Residence Halls

Home - Life at Wilkes - Undergraduate Student Handbook - Residence Halls
  • Living on Campus
  • Housing Contract
    • Compliance in Housing Contract
    • Forfeit of Housing Assignment
    • Expanded Occupancy
    • Opening and Closings
    • Move Out
    • University Breaks
    • Personal Property
    • Room Changes
    • Room Selection
    • Terminating Your Housing Contract Early
  • Community Policies
    • Absences
    • Quiet Hours
    • ID Cards
    • Security
    • RA on Call
    • Cleanliness
    • Pets
    • Residence Hall Mail & Deliveries
    • Residence Hall Visitation
    • Smoking
  • Prohibited Items
    • Weapons in Residence Halls
    • Decorating & Fire Safety
    • Electrical Appliances in Student Rooms
  • Missing Persons Policy
  • Use of Facilities
    • Right of Entry
    • Keys
    • Protecting Your Property
    • Residence Hall Damage & Vandalism
    • Furnishings
    • Lounge Furniture
    • Custodial Services
    • Laundry Facilities
    • Student Mail

Living on Campus

Contacts

Nicole Langan, EdD, Director of Residence Life

Amy Hunter, Assistant Director of Residence Life

The Office of Residence Life's goal is to foster a residential environment supportive of individual student growth and development through programming, training, and the room selection process. The collaboration between students in our residence halls and dedicated University staff helps to create a community in which the students can experience feelings of identity, security, and intellectual stimulation. Our mission is to encourage student success by creating a quality living environment which provides opportunities for socializing and learning outside of the classroom. Rules and regulations exist in a group living setting so that a constructive living environment can be created and common goals achieved. Residence hall rules at Wilkes University are based on safety and respect for residents and the University. In any type of community living it is imperative that students hold respect and have regard for one another's property. Resident students share common areas as well as communal facilities.

The University's residence halls are the responsibility of the Dean of Student Life and are directly supervised by the Office of Residence Life. The Resident Assistant (RA) is a full-time undergraduate student member of the Office of Residence Life chosen on the basis of character, leadership, and their ability to interact with students. All RAs have undergone extensive training so that they may readily meet the needs of all resident students. The RA's role is to create an atmosphere in the residence hall that is conducive to cooperation and academic achievement.

All full-time undergraduate students in their first or second year at Wilkes University who do not commute from the home of their parent or legal guardian must reside on campus. Students starting their third year (6th semester) or transferring to Wilkes University from another institution may reside off campus.

If a student believes they have extenuating circumstances and should be exempt from the University residency requirement, they may complete a Housing Exemption request. These requests are reviewed by a committee on the first Friday of each month. Decisions are then sent to the student’s university email account. Decisions of the committee may be appealed to the Dean of Student Life.

Students must be of full-time status (12 credit hours) in order to live in the residence halls. Students dropping below the credit limit need to notify the Office of Residence Life and may be required to move out of the campus residence halls.

Graduate students are housed on a space-available basis. There are no separate accommodations for graduate students.

The University has no accommodations for married couples or families.

For the most up-to-date information on housing dates or processes, please consult the Residence Life webpage.

Housing Contract

Residence Life Rules & Policies

Administrative Policies

Compliance in Housing Contract

When students submit a housing contract they accept the conditions and terms set forth in the agreement. Failure of students to abide by the conditions of the housing contract will result in disciplinary action, which can include termination of the housing contract and removal from campus housing.

Forfeit of Housing Assignment

On the second day of classes of each semester, all unclaimed room assignments will be canceled and reassigned to other students. Students unable to meet this deadline must notify the Office of Residence Life.

The University reserves the right to refuse application for any particular room or to require one or more of the occupants to move when the best interests of the University or the students appear to warrant such action. If relocation is mandated as a part of a disciplinary sanction, the relocation is not subject to appeal through the University’s disciplinary appeal process.

