Safety and Well-being Protocol

We follow all state and federal rules and regulations. All members of the Housing staff are committed to ensuring a safe environment.​

• Community Assistants do community walk-throughs every night for each neighborhood.
• Two Community Directors are on duty 24/7 to respond to unexpected events.

Most halls are accessed by residents using their Mason ID card. Swipe access is limited to residents of each building and designated staff. Many students also use their ID card to access their suite and/or bedroom. Other residents use a key to access their suite/bedroom. Student apartments and townhouses have exterior doors, and use hard keys.

While we do our part to maintain your safety, we expect you to do yours, too. You should never exchange, duplicate, or give a key or entry card to your building or room to anyone else. If you lose one, report it immediately to your Neighborhood desk.

If you find yourself in an emergency situation, contact 911. The dispatch officer will need your name, location, and the nature of the emergency.

When the fire alarm sounds, evacuate the building immediately and report to your designated assembly area. We encourage you to become familiar with your building Evacuation Plans posted on every floor and residential space door that identify primary and alternate evacuation routes. Specific instructions on how to evacuate a building are documented in the university’s Emergency Evacuation Guide. The university also maintains a Fire Safety Plan that is available to faculty and staff at ehs.gmu.edu which outlines the strategies and procedures used to protect buildings and work areas from fires.

Room Inspections

• The Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office conducts annual inspections of residence halls. Violations must be corrected within 30 days and are subject to re-inspection. If not corrected, students may be subject to fines, judicial procedures, eviction from the halls and/or criminal prosecution.
• Housing staff conduct health and safety inspections each semester that identify fire code violations, as well as violations to university and Housing regulations that are listed in the Resident Student Handbook (PDF).

You'll be notified in advance before your living space is up for inspection; you don't have to be there for it. Two staff members enter occupied spaces to conduct the inspection and to document violations. A notice of inspection will be shared with the residents, and you are expected to resolve violations quickly. Spaces that are in violation are subject to re-inspection. The enclosed guide explains of the nest steps after a violation is identified inside a residential space.  For any Health and Safety Inspection related questions, contact the Housing Safety and Emergency Management Team at Nightops@gmu.edu or your Community Director.