Student Handbook - Housing & Life Safety
Housing Policies
Abandoned
Personal Property
Any personal property left in the
residence halls 24 hours after checkout will become property of the College.
Students will be held responsible for the labor costs to remove abandoned
property from the residence halls, as well as any fines or fees for improper checkout. The
fine for an improper checkout is $50.
Access ID Cards/Keys/Locks
Residents are issued a picture
identification card that also serves as their meal card, food debit card, and
access card to the front door of their residence hall. Residents are also
issued one or two keys (depending on where they live), which opens their room
door. Giving or loaning a key or ID card
to another person is not permitted because it jeopardizes the safety of the
entire residence hall or house. Students who loan their key or card, or
students who are found in possession of keys or cards other than their own are
subject to fines or disciplinary action. The duplication of room keys is not
permitted. Students receive their first lock-out at no charge. For each subsequent lock out, students will
be charged $5. The cost of a lock change
for lost keys is $50. A lost ID card may
be replaced at the Campus Safety Desk in College Park Hall at a cost of $25.
Bicycles
Bicycles must be stored in
designated areas or in the student’s room. Bicycle racks are available outside
many of the residence halls. Hallways, stairwells, and lounges, or other common
spaces are not designated storage areas for bikes. Motorbikes and motor
scooters are not permitted inside the residence halls.
Bottle and Can
Cans and/or bottles may not be stored, collected, or used as decorations in student rooms, suites, or apartments. The first violation of this housing policy will result in a warning and subsequent violations will result in conduct charges.
Cooking
Cooking is permitted ONLY in those areas equipped with kitchenettes or microwaves. Students must be mindful of fire safety concerns while using the facilities. In apartments with kitchens, residents must clean the kitchen thoroughly before the end of each term. If the kitchen is not cleaned to acceptable standards, Facilities Services will clean the kitchen at the residents’ expense.
Damages/Vandalism
As part of community living at
Union College, students must respect the safety and security of all College
property, including property found in individual rooms and public areas.
Students must also encourage their fellow residents to be respectful in
ensuring that property is not damaged or stolen, and must report any knowledge
they have of someone responsible for damages to College property. Students
aware of any person responsible for specific damages are expected to contact a
member of Residential Life or Campus Safety.
Individual Charges:
Students will be held responsible for any damage, misuse, or misappropriation
of any College-owned property in their rooms. Occupants are required to pay any
costs associated with replacement or repair of the furnishings (including
labor, materials, and overhead costs). Where two or more students occupy the same
room or suite, and where determination of specific responsibility for the
damage or losses cannot be determined, an assessment will be made against both
or all equally. Individuals responsible
for damages within the common area of the residence halls will be assessed a
bill to repair the damage and will also receive an additional fine of $100 for
vandalism along with facing possible conduct charges for violating the Student
Conduct Code.
Group Charges: When
damage, misuse, or theft of College-owned property occurs within common areas
of buildings and the responsible person(s) cannot be determined or the property
is not returned, appropriate costs and/or fines will be assessed to a group of
students. In such cases a minimum of $5
will be charged to each student within the group.
Early Arrivals
Any students wishing to arrive to campus prior to the date
set for either first year or upperclass student move-in must obtain permission
from the Office of Residential Life.
Student may not arrive on campus prior to a week before the scheduled
move-in date and there is a cost per day to arrive early. An application is available from the Office
of Residential Life for any student interested in this option.
Furniture
All College-owned furniture
assigned to a room or suite must remain in that room or suite. Exit paths from
the room or suite must remain clear and unobstructed at all times. Occupants
will be billed for the replacement of any missing furniture. Furniture assigned
to lounges or common area spaces is not allowed in individual student rooms. Students who violate this policy may
receive a fine and possible conduct charges for possession of common area
furniture.
Hall
Sports
Sports are not permitted in
common areas or hallways of the residence halls due to the potential for injury
and damage. This includes, but is not limited to, activities such as
rollerblading, throwing/hitting/bouncing balls or pucks, throwing Frisbees,
wrestling, etc.
