Inviting Guests and Visitors (For Students)

The guest invitation feature lets you register visitors who want to visit your residence hall. Create digital invitations with QR codes that your guests present at the front desk for easy check-in. This guide covers everything you need to know about inviting guests through the resident portal.

Accessing Guest Invitations

Navigate to /guests or /visitors in your resident portal. You'll see:

• New Invitation button — Create a new visitor invitation

• Upcoming list — Future visitors you've invited

• Past list — Previous visitors and completed invitations

• Toggle — Switch between showing all invitations or only upcoming ones

Creating a New Invitation

Click New Invitation to open the invitation form. Here's what you'll fill out:

Basic Visitor Information

For each visitor, provide:

• Full Name — Legal name matching their ID for front desk verification

• Email — Where they'll receive the invitation and QR code

• Phone Number — May be required depending on your institution's policy

• Date of Birth — Required for visitor identification

Visit Dates and Times

Select when your visitor will be on campus:

1. Click the start date and time picker

2. Choose when your guest will arrive and check in

3. Click the end date and time picker

4. Choose when your guest will leave and check out

Inviting Multiple Visitors

To invite more than one person for the same visit:

1. Fill out the first visitor's information

2. Click Another visitor

3. Fill out the second visitor's information

4. Repeat for additional visitors

All visitors in the same invitation will share the same arrival and departure times.

Custom Questions

Your housing office may ask additional questions like:

• Purpose of visit

• Vehicle information for parking

• Dietary restrictions

• Emergency contact details

Answer all required questions before submitting the invitation.

Special Instructions

Use the instructions text field to add notes for front desk staff or your guest, such as:

• Building entry instructions

• Parking directions

• Meeting location

• Special accommodations needed

Inviting on Behalf of Someone Else

If you have permission, you may see an on-behalf-of selector. This lets resident assistants or other staff create invitations for other residents. Select the resident who is hosting the visitor.

Sending the Invitation

After filling out all visitor information:

1. Review all details for accuracy

2. Click Send Invitation(s)

3. Your guest(s) will receive an email and/or SMS with their invitation

The invitation includes:

• Visit dates and times

• Check-in instructions

• Link to their QR code

• Contact information for questions

Understanding the QR Code

Each invitation includes a unique QR code at a link like /guest-invitation/[invitationId]. Your guest should:

1. Open the link on their phone or save it

2. Arrive at the front desk during their scheduled time

3. Show the QR code to the front desk staff

4. Complete check-in (may include signing waivers or showing ID)

Managing Your Invitations

Viewing Upcoming Visitors

Your Upcoming list shows all future visitors with:

• Visitor name(s)

• Arrival and departure dates

• Current status (Invited, Checked-In, Checked-Out)

Toggle Only show upcoming to hide past visitors and focus on active invitations.

Canceling an Invitation

If your guest can no longer visit:

1. Find the invitation in your list

2. Click Cancel or Revoke

3. Confirm the cancellation

The invitation will be marked as canceled and your guest's QR code will no longer work at check-in.

Viewing Past Visitors

Switch to the Past view to see your complete visitor history, including:

• All checked-out guests

• Canceled invitations

• Expired invitations

This is helpful for tracking who visited and when.

Notifications

You'll receive notifications when:

• Your guest arrives — "Your guest [Name] has arrived" when they check in at the front desk

• Your guest is waiting — If front desk staff notify you that your guest is at the desk

Notifications appear in-app, via email, and via text message depending on your notification preferences.

Visitor Status Explained

Each invitation shows a status:

• Invited — Invitation sent, guest hasn't arrived yet

• Checked-In — Guest has arrived and checked in at the front desk

• Checked-Out — Guest has left campus (may be automatic based on end time)

• Canceled — You canceled the invitation before the guest arrived

Common Questions

Why can't I select certain dates?

Some dates are blocked for visitors due to campus policies, such as:

• Final exam weeks

• Winter or spring breaks

• Move-in/move-out periods

• Special campus events

Contact your residence life office if you need to request an exception.

What's the maximum visit length?

Your institution sets a maximum number of hours per invitation (commonly 48 hours for overnight guests). If you try to create a longer invitation, you'll see an error. For extended visits, create multiple back-to-back invitations or contact your residence life office.

Can I invite someone who's been banned?

No. If someone has been banned from campus, you won't be able to create an invitation for them. A message will appear explaining the restriction. Contact your residence life office if you believe this is an error.

What if my guest doesn't have a phone?

Your guest can:

• Access the QR code from the email on any device

• Print the QR code page and bring it to the front desk

• Show the email on a tablet or laptop

As long as front desk staff can scan the QR code, check-in will work.

Do I need to be present when my guest checks in?

Policies vary by institution. Some require hosts to meet guests at the front desk, while others allow guests to check in independently. Check with your residence life office for your specific policy.

What happens if I forgot to send an invitation?

If your guest arrives without an invitation, front desk staff may:

• Ask you to create an invitation on the spot

• Check in your guest manually

• Turn your guest away if unregistered visitors aren't allowed

Always create invitations in advance to avoid issues.

Troubleshooting

"You are not allowed to invite visitors"

This message appears if your housing administrator has disabled guest invitations for your account. Common reasons:

• Conduct violations or probation

• Housing agreement restrictions

• Temporary policy changes

Contact your residence life office to discuss your visitor privileges.

Invitation times are grayed out

You can only invite guests during your institution's visitor hours. If all times appear grayed out:

• The date may be an exclusion date (blocked for all visitors)

• The time may be outside allowed hours (e.g., only 8 AM - 10 PM allowed)

• The duration may exceed the maximum allowed

Adjust your dates and times to fit within the allowed schedule.

My guest didn't receive the invitation email

Ask your guest to:

• Check spam/junk folders

• Verify you entered the correct email address

• Wait a few minutes for delivery

You can view the invitation details in your list and manually share the QR code link with your guest.

Related Resources

• Admin Portal: Guest and Visitor Management (for housing administrators)

• Operations Portal: Visitor Check-In and Management (for front desk staff)

• Notification Settings: Managing Your Alerts