At no time should your behavior and conduct impair or prevent the University or University Housing Services from accomplishing or making progress toward their established educational goals.

Any violation of university regulations or residence hall policies and procedures may result in a referral to the Community Rights and Responsibilities office.

Please be advised that failure by a resident to remove himself or herself from a situation where a violation is occurring may be interpreted by Community Rights and Responsibilities (Dean of Students' Office) and Residence Hall staff as a consent to the violation and therefore residents should expect to be held responsible to some degree.

Residents are responsible for all information published by University Housing Services and University publications.

Alcohol Policy

The possession or consumption of alcohol (regardless of age) is not allowed in the residence halls.

Contact a residence hall staff member for further information or clarification.

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Bottle and Can Policy

Cans and/or bottles MAY NOT BE STORED, COLLECTED OR USED AS DECORATIONS IN A RESIDENT'S ROOM. An exception to this policy is the possession of a maximum of one 8-pack returnable/recyclable carton. In such a situation, the following procedure will be utilized. Once a deposit bottle is emptied, the resident should be instructed to rinse the residue from the bottle and place it back in the carton. Students will be encouraged to empty remaining bottles as quickly as possible and remove the carton within 24 hours after the emptying of the last deposit bottle. Students violating this policy may be fined $15 by University Housing Services for the first violation and $25 for any violation thereafter. In a large group living environment such as a residence hall, pest control can become a concern. Roaches, in particular, are prolific breeders and if not kept in check, their numbers can increase very quickly. The key to controlling roaches and other pests is to eliminate possible breeding areas. Bottles and cans provide excellent breeding ground for such pests once the manufacturer's seal has been broken. University Housing Services and the Association of Residence Halls share a strong commitment to dealing with this issue and have developed the bottle and can collection policy in response to student concerns.

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Decorations in Public Areas

Any and all decorations used in public areas must be made of fire-resistant materials. No public area decoration may hinder the use of, or restrict access to, hallways, doorways, stairs, corridors, or fire related equipment. Do not attach anything to or tamper with light fixtures or exit signs. [holiday trees must be ARTIFICIAL to be approved for residence hall use. The use of electric decorative holiday lights is restricted to "miniature Italian lights" that are either "U.L." (Underwriter's Laboratory) or "F.M." (Factory Mutual) approved.] Decorations violating this policy may be removed by residence hall staff. Contact a residence hall staff person for clarification.

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Energy Conservation Policy

In an effort to conserve energy to enhance control of room and board rates, residents are restricted to a reasonable consumption of electrical mechanisms used in the residence halls.

Electrical Appliances

As a result of the increased use of cooking and heat producing appliances in the residence hall rooms and the resulting life safety and energy concerns, the University prohibits possession and/or usage of ALL ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES with the exception of the following items, only:

hair apparatus, mirrors, shavers, iron*
refrigerators may be no larger than 4.3 cubic and draw no more energy than 1.5 running amps

*Irons can only be utilized in a floor/suite utility room or other designated area on your floor/suite. Iron usage is prohibited in student rooms.

The "electrical appliance" policy also prohibits ALL energy-consuming lighted wall or window signs, ALL electrically-powered tools, and all halogen lamps. Items of questionable wattage should be addressed with the Residence Hall Coordinator; power strips are permissible as long as they have a built-in circuit breaker. Extension cords and power strips may not be "daisy chained" (two or more connected cords/strips). Students violating this policy will be fined $50 for the first violation and $100 for any violation thereafter. A microwave oven is provided on each of the student living floors and every two suites in Watterson. These microwaves will be available to students 24 hours a day.

Room and board rates are significantly affected by increasing utility costs. Conservation of energy and fossil fuels is everyone's concern. Be conscious of energy consumption by turning off lights and electrical appliances when not in use. These actions contribute significantly towards keeping utility costs and your room and board rates minimal.

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Elevators

There are elevators for student use in all residence halls. When elevator cars are damaged or vandalized, all residents of the building are inconvenienced. Elevator repairs are expensive. If an elevator is intentionally damaged and the hall staff cannot identify the responsible person(s), the repair costs are equally divided and billed to all residents of the building through proration.

University Housing Services is committed to preventing disruptive behavior such as this. The staff will work to identify any person(s) responsible for such a disruption should it occur. All students with information that can assist in this endeavor are encouraged to contact a residence hall staff member or the ISU Police Department. If and when necessary, a reward may be offered to the person(s) with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the responsible person. Information about a reward being offered will be posted in the residence halls.

Note: Staff members are not eligible to receive rewards as it is the responsibility of all staff members to report information about incidents.

