Policies
Visitation & Quiet Hours Policy
Guest Policy
Guests are any persons not assigned to live in a particular residential space. This includes other GW students if they are not assigned to your residential room/suite. This also includes family and/or friends not affiliated with GW visiting a residential student.
Our residents are responsible for the actions of their guests. When having others visit your space, you should remind them that they are expected to abide by all of the expectations and policies put forth by Campus Living & Residential Education and any other university policies. Remember, all guests are to be escorted by a resident of the building at all times while in public spaces. As stated in our Housing License Agreement students may not have overnight visitors for more than eight (8) nights per month. Visitation is limited to no more than two (2) overnight visitors per student in each space and the visitor’s stay must be approved by all roommates or suitemates prior to the visitor’s arrival. Overnight visitors may stay for no more than four (4) consecutive nights in any two (2) week period.
Residence Hall Access Policy
All residential students will have GWorld Card access to all residence halls on both the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses except to Townhouse Row, Small Townhouses, or Strong Hall. This all-tap access will be granted to the residential building, not individual resident rooms. This access is provided to enhance our residential communities by allowing students to have greater opportunities to connect with peers who live in other halls and participate in events happening across neighborhoods. The access policy can be adjusted at any point during the year based on student behavior or to accommodate health and/or safety measures.
Quiet & Courtesy Hours Policy
First and foremost, students should be able to sleep and study in their residence hall space. To help achieve this, Campus Living & Residential Education has specific quiet hours, as outlined below:
- Sunday - Thursday: 10pm - 7am
- Friday - Saturday: 2am - 10am
In addition to our formal quiet hours, residents are expected to be courteous of their community and neighbors at all times. Making excessive noise, including shouting and playing music at a loud volume that disturbs others is prohibited by the Code of Student Conduct at all times. Extremely loud music, screaming, and other overtly disruptive noise is not permitted. Courtesy hours are in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Should a floormate be too loud or disrupt a neighbor, it is within your neighbor’s right to ask you to be quiet and expect a courteous and considerate response.
Housing License Agreements
2024-2025 Housing License and Dining Plan Agreement
Dining Plans
All students living in a GW residence hall are required to have a dining plan for any fall or spring semester they are living on-campus. Each student gets to choose their specific dining plan from the options available to them. Dining plan eligibility, like on-campus housing, is based on a student's class year, not the number of academic credits they have.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, students choose their specific dining plan when registering for housing.
Code of Student Conduct
The George Washington University is dedicated to furthering the well-being of students. As an institution, we value a dynamic, student-focused, community stimulated by cultural and intellectual diversity. We are committed to fostering a positive community that enriches personal identity, promotes personal responsibility, and produces mutual respect for cultural and intellectual diversity.
These guidelines govern student behavior in and around university residential facilities. They have been designed to provide an atmosphere for residents that is both intellectually and socially stimulating and supportive. Students found to be in violation of the Code of Student Conduct will be contacted by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities.
Health & Safety Inspections
GW Health & Emergency Management Services (HEMS) are responsible for the safety and occupational health management and environmental management on campus and within the residence halls. CLRE partners with HEMS to conduct health and safety inspections in each room once per semester.
Residential Health and Safety Inspections
CLRE performs Health and Safety Inspections of residential spaces throughout the year. Inspections will only be announced during the first round of the fall semester. All other inspections are unannounced. The Health & Safety Inspections are primarily designed to find and eliminate violations related to student behavior. Ultimate responsibility for complying with the reasonable health and safety requirements rests with each resident. These inspections are not intended to be a substitute for that responsibility.
The inspection will include, but not be limited to, a visual examination of electrical cords, sprinkler heads, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and other life safety systems.
In addition, each room will be examined for the presence of prohibited items (e.g., candles, non-surge protected extension cords, halogen lamps, cooking appliances in non-kitchen areas, etc.) or prohibited activity (e.g., smoking in the room, tampering with life safety equipment, possession of pets, etc.). This inspection will also include a general assessment of food and waste storage and the cleanliness of the room.
Housing Accommodations
Residential living is central to the learning environment for all GW students. Living within a community and learning to share space and be considerate of others is considered a crucial part of that learning experience. As Campus Living and Residential Education offers a wide variety of residence hall options, most students secure desired assignments through the standard housing selection process. Students with specific disability-related needs, however, may request consideration for an accommodation with their housing assignment to support the availability of any required configuration in that placement.
