Bay Path University Bay Path University

Residence Life Policies

Residence Life Policies

The Longmeadow Campus of Bay Path University offers a residential experience for students. Any student enrolled in classes at the University, including traditional on ground, online, and graduate courses, is eligible to live in a residence hall. Any student wishing to live on campus can reach out to Student Life & Engagement with questions. 

Please note, the University does not place students in off-campus housing.

The following policies apply to students who reside on the Longmeadow Campus. 

Closing Policy & Dates

Residence halls close on the last day of classes prior to Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, Spring Break, and the end of the academic year. At the end of a semester, students must vacate the residence halls 24 hours after their last scheduled exam. If you have any questions, please contact the Director of Student Life.

Dorm Rooms

Room Condition Expectations & Damages

A student shall maintain a clean, sanitary room and should not make any additions or alterations to the room. Students are liable for any damages to University property, their rooms or common areas of their building. If any student room conditions are determined by the University to be unsanitary, disciplinary action will be taken. The residence hall damage deposit will be refunded upon graduation, providing the room and its furnishings are in order. 

Please use the following guidelines regarding room cleanliness and care:

  • Each standard double occupancy room comes equipped with two beds, two dressers, desk space for two residents, and two chairs.
  • Furniture must stay inside the room, with the beds turned right side up to prevent damage to the mattress.
  • No lounge furniture or other University furniture is to be moved into a student’s room.
  • The use of nails, screws, tape or any other instrument that may cause damage to walls/doors is strictly prohibited. 
  • The building code requires window screens to be locked at all times. Sealed windows should remain sealed and nothing should be hung outside of hall windows.
  • Any needed room repairs or damage, including spills, carpet stains, and furniture damage, should be reported as soon as possible via this form or by contacting a Student Life & Engagement staff member. Reporting any problems as they occur will help ensure cleaning and repairs are made before more permanent damage occurs.
  • Use of cinder blocks or other building materials in rooms is prohibited.
  • In NO circumstances should emergency alert systems such as smoke detectors be covered by t-shirts, plastic bags, or other materials. This is against the fire code and is potentially dangerous as it could severely delay emergency response times.
  • In some cases Residence Life may communicate specific guidance to students regarding heating and cooling systems, particularly in extreme weather situations. Resident students are expected to comply with all stated guidance regarding heating and cooling systems. 

Students may be financially liable for:

  • Any excessive room damage beyond normal wear and tear, including excessive damage to painted walls or carpeting.
  • Use of cinder blocks or other prohibited building materials in the dorm room.
  • Failure to report issues in a timely manner that results in permanent damage to the room or furnishings.
  • Improper removal of locked window screens or unsealing of sealed windows in rooms.
  • Covering smoke detectors with plastic bags, t-shirts, or other materials.
  • Failure to comply with Residence Life guidance around heating and cooling systems.
Room Decoration Policies

Excessive paper decorations as well as fishnets, blankets and parachutes draped from the ceiling or walls can be a potential fire hazard. The Fire Department recommends that no more than ten percent of the total wall space should be covered. Please use posters and other potentially flammable wall decorations with care. Please use your common sense and refer to the code of conduct in determining what is appropriate to display. Decorations that can be reasonably found to be offensive or derogatory are not permitted and will be removed.

Students are kindly asked to leave the following items at home:

  • Toaster/Toaster ovens
  • Hot plates, grills and any item with an open heating coil
  • Crockpots
  • Microwaves
  • Microwave ovens
  • Extension cords
  • Space heaters
  • Electric blankets
  • Upholstered furniture
  • Ultraviolet/Infrared/Halogen lamps
  • Multi-head lamp with plastic shades
  • String lights or paper lanterns
  • Tapestries
  • Air conditioning units
  • Incense/incense burners or candles
  • Hookahs
  • Alcohol and/or alcohol containers to be used as decoration
  • Archery equipment, air pistols, BB guns, firearms, etc.
  • Live trees
Final Exam Departure Policy

Resident students must leave campus 24 hours after the end of their last scheduled final exam. Students for whom this presents a hardship must contact Residence Life (residencelife@baypath.edu) before the start of finals.

