Housing
University-owned housing is reserved for students under the age of thirty enrolled for classes at the University. Generally, full time status is required, but exceptions are occasionally made for students with special circumstances. Housing is filled on a first-come basis. Students living in University-owned housing may be enrolled in credit hours of distance education, but at least one class must be in person. Students who fall below the full-time status during any given semester, and wish to continue to live in campus housing, must request permission from the Dean of Students in writing.
All new students who request to live in University-owned housing are required to complete a New Student Housing Application which can be found on the University’s website. New students need to request their residence hall and room choice and meal plan.
Returning students living in University-owned housing are required to complete a Student Housing Reservation Form and Contract before a room assignment is made. The contract includes their room reservation and meal plan options. Students are responsible for the full semester’s payment of room and board, even if the student vacates University-owned housing before the end of the semester.
All International students, under the age of 21 at the start of the fall semester are required to live in on-campus housing. Those students requesting to live off-campus must submit a housing exemption form and must meet the following criteria:
1. Must be at least 21 years of age by the start of the fall semester or must be classified as a junior or senior;
2. Must not be on academic probation;
3. Must not have any disciplinary sanctions;
4. Must have a government issued driver’s license and proof of driver license’s number must be on file in the Office of Student Life;
5. Must have approval from the Dean of Students, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the student’s coach
Off-campus international students who receive disciplinary sanctions or who are placed on academic probation during the semester will be required to live on-campus in subsequent semesters.
[Cross Reference with Policy 2.03: Admissions]
Housing is available for students enrolled in departmental internships, School of Nursing Clinicals and Preceptorships, or Internship in Education directed teaching (ED-477 or ED-488). Accommodations can be made for meals to be prepared ahead of time and picked up each morning before students leave campus in order for them to maximize their meal plans. In the occasion where a student’s off-campus training requirement causes them to be unable to appropriately engage their meal plan to a reasonable degree (i.e. most or all meals are eaten off-campus at the students expense), the requirement to have a meal plan while living on campus may be waived by the Dean of Students. This consideration will be done on a case-by-case basis and requests must be make prior to the beginning of a new semester. There will be no adjustments made or credits given to meal plans already in place. Student interns will need to notify the Office of Student Life for these adjustments. The Office of Student Life will notify the Business Office of the adjustment of meals for internship students and a credit will be given at the end of the semester.
Blue Mountain Christian University offers a choice of residences for students. Each resident must furnish bed linens, pillows, and bath linens. Major electrical appliances may not be used in individual student rooms. Rules that govern on-campus student residences and the housing appeal process which are more specific are printed in the student handbook and in student policies found on the BMCU Web site at https://bmc.edu/Residence-Life
Guidelines for All Residents of University Housing
University-owned housing assignments are made by the Office of Student Life. All University-owned housing is designed as “single sex” accommodations according to biological sex. Before a room reservation is made for a new student, a damage deposit must be paid to the Business Office. This deposit will constitute a breakage fee and will be refunded, less any charges for damages, upon written request when the student vacates University housing. The written request for any refund must be made within two weeks of vacating University housing. A student will not be given a room assignment or key until after the student has paid the room deposit. [Cross Reference with Policy 1.16: Marriage, Gender, Sexuality]
If a student wishes to drop below 12 credit hours (full time) and desires to continue living in University housing, the student must first present a request in writing to the Office of Student Services for approval.
If a student withdraws from classes through the Office of the Registrar, the student will be expected to vacate his room immediately upon withdrawal from the University.
If a student stops attending classes without officially withdrawing from the classes in the Office of the Registrar, that student will be asked to vacate University housing.
Students are responsible for keeping the rooms and all University furnishings contained in the rooms clean and free from damage. Abuse of rooms, grounds, or furnishings will result in required restitution for damages. Fines will be assessed if appropriate. Loss of privileges, suspension, and/or dismissal may be possible.
Blue Mountain Christian University, while endeavoring to provide attractive housing for resident students, retains all the rights of ownership. By choosing to live in the facilities, all who reside in College housing agree to abide by all University regulations applying to residence life.
The University is not responsible for loss of or damage to personal property of residents due to theft, fire, wind, rain, or flooding or disruptions to electrical service, plumbing problems and resultant damage, roof leaks, etc. The University recommends that each student carry insurance protection against loss and damage of personal property.
The University reserves the right to inspect any room on campus at any time. University officials may enter a student’s room in the course of the performance of their duties to assure proper maintenance, to provide for the health and safety of residents, and/or to assure University housing regulations or other University, state, or federal regulations are not violated. Every effort will be made, however, to respect the privacy of student residents.
Changes in residence/room assignments are made only through the Office of Student Life. Requests to make such changes must be made in writing, and no changes will be made until written notice to all involved parties has been issued from the Office of Student Life.
Students are responsible for paying room and board charges for the academic year, as long as they are enrolled as a student at Blue Mountain Christian University.
Housing Assignments. Preference in room assignments is given to returning students. If both parties agree, new students may choose to be roommates by making their wishes known in writing to the Office of Student Life. Changes in residence/room assignments for all students are made only through the Office of Student Life. Requests to make such changes must be made in writing, and no changes may be made until written notification has been issued to all involved parties. The University reserves the right to cancel the reservation of any student at any time or to change a student’s room or roommate.
Animals in University-Owned Housing
The Office of Student Services at Blue Mountain Christian University is dedicated to providing reasonable modifications to its rules, policies, and practices as required by law, ensuring equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with disabilities.
