Room Information

Rental and Property Insurance

Residents are encouraged to carry personal property insurance, as the University does not provide this. Every effort is made to ensure that mechanical systems are in good condition. Nevertheless, electrical, heating and plumbing problems can occur. Residents must store valuable items – computers, electronic equipment, books, MP3 players, CDs, pictures, documents, shoes, clothes, etc. off the room floor. This will minimize the possibility of water damage should a leak occur. Housing & Dining cannot be held responsible for damage to residents’ property.

Roommate Agreements

All residents sharing a room have the opportunity to complete a roommate agreement. This form can be acquired from your CA. This agreement allows roommates to discuss various aspects of sharing a room and to agree upon expectations for the use of and conduct in the room. Residents are strongly encouraged to complete a roommate agreement form early in the year as it can help set the groundwork for a successful residential experience. It is an expectation that if one roommate, or hall staff, requests a roommate agreement be established that all roommates make an effort to compromise and find resolution so that a roommate agreement can be completed.

How to Change Rooms

Before requesting a room change, roommates should discuss any conflicts, particularly conflicts related to visitors. The residence halls have guidelines for visitors. Roommates should know the guidelines and discuss them with each other. The CA can be a great resource and mediator during difficult conversations. If the discussion does not move toward resolution of conflict, contact the Hall Director or Complex Coordinator. More details can be found in the Community Living section. Residents are not permitted to make room changes without authorization of the Chief Clerk, Hall Director and/or Complex Coordinator. This process is necessary to insure that residents have appropriate access to their mail and replacement room keys. A resident’s official room assignment generates room billing and main door access. A resident who moves without authorization may be assessed a $25 fine and may be required to move back to their originally-assigned space.

Decorating your Room

Residents are encouraged to decorate their room to make it resemble their own style. Before adding personal touches, residents should be sure to follow the guidelines:

Use a 3M-style command strip, poster putty, or painter’s tape to hang items on the walls.
Do not use screws, nails, thumbtacks, staples, or strong adhesives such as duct tape, packing tape, glue, or foam-type adhesive strips to attach posters and other articles to room surfaces. Use of these items can cause damage to walls, ceilings, and furnishings.
No painting, drawing, or writing on the room door surface with any type of marker, including dry erase markers, is allowed.
Miniature UL approved lights that do not generate noticeable heat are permissible in student rooms. No electrical wiring or lights of any type may be run through a doorway to be used as decoration in the hallway.
No live trees, branches, or wreaths may be used to decorate rooms or corridors.
Do not attach any decorations to the sprinkler system.
No candles, incense burners, potpourri pots, or scented oil warmers may be used at any time.
No decorations may obstruct access to halls, stairwells, or exits.
Alcoholic beverage containers, empty or full, may not be used as decorations or openly displayed in any resident room.
The outside of the room door and the window facing outward are considered University space representing the character of the institution. Public display areas may be monitored to insure that inappropriate materials/messages are not visible. University administration/residence hall staff use the policies, mission, and values of the institution to determine the appropriateness or inappropriateness of public area displays. Residents may be required to remove public displays deemed inappropriate.
Do not cover the residence hall room number located on the exterior of your room door. This number needs to be visible at all times.

Room and Furniture Modification

As residents arrange their rooms to make it suitable for their living style, they should remember the following guidelines:

Furniture must stay in the room. (This includes the second bed in double rooms that are contracted as temporary singles.)
Waterbeds and other water filled furniture are prohibited.
All built-in furniture or fixtures must remain intact. Bolsters in Grant, Lincoln, and Douglas must not be detached from the wall. Detachment can result in permanent weakening of the bolster installation. The minimum charge to reattach the bolster is $45.
Unless the resident have a double room contracted as a temporary single, there should be a set of furniture that needs to be ready for use by another student. A roommate can be assigned at any point during the year. Housing & Dining staff will make every effort to give the current resident(s) notice about a new roommate.

Checking out of your Room

Any time residents are permanently leaving a room, whether they are changing rooms or moving out, they need to complete a Room Condition Report with their CA. They should schedule a time with the CA to get checked out of the room. Residents then must turn in the key as instructed. If residents are withdrawing from housing (not moving due to a room change or the end of the year move out), they need to complete a Request to Be Released from Housing form. This can be found on the Housing & Dining Web site or at the Residential Administration Office in Neptune East.

The residence hall agreement is a legally binding contract in effect for the full academic year, similar to any other standard landlord/tenant agreement. Students who experience significant and unpredictable changes in their life that occur after they have signed a housing agreement may request to be released from their current residence hall contract. Students are typically not released from their contracts for reasons such as: to move in with friends/relatives, because they found another living space that they think better meets their needs, or because they prefer a different living environment.