Enrollment Requirement

Students requesting and living in campus housing must be enrolled in at least one course. Students who fall below or anticipate falling below this may request a waiver of this requirement by submitting a written request to the Dean of Students. Students who fail to attend sufficient classes may also be deemed to be unenrolled. The University reserves the right, in its sole and exclusive discretion, to determine whether to permit a student in this circumstance to remain in housing. 

Students who are no longer enrolled and do not request or are not granted an exception are required to vacate housing within 48 hours of their change of status; students who remain after 48 hours may be held personally liable for room and board charges incurred after this date.

Fire Procedures

In the event of a fire in a residence hall or other campus building, follow these procedures:

  • Pull the closest fire alarm, call 911, and notify Campus Public Safety at 413-565-1225.
  • Place your own safety above the preservation of your material possessions. Your life is your most valuable possession.
  • Wake your roommate, if necessary.
  • GET OUT of the building! Proceed quickly and calmly to the exit designated for your area of the building. The first person leaving the building should see that the exit doors are kept open for the students following.
  • Once outside, move away from the building.
  • Remain at the assigned area until the signal is given to return to the building and then return through the front door.
Fire Prevention Guidelines

In order to help prevent fires and maintain the safety of all, please note the following guidelines for residence halls: 

  • Ironing may be done in designated areas only. No ironing is allowed in student rooms.
  • Burning of candles or incense is not permitted.
  • Decorations are not to be hung from floor lamps or ceiling lights.
  • Excessive paper decorations are not to be put on doors, in corridors, lounges and in rooms.
  • Hotplates, air fryers, heating coils, space heaters, electric coffee pots, microwave ovens*, toaster ovens, diffusers with heating coils or other heating elements, and triple sockets are prohibited. (*Microwave ovens unless they are part of a campus-approved MicroFridge®). 
  • Cooking is permitted in the kitchen areas only.
  • Smoking/vaping is not permitted.
  • Tampering with the fire alarm devices, including the covering of smoke detectors, is not permitted.
  • Halogen lamps are not permitted.
  • String lights are not permitted.
  • No live trees during the holidays or at any other times are permitted.
  • The use, possession or storage of e-bikes, hoverboards and similar devices containing lithium-ion batteries is prohibited.

These guidelines are strictly enforced by penalties of up to $100 per violation by the Town of Longmeadow Health and Fire Departments, which the responsible student(s) will be liable for. 

Guests in Residence Halls & On Campus

As part of the on-campus living experience, students are permitted to entertain guests in the residence halls. Guests are defined as anyone who is not a Bay Path University residential student.

Guest Policy

Students requesting guests are also expected to familiarize themselves with the following Guest Policy:

  • Residents may have guests in common areas of campus (i.e. Blake Student Commons, Hatch Learning Commons, etc.) without submission of a guest request form. However, all guests who wish to enter the residence halls must have been approved for entry via the Requesting a Guest process below. 
  • Commuter students are allowed in the residence halls from 8am-8pm with a residential student host. Guest registration is not required from 8am-8pm for commuter students. After 8pm, the residential student host must register their commuter student peer as a guest via the Requesting a Guest process below.
  • Each resident is permitted a maximum of two guests at a time.
  • Residents are allowed to have overnight visitation for a maximum of three nights per week upon check-in. A week will be observed as operating from Sunday - Sunday. 
  • Upon arrival on campus, both host and guest are required to check in with Campus Public Safety in D’Amour in order to complete the guest registration process.
  • Guests must be over the age of 14 years to stay overnight. Guests under the age of 18 are permitted to stay overnight with the permission of the Director of Residence Life or designee.
  • Approved guests must be able to provide a valid photo ID and a telephone number at their time of arrival.
  • Guests of any Bay Path University student are expected to adhere to University guidelines including smoking, alcohol, drug, and parking policies. 
  • Resident hosts must accompany their guests while they are in the residence hall. 
  • Any resident inviting a guest into the residence hall must ensure that their roommate maintains total access to the room at all times and is not deprived of their rights to privacy, study time, or sleep. A roommate should not be made to feel uncomfortable in any way because a guest is present. When a roommate’s rights are abridged or infringed upon, the University views this as a serious infraction and will take appropriate action.
Requesting a Guest

In order to have a guest on campus, students should submit a request using the Bay Path University Visitor Form and the following process: (https://bpu.tfaforms.net/wflq87j). 

