Residence Life Office

Residence Life Policies

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Administration of Policy
The Dean of Students, Director of Residence Life, Assistant and/or Associate Directors of Residence Life and the Resident Assistants are responsible for administering campus student housing policies and procedures. Students are responsible for monitoring their own behavior as well as the behavior of others in their community. RAs are available to assist in documenting behavior that violates College and campus student housing policies.

Air Conditioners
Personal room air conditioners pose electrical safety concerns and are not permitted in campus student housing without prior written approval of the Director of Residence. The College recommends that students with respiratory concerns use a HEPA air filtration system in their room to remove airborne particulate matter such as dust and pollen.

Alcohol
The College's alcohol policy is outlined in The Compass.

Breaks
Thanksgiving Break:
The campus student housing will remain open during Thanksgiving recess.

Winter Break:
All campus student housing is closed during winter break. Students may not stay in the buildings during this time. The buildings close at 11:00 am the day after 4th Term finals in December and reopen one day prior to the start of 5th Term in January. Locks are changed on the exterior doors of all residential buildings, and residents do not have access to the buildings or their rooms. Students are not required to move personal belongings out of their rooms during the winter break if they plan to return for 2nd Semester.

Rooms will be inspected for fire safety and health concerns during winter break. Students are required to exercise the following precautions before departure:

• Clear items from floor
• Sweep or vacuum floor
• Secure nonperishable food items
• Empty and clean refrigerator
• Unplug all appliances including refrigerators, clocks and telephones (only aquariums may remain plugged in)
• Close and lock all windows
• Close blinds
• Turn off lights
  

Spring Break:
The College reserves the right to vacate or consolidate campus student housing for all or part of spring break.

Summer:
Campus student housing closes at 11:00 am the Thursday after 9th Term finals in May for non-graduating students and 6:00 pm the Saturday of Commencement for students participating in Commencement. All student belongings must be removed from campus during the summer.

Cable Television
Cable television is provided in student rooms. One cable television outlet per student room is provided. Splitting the cable and/or rerouting the cable is prohibited. The College's cable television service contract prohibits multiple televisions hooked to one cable television outlet. Failure to abide by this policy will result in disciplinary action and a fine.

A television directory is maintained by Information Technology .

Campus Safety
Cornell College provides 24/7 campus safety services. Campus Safety Officers are trained and orientated to the college and capable of assisting students with a variety of needs. Officers may be reached by dialing x4299 or x333 from any campus phone, or 895-4299 from an off campus phone. The Campus Safety Office is located in the basement of Bowman-Carter Hall, off the Ped Mall.

In case of emergency, Mount Vernon Police Department can be reached by dialing 9-911 from any campus phone. Contact Campus Safety if time permits.

Candles
Candles, incense and other flame producing accessories pose fire safety concerns and may not be used in campus student housing. Failure to abide by this policy will result in disciplinary action and a fine.

Check-In
Campus student housing opens for the academic year on the Saturday prior to the first day of fall classes (Tuesday for new students).

The first task at check-in is to complete the Room Inventory Form. Each student must carefully fill out the form and return it to his or her RA within 24 hours. If any preexisting damage is not recorded on the form at check-in, the student will be held responsible for the damage at move-out. The Room Inventory Form is a student's protection against charges for damage she or he did not cause. If the form is not completed, the student waives the right to appeal any assessed damage charges.

During check in, students are expected to keep the hallways clear of debris and also are expected to take all boxes and trash to the designated area in their building.

Check-Out
All students must checkout with their RA, apartment manager, or AD. First-year , sophomore, and junior students must checkout of their residence halls at 11:00 am the Thursday prior to Commencement. Graduating seniors must checkout at 6:00 pm following Commencement. During checkout, students must keep the hallways clear of debris and take all boxes and trash outside of the building to the dumpster to prevent the accumulation of garbage in the residence halls. Failure to follow these procedures will result in fines. Residence Life staff will check all rooms on campus for damage and submit a list of charges by student to the Business Office. Students are responsible for the cost of repairing damages to their assigned rooms.

Each student is expected to complete the following prior to checking out:

• Remove all personal items from room, including trash;
• Sweep floor (mop if necessary);
• Completely remove tape and other adhesives from walls, doors and windows; and
• Close and lock all windows

Common Area Usage
Special events, activities, programs and gatherings may be held in designated public areas of the campus student housing. A public area of the building may be reserved by completing the on-line Reservation Request Form. At no time, however, may access to a public area (including kitchens and bathrooms) be denied to any resident of the building. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. Students may not sleep overnight in a common area without permission from the Residence Life Office.

