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 (residencelife@baypath.edu)

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

Quick Links

• Dorm Room Policies
  • Room Condition Expectations & Damages
  • Room Decoration Policies
  • Closing and Final Exam Departure Policy
  • Enrollment Requirements
  • Fire Prevention Guidelines
  • Lockout Policy
  • Packages
  • Pets in Residence Halls
  • Quiet and Courtesy Hours
  • Residential Housing Agreement
  • Room Assignments
  • Room Check Policy
  • Security in Dorms
  • Selling and Soliciting
  • Technology in Dorms
• Guests in Residence Halls and On Campus
• Fire Procedures
• Missing Student Notification Policy

Dorm Room Policies

Room Condition Expectations & Damages

All students should maintain clean, sanitary dorm rooms and should not make any additions or alterations to the rooms. 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 undamaged.

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.
• Standard 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 may 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 the Dorm Maintenance Request 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.
• Emergency alert systems such as smoke detectors must remain uncovered and free of obstruction. Covering these systems with t-shirts, plastic bags, or other materials is strictly prohibited per building fire code regulations. 
• In some cases Residence Life may communicate specific guidance to students regarding residence hall 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.
• Removal of locked window screens or unsealing of sealed windows in rooms.
• Obstruction of smoke detectors or other emergency alert systems with plastic bags, t-shirts, or other materials.
• Failure to comply with Residence Life guidance around heating and cooling systems.

Room Decoration Policies

The Fire Department recommends that no more than ten percent of the total wall space within the room should be covered in order to prevent fire hazards. Please use posters, paper decorations, and other potentially flammable wall decorations such as fishnets, blankets, and parachutes with care. Please use 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:

• Toasters/Toaster ovens
• Hot plates, grills and any item with an open heating coil
• Crockpots
• Microwaves, unless they are part of a campus-approved MicroFridge®
• Extension cords
• Space heaters
• Electric blankets
• Upholstered furniture
• Ultraviolet/Infrared/Halogen lamps
• Multi-head lamps with plastic shades
• String lights or paper lanterns
• Tapestries
• Air conditioning units
• Incense/incense burners
• Candles
• Hookahs
• Alcohol promotional materials and/or alcohol containers as decoration
• Archery equipment, air pistols, BB guns, firearms, knives, and other weapons
• Live trees

Closing and Final Exam Departure Policy

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. 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 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 or in rooms.
• Hotplates, air fryers, heating coils, space heaters, electric coffee pots, microwave ovens outside of campus-approved MicroFridge®, toaster ovens, diffusers with heating coils or other heating elements, and triple sockets are prohibited. 
• Cooking is permitted in the kitchen areas only.
• Smoking/vaping is not permitted.
• Tampering with the emergency devices, including the covering of smoke detectors, is not permitted.
• Halogen lamps are not permitted.
• String lights are not permitted.
• Live trees are not 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. 

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. If a student fails to remedy the situation after this meeting, further disciplinary action may be taken.

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. Information on Service and Support Animals can be requested from Accessibility Services.

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: 10pm to 8am
• Friday and Saturday: 11pm to 8am

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 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 Policy

Bay Path University is committed to ensuring equal access to the residential experience for students with documented disabilities or medical conditions. Housing accommodations are determined by Accessibility Services based on functional need and appropriate documentation. The University maintains a reasonable number of single rooms to support approved accommodations; however, single rooms are limited and not guaranteed to be immediately available.

When Medical Single Housing May Be Approved

Medical single housing may be approved when a documented medical condition or disability creates a substantial barrier to participation in shared residential living and that barrier cannot be reasonably mitigated through standard housing options or alternative accommodations. Approval reflects the determination that a single room is an appropriate accommodation based on documented need, not the immediate availability of a specific room type.

Accessibility Services is available to answer questions and assist students throughout the process. 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 Student Life, 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 provides keyless access to the residence hall and campus buildings. Resident students are responsible for the security of their own belongings within the residence halls. In order to ensure this security and safety within the residence halls, all resident students are expected to be aware of and abide by the following guidelines:

• Keep dorm rooms locked at all times, especially when the room is empty or while sleeping.
• Do not store large amounts of money or valuable jewelry in dorm rooms.
• Properly secure all necessary medications within the dorm room from inappropriate use. 
• 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. 
• Notify Residence Life staff or Campus Public Safety about any suspicious activity such as unescorted visitors seeking to enter any buildings or residence halls.
• 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.

Guests in Residence Halls & On Campus

Introduction & Guest Definition

As part of their on-campus living experience, students are permitted to entertain guests in the residence halls. Guests are defined as any individual who is not currently assigned to a Bay Path University residence hall, including commuter students, family members, friends, alumni, and other visitors. Please review the outlined guest policy below and reach out to the Office of Residential Life and Learning should you have any questions (residencelife@baypath.edu)

Submitting a Guest Request

In order to have a guest registered, all guest requests should be submitted using the following form:

Visitor Guest Request Form 

Each student may host a maximum of two guests at a time. A student must submit this 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. 

Guest Expectations & Requirements

Prior to submitting a guest form request, please ensure you are aware of the following information and procedures:

• Each resident is permitted a maximum of two guests at a time
• Overnight guests are permitted to stay no longer than three (3) consecutive nights within any 30-day period, regardless of which resident is hosting. A guest may not extend their stay by rotating between different hosts. After reaching the three-night limit, a guest must wait at least 30 days before staying overnight again with any resident. All overnight guests must be accommodated in the host’s room and must not displace other residents.
• Once the guest has arrived on campus, both host and guest are required to check in with Campus Public Safety at d’Amour in order to complete the guest registration process. This procedure is required for both daytime and evening guests. 
• Registered guests must be 15 years of age or older
• Registered guests must be able to provide a valid photo ID and a telephone number at their time of arrival
• Residents may have guests in common areas of campus (i.e. Blake Student Commons, Hatch Learning Commons, Catok, Elliott, Carr Hall, etc.) without prior submission of a guest form request. However, all guests who wish to enter or remain in the residence halls after 7:59 PM must be registered by the student host in advance.  
• Guests of any Bay Path University student are expected to adhere to University guidelines including smoking, alcohol, drug, and parking policies.

Guest Hours

Guest hours are observed nightly from 8:00 pm - 8:00 am, Monday - Sunday. Any non-BPU resident entering or remaining in the residence hall during this time frame must have a guest request form submitted on their behalf. Any unregistered guest may be escorted off campus or required to leave the building. 

Guest Request Submission Email 

Once submitted, student hosts will receive an email notification to their Bay Path email informing them that their guest request has been received. This email may be used as verification of their guest submission. Please note, until the host student has received this email, guests are not permitted to enter the residence hall and the host student will be considered to be in violation of this policy. 

Commuter Student Guests

Commuter students may access the residence halls while accommodated by a residential student host. After 7:59 PM, a commuter student who wishes to enter the residence halls or stay overnight, must be registered as a guest via the guest request process. 

Policy Violations 

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 result in the hosting resident being referred to the Student Conduct Violation process within the Student Life office.

The University reserves the right to dismiss any guest from campus and/or prohibit future visits if the guest violates University policies or engages in behavior that is disruptive, unsafe, or inconsistent with community standards.

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 other dorm room occupants, as needed.
• 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.

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. 

Policy

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.