Residence Life & Housing Policies and Regulations

Regulations for the possession or consumption of alcohol in University residential areas are outlined in the University's Alcohol policy. Students will also be held accountable to the policies outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.

Non-carnivorous fish, approved emotional support animals, and service animals are permitted within the residence halls. Feeding of stray or wild animals is discouraged.

Students seeking an emotional support animal in residence work with the Office of Disability & Accommodations, who will determine if the accommodation should be met. When approved, the Office of Housing will then work with the resident on identifying arrangements for bringing the animal into the residential area.

Students with a service animal are encouraged to contact the Office of Disability & Accommodations to discuss their service needs. The Office of Housing will work with students with a service animal on identifying arrangements for bringing the animal into the residential area.

Resident students are permitted to begin occupying their room the Sunday prior to the first day of classes each semester, or special session, and until 24 hours after their last academic commitment. Exceptions to the policy will be determined by the Office of Housing.

Residents may request to remain in residence prior to break openings and after break closings. Upon review, residents may be permitted to remain on-campus. In some instances, residents may be required to relocate. A daily residency charge may be assessed for unauthorized occupancy during break periods. Residents who are found accessing their space without prior approval may be referred to Student Accountability & Conflict Transformation.

Information about cleaning and trash removal is available on the FMPC website.

All members of the community and their visitors are expected to respect University property. Repairs necessitated by normal wear and tear will be undertaken without charge. Repairs necessary because of inappropriate behavior or improper use of facilities will be billed to those responsible. Students and their visitors are responsible for abiding by the Respect for Property policy.

If there is clear indication that a residence was entered by force and the occupants could not have prevented the damage or loss, repair charges will not be assessed. Charges will not be assessed for damage or loss that occurs during break periods, when students are not in residence. However, students who remain in residence over a break period are responsible for any damage or cleaning issues that may occur in their community during that time.

Damage charges will be assessed by one of two methods:

Resident Damage: Residence Life staff members complete inspections of residential areas prior to hall openings. Residents should receive an electronic copy of a Room Condition Inventory (RCI) outlining the condition of the housing assignment prior to occupancy. Residents are responsible for reviewing their RCI and submitting timely work requests for additional facilities concerns. Residents are also responsible for reporting any damages not noted in the RCI within the first week of classes to the Office of Housing. After that time period, residents become responsible for the condition of their assigned space.

Residents are expected to return the housing assignment in the condition received, with the exception of normal wear and tear. Residents will be held responsible for all costs of returning their housing assignment to its original condition.

Residents may complete the Closing Damage Form at the end of the academic year to accept or refute any damages. Charges for damage and excessive cleaning, including excess trash removal, will be added directly to the student's account. Questions about damage and cleaning issues should be directed to the Office of Housing within two weeks upon notifications of charge(s).

Community Damage: FMPC, Campus Police, and Student Life make every effort to identify those responsible for damage and cleaning issues. Residents are expected to cooperate in identifying those responsible for damage. When those responsible for damage cannot be identified, charges will be divided and assessed to all residents of the respective community. Information regarding damage in fraternity and sorority houses is available in the Greek Life section of the Student Handbook.

The University encourages the personalization of interior residential areas provided the changes do not damage surfaces or furnishings, or present hazards to the safety or security of other residents.

The following guidelines pertain to decorations and personalization:

• Residences are not permitted to be painted.
• Wall decorations may be attached to wall surfaces if hung in a way that will not result in damage when the item is removed. Transparent tape, duct tape, tacks, and nails cause damage to wall surfaces. Cardboard boxes, tapestries, and other flammable items should not cover large portions of walls or be hung from ceilings.
• Items should not be hung from or attached to the ceiling, exposed pipe, or near safety equipment including smoke detectors and sprinklers.
• Individuals are not permitted to tamper with, remove, or replace light bulbs in University provided light fixtures.
• Airflow from air conditioning and heating vents must not be restricted. Equipment can overheat if there is insufficient space (less than 2 feet) for air movement. Vents are not to be blocked and units must be accessible for periodic maintenance.

