Campus Life

Congratulations on being accepted to live in Wagner College’s off -campus apartments at Grymes Hill. Because of your outstanding residential and academic history, you have been given the opportunity to become a member of this vibrant community. While residing in your Grymes Hill apartment, you are now not only a neighbor, but a representative of Wagner College. We hope this is a role you will remember when interacting with the diverse population of the apartments. As a new member of this community we expect that you will start forming strong relationships with existing neighbors to ensure a happy and healthy co-existence for everyone in Grymes Hill.

 

Like all residence areas on campus, the Grymes Hill apartments are staffed with students, graduate students, and a full-time professional from the Office of Residential Education. The apartments are overseen by a graduate assistant resident director (ARD) and a full-time professional resident director (RD). The office for the ARD and RD are located in Guild Hall (soon to be in Foundation Hall). The ARD lives in Guild Hall, while the RD resides within the Grymes Hill complex. Additionally, several departments at the College, including Residential Education, Athletics, and Theater have staff living in apartments in the complex.

 

Know your Neighbors
The first step in fostering good relations with your neighbors is to get to know them, and the best way to get to know them is to introduce yourself. When problems arise in the future, they’ll be easier to resolve if you already know the people involved.

Be Considerate
Your schedule is probably very different from your neighbors, including some of your fellow students. Within your own building, you may have a student teacher living above you, a family with small children next door, and an elderly couple across the courtyard. Mutual respect is important: you shouldn't blast your stereo at 2 am for the same reason that your upstairs neighbor shouldn’t jazzercise at 6 am. Both are inconsiderate.

Keep it Clean
Nobody likes seeing trash in their yard and—clean up after yourself! Pick up your newspapers; recycle or return your cans and bottles. In general, keep things tidy. If you are receiving free newspapers that you do not read or want, contact the paper to have them discontinue service. Discard of cigarette butts in a respectful manner.

 

Everyone interacts with their neighbors at some time or another. It is better to do so under positive circumstances, rather than when someone is upset. By establishing relationships ahead of time, your neighbor will know to call you first, rather than the police.

• Some residents of Grymes Hill have lived on Staten Island their entire lives – and maybe they know the perfect out-of-the-way place to take your next date, or the best restaurant to visit when your parents are in town. So use your neighbor as a resource
• Most of you will leave campus at some time for fall, winter, or spring breaks. A good neighbor can collect your mail, water your plants, or at least keep an eye out on your apartment or your car while you’re gone. Do the same for them.
• The local residents are full of great advice – from the closest video store, a great place to worship, or in dire needs – a great and trustworthy mechanic.
• Even with grocery stores just down the hill, there are times when you need an egg or just ran out of sugar. A good neighbor can be a great convenience.

In all of these situations, neighbors can help, but only if you have taken the time to get to know them. This does not mean that you have to be “best friends” with your neighbors, but you should be aware of the advantages and downright pleasantness of cultivating mutually-respectful relationships with folks living near you. Remember that your lifestyle and the condition of your home make an impact on your neighborhood, and your neighbors’ perceptions about you.

Building Positive Neighbor Relationships:

• Respect your living space and the space around it. Take care of your apartment and the building. Dispose of trash and litter properly and regularly.
• Respect your neighbors, their privacy and their right to a livable, safe environment and quality of life.
• Respect your neighborhood. Treat your new neighborhood just like your hometown.
• Take the first step and introduce yourself to your new neighbors.
• Know that your behavior influences your neighbors' image of all college students and Wagner College.
• Make sure your guests treat your property, your neighbors, your neighbor's property and the neighborhood with respect.
• Be understanding of your neighbors. Know that your neighbors most likely do not follow a student lifestyle and the hours you may keep. Respect their lifestyle and their sleep.
• If you are a smoker, be aware of your habits and their affects on others. Be careful about smoking on the stoop, in front of windows, at the entryway to an apartment, or any other place where your smoke may adversely affect others. Please dispose of all cigarette butts in the proper place, do not litter.
• If you are talking on a cell phone outside, please be aware of the volume of your voice, and try to keep it to a minimum. Voices carry, especially at night.

 

Maintenance and related issues are handled by both Grymes Hill and Wagner College. However, all communication, regardless of the type of issue, should be reported through the Grymes Hill Residence Director (RD). The RD will log all problems and forward the requests to the appropriate department.

