SUNY Cortland

News Directory A-Z

For more information contact:

Residence Life and Housing
Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-33

Phone: (607) 753-4724
Fax: (607) 753-5984

ResidenceLifeandHousing@cortland.edu

Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

FAQs

General

Housing Assignment

Room Basics

Tripling

Cable TV, E-Mail, Network Connectivity, Voicemail, and Long Distance

General

Does SUNY Cortland have an on-campus housing requirement?

All new freshmen are required to live in on-campus housing for their freshman and sophomore years (or four semesters). Sophomore and junior transfers arriving in the fall have a one-year (or two-semester) housing requirement. On-campus housing is not guaranteed for juniors and seniors, however, we have been able to provide housing for juniors and seniors who request it and pay their room deposit by the deadline.

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Are there any exceptions to the on-campus housing requirement?

Yes, the following students are excepted from the SUNY Cortland on campus housing requirement:

    1. Students commuting from home who live within a 60-mile radius of SUNY Cortland.
      * Please note that students who choose to move on campus instead of commuting, have a full one-year or two semester on campus requirement.
    2. Students 21 years of age by September 1 for Fall semesters, or January 1 for Spring semesters.
      * Please note that students who are 21 and choose to live on campus, have a full one-year or two semester on campus requirement.
    3. Married students, or students with children.
    4. Students who are veterans.

Please contact Residence Life & Housing if you fall into any of these categories.

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Are freshmen allowed to have cars on campus?

Freshmen can have cars on campus and are required to park in the Route 281 lot. All cars must be registered with University Police and must display a parking permit sticker. Visit the University Police Parking Web site for additional information.

What is the smoking policy in the residence halls?

All residence halls on campus are smoke-free. This means that no one is permitted to smoke anywhere within the residence halls, immediately outside, or in the entrance ways to the building, and within 20 feet of the residence halls. Also, there are no tobacco products permitted within the residence halls. Each building has a posted smoking location outside of the building. New students are asked on their Housing Preference Form if they are smokers to accomodate students who have allergies and asthma - we try to place smokers in a room together.

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Am I required to purchase a meal plan?

Yes, all students who sign up for on-campus housing (excluding the Leadership House and West Campus Apartments) are required to purchase a meal plan. Students assigned to the West Campus apartments do not receive a meal plan unless they request one. Meal plan information is available at the ASC Web site.

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Housing Assignment

Are the residence halls co-ed?

At SUNY Cortland, all of the residence halls are co-ed. Most low rises are co-ed by floor, which means that usually half of a floor is male and the other half is female. Double rooms are occupied by two students of the same gender (sex). Co-ed floors have a female-designated and male-designated bathroom.

What if I want a single room?

Residence Life & Housing uses the information on the new student housing form to create a waiting list for the designed singles on campus. Students must agree to pay the higher cost for a single. Spaces are filled using seniority and date of deposit and date of submittal of the housing preference form.

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How can I request medical or disability accommodations?

SUNY Cortland is committed to upholding and maintaining all aspects of the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. If you are a student with a disability and wish to request accommodations, please contact the Student Disability Services Office located in Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-1 at (607) 753-2066. Information regarding your disability will remain confidential and will only be divulged with your knowledge/permission for a housing accommodation. Types of accommodations available at SUNY Cortland include: single bedrooms, bedrooms with private bathrooms with strobes and bed shakers and wheelchair accessible buildings, bedrooms and bathrooms. If you require housing accommodations, you must put your request in to the Student Disability Services Office and they will contact the Residential Services Office with a recommendation.

Can I arrive early?

Students must follow the opening arrival schedule. Any variations from this schedule will require you to fill out the online early arrival request found on myRedDragon for advance approval to arrive early. Please note that in order for you arrive early you will be required to work 5 hours on the welcome team each day you arrive early to campus. New students may come in one day early and returning students up to two days early. There are no Early Arrivals permitted for the spring semester.

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Can I get my room deposit back?

New students have until May 1 to request their deposit back. New students accepted after May 1 have 30 days from the payment date to request their deposit back.

Will I be placed with a freshman?

In general, freshmen are assigned in a room with freshmen, and transfers are assigned in a room with other transfers, or with returning students.

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When will I find out my housing information?

You will be receiving roommate, hall and room assignment information the first week in August. For the spring semester, this information will be available on myRedDragon on January 19, 2010.

What information will I receive about my housing assignment before I arrive on campus?

Students will find on myRedDragon their hall assignment and room number before they arrive on campus. Additionally, students will have the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email address (if possible) no later than the first week of August. Please note: The housing and roommate assignments are subject to change up until Opening Day.

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Can I change halls or roommates?

