Updated residence hall guest policy allows visits without signing in
Illustration by Julia Gillbert.
Gone are the days of the dreaded, rigorous walks down to the entrance of your residence hall to sign in a guest.
Well, sort of. VCU’s new guest policy allows any tenant of a VCU residence hall to enter another hall as a guest during the period in which the host is checked in to their own housing assignment. Simply swipe your ID, and the guest visit is logged.
Any guest who does not live in a VCU on-campus apartment or individual room is still required to present identification and be signed in by their host at the entrance. However, the university has established means to expedite the process. Hosts may provide some of their guest’s information to Residential Life and Housing in advance by creating a “Visitor Registration” in StarRez, the “world leader in providing student housing software,” according to its website.
Reuban Rodriguez, VCU Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Student Affairs, said the decision to update the guest policy “really speaks well to our students and the security we have in the residence halls.”
To get ahead of the process, sign in to StarRez and select the “Visitors” tab at the top of the screen. “Register a New Visitor” and provide as much information as possible. This registration, though making sign-in at informations desk more efficient, does not nullify the process itself.
Residents are permitted no more than three guests at any given time, and must have their roommate(s)’ consent to host. Guests may be hosted for no more than three consecutive nights and no more than six nights total in any given 30-day period.
Zach Joachim, Executive Editor