All personal items must be removed when the resident vacates their residence. Items left in rooms or common areas will be deemed abandoned and will be discarded. The resident may be assessed disposal charges.

Residential areas except various overflow houses are accessed using a student ID card. Loss of the student ID card must be immediately reported to Campus Police so the lost card can be deactivated and a new one issued.

Individuals should not provide an ID card to someone who is not the owner or leave an ID card unattended in a public place accessible for other individuals to use to access a residence hall.

A basic set of furnishings is provided to each resident. Residents may bring additional furnishings and decorations, provided there is adequate space available, items fall within the guidelines for room personalization, and damage to and/or removal of University property does not consequently result. Additional personal furnishings must be removed upon the resident's departure from the room assignment.

Furniture within most of the residential areas can be lofted or bunked. Personally designed or constructed lofts are not permitted. Residents seeking to loft or bunk beds should submit a work order via Asset Essentials.

University-owned furniture should remain in its designated location throughout the academic year and may not be removed from individual rooms or common areas. Residents can submit a work order via Asset Essentials for the removal of their desk hutches, desk chairs, and/or bed ladders. Any item awaiting removal must remain in the resident's room until it is picked up by FMPC. Requests for other items to be removed will be denied.

The University provides a microfridge in each room of Bernhardt-Wilhelm, Clewell, Jo Smith, Main, Nitschmann, Rau-Hassler, and Spangenberg. Additional minifridges and microwaves are not permitted. In all other residential spaces (The HILL, Hillsides, Beck, deSchweinitz, overflow houses, Townhouses, and fraternity and sorority houses) personal minifridges of no more than 3 cubic feet and microwaves are permitted.

Personal air conditioners are not permitted with the exception of approved fraternity, sorority, and overflow houses in which a designated electrical outlet is provided. Residents within these approved spaces should submit a work order via Asset Essentials to ensure that the unit is installed properly and meets the University standards. All units must meet the following requirements:

• Standard size window cooling-only unit; a heating and cooling unit is not permitted
• Must not exceed 120 Volts
• 6000 BTU or less for bedroom installation OR 8000 BTU or less for living room installation
• Must come with an adjustable side panel kit to fit various size windows
• Must have all functioning parts.

Indoor furniture may not be taken outdoors. If this occurs, residents will be instructed by the Office of Housing to return items to their assigned location. Furniture may also be discarded by FMPC with appropriate billing to residents for labor, haulage, and replacement.

Room keys and front door/suite keys (for applicable units) are issued to residents when they move into the unit. Possession or use of a key by anyone other than the resident to whom it has been issued is not permitted.

Loss of a key must be reported immediately. The Office of Housing issues replacement keys. Lost keys can be reported to the Office of Housing during business hours Monday through Friday. At all other times, lost keys should be reported to Campus Police.

Charges are assessed each time a lock change becomes necessary and will be added to the individual student's account. The responsible resident is charged $50 per lock change plus $5 for each key needed in addition to the customary two that are provided with a new lock. If keys are not returned when a resident checks out of their housing assignment, a $150 improper checkout fee, along with the cost of the lock change(s), may be assessed to their student account.

Residents who lock themselves out of their rooms should request assistance from a Residence Life staff member within their community, or, during duty hours, the Residence Life staff member on duty for the community. If Residence Life staff is not available to assist, Campus Police should be called.

The University reserves the right to change the capacity of a housing assignment based on housing occupancy.

Room buyout: Eligible residents may be offered an application to buyout a vacancy(s). If the application for a designated space is approved, the resident agrees to a room rate 1.5 times (double room) or 1.33 times (triple room) the room charge.

Spaces bought out will not be available for room changes for the remainder of that semester. Residents who forgo the opportunity to buy out a space may be assigned a roommate at any time during the semester.

Temporary Capacity Increases: Eligible residents may be assigned to a temporary double or triple assignment. Those residing in the temporary housing assignment will receive a monetary credit at the end of the semester for each week they were in the temporary double or triple assignment. Credits are based on the occupancy of the housing assignment.

