Procedures

The Office of Disability Services, Penn Wellness, and Residential Services work closely together to review requests and identify appropriate and available housing. For information on applying for a medical accommodation please click here. Students who require an emotional support animals should follow this same process.  

Please note that residents who receive an accommodation for an emotional support assistance or who require a service animal will be presented with additional policies and procedures regarding the care and behavior of their animal.  

Residential Services coordinates room change processes in the fall, between fall and spring semesters, in the spring, and during summer recess. Click here for application information and dates. Residents experiencing roommate problems may contact their RA or House Director, for assistance with resolution at any time. All room changes must be authorized by Housing Occupancy. Residents making unauthorized changes will be subject to disciplinary action. Be aware that if a room change is made, rent will be adjusted to reflect the new room rate. Residents should ensure they check in and out of spaces on campus via the College House Information Centers on the specified room change date. Students will not be able to check in early or delay their room change without written permission. Note that students with a vacancy in their room are responsible for maintaining a clean living space fit for a new occupant. 

Residents have a reasonable right to appeal all fees, fines, and charges associated with their residence on campus. These appeals, though, must be completed in a timely fashion, within 90 days of the charges being posted. Appeals received past 90 days will not be reviewed. 

  
Residents who wish to appeal a charge or request an exception to a policy should begin by writing to living@upenn.edu. Residents who wish to appeal the initial appeal decision made by a Residential Services staff member (i.e., the response to the email sent to living@upenn.edu), should write to the Appeals Committee.  
  
The Appeals Committee shall serve the purpose of overseeing cases where a resident is requesting an exception to a policy, procedure, or dining/residential charge. The Committee, or an appointee, will review each case and make a decision based on the information provided. A decision by the committee is final. However, a decision by an appointee may be appealed to the Committee and will be stated in the decision letter from the appointee.  
  
The Appeals Committee is comprised of representatives from various departments within Residential and Hospitality Services. In the event that a member(s) of this group has a personal connection to the appeal, that person(s) would be removed from the case. 
  
To appeal a policy, procedure or charge, the affected student must submit an Appeals Form and any additional supportive documentation. Appeals can be submitted via e-mail at bsd-appeals@pobox.upenn.edu. Appeals of charges must be submitted within 90 days of being billed.  
  
As a general rule, appeal reviews by the Appeals Committee will involve review of the documentation and not involve attendance of the appealing student. In most cases, if a meeting is needed, it will occur with two members of the Appeals Committee. However, it is the discretion of the Appeals Committee if they choose to invite the student to present the case in person and answer questions.  
  
Appeal decisions will be communicated by e-mail within 14 business days of being submitted, unless additional information is required.  

Each building has a card-reader-controlled access system that validates the PennCard holder before permitting entrance through a turnstile/portal. The card swipe must be accompanied by entering a Penncard Access Code (PAC), a random 4-digit number. Residents are required to learn and use their PAC codes. This procedure must be followed every time the resident enters the building. 

Should a resident lose or forget their PennCard, the security guard, Residential Services Manager, or Student Information Center Specialist will use an alternate method of verifying identity and granting access. This is a short-term solution. Residents who sign in through this method are subject to a $35 fine for each instance beyond their 10th sign-in each semester. 

Special procedures are in place for those students who observe the Sabbath; please see your Information Center for details. 

Residential Services reserves the right to accommodate or deny requests to move in early or to remain in residence beyond the end of the occupancy periods. Off-term utilization of the facilities, including construction, University events, and conferences or other building use are all considerations in planning for arrivals and departures. No early arrivals are permitted for the spring semester; no extensions are available at the end of fall semester as most residences close between semesters. Accommodations may involve the movement of the resident to a temporary location. Information regarding the early arrival and extension processes will be provided through email and the Residential Services website ahead of Move In and Move Out. 

Residents should make themselves aware of and follow the Emergency Procedures for their college house. The basic fire evacuation procedures can be found on the back of the doors in all apartments and rooms. For additional emergency information, seek out the emergency bulletins located in elevators and common areas throughout the buildings or go to the Public Safety website.  

All guests to the residences must be signed-in with a photo ID and be accompanied at all times by a resident host who must carry a valid PennCard. Guests and visitors may not sign in other guests and may not be signed in more than three days in a row unless an exception is granted by the House Director.

During regular occupancy periods, guest passes will be available for residents and guests. Residents can get these passes at the Info Center and may use them for a particular guest for up to three days. Both the guest and the host must have proper ID for the guest to gain access to the building through this pass. Also see “Guest Policy.”

In accordance with the Room Entry Provision in the Terms and Conditions, University Personnel periodically make announced visits to student rooms for the purpose of doing Health and Safety Inspections. The purpose of these Health and Safety Inspections is to look for violations of University policies and procedures, including but not limited to those policies and procedures found in the Residential Services Handbook and on the CHAS website. Inspectors do not open closet doors or drawers. With the exception of fire safety issues posing an imminent risk, inspectors do not move or remove items during these inspections. Residents found in violation of the policies and procedures are subject to Residential Services and CHAS student behavior procedures.

In the event of a medical or safety emergency, Penn Police should be contacted at 215-573-3333. 

For more information regarding Public Safety and for tips on safety and security, please visit www.publicsafety.upenn.edu. 

Special procedures are in place for those students who observe the Sabbath, please see your Residential Services Manager for details on these procedures.

During Winter Break, all College Houses close except Gutmann, Harnwell, Harrison, Rodin, and Radian. Updates will be noted on the Winter Break section of the Residential Services website.  

Residents may not remain in closed buildings during this break period.  

Residents of closed buildings who wish to remain in the area during Winter Break must make alternative housing plans. 

There are no move-out extensions at Winter Break, and there is no early Move In at the start of the Spring Semester in January. 

Open buildings will operate under special access and guest rules during Winter Break. Residents may be asked to physically present their photo ID to the security staff. Guests will need to be signed in individually, as no guest passes will be issued.   

Residents of open buildings who wish to stay in their College House over Winter Break are required to register with Residential Services. Information on how to register will be sent out in early December.