Some elevators are equipped with timing devices that keep the doors open for a short period of time. This helps to maximize elevator use. Never attempt to manually close or open elevator doors. This is dangerous and can cause serious damage to equipment.

If a person becomes stuck in an elevator, s/he should repeatedly sound the alarm, call out for assistance, and wait for service personnel to arrive. The elevator emergency equipment is to be used "for emergencies only." Individuals who abuse such emergency equipment or who damage other elevator equipment will be billed for repair costs and may have criminal charges filed against them.

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Finals Week Quiet Hours

Residents are permitted to remain in their residence hall after completing final examinations until the official closing date and time, providing they maintain behavior appropriate for finals week and consistent with residence hall and University regulations. Extended QUIET HOURS (20-24 hours per day) go into effect during this week. Daily courtesy hours (0-4 hours per day) for this week will be established by each hall or area government prior to the beginning of finals week.

Residents who violate quiet hours or other university residence hall policies during this week may be required to move to another residence hall wherever space is available. Residents committing serious or repeated violations may be required to vacate any and all residence halls as soon as possible and/or no later than the end of the working day or equivalent. These actions may be taken administratively at the recommendation of the residence hall staff with the approval of the Associate Director of University Housing Services. Such action may be taken regardless of whether or not the individual has completed final examinations.

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Furnishings in Student Rooms

Furniture

Residence hall rooms are equipped with beds that can be lofted. No other type of loft will be permitted. The use of cinder blocks is also prohibited. No items of furniture may be disassembled, removed from a resident's room, or placed on top of other furnishings at any time. Residents may not stack shelves, crates, or equipment on top of air convectors or in front of room windows. Residents may not remove University furniture from lounge areas for any use. Please note that lounge furniture may not be moved from lounge to lounge.

Decorations

Residents may not add attachments of any type to a residence hall light fixture, including paint, tissue paper, crepe paper, tinfoil or any other material. NO materials, whether flammable or non-flammable, may be suspended from, attached to, or draped beneath the ceiling. Any materials such as tinfoil, paper, cloth, paperboard, plastic, etc. used to cover the walls in student rooms must be limited to less than half of the total room wall space. Decorations with open flames (whether lit or unlit) such as candles, wick lamps, incense, etc. are prohibited in student rooms. Residents may not add any permanent fixtures, constructions or wallpaper to their rooms. This includes the use of borders and contact paper. The use of these cause damage to painted walls and will require repainting at the resident's expense. Only University window treatments may be used in students' rooms.

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Noise Policy

Sound carries easily through residence hall rooms. Voices, stereos, televisions and bouncing balls in your room can often be heard in other rooms on your floor and the floors above and below you. Remember that while you have a right to listen to music of your choice, other residents have a right to sleep, study or listen to their choice of music without disturbance. University Housing Services is committed to creating and maintaining an environment within the residence halls which allows for a reasonable degree of order and a maximum degree of personal freedom and privacy. You may be asked at times by other residents or staff to compromise by adjusting the sound/noise level in your room to reduce the disturbance to others around you. Please be considerate and flexible. Some helpful hints to avoid problems with room noise are:

QUIET HOURS are agreed upon times when noise is kept to a bare minimum to facilitate study and/or sleep. COURTESY HOURS are in effect at all other times. During courtesy hours noise is to be kept at a level that does not disturb others. The minimum standard Quiet Hours are set as follows: Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Friday and Saturday 12 a.m. to 7 a.m. However, each floor community can choose to increase (never decrease) their number of Quiet Hours based on the habits and preferences of its residents. Check with your Resident Assistant to find out what the standards are for your floor/suite.
Get to know the people who live around you. Decide what types/volume of sound can be disturbing and at what point sound becomes noise. You may want to check sound levels on your stereo and TV with your neighbors and mark acceptable volume levels. Use headphones whenever possible.
Residents of a floor/suite community should work out acceptable ways of letting each other know when sound is disturbing. Pounding on walls is not always effective. While hall staff have the responsibility of ensuring that residents abide by the noise policy, residents are also responsible for confronting noise problems. Such an approach enables individuals to better understand how their actions and behaviors directly impact others.
Remember that even loud voices and laughing can be disturbing to those around you.
Communication is the key. If you have a problem with the noise level of neighbors, talk to them and work it out. Your Resident Assistant can help serve as a mediator to work out a compromise. During quiet hours (on quiet lifestyle & non-quiet lifestyle floors), any prolonged (30 seconds or more) and/or blatant (sound that enters another student's room) noise during the set quiet hours is in violation of the guidelines for that floor. More specific information concerning Quiet Lifestyle floors can be found in the Themed Learning Community section of this handbook. Contact your Resident Assistant or other staff persons for any necessary clarification.

