselor as this may impact financial aid eligibility.

Housing Selection and Placements

The University Housing office administers the process for students to select their housing for the next academic year. The Housing Selection occurs in March or early April each year. Each student is notified by email prior to the housing selection process and must meet certain criteria for on campus housing. After completion of the Housing Intent, eligible students may enter the housing selection, choose to have University Housing provide a room placement, or request to renew their current room, if available. Additional information is available on the Current Student Housing Information page. Students must occupy the specific room space assigned to them and cannot change room spaces without authorization from the University Housing office.

Keys

Residents are furnished with a room key, and laundry key (if applicable), and an ID card that gives them access to their living area.

There is a $75 rekeying fee for each unreturned or lost key. This fee may differ based upon a student’s living area. When students leave the campus for the year - whether withdrawing during the year or leaving at the end of the year - they must return the room and laundry keys to University Housing.

Any building keys issued by Plant Services should be returned to Plant Services. Any mailbox keys should be returned to Mail Services, and any Building master keys carry a larger fine when lost. Note that duplicating, carrying, or using unauthorized keys is a violation of university policy and is considered a serious offense.

Main entrances and hallway entrances into residence halls are locked at all times. Students may enter these areas by using the card lock system.

Laundry

Laundry facilities are located in close proximity to housing units and living areas. To use the machines, students sign up for an account and use a smartphone or tablet to operate the machines. Students receive laundry credits at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Students will need to manage their laundry credits each semester. Additional credits can be purchased by debit or credit through the app, if needed.

Loss and Theft Liability

The university accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage to personal possessions whether caused by theft, fire, flood, or other disasters. The resident is responsible for obtaining his/her own insurance for personal belongings. Information regarding the purchase of student personal property insurance from an outside agency may be obtained from the Office of Student Life.

Off-Campus Housing Policy

Students who have attended George Fox for at least 4 semesters, students 20 years old or older prior to the first day of the fall semester will be able to select off-campus housing through their housing intent form linked in MyGeorgeFox. Married students under 20 years old should notify University Housing by email, and include a copy of the application for a marriage license.

Students 24 years old or older will automatically be assigned off-campus housing. (Those wishing to live on-campus should contact University Housing.)

Students in their third year out of high school should email University Housing in order to be considered for off-campus housing.

Students who wish to seek an off-campus exception prior to the Off-Campus Housing Policy should do so by submitting a Housing Petition or Commute from Home form through the Housing and Community Life Portal. Please note that most requests that fall outside of university policy are not approved.

Spring Semester: In order to live off-campus for the spring semester, the above criteria requirements must be met at the beginning of the fall semester. Students who do not meet the criteria requirements at that time are not eligible to live off-campus for the spring semester.

It is expected that all students who live off-campus abide by the university's lifestyle statement and community policies.

Please refer to the Living Off-Campus information page for more details in this area.

Resident Meal Plans

The on-campus program has been designed to be flexible to meet the unique needs of each student. We offer a variety of meal plans to fit students' lifestyles. To inquire about meal plans and flex points, visit the Bon Appetit office located in the south end of the dining hall. You may also find more information about meal plans on the Meal Plan page on the George Fox University website.

Meal Plan Options

Bon Appetit makes every effort to meet the dietary and scheduling needs of our students. If a curricular or co-curricular scheduling conflict arises, a request for a boxed meal may be requested in advance. Exemptions from the meal plan are granted for medical reasons only when Bon Appetit cannot accommodate a student's specific dietary needs as determined by a doctor.

Meal Plan Accommodations

A licensed physician must supply documentation of the petitioning student's medical condition. Anyone seeking an exemption from the meal plan must complete all necessary paperwork before the request for exemption is considered.

Students can visit the Meal Plan Accommodation page for additional information.

Meal Plan Details

All changes to meal plans must be made by the first Friday of each semester. Students are responsible to confirm their meal plan charges on their MyGeorgeFox account. Failure to make any changes by the deadline may result in charges to your account. There will be no exceptions. The Student Life Office strongly urges students to confirm their charges each semester.

Accommodations will not be made for a student's busy schedule. If you have a schedule conflict, students can meet with the Bon Appetit staff to arrange a boxed meal, or order through the Bon Appetit mobile ordering app.

Students living on campus are required to be on a meal plan and are assigned meal plans appropriate to their academic standing.

Transfer students can contact University Housing for an evaluation of their transfer credits to see if they are eligible for a lower meal plan. Email housing@georgefox.edu.

All questions about meal plans should be addressed to housing@georgefox.edu. You may also call University Housing at 503-554-2311.

Residential Furniture & Appliances

What We Provide

• Standard Furnishings: Your room comes equipped with a bed, desk, dresser, and closet space. (Apartments and houses also include kitchen and living room furniture). Note: Furniture styles vary by building.
• Cleaning Supplies: Vacuum cleaners are provided for use in living areas.
• Limit: The university only provides the furniture present in your room at check-in.

Furniture Stipulations

• Keep it in the room: University-owned furniture must not be moved outside of its original room (this includes furniture in shared housing areas).
• Do not disassemble: Under no circumstances should furniture be taken apart.
• Bed modifications: You may not prop up or stack your bed with concrete blocks or bed risers. Lofts (both manufactured and hand-built) are not permitted.
• Note: Moving furniture without permission from University Housing or Residence Life will result in a fine and you will be required to move it back.

