Residence Updates and Information
August 29, 2021
We are able to accommodate 93% of our typical capacity for 2021-22, which is 4,300 students, including spaces allocated to upper-year student staff. There are 4,140 beds for incoming first-year students. In consultation with local public health, we are not offering triples, quad or loft double rooms, and we are maintaining some isolation spaces. This plan, of course, is subject to the progress of vaccination rollouts, as well as requirements and ongoing guidance from the province and public health.
Residence applications exceeded this year’s capacity, and a lottery was used to determine who would be offered the available spaces. Everyone who did not get offered a space has been placed on a waitlist.
We are committed to providing a safe residence experience for incoming first-year students. You can expect that the following guidelines will be in place:
- Face coverings will be required in all public residence spaces
- Physical distancing and limits on gathering sizes may be required
- Common areas, such as floor lounges, will be open with capacity limits in place.
- Limits on in-person program and activities, particularly in the first six weeks of the term
- Quarantine requirements for international travellers
Vaccination Information
Vaccines are the most critical element in keeping our community safe.
The university has released information regarding vaccination applicable to all students, staff, faculty and visitors.
The university has a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement for all individuals on campus (students, staff, faculty, contractors and visitors). All individuals who are participating in university activities in person much attest to receiving their first dose of a Health Canada or World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccine before they come to campus via an online tool, which is expected to be launched by September 1, and must receive their final required dose of vaccine no later than October 15, 2021.You can see the Queen’s University COVID-19 Vaccination Policy in Residence to further clarify vaccination requirements.
Students living in residence are subject to a vaccination status mandatory disclosure process. Information to date reflects that 98% of students living in residence have indicated that they plan to be vaccinated, including 82% who are already fully vaccinated, and a further 16% have committed to completing the process in the coming weeks.
Update your vaccination status through the Student Residence and Dining Portal as it changes throughout the summer, and ensure it is current within 2 days of your move-in date.
Vaccination clinics will be available during the move-in process.
Residence is more than just a place to stay while you attend university. Here, you’ll have the incredible opportunity to meet and make friends with students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, values and interests from you.
You’ll be invited to participate in a variety of social activities, cultural events and educational programs. We encourage you to try new things and to find the right balance to support your personal and social interests and your health and well-being, as well as your academic goals.
Learn more
Queen’s Residence Life believes in providing an environment where you can feel a sense of belonging, have diverse opportunities to build resiliency, and where you can access support toward achieving academic success.
Learn more about our buildings
Learn more about the services we offer in residence
Know your Deadlines
The residence application deadline of June 8 has passed. To be placed on a waitlist, please contact Reshouse@queensu.ca.
Living in Residence Webinar
Wondering about living in residence in the fall? Learn more about key deadlines and next steps including the room self-selection process.
Residence Room Swap
We are piloting a new initiative to allow student-led room swaps. This opportunity is linked to our new room self-selection process and the intent is to provide an additional opportunity, prior to move-in, to make mutually agreeable room changes. Based on previous feedback, we know that students may want to be closer to specific friends, academic buildings, or amenities. While the self-selection process provided some opportunity to do that, room swaps are intended to be another way to facilitate student preferences. The room swap process will be open August 9 – 20.
In order to make a room swap, find another student to swap with, log in to the Student Residence and Dining Portal and click on the Room Swap icon. You will need to enter the student ID number of the person who has agreed to swap with you, confirm their name, and submit the form to request the swap. The person you are requesting to swap with will receive an email notification to log-in to the portal to confirm the swap.
As part of the Room Swap process, you will be required to attest that neither party has received compensation of any kind and that no undue influence occurred in arranging the swap. Students who are found to have engaged in this behaviour will face consequences, that may include eviction from residence, and additional penalties under the Queen’s Student Code of Conduct.
The Residence Admissions team will receive notification of your confirmed swap and, pending approval, will update your room assignment.
Please note that we reserve the right to deny swaps. Approvals of swaps might not be confirmed until August 24.
Residence Room Swap FAQ’s
How can I find someone to swap with?
We know that students are making connections on a variety of social media platforms. If you’ve not already done so, you should sign up for Raftr, which is the university’s platform for you to connect with others and where Residence Life and your Dons will post information, updates and other details about events and activities throughout the year.