Musical Instruments

Use of amplified musical instruments is permitted between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., seven days a week. Amplified music includes utilizing internal speakers (i.e., electronic keyboards) and those which use external speakers (i.e., electric guitars). Musical instruments may be a source of disturbance, and you may be asked to seek alternate practice areas should the disturbance affect the floor/suite/hall community. This request is considered a courtesy to other residents as stated under the Noise Policy.

Sound Amplification

The University policy concerning the use of sound amplification equipment states, in part, that "individuals utilizing equipment for amplification should recognize the impact of the sound on those for whom the amplified material is not intended. After 7 p.m. individuals should use designated practice spaces and/or sound modules provided in each residential area."

Applying this consideration to the residence halls means that while residents may use musical instruments in their rooms during designated hours, any amplification that is loud enough to be heard by individuals in other buildings infringes on the rights or residents of these buildings, the local community, classroom and office users, and others in the immediate vicinity.

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Noxious Odor Policy

A noxious odor is ANY aroma of such intensity that it becomes apparent to others. Any odor can become noxious or offensive when it is too strong. Some examples are cigarette, cigar or pipe smoke; incense; perfume; air freshening spray; or large amounts of dirty laundry. Furthermore, because incense is a source of noxious odor and is also a fire hazard, it is prohibited in student rooms. When a noxious odor can be localized to a particular room, the resident(s) and/or guests of that room may be in violation of residence hall policy.

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Pets

Residents may keep fish in their rooms provided these fish are kept in a good living environment. Tank size is limited to a maximum of 10 gallons. No other pets of any kind are allowed in residence hall rooms at any time.

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Posting Policy

Approximately 6,400 students live in ISU residence halls, with over half being freshmen and almost 90% being under 21 years of age. The residence halls are home to these students for at least nine months out of the year and, as such, University Housing Services attempts to provide a “home-like” atmosphere.

Posters, fliers, and mailbox stuffers provide a means of communicating activities and events to residence hall students. However, posters, fliers, and mailbox stuffers can be compared to “junk mail” in that the information/advertisement is not requested nor do [some] residents wish to receive it. The abundance of posters and fliers to which residents are exposed may dilute their effectiveness and, therefore, should be considered thoughtfully.

There is a cost to University Housing Services and, therefore residents, for the process of approving posters, fliers, and mailbox stuffers; for hanging posters and fliers, and stuffing mailboxes; for cleaning up posters, fliers and stuffers that end up on the floor of the residence hall; and for recycling posters, fliers, and mailbox stuffers. At present, there is no chargeback to student organizations or departments for whom University Housing Services provides the above services.

Residence hall operations are funded by income from residence hall students’ room and board payments. Room and board helps pay for staffing, cleaning, recycling, and a variety of programs and services. University Housing Services and the residence halls do not receive income from fees or any other General Revenue source.

Guidelines

Posters and fliers:

UHS allows registered student organizations and University departments to post fliers and posters in designated public areas with the following stipulations:

The item being posted relates to events, announcements, services, or activities sponsored and sanctioned by Illinois State University or one of its departments or registered student organizations.
The poster/flier does not contain references to alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs, or to any event, activity, program, or sponsor whose purpose or activity is the sale, use, or promotion of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.
The poster/flier does not contain profanity.
The poster/flier is printed on recycled paper and contains the recycling logo along with the statement “Printed on recycled paper.”
The poster/flier contains the following statement: “If you need a special accommodation to fully participate in this program/event, please contact (name and host department) at (phone number/voice). Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.”
The poster/flier does not exceed 400 square inches.
The poster/flier is approved by an authorized UHS staff person prior to posting.
Items will be posted for one (1) week.
UHS is not responsible for items that get torn down or removed prematurely.

Mailbox stuffers:

UHS will stuff items in residence hall students’ mailboxes that relate to an event or activity sponsored and sanctioned by Illinois State University or one of its departments or registered student organizations with the following stipulations:

The stuffer does not contain references to alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, or to any event, activity, program, or sponsor whose purpose or activity is the sale or use of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs.
The stuffer does not contain references to privately-owned businesses.
The stuffer is printed on recycled paper and contains the recycling logo along with the statement “Printed on recycled paper.”
The stuffer does not contain profanity.
The stuffer contains the following statement: “If you need a special accommodation to fully participate in this program/event, please contact (name and host department) at (phone number/voice). Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation”
The stuffer is approved by an authorized UHS staff member prior to distribution.