Expanded Occupancy

In order to accommodate all students applying for housing, it may be necessary to assign students to temporary or expanded occupancy accommodations. As the University receives withdrawals and cancellations ,students will be transferred to a permanent assignment. Students must vacate temporary space upon the request of the Residence Life staff when vacancies occur in permanent rooms.

Opening and Closings

Students may return to the residence halls on the dates specified by the Office of Residence Life prior to the start of each semester. Those students who need to return to residence earlier than the designated dates must secure permission from the Office of Residence Life.

After break periods (Thanksgiving and Spring Break) the residence halls will reopen at noon on the day prior to classes resuming.

Students must leave the residence hall no later than 24 hours after their last final examination at the end of each semester. For Spring semesters, students participating in Commencement will be permitted to stay in residence until noon on the day following Spring Commencement.

Move Out

Upon moving out of the residence halls, it is the expectation of the Office of Residence Life that rooms are vacuumed, surfaces cleaned (dressers, desks, drawers, wardrobes/closets, window sills), all items are removed, garbage is disposed of, and common areas are cleaned (living areas, bathrooms, kitchens, and lounges). Failure to do all of the above may result in a cleanliness or personal item removal fee.

Any cost of repairs due to damages to a residential space will be charged to the residents occupying that space. Room Condition Reports are prepared at the start of every Fall semester and residents are given the opportunity to comment on these reports. Failure to report significant damage at this time will result in responsibility by the occupant. Cost of repair or excessive cleaning is determined in conjunction with University Facilities.

University Breaks

Students must vacate the residence halls for vacation periods according to the schedule published by the Office of Residence Life. During a scheduled break, all halls will be locked and secured. If you need to stay during a break, you must apply for permission to remain in housing. The form to do so is sent to a student's University email several weeks before each University break. A student must receive approval in order to remain in housing. Students on Disciplinary Probation or more severe disciplinary sanctions may not be permitted to remain in residence halls.

The University reserves the right to relocate students to other residence halls during vacation periods for reasons of safety and security. The University does not provide food service during official University vacation periods.

During University Break periods, students are expected to follow these policies:

  • Only the students approved to stay during that break are allowed in the residence halls.
  • Students are not permitted to consume alcohol during the University Break period, despite the current age of the student.
  • Inform Residence Life if they leave the campus for an extended period of time (more than 24 hours) during the break period.

A violation of the Code of Conduct or Handbook policies during a break period will result in a student being asked to leave the halls immediately until they reopen to all students.

Personal Property

Students are responsible for the property they choose to bring into the residence halls. They do so at their own risk. Students should keep all residence hall rooms locked whenever they are not occupied to keep belongings safe. The University does not take responsibility for personal items damaged in the course of a maintenance issue. Students should purchase renter’s insurance to cover any damages to personal belongings while living on campus. The University partners with GradGuard to offer this service, at the student’s expense, but students are welcome to seek other providers.

Room Changes

Students considering a room change should begin by discussing the situation with their roommate. Consultation with the RA or Residence Life professional staff may be helpful when problems exist between roommates. If, after discussion, a room change still seems necessary, the student will need to contact the Residence Life Coordinator responsible for their area (their RA can assist in identifying this person). Students who transfer rooms without the consent of the Office of Residence Life will be subject to disciplinary action, their request may be denied, and students may be required to return to their original assignments.

Room Selection

Room selection for returning residence hall students will take place in the Spring semester and the process for participating will be communicated to students as soon as it is finalized. Residents must complete the online housing and dining application for the upcoming year in order to participate in the housing selection process.

For more specific details regarding the selection of rooms, students should refer to notices published by the Office of Residence Life prior to the room selection process or visit the housing selection webpage.

Terminating Your Housing Contract Early

Housing contracts are binding for the entire academic year unless a student withdraws or is dismissed from the University. Students wishing to terminate their contract during the course of the academic year must fill out the Early Release from Housing form.

