On Monday, the University announced a new Minor Guest Policy, which dictates that minors visiting Georgetown students living in all on-campus housing are now required to have a signed permission slip to stay overnight. Visitors under the age 16 are not permitted to enter residences unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
“Georgetown University is committed to constantly strengthening our ‘culture of care’ on campus, [and] an important part of this work is creating a safe environment for minors who spend time here,” said Assistant Dean for Residential Living Stephanie Lynch.
The policy, however, will not impact Georgetown’s first-year students who have not yet come of age. “All [Georgetown] students, regardless of age, can host a minor guest,” said Lynch. “Georgetown students under the age of 18 do not need any special permissions to visit or stay with friends.”
If individuals under 18 arrive without a parental permission form, their parents will be contacted by an employee of the resident’s RHO. In the event that a minor needs to acquire a guest pass when the RHO is closed, Georgetown University Chief of Police Jay Gruber said that the GUPD office under Village C would serve “the same capacity as RHO.”
When the University adopted a Protection of Minors Policy in October 2012, the initial requirements only applied to official university events and did not include a policy for minors visiting overnight.
“We’ve taken a comprehensive approach to this work [safety], prompted by changing times and situations, and always with an eye towards continuing to uphold the moral principles that have guided us as a Jesuit institution,” said Lynch. “This policy reflects best practices as seen on other campuses across the country.”
