Visitation

Overview

In order to maintain a safe and secure community that is conducive to studying and learning, the Residential Life Office has developed a visitation policy in conjunction with the Public Safety Department. The privilege to have guests is based upon the guideline of mutual respect and balance; one resident’s right to have guests does not supersede another’s right to safety or reasonable privacy. In particular, it is expected that residents who share a space will be:

  • Courteous to one another
  • Communicate
  • Show willingness to make compromises, and
  • Act in good faith in the matter of guests

The presence of a guest in a space must not compromise the personal or academic well-being of room/suitemates or other building residents. Residents are responsible for the behavior of their guest(s) at all times and should a guest's presence create a disturbance or disruption to the community, that individual may be asked to leave by a staff member. Failure to comply with this policy can lead to student conduct action.

The term “guest” may refer to either a residential student (e.g., when they are being hosted by another student in a room or building other than their own) or a non-FIT-affiliate. All guests, whether affiliates or non-affiliates, must abide by all relevant policies. 

Dates

Fall & Spring Semesters

Visitation begins the first day of classes for the fall and spring semester as outlined within the FIT Academic Calendar and concludes on the dates outlined below. 

Fall 2026 visitation dates

  • Starts: Monday, August 31st, 2026 at 9:00 AM (First day of Fall 2026 semester)
  • Ends: Friday, December 11th, 2026 at 9:00 AM

Spring 2027 visitation dates

  • Starts: Monday, January 25th, 2027 at 9AM (First day of Spring 2027 semester)
  • Ends: Friday May 7th, 2027 at 9:00 AM

Winter & Summer Sessions

Visitation dates for the winter and summer semesters are outlined with the dates specified below. 

Winter 2027 visitation dates

  • Starts: Monday, January 4th 2027 at 9:00 AM (First day of winter 2027 semester)
  • Ends: January 20th 2027 at 9:00 AM

Summer 2027 visitation dates

  • Starts: Monday, May 24th, 2027 at 9:00 AM (First day of summer 2027 semester)
  • Ends: Monday, August 2nd, 2027 at 9:00 AM

Important note: There may be certain times of the year, such as but not limited to emergency make-up days, semester breaks or exam periods, when these guest policies may be restricted or modified. Students will be notified via their FIT email when any such changes occur. Any modifications or exceptions to these guest policies must be approved by the Office of Residential Life. 

For residents who are graduating, moving off campus and/or not returning to campus housing for the following semester, you will receive additional information from Residential Life staff during the year. 

Policies

All visitation policies and are outlined in the policy library which can be viewed on your Housing Portal, listed below are a few reminders. You must use the Housing Portal to register a guest, DO NOT use the link on your myFIT page.

  •  A Resident Host is responsible for the actions of their guest(s) in the residence hall building, room, or suite in which that host resides and will be held accountable for any violations of FIT policy and/or for any theft, injury to person or property resulting from the behavior of their guests, regardless of whether that guest is a fellow FIT student or not.
  • FIT students who engage in disruptive or volatile behavior while a guest in a residence hall or a room/suite will also personally be held accountable for their actions.
  • Matters involving the problematic behavior of a guest may be managed through administrative actions (e.g. disallowing a guest from entering FIT’s residence halls on a temporary or permanent basis), through the FIT student conduct process, or may be referred to local law enforcement when deemed appropriate.
  • Should a guest who engages in volatile behavior be a student at another college or university, FIT reserves the right to report that individual’s behavior to their home institution.
  • Overnight guests are not to sleep in hall lounges or other public spaces.
  • No person under the age of 18 will be permitted as an Overnight Visitor
  • All persons under the age of 18 must be always accompanied by a legal parent or guardian while acting as a day visitor. 

When the guest arrives at the residence hall, they will have to present an acceptable physical form of photo ID in order to be signed into a residence hall. Acceptable forms of photo ID are: 

  • a U. S. state-issued driver license, 
  • a U. S. State-issued non-driver identification, 
  • a student ID from a high school or another college or university, 
  • a passport, or another government ID; including foreign governments’ IDs. If a foreign government’s ID in another language is presented, a corresponding passport must be displayed for verification. 

Forms of identification that are not acceptable : 

  • bank cards, telephone and credit cards, insurance cards 
  • photos or photocopies of accepted forms of identification

The photo ID will be held at the Campus Safety Desk for the duration of the visit. (Students are expected to inform their guests in advance that a valid photo ID will be required to enter the building.) The resident host must come to the lobby, sign-in their guest, and is required to always escort their guest. 

At the end of a visit, that same host must accompany their guests to the lobby to sign them out in the guest register. Proof of identification will be returned at this time. 

Roommate / Suitemate Considerations

Whenever a resident has a concern about the presence of a guest in the room, they should first approach the room/suitemate whom the guest is visiting to express their concerns and to seek to resolve the issues before contacting their RA or REC.