If students are given permission by the Housing Exemption Committee to terminate their housing contract, the contract will not be officially terminated until the Office of Residence Life has received the residence hall keys and Exemption Confirmation form. Students will be charged for housing until these items are received and the student has removed their personal belongings from the residence halls. If the student is entitled to a refund, based on the University’s refund policy, the refund will be based on the date the student turns in their key to the Residence Life office.

Community Policies

Behavioral Expectations

Absences

Students should notify their Resident Assistant and the Office of Student Life and Success if they plan to be absent from their residence hall for an extended period of time (more than 72 hours).

Quiet Hours

The Office of Residence Life requires students to be considerate of others at all times. Conduct and noise interfering with the study and sleep of residents is unacceptable. Accordingly, students will be held accountable for behavior deemed noisy or disruptive. It is expected that after 10 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday, and ending at 8:00 a.m. the following morning, general quiet hours will be in effect. On Fridays and Saturdays, quiet hours should be observed in all residence halls after midnight until 10:00 a.m. the following morning.

During final-exam week, 24-hour quiet hours will remain in effect. During quiet hours, students should be able to study or sleep in their room without disturbance from their neighbors.

Health and Safety Expectations

ID Cards

Student ID cards are not to be shared with anyone else. Residents are responsible for the safekeeping and proper use of their student ID card. Students should report their ID cards missing to University Police/Public Safety immediately to obtain a new one.

Security

Security officers provided by University Police who patrol the campus each night throughout the week. Officers are readily available by calling the base station at (570) 408-4999 for an emergency or using the Wilkes Shield app. University Police is located on the ground floor of the parking garage on S. Main St. There are blue light call boxes located at various locations around campus (Fenner Quadrangle, parking lots, etc) allowing all students the opportunity to contact security from anywhere on campus in an emergency situation. Also, students are encouraged to sign up for the Wilkes Alert (through University Police) text messaging system, this can be found on the Wilkes portal under the home tab.

RA on Call

Resident Assistants are on call from 7 p.m. each weeknight (Monday to Thursday) until 8:30 a.m. the next morning. Throughout the entire weekend (Friday to Sunday) there will be Resident Assistants (RAs) on call for each residential area. If students are in need of assistance and their RA is not available, they can contact the RA on call for assistance.

Area 1 [570-592-4665]:, Fortinsky, Slocum, Sullivan, Michelini, Waller North and South

Area 2 [570-592-8616]: Rifkin, Catlin, Weiss, & Evans

Area 3 [570-592-8629]: 77 West, Roth, Pearsall, Sturdevant, & 40 West

Area 4 [570-592-8527]: University Towers

Cleanliness

Students are expected to maintain their rooms in a reasonably clean condition in consideration of the health and safety of themselves and their residential community. If the Office of Residence Life determines that a room is a health and safety concern, the student(s) residing in the space will be expected to clean the room. If a student refuses to comply or a residential space is consistently an issue, residents may be asked to move out as part of a disciplinary decision.

Furthermore, the common areas, i.e. lounges and bathrooms, are expected to remain in an acceptable condition. Excessive messes that require extra cleaning by housekeeping staff will result in a cleaning charge for that hall's residents. Damages or excessive cleaning costs to common areas may result in a floor or hall’s residents being charged collectively. Items left in the common areas, including kitchen sinks, will be removed after 48 hours. This excludes the cabinets in common area kitchens.

Pets

For health and maintenance reasons, pets are not permitted in the residence halls. Fish in an aquarium (10 gallons or less) are the only exception to this rule. Fish are defined as a limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins and living wholly in water. Students found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary sanctions and will be asked to remove the animal within 24 hours.

Students who, because of a disability, seek approval for an assistance animal must request a reasonable accommodation through the Disability Support Services office in the Office of Academic Success. This is a formal process that requires appropriate supporting documentation. A determination is then made regarding whether it is reasonable for the animal to be on campus.

Students must not bring the assistance animal to campus until they have received approval from the Disability Support Services office and Residence Life.