Most hall or roommate changes will have to wait until the beginning of the following semester. Any room change requests should be discussed with your hall director. Requests to move to special interest housing; Shea Wellness and Quiet floors can be made as space becomes available.

Can I choose my own roommate after the May 31st deadline?

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate roommate requests received after the May 31 deadline. The deadline enables us to finalize the housing assignment process in a timely manor.

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Room Basics

What comes with my room?

Provided: Bed, mattress (33" x 80"), dresser, desk, desk chair, closet space, mirror, window blinds, recycling bucket.

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What you should bring?

Sheets (extra long)/ except for West Campus, mattress pad, blankets, pillow, towels, study lamp, metal wastebasket, telephone, UL-approved multi-plug outlet with built-in circuit breaker.

Can I bring my own furniture?

Due to fire safety concerns and very minimal storage space on campus, students are not permitted to bring their own furniture into the residence halls. This includes bed frames, mattresses, waterbeds, stuffed furniture, or other items. Exceptions include bean bag chairs, papa'san chairs and inflatable furniture.

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What is the size of my room for carpets/drapes?

The window sizes vary in each hall. Blinds are provided in all student rooms. A standard carpet size for all double rooms is 9'x12'. Check the webpage for each individual hall for room size, window size and closet sizes.

Can I have a loft?

A lot Of our furniture can be lofted - once you arrive you may put in a Work Order to have your furniture lofted (if it is available in your hall). We do not permit students to build their own loft.

Loft Request Form (PDF)

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Are bed-risers available?

Bed-risers, which are extenders that attach to the bed frame and which provide more storage space under the bed, are aalready on all beds in the residence halls. Many of the residence halls have adjustable frames that permit the placement of dressers under the bed, so bed risers are not necessary. Note: Use of cinder blocks or store purchased bed risers is not permitted in residence halls.

Am I permitted to bring a refrigerator or microfridge?

If you are bringing your own refrigerator, each room is allowed one refrigerator that is UL-approved with three-pronged plug, tight-fitting door gasket and unfrayed feeder line. The maximum size for student refrigerators is 5.0 cubic feet. Refrigerators must be inspected by staff at check-in. Microfridges, a microwave-refrigerator-freezer combination, are the only approved microwave for student rooms, and are available to rent from ASC. Tripled rooms are allowed to have two microfridges. Also, students with medical documentation can be approved to have an additional microfridge.

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Tripling at SUNY Cortland

SUNY Cortland provides two types of triples. 

Designed Triple:

Cheney Hall and DeGroat Hall have some rooms that are larger than a standard double room and are designed to accommodate three students.  Students who reside in these “designed triple” rooms will not receive a triple refund. 

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Mandated Triple in a Double:

Mandated triples have three students assigned to share a standard size double room. Students in mandated triples will receive a 25% triple refund for the number of days tripled.

Will I be Tripled?

It will be necessary to triple many new freshman students this fall due to an increase in the number of freshmen choosing to attend Cortland, as well as an increase in the number of returning students choosing to remain on campus for their junior and senior years. 

How is tripling determined?

The date your housing deposit is received, submission date of your housing preference form, the specific housing preferences you requested, and housing availability are the determining factors for tripling.

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How long will I be in a Triple?

The housing staff begins de-tripling during the summer, and will continue to do so until all tripled students have been offered the opportunity to de-triple. There will probably be some tripled rooms that remain tripled during the spring semester. 

In the past, a number of tripled students chose to remain tripled for a second semester because they enjoyed living with their two new friends!

What is De-tripling based on?

All de-tripling is based on the date you paid the housing deposit.  The students who paid first are the first students offered the chance to de-triple!

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Where will I be moved?

We will make every effort to keep students in the same residence hall they are living in, but tripled students are also informed of openings in other buildings.

Do I get a Triple Refund?

Students in a tripled room receive a 25% refund of the room charge for the number of days they are tripled.  If you choose to remain in a triple after you are offered the chance to move out, you will sign a voluntary triple form and will not receive the 25% refund after the date you are offered to move out of your triple.  The Triple refund is issued after the student has been de-tripled. 

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Cable TV, E-Mail, Network Connectivity, Voicemail, and Long Distance

Do the rooms have cable TV?

Every residence hall room is equipped with two cable TV outlets. Because this service is included as part of the room charge, no extra charges are assessed. TVs and cable cords are not provided in the residence hall rooms. Each residence hall has a TV in a lounge for community use.

Do I get an email account?

Every SUNY Cortland student is given a SUNY Cortland e-mail account which all campus offices use to send students important information regarding billing, refunds, registration, housing, etc. For information on computer services for students, visit the Technology Help Center.

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Is there a computer hook-up?

Each residence hall room is equipped with two outlets for computer network connection and access to the Internet. All residence halls have wired and wireless access.