Room Damage determined by the university not to be from normal wear and tear will be assessed to those assigned to the room.
Roommate Bill of Rights:
1. Freedom from undue interference. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit this right. You have the right to expect that your roommate will inform you of behavior he or she finds distracting. Open communication is essential to getting along as roommates.
2. The right to sleep and study without undue disturbance from noise or guests.
3. The expectation that your personal belongings will be respected.
4. The right to a pleasant environment. Standards for cleanliness should be agreed on and fulfilled by you and your roommate.
5. The right to have reasonable amounts of privacy as agreed upon by you and your roommate.
6. The right to have guests. Guests are to respect the rights of your roommate and other hall residents as well as abide by residence life policies. Remember that you and your roommate are equally responsible for seeing that policies and guidelines are upheld in your room.
7. The right to ask residence hall staff for assistance in settling conflicts when you and your roommate cannot resolve them yourselves.
8. The right to be free from fear of physical and/or emotional harm.
9. Cooperation in the use of shared appliances (such as telephone, refrigerator, and stereo) and a commitment to honor agreed upon payment procedures.
Room changes are permitted according to established guidelines. There is a room freeze for all first year students during the first three weeks of the fall term. There is a room freeze for all upper-class students during the first two weeks of the fall term. There is a room freeze for all students during the first two weeks of the spring term. There is also a room freeze for all residents during the last three weeks of each semester.
If you wish to change your situation, you should go to see your RA. At that time, the RA should talk with you about why you want to change rooms and have you talk with your roommate. The goal is to have you work things out with your roommate through listening and compromise.
If the RA assesses that you and your roommate have honestly tried to resolve matters and you want to move out, the RA will contact your AC. The RA will then work to get you and any prospective roommates to meet.
At that meeting, the RA will introduce you and get the conversation started. You should talk about issues that are important to you in living together (i.e., sleeping and studying patterns, musical tastes, visitors, sharing of food and property).
If you decide it is not a good match and the RA concludes that you talked honestly and the current student in that room was not just trying to be difficult or push you away, then the RA should contact the AC to let him/her know so that you can proceed onto the next possibility.
If you seem compatible, then the RA should help you move into the process of paperwork. This requires that you obtain the signatures of your current roommate, current RA, and new RA on the green card the RA provides to you. Then you should take the green card to the Office of Residence Life. This will indicate that all processes have been followed and you can fill out the necessary paperwork to complete the move.
In the event that the mediation is unsuccessful and each of you refuses to move, the following options are available:
1. You may stay together.
2. You may try mediation again with another person.
3. You may go to arbitration. Arbitration means that you will go before a board of peers who will decide who needs to move. If you choose arbitration, you are bound by the decision.
Remember that this process takes time and requires patience. If you see problems developing, please take the time to talk with your roommate. Don’t let small problems turn into urgent matters.
Room search. Normally, resident assistants are not authorized to search student rooms except when evacuating the building during an emergency situation. If it is not during an emergency, RAs may only enter a room as necessary and observe what is in plain view. Only the director of residence life, the assistant director of residence life, an area coordinator or a person designated by the dean of students may conduct searches of drawers, closets, and other areas. When a search is conducted, the occupants will be made aware of the reason for the search, but not necessarily before the search is made.
Written notification of a room search will be left in the room if the occupants are not in the room at the time of the search.
A receipt for any belongings removed during the search will be given to the room occupants. Such belongings will be returned, if and when it is safe and lawful to do so, after disposition of a case by the appropriate university or civil authority. An effort will be made to have at least two university representatives, one a Student Life staff member, present when a search of a student room is conducted.
In a criminal case or other serious emergency, the presence of a Student Life staff member may not be required.
Screens are not provided in most rooms. Where provided, removing or tampering with the screen is a violation. Any damage to existing screens will be billed to both residents of the room.
Self-destructive behavior. Any student engaged in an observable pattern of self-destructive behavior (i.e., chemical abuse, eating disorders, cutting, suicide threats) will be documented and sent through the university Discipline System.
Solicitation is not permitted by any member of the university or by anyone else.
Solicitation includes, but is not limited to, selling products or services and door-to-door collections or flyer delivery. Salespeople within the halls should be reported to Campus Safety Services immediately. Residence hall staff also should be notified promptly.
Exceptions to this policy may only be granted through the area coordinator. Exceptions are only allowed for hall programs of a particular residence hall.
Smoking is not permitted in any residence hall. Ashtrays are located outside near some entrances to the buildings. Building entry doors may not be propped while smoking. Please take your keys.
Storage is not available on campus.
Thefts should be reported to Campus Safety Services immediately. Your RA and area coordinator should also be notified. The university is not responsible for an individual student’s belongings. You should be sure that your property is properly insured. You are strongly encouraged to lock your door when you are sleeping or away from your room.
Throwing, dropping or hanging of any items out of windows is strictly prohibited.
Use of rooms for commercial purposes is prohibited.
Vacancies may occur during the year. If you are left with a vacancy in your room, you are expected to welcome a new roommate. Those found to be disrespectful to residents seeking a room change, in order to dissuade them, may be charged for a buyout and sent through the Discipline System.
Visitation hours in the residence halls are limited to 11:00 am. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Communities can further restrict hours by a 2/3 majority. The area coordinator may place restrictions on any floor, wing, or building for any length of time.
Waterbeds are not permitted.
Windows may not be used to enter or exit a building except in the case of an emergency.