Facilities and Amenities

Routine problems with facility issues—plumbing, electrical, and other general maintenance concerns – will be forwarded to the Grymes Hill maintenance department. In the case of an emergency (a burst pipe, etc.), you may contact the Grymes Hill maintenance department directly at 718-743-8030 x 177 . Please make sure you then contact the Grymes Hill RD at 718-390-3142.

Cable

Cable is provided to the apartments through an arrangement by the College with Time-Warner. The cable contract, and any problems or concerns with cable are handled by the College Information Technology (IT) department.

Internet

Most apartments in Grymes Hill are not equipped with College Internet access. For those few apartments that do have College Internet, all problems are handled by IT. For students who contract Internet services from out outside company, all concerns should be forward directly to the provider. The College will not be able to address any Internet issues from outside sources.

Phone

The College does not provide telephone service in the Grymes Hill apartments, although students are allowed to set up service independently. All concerns should be forwarded directly to your phone company.

Pest Control

Pest control is handled by an outside exterminator contracted by the Grymes Hill management. The exterminator visits Grymes Hill weekly. Any request must be submitted to the RD.

Laundry

Grymes Hill operates two on-site laundry facilities. They are located at 41 Arlo Road and 504 Howard Avenue.

Entry into Your Apartment

When possible, we will try to notify you in advance when work is scheduled to occur in your apartment. You do not need to be present in your apartment for work to occur, and in most cases, College or Grymes Hill staff can enter to perform needed work. However, if you prefer to be present when work is occurring, you must indicate so when you submit the request. If you have reported a problem, please make sure your personal property has been moved away from the problem area.

Garbage/Recycling

One of the easiest ways to make great neighbors is to manage your trash in an appropriate and respectful way. Trash must be appropriately bagged, tied, and discarded. You may never leave trash at the curb or on your stoops. If other neighbors – even permanent residents of Grymes Hill – are disposing of their trash in this way, don’t follow their lead. You will be notified, either by the RD or the Grymes Hill management, if your trash is wrongly discarded or placed and you’ll be expected to correct the situation immediately. Grymes Hill has designated trash rooms and pads throughout the complex. Please place garbage and recyclables in the correct container.

Trash rooms are located behind the following apartments:
28 Arlo Road, 34 Arlo Road, 55 Arlo Road, 60 Arlo Road, 91 Arlo Road, 107 Arlo Road
Trash pads on Howard Avenue are located in the corrals in front of the apartments.

Remember that you are also responsible for common areas around your apartment. Entryways, hallways, courtyards, and front stoops are all shared with the larger community, so please do your part in cleaning up after yourselves (and your guests), and encourage others to do the same.

Pets

Wagner students living in the Grymes Hill apartments are not allowed to have any pets in their apartments except for fish. No other pets are allowed, even to visit or pet-sit.

Parking Information

Parking is extremely limited during the academic year. There are designated spaces throughout Grymes Hill and on campus for student parking. Parking lots located on Grymes Hill property are for vehicles with Grymes Hill parking permits only. Vehicles without proper permits will be towed at the owner’s expense.

Wagner College does not provide permits to students; however, students may submit an application for a permit directly to Grymes Hill management. The permits are currently priced at (per month):

$88.00 for a parking space in a lot
$110 for non-heated garage
$138 for heated garage

Parking for students is allowed on the street without a specific permit. However, students should make sure their cars are parked legally. Avoid parking in designated handicap areas, bus stops, blocking entry or exit points, or in “half” spots (a small portion of the car is in a legal area, while the bulk of the car is in a yellow zone). Students in Grymes Hill are allowed to park in either the Tiers or West parking lots. Students walking to or from these lots from Grymes Hill may request a security escort from the Public Safety Main Gate. Visitors to Grymes Hill are subject to the same rules as residents. Please do not allow your visitors to park illegally at any time.

Transportation

The S60 bus travels from between Clove Road and Arlo Road along Howard Avenue. A number of bus lines run along Victory Boulevard, most of which terminate at the St. George ferry terminal. The S53 bus, which runs along Clove Road, crosses the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn. A full bus schedule can be located online at www.mta.info and is available in the Dean of Campus Life Office.

Additionally, see the Wagner College Public Safety website for information regarding the shuttle bus to and from the Staten Island Ferry, which makes a stop in the Grymes Hill apartment complex.  Wagner College also offers limited shuttle service to and from the campus in the evening hours.  Please call the Public Safety Main Gate at 718-390-3148 to request this service.

