On-Campus Housing Requirements/Campus Waiver Procedures

SUNY – Board of Trustees' Policy

Every student in full-time attendance at a state-operated unit of the university, other than married students or students residing with a parent or parents, shall be required to live in a dormitory maintained and operated by such a unit or to have the permission under such provisions as may be made therefore by the chief administrative officer of such unit to live off campus.

Local Campus Policies

I. WAIVERS

Any full-time student who wishes to live off campus must request a waiver of the Board of Trustees’ Policy. This waiver form is available from the Office of Residential Life and online. All waiver requests will be considered in accordance with the SUNY policy and the Board of Trustees’ intent to maximize the educational process. Certain conditions, if met, assure an individual of permission to live off campus. These specific exceptions are as follows:

General Eligibility: Married students, students providing direct care for a legal dependent, students 23 years of age or older, students already possessing a baccalaureate degree (reviewed for verification), or a student residing with a parent, grandparent, or court-appointed legal guardian at that person’s permanent home address who is commuting fewer than 60 miles one way (notarized statement and supplemental statement required).

Honorably Discharged Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces: DD-214 must be provided as documentation.

Academic Eligibility: Fourth-year students in baccalaureate programs are eligible for off-campus status subject to the following minimum requirements: good academic standing with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00, and no current disciplinary status through the time of off-campus occupancy.

Greek Organization Eligibility: Information relative to organization eligibility is available from Residential Life. Individual members of eligible Greek organizations may apply for a housing waiver if all criteria are met:

• Individual members must possess a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a 2.0 semester GPA (prior semester) at the time a housing waiver is requested.
• Individual members may not be on any disciplinary sanction and must have completed any special conditions as a result of a past sanction (e.g., alcohol assessment, Signals, community restitution projects, etc.) at the time a housing waiver is requested.
• The organization in which they are a member maintains continuing authorization for off-campus communal residency.

  All other reasons will be reviewed according to the Reasons for Waiver stated on the form, and will be considered according to uniformity and intent of the Board of Trustees’ policy. Submission of false or intentionally misleading statements may result in waiver revocation, campus disciplinary sanctions, and other penalties. All waivers are granted for the academic year or the remaining portion thereof. Each student must resubmit a waiver application each year he/she is in attendance.

II. DETERMINATION OF FULL-TIME STUDENT STATUS

1. A full-time student is an individual enrolled for 12 or more credit hours (including credit hours added after registration day).
2. Students initially registered in a part-time status who add sufficient courses to attain full-time status are subject to campus housing policies unless a waiver is approved.

III. WAIVER PROCEDURE

1. Waiver processing will begin March 1 or as soon as predictable thereafter for fall semester consideration. Waiver processing will begin Nov. 1 or as soon as predictable thereafter for spring semester consideration.
2. The License for Residence is a full academic year agreement and takes precedence over any waiver application. Interim requests for release are processed according to current campus policy.
3. At the time a housing waiver application is submitted and approved, any predetermined housing assignment is released.
4. Initial Request: Any individual who is not living with parents and who wishes to live off campus must attend and participate in a required 'living off-campus' educational seminar prior to the submission of a housing waiver application.
5. If the reason for off-campus waiver is not one of the three general exceptions noted above, a detailed explanation of the reason(s) must be provided to the director of college housing at the time of submission.
6. Review: The director of college housing or his/her designee will review all requests and, with the intent of the Policy of the Board of Trustees and the stated purpose of the college policy, render a decision. This decision will be given within five (5) business days, when possible. Note: Missing documentation will delay processing.
7. Decisions based upon health or psychological grounds require consultation with and recommendation of campus personnel in the appropriate professional areas. Permission for disclosure authority is granted by the submission of the application.
8. Appeal: A denied waiver may be appealed to the associate vice president for student life. The appeal must be in writing and address the reason(s) given for the denial of the initial request. The appeal must be sent within five (5) business days of receipt of the initial decision.
9. Appeal Decision: All appeals will be reviewed in accordance with the intent of the Policy of the Board of Trustees and the stated purpose of the college policy. A written decision will be given within five (5) business days, when possible. There is no appeal of the associate vice president's decision.