  • A student must submit a separate guest request form for each individual who they would like to host on campus. For example, if you have two guests you will need to fill out two guest forms. Please keep in mind the following guest hours when submitting this form: 
    • Daytime Guest Hours: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Monday - Sunday 
    • Overnight Guest Hours: 8:00 pm - 8:00 am, Monday - Sunday 
  • Once submitted, please allow Student Life & Engagement up to 24 business hours for review and approval. Please note: If you would like to request a guest on campus during the weekend, requests should be submitted by Friday at 9:00 am to ensure enough processing time. 
  • Once approved, students will receive an email notification informing them they have been cleared to have their guest(s) on campus for the date(s) requested.

Any residential student who brings a guest to campus without following this policy will not be permitted to have their guest enter the residence halls. Failure to comply with the policy will constitute a violation of the Student Conduct policies and could result in sanctions or other disciplinary action. See Student Conduct Policies for more information. 

Lockout Policy

Resident students who find themselves locked out of their room may contact:

  • Campus Public Safety at:
    • 413-565-1225 (call)
    • 413-313-4139 (call or text)

Resident students who habitually ask staff members to unlock their room may be required to meet with a Student Life & Engagement staff member to discuss the situation. After meeting with the staff member, if a student fails to remedy the situation, further disciplinary action may be taken.

Missing Student Notification Policy
Missing Person Policy Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to promote the safety and welfare of the Bay Path University community through the compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA). The Missing Student Policy outlines the communications required of Public Safety, Residential Life & Learning, and Student Engagement pertaining to receiving notice that a student is alleged to be missing.

Definition:

A “Missing Student” may be any residential undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a degree or certificate program or taking one or more classes at any Bay Path camps, who is alleged to be missing by a reasonable source of information, i.e. family member, University faculty member, University staff member, personal friend, or person acting as a guardian for the student’s family. 

If a member of the Bay Path University community or someone familiar with the student has reason to believe that a student who resides in on-campus housing is missing, he or she should immediately notify Campus Public Safety at (413) 565-1225. Campus Public Safety will generate a missing person report and initiate an investigation.

In addition to providing a general emergency contact, students residing in on-campus housing have the option to identify (confidentially) an individual to be contacted by Bay Path in the event the student is determined to be missing. If a student has identified such an individual on the Missing Resident Student Notification Contact Form, Bay Path will notify that individual no later than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing. 

A student’s confidential contact information will be accessible only by authorized campus officials and law enforcement in the course of the investigation.

After investigating a missing person report, should Campus Public Safety determine that the student is missing, Campus Public Safety will notify the Longmeadow Police Department and the student’s emergency contact as soon as possible after the student is determined to be missing. If the missing student is under the age of 18 and is not an emancipated individual, Bay Path will notify the student’s parent or legal guardian immediately after Campus Public Safety has determined that the student has been missing and also the student’s contact person(s) listed on the Missing Student Notification Form, if any.

Each student who files a Missing Resident Student Notification Form is solely responsible for the accuracy of the contact information and for updating information, as necessary. A student may update information at this link. Missing Resident Student Notification Forms must be completed annually.

Packages

Resident students who receive packages at the campus address will receive an email from Office Services (osmail@baypath.edu). The email will include instructions for claiming the package at Office Services as well as their hours of operation. If a package is too heavy or too big, arrangements can be made with Facilities to deliver the package to a student’s dorm room. 

Pets in Residence Halls

Resident students may have fish in aquariums of 10 gallons or less. No other animals or pets are allowed on campus or in residence halls, with the occasional exception of approved Service and Support Animals.

Quiet Hours & Courtesy Hours Policy

Respect and courtesy for others are an essential part of a healthy community and residence hall life. Residents should respect each other’s rights to an atmosphere conducive to studying and sleeping by observing “Courtesy Hours” at all times. This means maintaining a reasonable volume for activities within the building. The University expects residents, as a courtesy, to decrease the volume of noise that disturbs other residents, when asked. Courtesy hours are always in effect. 

Quiet Hours for residence halls are:

  • Sunday through Thursday: 11pm to 10am
  • Friday and Saturday: 2am to 10am

A student or group of students who are creating excessive noise during Quiet Hours will be asked to quiet down and are expected to comply immediately, whether the request comes from an RA, RD, or another resident student.