Safety and Security

The safety of our students is an important consideration for the College. Even though the Grymes Hill apartments are not directly on campus, they are staffed by members of the Office of Residential Education and patrolled by Public Safety.

• Public Safety officers conduct rounds of the Grymes Hill apartments.
• The Grymes Hill apartments are also occupied by students from St. John’s University, and its security department has a regular presence in the complex.
• For routine safety questions or assistance, students should contact the Public Safety Main Gate at 718-390-3148.  In any emergency situation, residents should contact 911 directly, and follow up as quickly as possible with a call to the Public Safety Main Gate.

Personal Safety

• Use your peephole to identify the person who is knocking before you open the door.
• When traveling after dark, try to arrange to walk or ride with friends or request an escort from the Public Safety Main Gate.
• Walk with confidence and don’t hesitate to switch to the other side of the street if you suspect that you are being followed.
• Call home before you begin to walk to let your roommates know where you are and when to expect you home.
• Always have your keys in hand before you approach your car or apartment, and look around before you open the door.
• Keep your door locked at all times, even when you are home.
• Never leave an extra key outside for any reason.
• The second floor common hallway door should be closed and locked at all times.

Expectations of Behavior

Even though the Grymes Hill apartments are not located on Wagner’s physical campus, they are considered campus housing. All College policies, including the Community Standards of Behavior and relevant residential policies, apply. Policies apply to both undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, because of the special relationship between the College and Grymes Hill, there is a greater expectation that students will follow these policies, and the policies of Grymes Hill and be respectful to the other residents in the apartments. A complete listing of Wagner College policies is in the Student Handbook.

Noise

• All second floor apartments are required to have wall-to-wall carpeting with ½” padding in all rooms in order to reduce noise. All noise complaints can be reported to the Grymes Hill RD office.
• Quiet and courtesy hours exist in the Grymes Hill apartments, as well as on main campus. Quiet hours begin at 10 pm every night (including weekends) and conclude at 9 am the following morning.
• Courtesy hours are in effect 24-hours a day. If someone approaches you and makes a reasonable request regarding noise (for example, turning down your stereo at 6 pm), you are obligated to try and honor the request.
• You are not expected to be silent while in your apartment, but rather to keep noise at a reasonable level. Walking on a creaky floor, flushing the toilet, or closing a bedroom door all create noise that can be heard by others, but is well within a reasonable standard. However, dancing or exercising on that creaky floor or repeatedly slamming doors is not considered reasonable and may be addressed.

Public Areas

• Large gatherings, especially at night, may present significant concerns for neighbors. For example courtyards – while providing a pleasant place to congregate – actually compound the problems of noise.
• Courtyards are available for residential use during appropriate daytime and evening hours. After dark and during quiet hours, large gatherings in the courtyards are not permitted.
• Alcohol may never be consumed in any public area – courtyards, sidewalks, parking lots, laundry areas, stoops, etc.

Hosting gatherings appropriately

We recognize that college is a social time for many students and we actually encourage students to engage in appropriate, respectful social time with peers and friends. However, students must realize that their behaviors do affect a larger community. We offer the following suggestions to help to minimize any disruption to the larger community. It should not be viewed as an endorsement of any perceived or actual behavior.

The College does not prohibit social gatherings within the Grymes Hill apartments.  However, all social gatherings must follow applicable policies, including those on serving alcohol and noise.  The number of people, including residents of the apartment, at any social gathering is limited to 10, regardless of the size of the apartment.  Students are responsible for all activities of their guests while the guests are in the Grymes Hill complex.  A guest is any person not assigned to a particular apartment.

• Notify your neighbors in advance when you are hosting a gathering. The day of the event, provide them with your name and a contact number where you can be reached. You should prefer your neighbors calling you first, instead of calling Public Safety or NYPD. If you receive a call, make sure you rectify the situation immediately.
• Keep in mind that just because your neighbors know about the gathering doesn't mean that you can be as loud as you want to be for as long as you want to be.
• Have a designated start and end time for your gathering. No gathering should ever go beyond 11 pm on weeknights or 12 midnight on weekends.
• Make sure you personally know everyone at your gathering. Open gatherings can easily get out of control and attract attention to your home. You are limited to 10 people at any gathering, including you and your apartment mates.
• Periodically walk outside to check the noise level. If the noise from the gathering can be heard outside, adjust it immediately. Keep doors and windows closed to help control noise or music.
• Tell your guests to be quiet when arriving and leaving the gathering.
• If you choose to serve alcohol, be sure that everyone present is at least 21 years old. If even one person is under the age of 21, you have violated College policy.
Have ample non-alcoholic drinks available and visible. Not every guest who wants to socialize will want to drink. Be sure to provide substantial amounts and types of food.
• Provide appropriate trash receptacles inside your apartment. Do not allow people to take any trash outside of your apartment.
• Do not allow your guests to use the outdoors as a bathroom facility. It is unlawful to urinate or defecate in a public place or on private property. This is a serious offense that is punishable by a fine and incarceration.