As space becomes available, residents in a temporary assignment will be offered the opportunity to move to a permanent assignment. If permanent assignment is offered and declined during the fall semester, the resident will receive a credit for the duration of the semester. Residents offered a permanent assignment who decline and remain in their temporary assignment for the spring semester will not receive a room credit.

The following are not permitted:

• 3D printers.
• Blowtorches.
• Candles or other open-flame devices, lit or unlit.
• Cardboard boxes, tapestries and other flammable items should not cover large portions of walls or be hung from ceilings.
• Doorbell cameras or other devices that record or stream audio and/or video that could record an individual without their knowledge or consent anywhere inside or immediately outside of a residential facility (including inside private rooms).
• Firearms, ammunition, and potentially lethal weapons including martial arts materials.
• Fireworks, explosives, and flammable chemicals.
• Dartboards.
• Grills inside buildings, on porches or within 25 feet of any building. Grills must be stored in locations that are safe and out of the way of pedestrian traffic.
• Halogen lamps or lights.
• Heat-producing appliances such as hotplates, electric griddles, and space heaters.
• Hookahs may not be used inside campus buildings or within 45 feet of any campus building entrance.
• Horseshoe pits other than those provided by the University.
• Incense and incense burners.
• Lava lamps.
• Mini-refrigerators, microwaves, instant pots, air fryers, toasters and/or toaster ovens in the following residence halls: Bernhardt-Wilhelm, Clewell, Jo Smith, Main, Nitschmann, Rau-Hassler, and Spangenberg.
• Personal Room air conditioners, except in approved fraternity, sorority, and overflow properties where electrical outlets have been designated.
• Pets, other than non-carnivorous fish and approved animals providing service or emotional support.
• Portable fire pits.
• Portable wading or swimming pools, including hot tubs.
• Refrigerators exceeding 3 cubic feet.
• Water beds.
• Weights and other exercise equipment that may damage floor surfaces.

The University reserves the right to restrict or curtail the use of additional items as circumstances and safety issues warrant.

A minimum quiet-hour policy has been established for all residential areas. These hours are Sundays through Thursdays, beginning at 10:00 p.m. and concluding at 8:00 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, beginning at midnight and concluding at 10:00 a.m. A community may establish a more restrictive set of quiet hours. During final exams, 24-hour quiet hours are in effect. During quiet hour periods, noise generated within a room or in the hallway is to be kept at such a level that adjacent rooms are not affected by it. Requests to lower the volume of an existing noise source are to be acted on immediately and with courtesy.

During periods other than quiet hours, noise is to be kept at a reasonable level. Residents share responsibility for reasonable conduct and are expected to let others know when they are infringing on the right to a quiet living environment, as well as being responsive to requests for quiet from other community members.

Requests for repairs can be submitted via Asset Essentials or directed to a Residence Life staff member. Repairs resulting from normal wear and tear will be addressed without charge. Repairs resulting from damage will be billed in an amount reflecting material and labor costs. Repairs must be conducted by FMPC. Occupants are prohibited from making repairs without proper authorization.

Repairs requiring immediate attention for safety reasons should be reported as soon as possible. Emergency maintenance is defined as a concern compromising the health and safety of residents (ex. broken glass, door that does not lock, electrical problems that may lead to fire, excess bodily fluid or excrement, lack of heat or hot water, power outage) and/or impacting the structural integrity of the facility (ex. broken water pipe, overflowing water).

Report emergency maintenance concerns between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, directly to FMPC. Between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on the weekends, emergency repairs should be reported to Campus Police. Regardless of when a report is made, speak directly with someone to report the concern. Do not just leave a voicemail message and/or submit a work order via Asset Essentials. On the weekends and after hours, an on-call FMPC technician will triage the emergency maintenance concern. 

Repairs and maintenance in individual rooms will not be scheduled before 10:00 a.m, except in emergency situations. All entries into student rooms by FMPC personnel will be documented indicating the reason, time, and person(s) entering the room.

