Residence Contract & Handbook
Current Students
Residence Contract & Handbook
Events
St. Jerome’s University Mission Statement
St. Jerome's University is a public Roman Catholic University federated with the University of Waterloo, historically associated with the educational vision of the Congregation of the Resurrection. We are committed to learning and academic excellence; the gospel of values of love, truth and justice; and the formation of leaders for the service of the community and the Church. In all of our activities and practices, St. Jerome's University functions within the context of the Roman Catholic tradition and the principles of academic freedom.
The SJU Residence Experience
Community
Our pride is our community: the friendships, the spirit, the common interests, the shared responsibility and the call to action. It gives us energy, it gives us perspective, it gives us pause. It’s the debate in class that becomes conversation over dinner and draws us together as lifelong friends. As residents of St. Jerome’s University, we are a community that represents diversity, inclusiveness and acceptance.
Tradition
Our tradition: giving hundreds of hours to local charities, sporting team colours to cheer on our floor mates, friends gathering to sing “happy birthday”, community meals, roommates who share their care packages and make sure we’re always up for class.
Engagement
We’re deeply engaged: in our studies, in our interests, in our communities and abroad. We’re curious, inspired, committed and we value the interconnectedness of our global community. We’re partners in sustainability and environmentalism. We’re dreamers, doers, talkers and actors.
Proud
We’re proud of our community: proud to be part of 150 years of active social justice and community service that is strongly linked with academic success and our mission to educate the “whole person”. We’re also proud of our Catholic values, unique traditions, mealtime rituals and that genuine feeling that everyone counts, everyone contributes. and everyone has something to offer.
Living is Learning
It starts with you: it lives in every room and it is the one thing that will stay with you forever.
Living in Community
At SJU, a residence is far more than a convenient place to live on campus—it's a vibrant community where you'll learn and grow. In addition to the academic challenges you'll encounter at university, the daily experience of living alongside fellow students will push you to expand your self-awareness and understanding of others. Lasting friendships will be forged, and you'll have the opportunity to actively contribute to the quality of university and residence life.
Living at SJU means being part of a close-knit community. You'll find numerous opportunities to get involved, with various committees, activities, and events that foster interactions among residents, helping you develop friendships and build a strong sense of belonging. Living together necessitates that each resident takes responsibility for fostering an environment of mutual respect and cooperation, essential for successful community living.
You'll find that what you get out of SJU is directly proportional to what you put in. So, come ready and willing to engage with others, step out of your comfort zone, have a ton of fun, and become a more curious, well-rounded, and inspired individual, ready to make a meaningful difference!
Residence Handbook and Contract
This handbook is designed to give you the information you need about residence at St. Jerome's University. Please read the contents carefully.
SJU reserves the right to amend, alter or add to the policies of the residence at any time. SJU reserves the right to take any steps necessary to preserve the safety, security and well-being of the residents and/or residence property. Such steps include, but are not restricted to, the right to terminate a residence contract without financial penalty to SJU.
The 2023-2024 Residence Handbook is considered part of your Residence Contract and you are therefore bound by its terms and conditions. Please review both documents carefully.
How the Residence Handbook and Contract is Administered
Residence conduct policies are outlined in the Residence Handbook. Our conduct process is rooted in our goal to develop the ‘whole person’ by encouraging students to take ownership and accountability for their behaviour. This process is guided by relevant student development theories, restorative justice principles, and our community values.
Incident Reports
An incident report is submitted for a variety of reasons, including when there are potential policy violations. Incident reports are created by Residence Life student-staff and are documented in a secure conduct management database. Incident reports include individual names involved, names of witnesses, and details of the incident. It is then submitted to Student Affairs for review and is handled confidentially.
Incident reports help Student Affairs understand common challenges with current policies and identify trends across residences to inform the education of students and response to conduct.
Review Process
A Student Affairs staff member will review the incident report and determine next steps if required based on the details of the report.
Possible outcomes:
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A mandatory follow-up meeting with a Don or with Student Affairs staff. Failure to attend or schedule a mandatory meeting may result in temporary suspension of fob access to the residence buildings or an outcome determined based on the available information.
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The Incident report is closed because the review determined the student’s behaviour did not meet the threshold required for a sanction
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A sanction is issued.
Sanctions
Our work is focused on ensuring we are meeting the needs of the individual while at the same time meeting the needs of the community. Sanctions are designed to help students learn from their mistakes and to restore harm caused to the community. Sanctions include, but are not limited to:
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Follow-up meeting with a Don and/or Student Affairs staff member to reflect on the harm caused to the community and next steps to restore trust
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Warning letter
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Participation in a healing circle or mediation
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Community service
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Fines
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Being served with a trespass notice
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Notice of Behaviour
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Behavioural Contract
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University of Waterloo Policy 71 (Student Discipline) notice to the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies
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Relocation within residence
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Suspension from residence
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Termination of Residence Contract
Sanctions will be issued through a letter to the student’s University of Waterloo email. Please review the Residence Handbook carefully to learn more about residence policies and sanctions.
Support Persons
Students are eligible to bring a support person. A support person does not have a participatory role in the meeting. The role of a support person is to support the emotional needs of the student.
Balance of Probabilities
Sanctions are issued using the standard of proof known as balance of probabilities. Sanctions are made at the end of a review when the Student Affairs staff member concluded the incident report is more likely to be true than not based on all the facts presented at that time.
Appeal Process
If students believe a sanction was imposed unfairly, with prejudice, and/or in a manner that is not in accordance with the Residence Contract or applicable legislation, they have the opportunity to appeal the sanction. Filing an appeal does not defer the sanction under appeal. Please review the Residence Handbook carefully to learn more about the appeals process.