Pets
A “pet” is any animal kept for companionship and ordinary use. Pets are prohibited indoors in BMCU residence halls, with the sole exception of harmless aquatic fish in aquariums of 10 gallons or less. Assistance animals (Service and Emotional Support Animals), as defined below, are not considered pets.
Assistance Animals
This policy applies to assistance animals used by individuals with disabilities. The term “assistance animal” encompasses both Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals, as defined below. An assistance animal either:
1. works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for a person with a disability or
2. offers emotional or other support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
The Office of Student Services at BMCU is committed to providing equal access and reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. If you require disability-related accommodations, please contact the Office of Student Services. Each time you apply for a new housing contract, you must indicate on the housing application that you require accommodation for an emotional support animal.
Service Animals
A “Service Animal” is any animal individually trained to work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disabilities. The work or tasks performed by a Service Animal must be directly related to the person’s disability. Examples include, but are not limited to:
1. Guiding people who are blind
2. Alerting people who are deaf
3. Alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure
4. Reminding a person with a mental illness to take prescribed medications
5. Calming a person with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack
Providing emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship does not constitute work or tasks under this definition. Service Animals considered under this definition include dogs or, in some cases, miniature horses.
Service Animals are permitted to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of BMCU. The campus and facilities, including housing, allow students, members of the public, and other participants to go into services, programs, or activities. The BMCU Office of Student Services does not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a Service Animal. Additionally, the Office of Student Services cannot ask about the nature or extent of a person’s disability to determine whether their animal qualifies as a Service Animal. The student must register with Student Services to have a Service Animal on campus.
However, when it is not readily apparent that a dog is a Service Animal, the BMCU Office of student Services staff may make two inquiries to determine whether the dog qualifies as a Service Animal, which is:
1. Is the dog/animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog/animal been trained to perform?
A Service Animal residing in a BMCU residence hall must be housebroken (i.e., trained to control its waste elimination, except in cases of illness or accident). In public, the Service Animal must be controlled by a harness, leash, or other tether unless the person cannot use these or such use would interfere with the service animal’s work performance or tasks. In such instances, the Service Animal must be controlled by voice, signals, or other effective means.
Emotional Support Animal
An “Emotional Support Animal” (ESA) is an animal that provides emotional or other support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Unlike Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals are not required to be trained to perform work or tasks and can include species other than dogs. Only one emotional support animal is allowed per student. Before an Emotional Support Animal can move into a residence hall at BMCU with a person with a disability, students seeking an Emotional Support Animal must register with the Office of Student Services and provide appropriate documentation of their disability and animal needs. For details on what constitutes suitable documentation, please consult the Office of Student Services. Once the appropriate documentation is received, provisional approval for the animal will be communicated to both the Office of Student Services and the student.
If your request is approved, you and your roommates must sign an acknowledgement. The Office of Student Services recommends that you inform your assigned roommates as early as possible of your intention to request an Emotional Support Animal.
If all roommates do not accept an approved Emotional Support Animal, the Office of Student Services will make every effort to accommodate all affected parties on a case-by-case basis.
If you have a disability that the presence of animals may impact, please reach out to the Office of Student Services. The Office of Student Services at BMCU is dedicated to meeting the needs of all individuals with disabilities and will promptly address any conflicts or issues that may arise. An Emotional Support Animal residing in a BMCU residence hall must be housebroken (i.e., trained to control its waste elimination, absent illness or accidents), and a harness, leash, or other tether must control it. Additionally, the animal must not pose a danger to others.
Service Animal Trainees
A service dog in training cannot reside in the residence halls at BMCU.
Responsibilities of People with Disabilities Using Assistance Animals
The Office of Student Services at BMCU is not responsible for caring for or supervising assistance animals. Individuals with disabilities are accountable for the cost, care, and supervision of their assistance animals, including:
1. Compliance with animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification laws.
2. Ensuring the animal is under control and taking appropriate action if it becomes uncontrollable.
3. Providing food, walking the animal, and properly disposing of its waste. The student must ensure that the approved assistance animal eliminates waste in designated areas as specified by the Office of Student Life. It is the student’s responsibility to clean up after the animal promptly. Waste disposal through plumbing is not permitted in residence halls or apartments. Animal waste must be bagged and placed in the outdoor trash receptacle. All waste, including indoor animal litter and bedding, must be securely tied in a sturdy plastic bag before disposal in outside trash dumpsters. Litter boxes and cages should be placed on mats to prevent waste from being tracked onto carpeted surfaces. Failure to clean up after the assistance animal may result in fines. BMCU Office of Student Services does not impose surcharges or fees for assistance animals. However, the student may be held responsible for any damages caused by the assistance animal.
Exceptions and Exclusions
An animal may be excluded from an area where it was previously authorized if:
1. The animal is out of control, and no effective action has been taken to control it.
2. The animal is not housebroken; in the case of a support animal using a designated cage or litter box, the owner fails to clean it daily, resulting in an unclean environment.
3. The animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be mitigated by reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services.
When assessing whether an assistance animal directly threatens others health or safety, the Dean of Students will make final decisions. The decisions consider:
1. The nature, duration, and severity of the risk posed.
2. The likelihood that the potential injury will occur.
3. Whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, procedures or the provision of auxiliary aids or services could reduce the risk.
(See Policy 4.16)