Laundry
Washers
and dryers are located in each residence hall and are free to operate to
students living on-campus. A $20 laundry
fee will be assessed to a student’s term bill each term they are on
campus. Any problems with washers or
dryers should be reported to the Facilities Services office. They can be reached at 518-388-6181 or
http://www.union.edu/offices/facilities/index
Lofts
Lofts can be rented or purchased
through the Timbernest Company (www.timbernest.com; 1-800-865-NEST). Only lofts rented or purchased through
this company may be used in the residence halls.
Maintenance/ Repairs
Students are responsible for cleaning their rooms and for cleaning floors and lounges after programs. Any maintenance emergency should be directed immediately to Facilities (or to Campus Safety Monday-Friday after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends). If these areas are found unkempt, students will be charged for excessive cleaning. Students requiring repairs in their room can notify their Resident Advisor, Residence Director, House Coordinator, House manager or contact Facilities Services directly at 518-388-6181 or via the internet at
http://www.union.edu/offices/facilities/index
Any maintenance emergency should
be directed immediately to Facilities (or to Campus Safety Monday - Friday
after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends).
Off Campus Releases
All students are required to live on campus for their entire time at Union College, if space is available. When space is unavailable, a lottery will occur in the winter term for rising senior students wishing to be released from campus. Only a limited number of students will be released from campus and that number will change each year based on class size and on-campus beds available. If the number of rising seniors wishing to be released is not high enough, the process will be opened up to members of the rising junior class. Students are discouraged from signing a lease with a landlord off campus until they are giving explicit permission to be released.
In particular instances, non-traditional aged students may petition to live off campus at the discretion of the Director of Resident Life.
Painting
Painting is not permitted in any residential, common area
or hallway without permission to do so. Any residents found to have painted a
residential area without permission will be subject to costs for repair and
possible disciplinary action.
Pets
All animals, including those used as lab specimens, are strictly prohibited inside or outside residential facilities, except as allowed under the Service Animal Policy in the Students with Disabilities Handbook. Visitors may not bring pets inside the residential facilities. Fish are permitted; however, tank size may not exceed 10 gallons. Further pet regulations are listed under Campus Safety Regulations and Policies. If an unauthorized pet is found in a residence hall, the student(s) will be charged a fine of $50 plus $10 per day until the pet is removed.
Quiet Hours
Quiet hours are established to ensure
the rights of students to study and sleep in the residence halls. Quiet hours
are defined as those hours when noise, including music, must be contained
within the room or suite with the door closed. Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. -
8:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 1:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Friday and
Saturday. Residents may extend the hours on their floor or building, but may
not reduce the hours. Even though quiet hours begin in the late evening,
courtesy is always expected by all students to maintain a living environment
conducive to academic success.
Room Assignments/ Changes
All students are required to live
on campus during the course of their undergraduate years, provided housing is
available. All students must reside in
their assigned rooms, and are prohibited from switching rooms, taking a
roommate, or permitting any part of the room to be shared by persons not
assigned by the Director of Residential Life or his/her designee. Students experiencing problems with a living
situation should first consult with their Resident Advisor. Room changes are
not permitted during the first or last two (2) weeks of any term, unless it is
an emergency situation. All room changes (including those within a suite) must
be authorized through the Office of Residential Life before any moves take
place. The Director of Residential Life
may relocate a student for disruptive behavior whether or not disciplinary
action has been taken or completed. The fine for an unauthorized room change is
$100 and the student may be required to return to their assigned room and may
be subject to disciplinary action.
Room Check-Out
Students are responsible for
checking out of their rooms when they leave campus for a term away, summer
break, academic dismissal, leave of absence, room change, etc. Students need to
be checked out of their rooms by a Residential Life staff member, or complete
an “Express Checkout” form at the Office of Residential Life. A student who uses the express check-out method
waives their right to appeal any room damages.
Rooms must be left clean with all the furniture intact, and the room key
returned. The Residential Life staff will inspect rooms and assess appropriate
charges and fines based on the comparison of the check-in and check-out Room
Condition Report. Residents must vacate their room and check-out properly within 24 hours after their last final exam
or withdrawing from the College.
