Housing Policies

  • On-Campus Housing

    Rights, Responsibilities, and Obligations

    We strive to create an atmosphere that is supportive and welcoming in campus residences. Every resident is responsible for contributing to the creation of a residential community that encourages learning and well being. To that end, there are various expectations of on-campus residents some of which are detailed below. The Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Obligations section of the Housing Contract contains the full text. All campus residents are strongly encouraged to read the Housing Contract prior to signing.



    Housing is only available for students who are enrolled full-time or who are on a reduced class-load authorized by the Academic Dean. Students who either choose not to enroll for a term, or who are ineligible to do so, will be asked to vacate college housing and will be responsible for the remainder of that term’s rent. In exceptional circumstances or because of extreme emotional or medical problems a student may petition the Dean of Student Life or Coordinator of Wellness & Campus Engagement to be released from the Housing Contract. The College may terminate a Housing Contract if a student fails to comply with any of the terms of the Contract, the guidelines established by the house, or if the student presents a risk to other students.



    Students living on campus are responsible for the following:


    • Maintaining original room conditions and notifying the college of any maintenance issues that arise prior to the end of the year.
      • Students are not permitted to make structural alterations to their rooms, remove furnishings, or repaint walls.
      • Tenants are also asked not to use tape or nails when attaching things to the walls.
    • Participating in maintaining and cleaning common spaces such as common spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways in their residence.
    • Complying with campus fire-safety policies and procedures; this includes prohibited materials, ensuring fire exits are kept clear and accessible, and keeping all fire-detection and suppression devices operational. Items not permitted in dorms include candles, incense, hot plates, space heaters, and halogen lamps. Major violations will result in a $100 fine.
    • Although every effort will be made by the College to notify a student prior to entering an occupied room, the College reserves the right to enter a student’s room to perform routine or emergency maintenance or to enforce College policies, rules, and regulations
    • No room changes may occur in any residence hall until the first working day following the second week of classes. Students must first contact their Resident Advisor to discuss the possibility of a room change. Students may be referred to the Coordinator of Wellness & Campus Engagement.
    • The College allows residents to have overnight guests in housing; however all residents are asked to be sensitive to the rights of other members of the house community before encouraging their friends to visit. Residents should be aware that the ability to have guests is not automatic. Residents should know their guests well before hosting them on campus. Parents are strongly encouraged to find accommodations off campus. Residents are responsible for seeing that their guests know and comply with college and residence life expectations and policies. Residents should be present while their guests are visiting and are responsible for their guests’ actions and behaviors. The residents hosting a guest will be held responsible for any actions or behavior that falls outside of the college’s or the house’s established expectations. Residents are expected to accompany their guests, particularly while in house common spaces. Guests must overnight in student rooms and not common spaces. Students may host guests for a maximum total of 16 days/term. The maximum stay for any single visit is 10 consecutive days. There is a maximum of 2 guests per room/night. If a guest stays beyond the maximum number of days then the host student can be charged $55/night for each additional night. If at any time a guest is determined to be disruptive to the house by Student Life staff, then the guest can be required to leave campus. Any resident living in a shared room and wishing to host a guest(s) must ask and receive permission from their roommate(s) at least two weeks in advance of the arrival of any guests. Residents must also notify their house by email of the impending arrival of any guests. The arrival of a guest should not require a roommate to vacate her/his room without the person’s permission.
    • Students having compelling reasons to remain on campus during breaks or after graduation are required to petition the Coordinator of Wellness & Campus Engagement in advance to receive authorization. Students can expect to be charged a $100 an hour fee for not vacating the building on the posted closing date.
    • Housing for returning students is determined through a Housing Lottery in mid-April. First and second year students should expect to live on campus, space permitting.

    When students fail to comply with or meet these expectations, consequences can include working with their individual RA, community service, chores, fines, and being removed from on-campus housing.



     

  • Pets

    Students living in on-campus housing may keep certain pets under certain circumstances. The following is excerpted from the Student Housing Contract:



    Small animals, reptiles, and fish are permitted in on-campus housing; dogs, cats, and birds are not permitted. However, certain conditions must be met in order to bring and keep such a pet. No one should bring a pet to live on-campus without first consulting with their entire household at the first house or section meeting. This is to allow each house or section to make open and honest decisions based on their collective concerns or allergies. Each household may also make certain other guidelines in addition to, but not superseding, the following institutional guidelines. Any animals or reptiles must be kept in an enclosure that allows them sufficient room to exercise at all times – but which does not compromise the resident(s) ability to exit the room in case of emergency. As a rule of thumb, no enclosure should exceed 8 cubic feet (ie. 2’ by 2’ by 2’). The only exception to keeping the pet in its enclosure is to allow for routine cleaning, in which case the pet must be kept in a secure environment in the meantime. A household may renegotiate a resident’s ability to keep a pet if the animal disrupts the household either by noise or odor, for example. Any damage or removal expenses incurred by the College will be transferred directly to the pet owner. The Dean of Student Life may be required to make an independent administrative decision to have a pet removed if agreement can not be reached by the residents involved.