Residence Hall Mail & Deliveries

In order to maintain security and limit inconvenience to fellow residents, students ordering food (pizza, subs, etc.) are required to meet delivery persons in the residence hall lobby. Delivery persons are prohibited from going to student rooms. All deliveries through FedEx/UPS/Amazon should be directed to the student's on campus mailbox which is located on the second floor of the Henry Student Center.

Residence Hall Visitation

The University residence halls are open for invited guests of residents. Visitors should extend courtesy to those living in the residence halls at all times. Under no circumstances should any resident be inconvenienced by a visitor or guest. A student may have guests over for a maximum of two nights within a 7-day period. Visitation to an individual room should be decided upon by those residents living in that room.

All visitors (student or non-student) to Evans Hall and University Towers are required to check in with the lobby desk attendant between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. each night. They are required to show proper I.D. to the attendant/security officer in order to sign in at the desk. They must indicate the person they are visiting, room number, and time of entry.

Residents are responsible for their visitors at all times. All visitors to the residence halls are responsible for abiding by University policies. If a non-University guest violates campus policy, their residential student host will be held responsible for their guest’s conduct, including any disciplinary sanctions. Residents should alert the RA on Duty or University Police if they see any unidentified persons not accompanied by a fellow hall member.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in all campus buildings at Wilkes University. This includes the use of electronic cigarettes, vaping devices, and hookahs. Students are permitted to use these items outside of their residence hall provided they are located more than 20 feet from any door or window.

Prohibited Items

The following items are prohibited items in/around the halls. These items have been deemed a substantial risk to the residential communities for various reasons. If one of these items is found, the resident will be subject to disciplinary action and asked to remove the item within 24 hours. Residence Life reserves the right to add to this list during the year if the need arises.

  • Air conditioning units
  • Alcohol paraphernalia (i.e beer/water pong tables, beer bongs, and other binge drinking apparatus, empty alcohol bottles and cans)
  • Amplified musical instruments or speaker systems
  • Blow torches or brulee torches
  • Candles
  • Cork Dart boards with metal darts (electronic dart boards with plastic tips allowed)
  • Electric blankets
  • Electrical wires through or underneath door frames or carpets
  • Exercise equipment (small equipment and free weights less than 10 lbs. are permitted)
  • Extension cords (this does not include surge protectors with safety fuses).
  • Gasoline, benzine, propane, and other flammable fluids
  • George Foreman grills
  • Halogen lamps
  • Holiday lighting that cannot be documented to be less than 3 years old. Holiday lighting may not exceed 3 strands of 100 lights per unit.
  • Homemade electrical wiring
  • Kegs (of any type)
  • Instapots & Air Fryers
  • Lava Lamps
  • Liquid-filled beds
  • Live cut trees, branches, hay, straw, or similar material
  • Refrigerators over five cubic feet in capacity
  • Resistance coil appliances (i.e. hotplate)
  • Toaster Ovens
  • Traffic or public signs or traffic cones
  • Upholstered furniture (including arm chairs and bean bag chairs)
Weapons in Residence Halls

Under no circumstances are weapons permitted in the residence halls. Weapons include firearms, chemicals, fireworks and explosives, CO2, air-propelled weapons, tasers, or high-powered water guns, slingshots, bow and arrow, paintball guns, switchblades and any knife larger than a small pocket knife that cannot be clearly identified as a kitchen utensil. University Police have sole discretion on determining if an item of concern can be identified as a weapon.

Decorating & Fire Safety

In order to reduce the chance of a dangerous fire, we must ask residents to follow certain expectations in decorating their residential spaces. Small decorations that are not flame resistant can cover no more than 30% of the wall space (i.e. tapestries, posters, banners). Decorations or furniture must not be placed in locations that block, obstruct, or reduce exit and entrance routes including beads, paper or plastic strips, etc. that cover a doorway. No decorations may be hung from ceilings, sprinkler heads or exposed pipes. Additionally, decorations may not be used to cover lights or light fixtures.