Common Area Furniture
Furniture from lounges, landings and public areas are for use by all students and cannot be moved to student rooms or exchanged with room furniture. Students who move common area furniture to their room are subject to disciplinary action and a $40.00 fine per piece per notice until the furniture is returned.

Community Responsibility
As a member of the floor community, each person contributes to the growth and development of the floor. With that comes the responsibility to maintain a standard of living, holding everyone responsible for damages and repairs when those individuals who caused the community damage do not come forward.

Computer & Network Use
Students are expected to adhere to the Information Technology ResNET Policy and Network Usage Guidelines. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action.

Cooking
Each residence hall has kitchen facilities with microwave, stove, refrigerator and sink. Kitchens are the only areas in the residence hall where cooking is allowed.

Damages to Student Rooms
Residents are responsible for the condition of their room. During check-in, each student is asked to complete a Room Inventory Form documenting the condition of the room. The condition of the room at checkout is expected to be the same as at check-in. The room inventory will be reviewed and the Residence Life staff will inspect each room, assessing charges as necessary. As appropriate, charges will be divided among roommates, unless there is documentation indicating specific individuals responsible for the damages.

Below is a list of common approximate minimum damage charges:

Damages to Common Areas
Residents of a floor, suite, apartment or building are responsible for damage done to the common areas of their building. A common area is one generally used by, or available to, all residents or a group of residents. These areas include, but are not necessarily limited to, kitchens, lounge areas, bathrooms, hallways, laundry rooms and stairways. If damage occurs to property located on a floor or in a common area, the Residence Life staff and House Council will attempt to determine who is responsible for the damage. In the event that an individual(s) cannot be identified, costs of the repair/replacement will be assessed on a prorated basis to residents of the floor, suite, apartment or building involved. Residence hall damages are billed to student accounts annually in June through the Business Office.

Decorating Rooms and Hallways
Students are encouraged to personalize the interior of their assigned rooms. The following guidelines have been established for safety and to help students avoid year-end damage charges:

• Items should be attached to walls with poster putty or similar products approved for painted surfaces. Double-sided or duct tape should not be used, because they are difficult to remove and damage painted surfaces.
• Painting room walls or furniture is not permitted.
• Students are not permitted to run electrical cords through doorways to light hallways and door frames, as this is a fire hazard.
• Personal decorations will be limited to within 2 feet surrounding a person's door.
• Decorations in the hallways should not block the hallway, nor should decorations hang from the ceiling or across the hallways.
• "Chalking" or otherwise defacing walls in the hallways is strictly prohibited.
• Floor decorations are at the discretion of the RA or Residence Life staff.
• Students posting decorations in public areas are encouraged to be mindful of the impact of their decorations on the community. Decorations, images and messages will be representing the floor to others. Students are encouraged to make responsible and well-reasoned decisions about content before decorating.
• The Residence Life staff reserve the final judgment of objectionable decorations in public areas.

Drugs
The College's drug policy is outlined in The Compass.

Electrical Appliances
The use of electrical appliances that have high surface temperatures or that in any other way may create a fire or shock hazard is not permitted in student rooms. The following electrical appliances are not permitted in residence hall rooms: microwave ovens, hot plates, coil heaters, cookers, electric woks, fry pans, irons, toasters. These types of appliances may be used in a designated kitchen or utility room area where there is a minimum of hazard. Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action and a $50.00 fine.

Explosives and Weapons
Fireworks, firearms, ammunition, BB guns, paint guns, stun guns, air compressed guns, knives with blades exceeding five inches or with locking blades, projectile and other dangerous weapons or explosives are prohibited on College property. Replicas and facsimiles are similarly prohibited. Laboratory chemicals are not permitted in the residence halls or the Commons. Swords and martial arts weapons are permitted on campus for demonstration use only and are not permitted in the residence halls for any reason. These items must be registered with the Director of Student Activities and stored in The Commons. Any student found in violation of the above may be fined and subject to additional disciplinary action.

The College reserves the right to further determine the definition of a “weapon” and may prohibit other devices on an individual basis, such as unusual walking canes that may be more of a club, flashlights that may be used as a club, air horns, fluid discharge devices, etc.

Fire Alarms
The College expects all students to respect the fire safety systems that are in place. Students must exit the building immediately when a fire alarm sounds. Students in violation of this policy are subject to disciplinary action and a $50.00 fine. Activating a false fire alarm will result in suspension and possible legal action.