Students who are making a request for a housing accommodation must be supported by documentation that relates the current impact of the student's condition to the accommodation request. Students must also complete their registration with Disability Support Services (DSS) prior to the housing selection process to ensure that we are able to accommodate their housing needs.
All students who require a housing accommodation (including requesting an assistance animal) must register through Disability Support Services; Campus Living does not accept medical documentation nor make determinations regarding a student's housing accommodation needs.
Evaluation of Requests
DSS will review requests for disability housing accommodations and provide the student and Campus Living with a written recommendation. If the eligibility criteria are met, Campus Living will then determine the specific housing location and notify the student of his/her room assignment. All information will be kept confidential.
All requests for need-based housing assignments are reviewed carefully. Below is a summary of the factors considered when evaluating housing requests:
Severity of the condition:
Is the impact of the condition life-threatening if the request is not met?
Is there a negative health impact if the request is not met?
Is the request an integral component of a treatment plan for the condition in question?
Timing of the request:
Was the request filed before the published deadline? All students must register prior to the housing application process.
Once a student has been deemed eligible for a disability housing accommodation, and for as long as the student's needs remain the same, Campus Living will make every effort to accommodate the student in a similar manner for his/her remaining years in residence. Variable or changing conditions may periodically require updated or supplemental documentation. Please note that the university does not guarantee housing for seniors.
For clarification relative to this policy, visit the Disability Support Services website, call DSS at (202) 994-8250 or email their office at [email protected]. Additionally, students who have further questions about housing accommodations can contact [email protected].
Request to Cancel Housing
2024-2025 Housing Cancellation
If you are a student currently residing on campus and need to cancel your housing, we ask that you submit the cancellation form as soon as you have confirmed your plans.
More information regarding cancellations:
- Students are only permitted to cancel their current Housing License Agreement (HLA) if they are leaving the university or per the terms and conditions outlined on this page. Note that cancellation fees may apply.
- The Cancellation Request Form is available online at the Campus Living eServices Portal. Any required supporting documentation must be emailed to CLRE at [email protected].
- Cancellations will not be processed until all documentation has been received and if during the academic year, Campus Living has confirmed that the student has vacated the space.
- The District of Columbia Zoning Commission requires all first- and second-year students to reside in on-campus housing.
Any questions regarding the cancellation policy should be directed to [email protected].
Leaving the University
A student who may not return to the University due to academic dismissal or suspension, graduation, government service, leave of absence or transfer will have the Agreement cancelled in accordance with the terms of the Housing License Agreement. In these circumstances, a student will not be assessed a cancellation fee contingent upon submission of proper documentation verifying the reason for departure. Student’s housing fees will be prorated for the remainder of the housing term.
Broom Clean Information
When you move out of your room, please make sure to leave it in a “broom clean” condition; an industry-standard in residential facilities management. This means:
All personal items have been removed from the room, bathroom, common areas, and the hallway outside your door and the refrigerator, microwave, oven, and freezer have been emptied;
All cabinets, dressers, closets have been emptied;
All trash has been removed from the room/suite/apartment and disposed of properly.
Please submit a FixIt request today for any maintenance concerns in the room.
- Note: Submitting a FixIt request prior to spring move-out for a damaged item in your room does not mean you will not be charged for those damages.
Students who wish to take responsibility for causing damage to their room should either email their Campus Living and Residential Education Team Member or email [email protected] with their name, building, room number, a picture of the item they damaged, and a statement taking responsibility for the damage. If you are concerned that you will be billed for damage that was not your responsibility, please reach out.
Once all residents have moved out, rooms will be inspected a final time, and fees may be assessed and placed on your student account for the following:
Damage to the room beyond normal wear-and-tear
Not leaving the room in broom clean condition
Not returning room or mailbox keys
Any fees incurred will be placed on your student account as follows:
$250 per resident fee for additional cleaning
$150 fine for improper checkout fee (charged to any student who has not moved out by noon on the last day of the semester, and was not previously approved for Extended Stay Housing)
Charges for damages to the room are assessed based upon the extent of the damage. Charges are divided by the number of residents assigned to the space.
If a room has damages, the cost for repairing that damage will be split equally between the roommates unless one person takes responsibility for that damage.
The broom clean charge is a per-student fine; it is not the cost of removing items and cleaning the room.
Students will be notified by late December via their GW email address if any move-out charges have been assessed.
As students are cleaning and packing, please consider taking advantage of our Green Move Out program, which provides students an opportunity to donate their unwanted items to non-profit organizations in the D.C. area.
Appeal Process
For students who are assessed a damage charge or broom clean fine, there is an appeal process:
All students who wish to appeal a charge must appeal individually, one student cannot appeal on behalf of an entire room.