Electrical Appliances in Student Rooms

Generally, students are permitted small appliances in their rooms, including coffee pots, Keurig machines, electric tea and hot water kettles, and crockpots. Electric skillets, hot plates, and toaster ovens are prohibited outside of formal kitchen areas in residence hall commons areas and apartments. All appliances containing a heating-type element must have that element fully enclosed. Both the appliance and electrical cord must have Underwriter Laboratory approval. Small electrical appliances may be used as long as the circumstances are consistent with good safety and health considerations. They should be placed in a location away from other flammable materials (i.e. paper, books, etc.) and free from clutter.

Appliances should be unplugged when not in use and no more than one appliance should be plugged into any receptacle. When using an appliance such as a coffee pot, a protective pad should be placed under the appliance. Property and safety considerations prevent the authorization of the use of toaster ovens, electric skillets, hot plates, or appliances other than those previously mentioned in the publication.

Students who consistently play stereos, radios, amplifiers, etc. at excessive levels of volume may be required to remove this equipment from their residence hall.

Missing Persons Policy

Reports of missing students will be immediately directed to the University Police Department, which has the responsibility and authority to investigate each report and make a determination whether the student is missing. If any member of the Wilkes community believes that a student is missing, it is the University's policy that the University Police Department should be contacted immediately at (570) 408-4999

Reports of missing on-campus residents should be made to University Police. Reports of missing students who live off-campus should typically be made to the law enforcement agency in that jurisdiction. No waiting period exists for University Police to document information and report an individual as missing. University Police will ensure all reasonable and necessary investigation, notification, dissemination of information, coordination of resources and searches are conducted to resolve missing person cases.

After investigating a missing person report, should University Police determine that the student has been missing for 24 hours, the University will notify the Wilkes-Barre City Police and the student's emergency contact no later than 24 hours after the student is determined to be missing. If the missing student is under the age of 18 and is not an emancipated individual, the University will notify the student's parent or legal guardian immediately after University Police has determined that the student has been missing for 24 hours.

Use of Facilities

Right of Entry

Although the University respects a student's right to privacy, the University reserves the right to enter or inspect individual rooms at any time, especially for reasons of maintenance, health, and safety. At no time may Resident Assistants give or lend master keys to students or non-students. Unless there is an obvious emergency, RAs will knock and announce themselves before entering students' rooms using a master key. Resident Assistants do not have permission to search students' rooms. Such searches can be conducted only by the Associate Vice President of Student Life and Success or their designates. There will always be sufficient cause for a search to take place, and every effort will be made to have the occupants present when a search occurs.

Wilkes University cannot interfere with sworn law enforcement officials when they conduct room searches if such a search is legal under Commonwealth law and is within the authorized performance of the official's duty.

Keys

The Office of Residence Life provides keys to all resident students for their assigned housing and they alone are responsible for the safekeeping of that key. These are essential to a student keeping themselves, their belongings, and their community safe. In order to do this, all entrance doors to residence halls will be locked at all times. Keys should not be shared with any other student. To keep an essential record of keys to all housing on campus, students are never permitted to duplicate their keys. If they do, we will be required to initiate a lock change.

Upon a student’s departure from the residence hall, that student has 5 calender days to return their key. Should a student not return their key within that time frame, a lock change will be initiated. Should a student lose their key, a lock change will also be initiated. If a student’s key is stolen, they should file a report with University Police and alert Residence Life to initiate a lock change. Whenever a lock change is initiated, the student to whom the key was assigned will be charged $100 for a lock change and key replacement. The only exception is when a student’s key is stolen, in which they will not be responsible for its replacement.

Protecting Your Property

To protect their belongings from theft and damage, students should exercise common sense. Wilkes University is not and cannot be responsible for the loss of personal property; therefore, the following are recommended:

  • When leaving your room, lock doors and secure windows at all times.
  • Do not leave notes on your door indicating your absence from your residence hall.
  • Do not allow anyone unaccompanied by you or another resident to enter into the residence halls. These people should be reported to your RA, the Office of Residence Life, or University Police.
  • Money or valuables should not be left in your room. Transfer large amounts of cash into checking accounts. Guard credit cards carefully.
  • Report suspicious persons to University Police (570-408-4999).
  • Bicycles should be carefully secured in a bike rack or inside your residence hall room.
  • Do not allow individuals into the hall, unless you know them.