Residents with roommate conflicts are encouraged to seek assistance from a member of the Residence Life staff before requesting a room change. If the conflict cannot be resolved, requests for room changes during the academic year may be granted after the first two weeks of the semester.

Residents seeking a room change should contact the Office of Housing. As outlined in the Residence Hall Room Contract, a resident is not permitted to move without authorization.

Those who live in a room with a vacancy should be aware that a student may be assigned to the vacant space at any time during the academic year and does not need the agreement of the current resident.

The Office of Housing reserves the right to change a room assignment at any point during the academic year when that change is deemed to be in the best interest of the University or the residents concerned.

Most residents will share a space with one or more roommates. To ensure privacy and respect for one another, first-year residents complete a Hound to Hound contract with their roommate at the start of the academic year. Upperclass residents are strongly encouraged to complete a Hound to Hound roommate contract. The document provides guidelines for roommates to follow throughout the year, including visitation guidelines. Residents are expected to respect their roommates' rights by following the roommate contract. Roommate relations may change during the course of the year and the option to revisit the original contract is always available.

Residence Life staff members are available to assist in facilitating roommate contracts and to mediate issues that may arise. Residents are encouraged to seek assistance from a member of the Residence Life staff before requesting a room change.

Solicitation for external organizations is not permitted in residential areas. Any external organization soliciting or attempting to conduct business in the residence halls should be reported to a Residence Life staff member or Campus Police.

Students and internal organizations seeking solicitation in residential areas should refer to the institutional policy for Fundraising & Sales.

Personal items may not be stored in residential areas over the summer. Items remaining after hall closing will be deemed abandoned and may be disposed of with appropriate billing for labor and disposal.

On-campus housing is offered during the summer months (i.e. May through August). Summer residents are assigned housing in accordance with scheduled work within and around residential areas.

Summer housing is limited to Moravian University students who:

• are enrolled in a May term or summer session course at Moravian University and/or other LVAIC institutions, with housing limited to the duration that the course is in session;
• have been selected for a summer SOAR project, with housing limited to the duration of the project;
• are employed by a campus office with housing limited to the duration of employment;
• are enrolled in a non-credit internship that has been approved by the Center for Career & Civic Engagement, with housing limited to the duration of the internship.

Residents may host visitors. A visitor is defined as any individual who is not assigned to a specific residential space, including Moravian students who live in other residential areas on campus. To respect the privacy of other residents, including roommates, visitors are expected to vacate all residential areas between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Fridays and ending at 2:00 a.m. on Mondays, 24-hour visitation is permitted, provided the express consent of the residents in that direct residential area (e.g. roommate, suitemates, housemates) has been received in advance. Non-student visitors are not permitted to remain on campus for more than two days (or 48 consecutive hours) in a seven day period.

Residents sharing a direct residential area (e.g. room, suite, house) have the option of decreasing, but not extending visitation hours.

The maximum number of people allowed in a residential area at a time is double the standard capacity plus one. This means that an individual bedroom with a standard capacity of two residents can have no more than 5 people present at a time. When applying this rule to a residential area that has multiple bedrooms (e.g. townhouse, suite, house), the maximum number of people allowed for the area (including common areas) will be determined by adding the maximum number of people allowed for each individual bedroom. For example, a suite with two doubles and a single may have a maximum of 13 people at a time (5+5+3). It is important to note that the standard capacity used in this calculation remains the same even if a room's capacity has been temporarily increased.

Visitation is an integral component of the roommate contract, as well as the community contract. It is expected that residents respect their roommates' rights by not violating the roommate contract or abusing the visitation privilege.

Community restrooms in the residential areas are designated as male, female, or gender inclusive. Residents and their visitors should use the appropriate facility.

Residents are required to be present with their visitors at all times while in residential areas. If a visitor is found without their host, the host may be held accountable under the Student Code of Conduct. If the visitor has a vehicle on campus, the vehicle must be registered with Campus Police.

Visitation on campus is a privilege, not a right. The University reserves the right to revoke the privilege if it is abused. Enforcement of the visitation policy is the responsibility of all residents of a residential area.