If I swap, do I need to pick a new move-in day or time?
No. The date and time your originally selected will not change. If you would like to change your move-in date and time, you can do so via the Student Residence and Dining Portal.
How and when will I know if my room swap has been approved?
You will receive a confirmation email from the Residence Admissions Team and your room assignment will be updated in Student Residence and Dining Portal. Please note that your request might not be confirmed until August 24.
What if I can’t find someone to swap with?
While we understand that you may be feeling unsure about your room assignment, we really encourage you to give your new community a chance! The residence experience is far more about the people, the connections that you’ll make and new friendships, than where your room is physically located.
Room Self-Selection
*NEW ROOM SELECTION METHOD FOR 2021-2022
We are excited to allow you the option to choose your own residence room through self-selection for the upcoming year.
You will still need to meet the required deadlines for residence application and deposit and to have guaranteed a space in residence to be eligible.
Your self-selection time slot will be sent to your Queen’s email in early July and self-selection will take place from mid to end of July. If you are unable to select during your designated time, you will automatically go into the next self-selection group and so on until everyone has been given the chance to self-select. If a student hasn’t chosen a room when the self-selection period ends, the Residence Admissions office will place students using a randomized lottery using the remaining rooms.
Residence FAQ’s
How many students will be able to live in residence?
We are able to accommodate 93% of our typical capacity for 2021-22, which is 4,300 students, including spaces allocated to upper-year student staff. There are 4,140 beds for incoming first-year students.
What buildings will be open and what room types are available?
All of our residence buildings will be open for the 2021-2022 academic year.
There will be a mix of single, double and single plus rooms available. We will not be offering triples, quads or loft doubles.
Some buildings offer private washrooms; others have a semi-private configuration, and others have communal washrooms. Visit our website to learn more about our buildings and room types.
How will the available spaces be assigned?
You will be able to self-select your room beginning the week of July 12th. You’ll receive your self-selection date and time via your queensu email the week of July 5th. Learn more about self-selection here!
As additional spaces become available, they will be offered to students who didn’t initially receive a space, in order of their lottery number.
I’m on the residence waitlist. What other student housing options are there in Kingston?
There are many private landlords in Kingston that offer a range of housing options. Please visit the Student Community Relations website for more information and advice about renting. We’re offering virtual housemate search events, and additional supports are available from our Off-Campus Living Advisor Adam King. We encourage you to connect with Adam to explore your options.
How much does it cost to live in residence?
Our residence fee schedule is outlined on this page.
Will there be COVID restrictions in place?
The range of COVID restrictions in place in September 2021 will depend on the evolution of the pandemic, the roll-out of vaccines, and the guidance provided by local public officials health at the time.
You can expect that the following guidelines will be in place:
- Face coverings will be required in all public residence spaces
- Physical distancing and limits on gathering sizes may be required
- Common areas, such as floor lounges, will be open with capacity limits in place.
- Limits on in-person program and activities, particularly in the first six weeks of the term
- Quarantine requirements for international travellers
We will continue to be guided by public health advice on what restrictions, if any, can be lifted for the fall.
What are the vaccination requirements in residence?
Vaccines are the most critical element in keeping our community safe.
On August 12 the university announced that a vaccine requirement will be in place for all students, staff, faculty and visitors to campus this fall. Exceptions to this requirement are available only in the rare cases of validated medical or other protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code. Students will be required to submit supporting documentation for these exceptions for review and approval by the university.
We are so pleased to let you know that information from the mandatory disclosure process to date reflects that 99% of students living in residence have indicated that they plan to be vaccinated, including 70% of you who are already fully vaccinated, and a further 29% have committed to completing the process in the coming weeks. For those who have made this commitment, you are required to update your vaccination status, as outlined below.
Please carefully review this policy to ensure you are aware of key dates and additional mandatory responsibilities as a member of the residence community.
When do I move in to residence?
Residence move-in will take place from Wednesday, September 1- Saturday, September 4. You will be able to pick your move-in date and time in early August.
What are the key dates?
