Good Neighbor Registration

10 Laws of Amherst You Should Know

10 Laws of Hadley You Should Know

Good Neighbor Registration requests can be submitted via this link: Google Forms

All registration requests must be approved by a member of Off Campus Student Life staff. For gatherings with an anticipated attendance under 75 people, follow the normal process of filling out the form and scheduling a first time registrant meeting (if applicable). For any gathering request with anticipated attendance over 75, you must additionally notify Off Campus Student Life at least a week in advance. Please email jmaspo@umass.edu to get the conversation started.

Our noise mitigation program, Good Neighbor Registration (GNR) is open to UMass students living in Amherst and Hadley. Registered addresses that are the subject of a noise complaint will receive a one time courtesy call from the police department in lieu of a police response. Should subsequent complaints come in, police will respond as usual. Officers can issue $300 citations for noise, so this program helps save you money and keep your neighbors happy!

If you have any questions, please contact us at ocsc@sacl.umass.edu

Please be advised that when there is a campus closure, including holidays and snow days, GNR meetings will not be available.

Registration requests are open for Fridays and Saturdays in Amherst and Hadley, and may not be made in advance of the current week. All parts of the registration process must be complete by the weekly deadline. Students are considered "first time registrants" if they have not registered previously in the semester.

Weekly registration request deadline: Thursday at 3pm

Link to the registration form: Google Forms

Link to book a registration meeting: Microsoft Bookings

For gatherings with an anticipated attendance under 75 people, follow the normal process of filling out the form and scheduling a first time registrant meeting (if applicable).

For any gathering request with anticipated attendance over 75, you must notify Off Campus Student Life at least a week in advance. Please email jmaspo@umass.edu to get the conversation started- don't fill out this form in advance. Registrations that do not meet this headway will not be approved.

First time registrants

1. Fill out the registration form (link above) with your information. Be sure to read all questions and instructions.
2. Schedule a 15-minute virtual meeting (link above) with a member of Off Campus Student Life Staff.
3. Attend the meeting with the staff member. Note: the bookings system uses Microsoft Teams. You will be sent an auto generated email with the link when you book the appointment.
4. If approved, staff member will send you an email confirming your registration.

Returning registrants (for students who have successfully registered previously in the semester)

1. Fill out the registration form (link above) with your information. Be sure to read all questions and instructions.
2. If approved, a staff member will send you an email confirming your registration.

Disqualifications

If your registered gathering results in police action, such as a fine for unlawful noise or an arrest, your house is disqualified from the program from the remainder of the semester. In addition to disqualification due to police action, we also operate a "3-strike" system with courtesy calls:

1. The first time you receive a courtesy call, we follow up with you via email to check in, start a conversation about the gathering, and offer tips to avoid problems in the future. If you hosted a gathering of over 75 people and did not discuss it in advance with Off Campus Student Life, this will be a 1-on-1 meeting instead.

2. If you receive a courtesy call for a second time at another registered gathering, we follow up with a 1-on-1 meeting and have a larger discussion to correct any issues and formulate a game plan going forward. This meeting must take place before you register again.

3. If you receive a third courtesy call, your house is disqualified for the remainder of the semester.

Disqualified houses are reset every semester. For example, if you are disqualified in the fall, you are welcome to register again in the spring.

Be nice to your neighbors.

Registering your gathering keeps your neighbors happier because noise and nuisance complaints can be resolved quickly and effectively.

Show some love to your town.

Resolving noise and nuisance complaints quickly and effectively saves Town of Amherst resources. This means there is more money to go around for things like planting trees, care of parks, and public events.

Stay out of trouble.

Registering your gathering can help you avoid arrest, criminal record, and/or discipline under the UMass Amherst Code of Student Conduct.

Save money.

Fines for noisy or out of control parties can cost you and your friends hundreds of dollars.

Good Neighbor Registration (GNR) is available to UMass students hosting a gathering on a Friday or Saturday in Amherst or Hadley. GNR is ultimately a noise mitigation program. As part of the process, we meet one-on-one with registrants to go over expectations and tips for successful gatherings, which has been largely successful. A common misconception is that students have to be hosting a "party" in order to register. In fact, many students register even if they're just having a few friends over because they like the peace of mind that a courtesy call can bring. We're happy to note that in the 2022-2023 school year, only 8% of registered gatherings resulted in a noise complaint.

What can I do if I have an issue with noise?

While Off Campus Student Life (OCSL) facilitates the registration process each week, the Amherst or Hadley police departments respond to any issues. If an issue arises, the best thing to do is to call your local police department and file a noise complaint. If the address is registered, police will give the registrant a call and let them know a complaint has been lodged. That's their cue to quiet things down. If the issue persists and another complaint comes in, police will respond to the address. Please note that police departments nationally are dealing with staffing issues. We ask for your patience and to give them time as they respond, particularly on busy, warm weekends.

What does the registration meeting look like?

The registration process is specific to the student registering, not the house. The first time a student registers in a semester (regardless of how many times they have registered in the past), they must schedule a meeting with a member of OCSL staff before their gathering. We go over the basics of the program, as well as the specific registration details they provide. We specifically frame GNR not as a license to party, but as a way of having some quieter fun that respects the lifestyles of those living around them, with the courtesy call serving as a sign that it's time to break things up. Topics we discuss include: the importance of exchanging contact information and getting to know neighbors, discussing gatherings with neighbors ahead of time, music noise vs voice noise and how it can easily travel far, keeping things small, timing/wrapping gatherings up early, how to call for help if an issue arises, respecting resident sleep schedules, and understanding that not everyone in Amherst is a student.

Is there any follow up action taken if problems come up?

The police department has the power to issue noise fines in cases of unlawful noise. If a registered address is issued a noise fine or other enforcement action is taken, the address is disqualified for the semester. If lesser issues arise, OSCL follows up with students and takes additional steps, such as meeting with them to discuss the issues and reset expectations before they can register again. We work closely with other campus offices and town departments, such as Sorority and Fraternity Life, Inspections, etc. to provide the most appropriate response to a given situation. In addition to disqualification due to police action, we also operate a "3-strike" system to cut back on repeated noise complaints and work with students to correct these issues:

1. The first time there's a courtesy call made to a registered gathering, we follow up with the registrant via email to check in, start a conversation about the gathering, and offer tips to avoid problems in the future.

2. If a courtesy call is made at a second registered gathering that semester, we follow up with a 1-on-1 meeting and have a larger discussion to correct the behavior.

3. If an address receives a third courtesy call, they are disqualified for the semester.

Questions?

If you have general questions about the program not answered here, you can reach out to us at ocsc@sacl.umass.edu. Our normal office hours are Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.