Appeals based solely on the fact that a student was not the last person to move out of the room will not be granted.
Students should utilize their CLRE Team Member to record any issues within their space that they do not believe they are responsible for prior to leaving.
NOTE: Requesting staff to record this information does not guarantee that you will not be charged.
All communication regarding move-out charges will be sent to your GW email account.
Room Upkeep
When you make GW your home, residence halls should be treated as such. While support exists for maintenance issues, you are responsible for the basic upkeep of your room to include:
Regular cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and fixtures within the licensed space and shared common areas
Regularly taking out trash (and not clogging the chute)
Cleaning the inside of your appliances and cabinets
To help pest control efforts:
Properly store all food
Clean up food spills
Dispose of old pizza boxes in the trash room
We recommend that students keep a small supply of cleaning supplies on hand in-room, including mops, buckets, vacuum cleaners or other cleaning equipment.
Take time regularly to complete these basic chores--don't wait for the day before your parents or loved ones visit!
For instructions and useful tips on operating and caring for appliances in residence hall rooms and general maintenance information, consult the Facilities Services website.
Facilities Customer Service can be reached by phone at (202) 994-2430.
Roommate Success Plan Requirement
At the start of the Fall semester, all students residing in shared spaces are required to complete a Roommate Success Plan with their assigned roommates/suitemates. This plan facilitated through GW CLRE, aims to foster positive communication, outline shared responsibilities, and establish mutual expectations for living arrangements. The plan must be submitted to the residence hall staff by the outlined date.
Posters & Promotions Policy
CLRE welcomes promotional material to be displayed in our residence halls. Review our guidelines for posters and promotions before submitting your promotional material to our office. Please bring two copies of your poster to our office for approval, one to keep for our records, and one that can be photocopied and used once it is approved.
Residence Hall Evacuation Drills
Health & Emergency Management Safety conducts evacuation drills four times a year in all residence halls at the Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon Campuses. The first drill is scheduled early in the fall semester and one of the other drills is conducted during the spring semester. All evacuation drills are unannounced.
These drills are required by DC code. The purpose of evacuation drills is to prepare building occupants for an organized evacuation in case of fire or other emergencies. At GW, evacuation drills are used as a way to educate and train occupants on fire safety issues specific to their building. During the drill, occupants 'practice' drill procedures, and familiarize themselves with the location of exits and the sound of the fire alarm.
In addition, evacuation drills allow the university an opportunity to test the operation of fire alarm system components. For more detailed information on fire safety, evacuation drills and procedures, and compliance, please contact The Office of Ethics, Compliance, and Risk and the Division of Safety and Operations.
Parking Policy
The university discourages all students from bringing vehicles to the Foggy Bottom or Mount Vernon campuses. First- and second-year students, in particular, are prohibited from bringing vehicles and are prohibited from parking them in the Foggy Bottom/West End Area (except in exceptional documented circumstances when granted by the university). If an exception is granted, the vehicle must be parked in a university parking facility.
The full Parking Policy as well as information about how to get a parking permit can be found on the Transportation & Parking Services website.
Personal Property Insurance
If a GW students' personal property is stolen or damaged in their residence hall room, it can cost them a lot of money, time, and frustration to replace. With this in mind, the University recommends that students insure their own personal property. Such personal property may be covered under a parent/guardian's existing homeowners' or renters' insurance but should be checked and verified in writing by the Homeowner's insurance representative. However, too often the deductibles of such coverage plans may not provide a student with "usable" insurance for a loss that could occur on campus, and students and their families only realize this after a loss event occurs. Alternatively, supplemental college renters' insurance can be purchased from several national commercial carriers that provide insurance tailored for University students living in residence halls on-campus, off-campus, and when studying abroad around the world.
A College Renters Insurance is available through GradGuard, a third-party insurance provider tailored to the Higher Education marketplace, that provides comprehensive coverage personal property insurance for all your college essentials. GW students, now as part of the online application process for on-campus housing, will be given the option to explore and consider what coverage may best protect their personal property as they complete and submit their online housing application and also through the Campus Living e-Services portal.
GW students choosing to live off-campus or study abroad, can also explore options and receive a free quote from GradGuard.
Note: The George Washington University does not endorse any insurance company and is not responsible for loss of or damage to the personal property brought into the residence halls by the student or their invited guests. It is each GW students' own responsibility to protect their personal property. Students interested in pursuing such insurance should contact an insurance company directly for additional information.