Residence Hall Damage & Vandalism

Rental of a residence hall room does not imply ownership of that room; nor does it give the student license to alter or destroy. Therefore, room occupants will be assessed for damages such as defaced plaster or woodwork, burns on woodwork, broken windows, missing blinds or broken furniture, lost door keys, or the deterioration of property resulting from misuse on the part of the occupant. No student has permission to paint their room. Any property damage to hallways, lounges, bathrooms (common areas) will be charged to the residents of the living unit in the event that the guilty party cannot be identified.

After a student has moved out of their assigned residence hall room, a member of the University staff will inspect the room for damages and cleanliness. It is the responsibility of the resident to avoid damages while they occupy a room. Any damage to a room that is beyond “normal wear and tear” will be charged to all residents in a room or apartment unless a specific resident takes responsibility for that damage. Charges for excessive cleaning and removal of personal property will also be assessed as needed. The Office of Residence Life will inform students after their departure of any damage billing charges and students have the right to appeal those charges. Students are encouraged to review the Room Condition Report completed prior to their arrival at the start of the Fall semester and note any inaccuracies to avoid charges.

Furnishings

Residence hall students are provided with a twin XL bed with mattress, desk, chair, and wardrobe or closet space. Students should provide their own bed linens, pillow, desk lamp, bedspread, etc., according to individual taste. All furniture that is provided in student rooms must stay in those assigned rooms. Select beds are able to be bunked with proper bunking pins by contacting the facilities department, 570-408-2Fix (x2349) or 2fix@wilkes.edu. Personal furniture such as bed frames, mattresses or upholstered furniture is not permitted in the residence halls. The Office of Residence Life does not provide storage of any kind.

Lounge Furniture

Furniture in lounge areas is provided for the use of all residents of the facility and must remain in the lounge. Residents found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action and a disciplinary fine.

Custodial Services

The University provides cleaning services in campus buildings. Custodial personnel are responsible for cleaning common areas, i.e., lounge areas, hallways, and bathrooms. Custodial personnel are not responsible for cleaning debris resulting from irresponsible student conduct. Should custodians be instructed to clean such debris from a common area, the residents will be charged for these services unless the responsible individuals are identified.

Private bathrooms in residential facilities are the responsibility of the residents to clean. A private bathroom is defined as a bathroom that is only accessible through a student’s living space and not a common hall or area of the residence hall. Primarily these would be in Evans Hall and apartment style housing, though there are a few bathrooms in mansion style halls that would be considered “private” as well.

Laundry Facilities

The University provides washers and dryers in each residence hall for the use of residence hall students only. These machines are used heavily and do, at times, require maintenance attention. If a machine is in need of repair, students should notify the Resident Assistant or call Facilities at (570) 408-2349. The University will make every effort to repair the machines as quickly as possible.

The University will not be responsible for the loss of or damage done to clothing through the laundering or drying processes. Students should carefully read washing instructions on garments. Commercial laundromats are located near the campus for comforters and larger items.

If a student leaves their laundry in the laundry room for more than 24 hours, the Office of Residence Life will confiscate the items. Those items will be held by the Residence Life professional staff for one week. Items will then be donated if left unclaimed. Students are not permitted to remove other student’s laundry. If a washer and/or dryer does not have a name tag visible, items will be confiscated by Residence Life.

Student Mail

All students' mail is received and distributed at the University mailroom in the Student Center. When having mail sent to you please use the following format:

[NAME], Box [number](do not use “P.O. Box”)
84 W. South St.
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766

Mailbox numbers will be assigned at the beginning of the semester and these numbers should be used in the resident's return address. There is one mail delivery daily, Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Students should check their mailbox regularly. Please visit the Mailroom or contact 570-408-4123 if you lose your box number, combination code, or have any questions.