Fire Escapes
For safety reasons, students are not permitted on exterior fire escapes. Students found accessing exterior fire escapes will be subject to disciplinary action and a $100 fine.

Flyers
The following guidelines have been established in collaboration with RHA to ensure that flyers are posted in a consistent manner in all residential areas:

• Each event has a limit of 15 flyers per building.
• All flyers pertaining to the particular residence hall may be hung on the individual floors of the hall. All flyers related to campus or off-campus events may only be posted in common areas (e.g. lobby entrances, designated bulletin boards and restrooms).
• All flyers will remain posted for one week or up to one day after the event occurs. Organizations or individuals responsible for posting the flyers are required to remove ALL flyers before the expiration time.
• No flyer will advertise or imply improper use of alcohol or drugs, or other inappropriate or illegal activities.
• For safety reasons, flyers are not permitted on glass doors, exit doors or windows.
• Off-campus businesses or organizations must receive approval from the Residence Life Office prior to posting flyers in the Residence Halls.
• Individuals and groups posting signs are encouraged to be mindful of the implication of posting flyers in public places. Flyers will be representing to others the individual who posted them, the group sponsoring them and the College. Persons posting flyers are encouraged to make responsible and well-reasoned decisions about the flyer's content before posting.
• The Residence Life staff reserve the final judgment of objectionable flyers, advertisements and decorations.

Recommended by RHA, Spring 2002

Guests
Cornell College allows students to host guests of either sex in their residence hall rooms provided the following guidelines are met:

• All roommates have agreed upon the appropriate hours of guest visitation.
• All roommates agree who is visiting and the length of the visit.
• At no time may a roommate deny other roommates access to the room.
• At no time may a roommate force other roommates to share the room with a visitor.
• Overnight guests are not permitted to stay in their host’s room longer than a three-day period.
• All roommates involved make reasonable accommodations.

Although Cornell allows for visitation of students to other rooms, the College also expects that each student lives in his/her assigned spaces on campus. Only Cornell students and staff are permitted to live on campus.

Hallways
Hallways must be kept clear at all times for fire safety reasons. Students are not permitted to store items in the hallways. The custodial staff will dispose of shoes and personal items left in the hallways.

Halogen Lamps
The use of halogen lighting is discouraged. Halogen lamps without protective shields in place are prohibited in student rooms. Students who choose to use halogen lamps should avoid running them for extended periods of time. Because of the extreme heat produced by these lamps, they must be placed a safe distance from curtains, paper, and other flammable materials. Lamps must be UL approved and may not exceed 300 watts.

Keys
Students are issued a room key and an outside door key (Merner Hall and New Hall excepted). The Residence Life Office should be notified immediately if a student loses a key. Students will be charged $40.00 for a lost room key and $10.00 for an exterior door key. Students who are locked out of their room should contact an RA. A lockout fee may be charged. Students are responsible for their keys and are not to loan their keys to others.

Lofts
With the exceptions of Rood House, 10th Avenue Apartments, and most of Pfeiffer, rooms in campus student housing are furnished with modular bed frames which are designed to be lofted using special reinforced pins. Construction of lofts is not permitted in buildings with this furniture.

The College allows lofts in 10th Avenue Apartments and first through third floors of Pfeiffer. Lofts mus be constructed under specific conditions that maximize the safety of individuals and respect for College property.

• All residents of the room must agree to having a loft in the room.
• Lofts are platforms designed to accommodate sleeping areas only.
• All lofts must be free standing. Nothing may be attached to the walls, floors and ceilings.
• No college materials (i.e. brackets, bolts, etc.) may be used in constructing a loft. However, the use of college bed springs is encouraged, thus saving storage space.
• The top of the mattress must be at least 38" from the ceiling. In the event of a fire, smoke and toxic gases tend to rise to the ceiling, so even a small fire could create a life-threatening situation.
• Safety of the loft is the responsibility of the student(s) residing in the particular room.
• All materials should be precut.
• Sawing, sanding, painting or staining is not permitted in the building.
• All lofts and materials must be disassembled and removed from the building at the end of the school year. College beds are to be reassembled prior to moving from the room.
• Mattresses cannot be stored. Therefore, the room mattress must be incorporated into the loft.

Maintenance and Housekeeping
Students provide their own housekeeping in their rooms, including removing trash to the designated trash room. Rooms may be inspected for damage and cleanliness during vacation periods or if health/damage concerns arise. The furnishings of each room are expected to be maintained in good condition.

The College reserves the right to have its authorized representatives enter and inspect any room and its furnishings at any time. All repairs beyond normal wear and tear are the responsibility of the student. A student who has maintenance problems should contact his/her RA who will report the request. Maintenance work is performed on a weekly basis in each building.