Failure to cooperate immediately with such a request will result in the student(s) receiving a written warning, fine, or other disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by Student Life. 

Residential Housing Agreement

All resident students are issued a Residential Housing Agreement. The Residential Housing Agreement is binding and details both fees and policies regarding on-campus living. Students should review the Residential Housing Agreement carefully and understand all its provisions.

Room Assignments
New Students

New students are assigned rooms ahead of their move-in day. Assignments are based on occupancy and student need. In general first year residents are not allowed to occupy a single room. Exceptions will be considered for medical purposes (see “Medically Necessary Single Room Assignment” below).

Returning Students

Returning resident students select rooms for the following academic year in a “room draw” held during the spring semester. Resident students must have submitted their Residence Hall deposit for the following year in order to be eligible to select a room in the room draw. Order of room selection is based on the order of Residence Hall deposits submitted. 

Room Assignment Policies
  • The University reserves the right to assign students to unoccupied beds unless the single room fee is paid. If a student occupying a double room is without an assigned roommate (i.e. as the result of the departure of a roommate), the University will assign a roommate. Students in this position may request to stay in the room without a roommate, if they agree to pay the single room fee. Approval of this request is based on space availability, demand, and payment of the single room fee. 
  • No student may change rooms before consulting and receiving written approval from the appropriate Residence Life and Learning professional staff (the Resident Director or Graduate Residence Director). The Director of Student Life and Engagement must give final approval for any room change request prior to a student moving to a new assignment.
Medically Necessary Single Room Assignment

In order to be considered for a Medically Necessary Single Room assignment, students must complete an intake form and provide supporting medical documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services. In order to be considered for assignment to a medical single:

  • New students should make this request in July before housing assignments are sent. 
  • Returning students should make this request in the spring semester during the “room draw” period.
  • Additional requests for medical singles may be made during the semester, but availability is not guaranteed.

If approved, a medical single will be granted to requesting students based on availability. Questions can be directed to accessibility@baypath.edu.

Room Check Policy

University personnel reserve the right to enter rooms when there is probable cause concerning the health, safety and/or welfare of the resident and/or any other member of the campus community. This includes Campus Public Safety and Facilities staff members who need to respond to complaints, assess concerns, and perform room maintenance. 

Authorized personnel have the right to enter rooms for regular inspections for health, safety and other policy compliance. This includes all Residence Life staff such as RAs and RDs.

Students will be notified in advance of any staff room visits when feasible.

Security in Dorms

Resident students receive a room key and an ID card that will provide keyless access to the residence hall and campus buildings. In order to ensure security and safety within the residence halls, all resident students are expected to be aware of and abide by the following guidelines:

  • Keep dorm room doors locked at all times, especially when the room is empty or while sleeping.
  • Students are responsible for the security of their own belongings. 
  • Large amounts of money or valuable jewelry should not be stored in residence hall rooms.
  • Necessary medications should be properly secured within the room. 
  • Know the location of fire alarms and extinguishers, and be familiar with exits and evacuation procedures.
  • Ensure guests are escorted at all times and do not let any strangers into any buildings or residence halls. 
  • Students should notify RAs or Campus Public Safety about any unescorted visitors seeking to enter any buildings or residence halls or any other suspicious activity.
  • Report lost keys or ID cards immediately; do not loan your ID card or room keys to anyone, including another student.
Selling & Soliciting

Selling, canvassing or campaigning door to door in the residence halls is not permitted. Students are not permitted to operate a business or maintain an inventory for a business from a residence hall facility. This includes businesses operated through the internet or phone.

Technology in Dorms

Students who reside on campus have access to a variety of technology services including high-speed wi-fi internet access.

High Speed Internet Connection

Internet connections at Bay Path are high-speed connections, equivalent to the high-speed connections currently being offered by many cable TV and telephone companies. Information on connecting to the University’s Wi-Fi services are available here.

Resident Personal Computer Check-In Process

To use the campus computer network, all resident student computers must be registered in the Campus Manager Network before the room network port can be activated. The registration process ensures that resident student computers are virus-free and well protected. Instructions and logistics will be provided when students arrive on campus. This applies to any new computers or devices students may bring to campus throughout the year.