Undergraduate Student Handbook - 2023-24

Housing Information and Policies

Table of Contents

Breaks, Holidays and Residence Hall Closures

Generally, all residence halls, houses, apartments, and suites close for winter break at noon on the day after the last day in the semester and reopen at noon on the Sunday before the first day in the new semester. There is no food service during this school break. The Break Housing page has information available for students needing to remain for athletics, employment, or due to difficulty or inability to travel home for winter break.

Residence halls, houses, apartments, and suites also close for spring break at noon on the day after the end of the week before spring break and open at noon the Sunday before classes resume. There is no food service during this school break. There are different criteria and details for spring break compared to winter break, so students needing to stay for athletics, employment, or due to difficulty or inability to travel home should also view the Break Housing page.

Residence halls, houses, apartments, and suites do not close for Thanksgiving break, however, there is no food service during this school break.

Housing Assignments

The process of signing up for housing for the following year occurs in March or early April. The process is administered through the University Housing office. Each student is notified through email prior to the housing sign-up process. Students agree to occupy their assigned space. Students can find additional information on the Current Student Housing Information page.

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 Residence Life. Students are also advised to speak with their financial aid counselor as this may impact financial aid eligibility.

Off-Campus Housing Policy

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.

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.

The mailbox key should be returned to Mail Services, and any building keys issued by Plant Services should be returned to Plant Services. 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. The University attempts to keep costs low and maintain the machines. Electronic cards operate laundry facilities. Students receive a pre-loaded card during check-in and should retain their card throughout the year.

If a card is lost, you can purchase a new one at the laundry card machine in the Klages Center near the main stairwell to the FoxHole.

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.

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 GFU 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 Accomodations

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 questions about meal plans should be addressed to housing@georgefox.edu. You may also call University Housing at 503-554-2310.

Right of Entrance

University personnel (area coordinators, campus public safety or student personnel under direction of professional staff) 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 to believe 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. A work request 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, etc.

Room Changes

Room changes for fall semester may begin on the third week of the semester, and conclude on the last week of November. Room changes for spring semester begin on the third week of the semester, and conclude on the last week of March. Note: Generally, no room change requests are considered as long as any students are living in temporary housing.

If you wish to change rooms or living areas, you must pick up a Room Change form from the University Housing Resources page, or from the Student Life Office and follow the procedure as detailed on the form. Students are not to move until they have received written approval from University Housing. Students who do so may be assessed an Unauthorized Room Change Fee.

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:

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 in a lanyard.  Replacement cards will be charged to any students who have defaced the card or obviously mistreated 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, 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.

Storage

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

The university does not have the space for general storage. Students should not plan to bring an abundance of belongings.  

Articles may be stored over the summer months when space is available. 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 in campus storage. Generally, articles are kept no more than one semester following a student's absence.  Articles left in storage for more than one semester may be given away. Carpets, mini-fridges, and bicycles may not be stored and will be disposed of. 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.

Window Screens

Screens are provided in many campus-housing facilities. Unless there is an emergency (e.g., a fire), the screens should not be removed. 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.

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