Additional information

Posters and fliers may only be placed on designated bulletin boards.
Posters and fliers may not be hung on the exterior of buildings, or on interior walls or windows.
UHS has priority for promoting and communicating its own programs, activities, services, etc. and, if necessary, may restrict the placement of posters and fliers due to space considerations.
Allow adequate time for a poster/flier to be approved and posted, and for a stuffer to be approved and distributed to residents’ mailboxes.

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Room Change

Room changes cannot be made until after the tenth day of classes each semester. You may request a room change through your Residence Hall Coordinator. These requests may not be approved until you have demonstrated a serious attempt to adjust to your room situation. The Roommate Bill of Rights (pdf) is used to ensure that residents have been making efforts to work through their disagreements. When requesting a room change, it is your responsibility to provide your Residence Hall Coordinator with the hall name and room number to which you desire to move. Should all residence hall spaces be filled, only one-for-one room switches can be approved. Residents are responsible for officially checking out of their rooms when completing an approved room change. See your hall staff for further information. ROOM CHANGES NOT APPROVED BY THE RESIDENCE HALL COORDINATOR ARE IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF RESIDENCE HALL POLICY.

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Room Keys

You are issued a room key (Watterson residents and other residents living in suites are issued two keys, a room key and a suite door key) when you officially check into your residence hall. This key remains the property of the University and is loaned or licensed to you only so long as you are the rightful occupant of the residence hall room to which this key provides access. Students may not give or loan the key to a guest or other residents nor should a resident be in possession of any residence hall key not specifically granted as authorized use by hall staff. You may only deliver, surrender or relinquish this key to a residence hall staff member. You may not duplicate or modify your room key. You must return your room key to a residence hall staff member when you check out of your room. If your key is locked in your room, the reception desk can provide you with another key to your room for a limited length of time. If this key, along with your room key, is not returned within the specified period of time, you will be charged for a core change. If you lose your room key, you will be charged for its replacement.

Should you misplace your room key, please contact the front desk of your residence hall to request a core change. You will be issued a tag key to be used until the core change is completed. The charge for this will be your responsibility. The tag key can be kept for a limited amount of time as noted on the Statement of Understanding that you will sign when you check out the key. If you locate your key during the time that you have the tag key checked out, please bring both keys to the front desk prior to the conclusion of the specified time to avoid a core change and the resulting charges.

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Residence Hall Room Doors

Due to fire safety considerations and the significant amount of damage done to residence hall room doors, postings on the inside of residence hall room doors are limited to signs, posters, etc., which cover NO MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE DOOR.

Additionally, residents may not post, hang, or otherwise attach any material to the outside of their room door. The only exception to this is residents will be allowed to post one memo board (those comprised of pressed fiber board), not to exceed 11" x 14" per room on the outside of their door.

Residents seeking temporary exemptions to this policy (birthday, anniversary, special occasion, etc.) may request temporary exemption from their Residence Hall Coordinator stating the reason for the request and the duration of time for which the exemption is sought.

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Sports in the Halls

Residents may not engage in any sports or sports related activities within residence hall rooms, lounges, hallways, stairwells or other public areas. Playing sports, including (but no limited to) Frisbee and rollerblading, in a confined area such as a hallway can lead to student injury and/or damage to private or University property. The University provides students with many approved facilities for sports and recreation.

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Privately Owned Refrigerators

Residents may operate privately owned refrigerators in their rooms provided those refrigerators meet the guidelines of University Housing Services and the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Those guidelines state that such refrigerators may be no larger than 4 cubic feet, no taller then 36 inches, and 1.5 running amps and must be plugged directly into an electrical outlet in the room without the use of electrical extension cords.

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Mail Services

Campus Mail is correspondence that originates and has a destination on the Illinois State University Campus. Its purpose must be University business, not personal in nature (cash, greeting cards or chain letters are ILLEGAL USE OF CAMPUS MAIL).

All students must complete a change of address card upon checking out of the halls. Your mail will be forwarded to your new location by the Residence Hall Staff as allowed by postal regulations.

Campus Mail Service will not be responsible for any damage, loss, or delay regarding U.S. mail en route to or from the University and its addressee. DO NOT SEND CASH through the mail.

Any problems experienced with mail delivery should be reported to the Assistant Residence Hall Coordinator in your area immediately. Mechanical problems with mailboxes should be reported to your hall desk. You can fill out a work order to have your mailbox fixed.

DO NOT leave room keys in mailboxes.
Once mail is placed in a student's mailbox, it can only be removed by the addressee. Residence Hall Staff can only remove mail from a mailbox for forwarding purposes when the addressee has moved.
Please do not inquire at the desk during the day as to when mail will be ready. These inquiries slow down the process of getting your mail ready for you. Many halls have signs that indicate when mail is in. Residents may not apply stickers or decorations to mailboxes.