Wagner College Meal Plan

Meal plans are not included with the housing fees for graduate students.  Meal plans need to be purchased separately through Chartwells.  

Accomodations & Amenities

Three graduate students share an apartment.  Two students will live together in the larger room, and one student will reside in a smaller single room.  Singles are billed at the same rate as double rooms.  Apartments may be co-ed as long as each room houses students of the same sex.  Students living in the same apartment share a living room, bathroom, and kitchen.  Housing charges are applied to each student's account and should be paid to the Business Office. The cost of each apartment includes heat, hot water, cable, electricity costs up to $90 per month, a bed, dresser, desk and chair for each student, a kitchen with a stove and refrigerator, and access to laundry facilities.  

 

As noted above, all students in Grymes Hill are responsible for following College policies. All complaints received by the College or the Grymes Hill management are investigated.

Students may be held individually responsible for violations that occur in Grymes Hill. The occupants of entire apartments may also be held responsible if the facts suggest the entire apartment was involved.

Minor complaints may be handled informally, usually by a required meeting with the Grymes Hill RD. Any possible violations of the Community Standards of Conduct will result in a judicial meeting with a member of the Office of Residential Education or the Dean of the College office. Students found individually or collectively responsible for violations of the Community Standards of Conduct will be sanctioned according to the procedure outlined in the Student Handbook.

Persistent violations and complaints, or even one-time violations can result in a change in housing status. In the most serious cases, students can be suspended or expelled from the College or suspended from College housing. If a violation does not rise to this level, an additional sanction may require the students to relocate from the Grymes Hill apartments into vacancies on the main campus. Students in this situation may be placed in any available vacancy, including any extended, overflow housing space, or triple room. Students removed from Grymes Hill are not eligible to return to the apartments during their college career.

Whether you are a student or a Grymes Hill resident any issue that you want the College to be aware of needs to be reported at least one of three ways:

• Through the Resident Director (RD): The RD is available in their office from 10am-5pm Monday through Friday and can be contacted directly to report any issues. Once made aware of any issue the RD can react appropriately to the situation. The RD number is (718) 390-3142.
• Through the RA on Duty: The RA on duty is available daily from 8pm-8am. The RAs are trained to respond to a variety of situations including any policy violations. The RA on duty can be reached through the desk attendant at (718) 390-7359.
• Through Public Safety: Public Safety is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.. If you need assistance they are available at (718) 390-3148.

Once issues are reported the RD of Grymes Hill will follow up with those students involved. Situations are more easily resolved with direct communication to Wagner College following one of the avenues described above. Please remember that open communication with your neighbor is the best solution, however we are here to help when needed. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call the RD.

Grymes Hill Contact Information

Office of Residential Education	718-390-3420	resed@wagner.edu
Guild Hall/Grymes Hill RD Office	718-390-3142	guild@wagner.edu
Erol Kavountzis, RD for Guild & Grymes Hill	718-390-3142	erol.kavountzis@wagner.edu
Public Safety	718-390-3165
Public Safety Main Gate	718-390-3148
Information Technology	718-390-3410
Dean of Campus Life Office	718-390-3423

Grymes Hill
Grymes Hill General Number 718-743-8030
Grymes Hill Maintenance Number 718 442 5663 (weekend) 718-743-8030 x 177(emergency)
Phil DeBiasi, Site Manager 718-743-8030 ext 177

New York City
Fire Department & Police Department (emergency): 911
Police Department (non-emergency): 311

We hope that you are able to use this information to help you in living in the Grymes Hill apartments. If any of your questions are unable to be answered within this booklet, please use the contact information on the following page.

We look forward to a great year and, with your help, further building the relationship with Wagner College and the surrounding community.