What to Bring

For a completely updated list of prohibited appliances and electronics, please view our " What to Bring to Campus" page.

What NOT to Bring

For health and safety reasons, the following items are strictly prohibited in university housing:

• Personal soft furniture: Couches, mattresses, or upholstered chairs (due to the risk of bed bugs).
• Climate and lighting: Air conditioning units, space heaters, and halogen lamps (due to fire hazards).

Right of Entrance

University personnel (area coordinators or campus public safety) may enter and/or search a student’s room, apartment, or house without notice in emergencies where imminent danger to life, safety, health, or property is reasonably feared; when the university is closing down at breaks, or when it has been determined, at the discretion of appropriate university officials, that sufficient cause exists.

University personnel (professional staff) may also enter and search a student’s room, apartment or house without notice when there is suspicion of probable cause that university regulations have been or are being violated. While it is preferred for students to be present, in rare situations searches may be conducted in the student’s absence.

When the university seeks access to students’ rooms, apartments, or houses to make repairs or improvements, the occupants generally are notified at least 24 hours in advance unless consent has been given prior. A maintenance request or work order to Plant Services is considered consent to enter. During breaks (such as Christmas and Spring Break) university personnel may enter university housing in order to routinely assess the condition of fire alarms, smoke detectors, perform maintenance, etc.

Room Changes

Room change requests for fall semester may be submitted beginning the third week of the semester, and conclude the last week of November. Room change requests for spring semester begin the third week of the semester, and conclude the last week of March. No room change requests are considered while any students are living in temporary/overflow housing. Due to limitations in Summer housing, room change requests may not be accommodated in summer housing. Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case by case basis.

If you wish to change rooms or living areas, you must complete a Room Change Request form. The form is found on the University Housing Resources page, or on the Housing & Community Life portal. Students are not to move until they have received written approval from the University Housing office. Unauthorized moves will be assessed an Unauthorized Room Change Fee.

Storage

On campus storage is limited as the university does not have the space for general storage. Students should not plan to bring an abundance of belongings.

Only students living 300 miles or more from the university may store items, and preference for summer storage is given to students living out of state. Students may store no more than 5 boxes (each no larger than 2 feet x 2 feet x 2 feet) in campus storage. Generally, articles are kept for no more than one semester following a student's absence. Articles left in storage for more than one semester may be donated or discarded. Carpets, mini-fridges, and bicycles are not allowed in storage and will be disposed of if left behind. The university is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Students can find more storage information through the link on the University Housing Resources page.

Personal items must be boxed and clearly labeled with a university label indicating the name, date, phone number, and permanent address of the owner.

Student ID Cards

All students are issued a George Fox University ID card. An ID card can be obtained at the IT (Institutional Technology) Department on the 3rd floor of Stevens Center during their normal hours of operation. It is required for:

• Eating on the university's food service plan
• Entering the residence hall where they live
• Checking out books from the Murdock Library
• Scanning for attendance at Spiritual Formation activities (e.g., chapel)
• Admission to athletics events
• Entering the residence halls, Edwards-Holman Science Center, Ross Center, Bauman Auditorium, the Klages Center, the Foxhole (during the posted hours), Hadlock Student Center, and the Stevens Center
• Basic identification to campus public safety personnel

Theft or Loss of ID Card

The student ID card is non transferable. By using the card, a student agrees to these published terms and conditions governing its use. Should it be stolen, please report the theft to Campus Public Safety (ext. 2090), food service (ext. 2500), and the locksmith (ext. 2057). In addition, if lost, a meal voucher must be requested at the food service office until a new card is obtained. When an ID card is replaced, the old card is automatically deactivated.

Care of Card

The ID card must be cared for throughout a student's length of stay at George Fox University. The internal proximity strip can be damaged if the card has any holes punched into it. Cardholder keychains may be purchased from the Bruin Store. It is highly recommended that you carry ID cards on a lanyard. Replacement cards will be charged to any students who have defaced the card or damaged it.

ID Card Replacement

If the card becomes unusable, damaged or stolen, the student is responsible for the cost of replacement. Replacement photo ID cards are available for a $15 fee in the IT (Institutional Technology) department on the 3rd floor of the Stevens Center, which is open weekdays. The cost will be charged to the student’s debit or credit card. Call the IT department at 503-554-2569 for ID card questions.

Windows and Screens

To ensure the safety and well-being of all residents, students living in George Fox University housing must adhere to the following window policy:

• Prohibited Actions: Windows may not be used for climbing, leaning out of, or throwing any objects from.
• Tampering and Removal: Unless there is an emergency (e.g., a fire) the removal of window screens or any protective barriers, including window opening control devices and safety exit clips, is prohibited. Students who occupy the specific rooms are responsible for their screens. Screens found to be bent, damaged, lost, or removed may result in a minimum $50 charge per occurrence.
• Unauthorized Use: Using windows as unauthorized entrances or exits is forbidden.
• Defacement: Defacing windows in any manner is not permitted.

Work Requests

Work requests can be entered by students for their specific room and for any shared spaces in their living area. Students can submit a work order request through the “Maintenance Requests” tab on the Housing and Community Life Portal. If a student has questions about the Maintenance Request form, they can contact University Housing.