Room
Search
The
College reserves the right to inspect and/or search rooms for the purpose of
furthering the educational mission of Union College or for safety, health,
security and maintenance purposes. In
all cases where the health, safety, or welfare of a person may be in danger or
in cases where College property is in jeopardy, a College official may enter a
suite or room immediately and without notice to, or consent from, the student.
Roofs
The roofs of all residence halls,
theme houses, and Greek houses are unprotected areas
and are not designed for recreational use. Students must not climb onto a roof
for any purpose. Students found to be in violation of this may be subject to
disciplinary action.
Housing Accommodation Requests
Students with medical conditions which may require special housing needs or exemptions from standard housing regulations should contact the Office of Residential Life to obtainthe necessary Special Housing Accommodations Request Forms. Special needs housing requires advanced planning and documentation. Once the forms are completed in full as requested, they can be returned to the Office of Residential Life and will then be forwarded to the Committee on Special Accommodations for review. Just the submission of the forms does not grant the approval of the request. Students must hear from the committee that they have been officially approved or denied for the request. Students will be notified of their status after a decision has been made by the committee. Appeals may be made to the Director of Residential Life. Students with documented disabilities or extreme medical conditions who are requesting accommodations should meet with Molly MacElroy (Director of Residential Life) or Shelly Shinebarger (Director of Student Support Services) (a phone call can be scheduled during the summer months). Students must (re) apply for accommodations each year. Even if a student has had accommodations in the past, updated documentation must be submitted and meeting with either of the two persons mentioned above. Special needs housing is intended for individuals with a medical disability which substantially limits their ability to function daily in a residence hall environment. There is a different between housing accommodation and housing preferences.
Student preferences for certain types of housing (ground floor, air conditioning, etc.) cannot be granted, whereas reasonable accommodations are provided to students with documented disabilities. The Special Housing Accommodations request Forms can be found here:
http://www.union.edu/offices/residential-life/forms/index.php
Storage
The College does not provide
storage for students’ personal belongings at any point throughout the year,
including break periods. Students wishing to store belongings some place other
than their room may wish to contact a local storage company to make
arrangements. All College provided furnishings must remain in the room. Students interested in storage for the summer
may contact the Office of Residential Life for information about storage
companies in the area.
Solicitation
Soliciting
in the residence halls is prohibited. Students are advised to contact Campus
Safety or notify a Resident Advisor if there are solicitors in the building.
Summer
Housing
Summer Housing space is very limited, and is not guaranteed. In order to be considered for summer housing, students must be affiliated with the College for the summer. Preference will be given to students involved in research with professors and those attending summer session classes offered at the College. All requests for summer housing must be made to the Office of Residential Life by the posted deadline during spring term. Students are billed a designated rate per week during the summer for the number of weeks they reside in the halls.
Voice,
Data and TV
Each
residential area is provided with phone, internet, and cable connections. If
you have questions regarding your phone line, please contact Telecommunications
at 518-388-6411. If you have questions regarding your internet connection,
please contact Information Technology Services at 518-388-6293. If you have
questions regarding cable, please contact Time Warner at 518-640-8621 or
www.twalbany.com.
Waterbeds
Waterbeds are not permitted in
residence halls because of excessive weight and potential for water damage.
Windows
Windows must remain unobstructed.
Furniture, bedding, fans, lights, etc. must not block windows. Items may not be
hung from or in residence hall windows. It is strictly prohibited to hang, drop
or throw items out of residence hall/house windows. Students must not remove
the screens in the windows at any time.
Withdrawal from Housing
Students who are granted
on-campus housing and then decide to withdraw from the College must notify the
Dean of Students Office to process an official withdrawal. The student will be
held responsible for payment of their room charges in accordance with the
refund schedule published in the Academic Register. Students who
withdraw from the College, are dismissed by the College, or are officially
released from their residence contract, must
vacate their residential area within 24 hours.
|