- Week of July 5th: Notification of your self-selection date and time
- July 13th – July 29th: Self-selection
- Early August: Move-in date and time selection
- September 1 – 4: Move-In
- Room Swap August 9 – August 20
- Attestations – August 30
Residence Fees
When are residence fees due?
The $525 Residence deposit is due with the residence application on June 8, 2021. The remainder of the Residence fees will be split in two. The first half will be due in late August, 2021, and the second half will be due in early January, 2022. First Year Fee Schedule 2021-2022.
How to pay your deposit:
Your Residence Deposit can be paid by online, telephone banking or by wire transfer. We do not accept cheques or credit cards. Late payments will result in students being placed on our residence wait list.
Please note: telephone and online banking payments can take up to 5 business days to reach our office. Please send your deposit well in advance to ensure your payment is not late.
Residence applications will not be processed until your deposit is received.
For more information on payments made within and outside of Canada, please visit our Residence Fee Page
Refund Policy for First-Year Incoming Undergraduate Students
- $325.00 of your $525.00 deposit is refundable if you cancel in writing to Residence Admissions at reshouse@queensu.ca by July 5, 2021
- No cancellation refunds are available after July 5, 2021.
- Please note that if you cancel your academic offer at Queen’s, you must also cancel your Residence application by contacting Residence Admissions
Living Learning and Preference Based Communities
Living Learning Communities
Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are floors or clusters of rooms where students with similar interests and values live together and engage in creative, social, and educational programming related to the topic of their specific community. Read about our communities.
LLCs provide students with the opportunity to:
- Meet like-minded friends
- Connect with a variety of Queen’s Faculty outside of the classroom
- Share goals, projects, and challenges
- Benefit from peer and professionally-led events created with students’ interests and development in mind
Core LLC Experiences
- Learning Lunches: Shared lunches with faculty or staff members
- Bi-Weekly Community Meetings: Led by LLC Don where current programs and events are discussed
- Leadership Skill-Building Workshops: All members of the LLCs come together to improve leadership skills and network
- LLC Legacy Project: A year-long project that each LLC will pass on to the incoming LLC students
Preference Based Communities
You can also choose to live in one of our four preference based communities. These differ from Living Learning communities as there is not specific programming related to the floor focus, rather, students share a desire to live in these environments. You must choose either of these communities as your first choice on your application to be considered for them. These four communities are the Study floor, Alcohol & Cannabis not preferred community, female identified community (any individual who identifies as a woman) and male identified community (any individual who identifies as a man).
Study Floor
Open to: Students who agree to maintain a consistently quiet environment on the floor. This community is ideal for students looking for a quiet living atmosphere within residence. Residents and their guests both agree to abide by the principles of this floor by maintaining low noise levels.
Alcohol & Cannabis not preferred community
Open to: Students who are willing to make an affirmative commitment to maintaining a living environment free from alcohol, cannabis and other drugs. Led by their Don, students in this community will be asked to take an active role in creating a community agreement that outlines community expectations, norms and desires. You may be interested in this community if you:
- have made a conscious choice not to engage in substance use (alcohol, cannabis or other drugs)
- make this choice based on personal or family history with substance abuse, or addiction, personal or faith-based convictions or for any other reason.
In this community, students will find less peer pressure to use substances and more support in choosing not to consume.
FEMALE IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY
Open to: Students who want to live with individuals who identify as a woman
MALE IDENTIFIED COMMUNITY
Open to: Students who want to live with individuals who identify as a man
Residence Accommodations
If you require specific accommodations – either health or non-health related as part of your residence application, you must submit your request using our required Residence Health/non-Health accommodation forms. The deadline for applying for accommodations was June 8, 2021. While we will consider late submissions, we may be limited in what accommodations we can provide after the deadline. To access the forms and learn more about our accommodation process, please visit our accommodations page.
Roommate Matching
Start your University adventure with a new best friend – your roommate!
On your residence application you will have the opportunity to select double room as your first choice. During the self-selection process, only double rooms will be shown for you to choose from. You will also have the opportunity to set up a roommate group if you have a preferred roommate you want to live with. During self-selection, which ever roommate has the better self-selection time can choose a room you have both agreed on and the other roommate automatically gets allocated to the other bed space.
We strongly encourage all students who are requesting a double room to ensure they are vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as it’s available.