Microwaves
Microwave ovens are not permitted in student rooms. The residence halls have microwaves in the kitchen areas for student use. Violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action and a $50.00 fine.

Needle Disposal
All individuals using injection needles are required to properly dispose of them to prevent students, visitors and custodial staff from accidental needle-sticks and injury. This means placing used needles in a red biohazard sharps container, available through the Student Health Center upon request. The biohazard containers containing used needles, should be returned to the Student Health Center for disposal; do not place these items in trash cans. Contact the Student Health Center, x4292, for further information.

Noise
Because a residence hall is home to a number of students, excessive or continual noise coming from any area will not be tolerated. Students are strongly encouraged to talk to peers responsible for excessive noise. Habitual or serious violations of the noise policy may result in disciplinary action for the individual(s) involved. House councils may elect to determine set quiet hours or finals hours for the building. These hours will be posted on each floor.

Pets
Students may not maintain pets on campus in student rooms, common areas, carriers, or outdoor areas with the exception of fish. Pets or strays will be removed from the buildings and the owner(s) will be subject to disciplinary action and a fine of $40.00 per pet per day. Students are discouraged from feeding stray animals outside of the residence halls. Call Campus Safety to report stray animals.

Recycling
Students are encouraged to recycle. Recycling areas in the residence halls are not permitted in stairwells or hallways. Recycling areas must be kept clean.

Refrigerators
One small electrical refrigerator up to 4.3 cubic feet is permitted in each student room. Larger units cannot be accommodated.

Roofs
For safety reasons, students are not permitted on the roof of any campus building. Students found accessing the roof will be subject to disciplinary action and a $100 fine.

Smoking
Smoking is not permitted in any residential building. Smoking is also not allowed within 15 feet of any residential building.

Recommended by RHA, Spring 2003

Solicitors
Soliciting, including solicitation by students and student groups, is not permitted in the residence halls without prior written authorization from the Hall Council. Students who have difficulty with salespeople should contact an RA or Security immediately.

Storage
Each residential building has storage areas for student belongings to be held while classes are in session. The College accepts no liability for items stored. Students may store limited items during the academic year only. Summer storage is not permitted. Using labels provided by the RAs, students must properly identify all items placed in storage. Items which are not properly identified and items belonging to students no longer affiliated with the College will be removed from storage for disposal.

• All furniture, furniture parts, and mattresses must remain in the room at all times.
• Storage is limited to three (3) boxes per student. For fire safety reasons, boxes must be at least 2/3 full or completely flattened.
• Storage areas will be open at times designated by the Residence Life Office.
• Carpets and couches are not permitted in storage due to space limitations and health concerns.

Student Rooms
Each student is responsible for his/her room and the activities that go on in it. Students may be held accountable for policy violations that occur in their room despite the fact the student was not present at the time of the policy violation.

Surge Protectors
The Residence Life Office recommends that students use certified surge protectors in their room. Surge protectors can provide protection for computers and electronic equipment from various power problems. When equipped with a circuit breaker, they provide the added safety of protection from faulty equipment or overload conditions. Facilities Management recommends surge protectors rated for at least 10,000 joules for minimum protection. Students, however, should check with the manufacturer to ensure that their equipment is adequately protected.

Tornado
In the event of a tornado, protect yourself from breaking glass and falling objects. You can best do this by taking shelter in the basement area of your building. Take shelter in a pre-designated safe area or in an interior hallway on the lowest level. If you are unable to reach a basement area, take cover under heavy furniture or in an interior closet.

Trash
Students are encouraged to invest in a trash receptacle for personal use in their own rooms. College trash containers may not be used in student rooms. Trash, including pizza boxes, is to be taken to the trash containers in the trash rooms designated for each floor or area. Trash cans are not permitted in the hallways. Residents are responsible for removing their own trash from their room.

Vandalism & Destruction of Property
Vandalism and destruction of property are serious offenses against the College community and will not be tolerated. Students found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, possible removal from the residence hall(s), a minimum $25.00 fine and cleanup costs.

Waterbeds
Waterbeds are not permitted in residence halls or in on-campus houses and apartments.

Weapons
See "Explosives and Weapons"

Windows
Except as sanctioned by the Residence Life Office during Homecoming and other special events, hanging lights, flags and other decorations or objects out windows is not permitted. Students are not permitted to remove window screens, nor are they permitted to throw items from windows. Furthermore, students are not permitted to enter or exit buildings through windows. Students found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action.