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Maintenance Requests

If the maintenance problem is an emergency (any situation which threatens the life, health, and safety of building occupants and/or may cause serious damage to the building and its contents), please report it immediately to your RA or the front desk. Student rooms and their furnishings are property of the University. Repairs will be made by appropriate personnel. Students/parents are not allowed to make their own repairs.

If it can be determined that you are responsible for the damages, you will be billed for the repair. NOTE: Retrieving items from sink and shower traps is expensive and may result in a billing.

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Sprinkler Systems

The sprinkler may not be touched, hit, or have anything hung from it. Should a sprinkler be set off whether accidentally or intentionally, the resident will be responsible for all costs associated with the incident, including any damage caused as a result.

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Recycling Program

UHS will be collecting commodities in bins labeled Aluminum, Cardboard, Mixed Paper, and Containers. The specific items collected in these bins are defined below.

Aluminum Cans: Includes pop cans only. Watterson residents should rinse cans, then place them in the appropriate barrel. Residents of East, West, and South campus can deposit their aluminum in the trash chutes for separation by the Building Service Workers.
Cardboard: Includes heavy weight box material with ribbing between brown cardboard. Break down all cardboard boxes. Place all flattened cardboard materials in the black metal racks located in your recycling areas.
Mixed Paper: Includes newspaper (including glossy advertising), paper/press board (including tissue, shoe, and cereal boxes), cartons (including frozen food boxes, 12/24 pack beverage can boxes), envelopes, junk mail, magazines, telephone books, computer paper, school paper, gift wrap, and paper egg cartons. Unacceptable items include carbon paper and styrofoam.
Containers: Includes plastic containers #I through #7 with a small neck (such as pop bottles, milk, water, laundry detergent, cleaners) without lids or caps; plastic #6 and #12 pack ring carriers; glass bottles and jars without lids or caps; and steel cans (including metal aerosol cans). Empty all contents and rinse container, if possible, before recycling in the appropriate bin.
South/West/East Campus: On each residence hall floor there will be one barrel for Mixed Paper, one barrel for Containers and a Cardboard collection rack. These containers are located in the utility room. Mixed Paper barrels can also be found in the lobby of each building.
Watterson: In each Recycling Annex, there will be one barrel for Mixed Paper, one barrel for Containers, one barrel for Aluminum, and one Cardboard collection rack. These Recycling Annexes are located on the third floor of each house. Mixed Paper barrels can also be found in the lobby of each building.

With your help, the UHS Recycling program anticipates continued success. If you have questions, comments, or if you are interested in working with the Recycling Program, call 438-SAVE.

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Telephone Equipment

To report trouble with a University telephone, contact the residence hall front desk and provide a short description of the problem to the desk attendant. Do not call an RA for telephone repairs. If a student chooses to replace the University telephone, the University will not make repairs to that telephone. If University technicians are called out for repairs and the problem is the non-University telephone, the students in the room will be charged for the technician's time.

On-Campus Calls: For calls to on-campus telephones, enter the last five digits of the telephone number. For calls to local off-campus locations, enter 9 and the seven-digit number. Press O for University information. Off-campus directory assistance calls must be billed to a calling card. For more information consult www.tnss.ilstu.edu or the University Telephone Directory.
Long Distance Calls: Residents will need to use a personal calling card for long distance phone calls.
Other Telephones: Pay telephones and campus convenience telephones are available in each residence hall lobby and throughout the campus. CallEdge authorization codes may also be used from any campus convenience telephone.

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Trash Chutes

The available times trash chutes are open is posted in each area. Please schedule your room cleaning activities so that you will be able to dispose of your trash once it is removed from your room. Hallways, lounges, and bathrooms are not acceptable areas for trash disposal. Excessive amounts of trash that accumulate in the above or any other public areas will result in the person(s) responsible being billed, or, in the event that the responsible person cannot be found, the entire floor and/or building may be prorated.

Please Note: Trash chutes should not be used to dispose of aerosol cans, bottles, hypodermic needles (e.g. for insulin injections), any other items made of glass or metal, any other type of pressurized containers, or any other material that could be hazardous to personnel involved in the incineration and/or disposal of trash. Contact your hall staff for information on how to properly dispose of such items.

Special instructions will be given at the end of the year for the proper disposal of discarded lumber.

University Smoking Policy

For more information, please view the University's policy on smoking and tobacco use.

Behavior Policy Listing

Housing Behavior Policies