Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Residential Policies

I) INTRODUCTION

HWS residential neighborhoods are maintained for the well-being of all students who live there. Each student is expected to live their life in a way that respects all community residents. Each student is directly responsible for maintaining a safe, secure, and healthy living environment in their residence. Each student is expected to sign and abide by the HWS Housing Agreement. Some privileges listed within this section may be suspended in instances of disease, illness outbreak, or other public health related directive.

II) RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

Hobart and William Smith believe that students have much to gain from the experiences inherent in on-campus living. For this reason, all undergraduate students are required to live on campus and take their meals in campus dining halls on one of Hobart and William Smith approved meal plans. In certain cases, dependent on special circumstances and/or occupancy, students may live at home with their families, off campus, or may be excused from Hobart and William Smith meal plan. To be exempt from these requirements, students must secure permission from the Director of Housing & Residence Life through the established and published procedure.

III) LIVING OFF CAMPUS

At times, when Hobart and William Smith determine the residence halls may be grossly over-occupied if every undergraduate student resided on-campus, Hobart and William Smith may allow a select number of students to reside off campus. Hobart and William Smith will determine the students granted an exception via an application process.

If provided permission to reside off-campus, students are responsible for acquiring their own housing, and are also responsible for the safety, security, and condition of their accommodations.

A) Off-Campus Process and Permission
A limited number of students may be permitted to live off campus each year, effectively being exempt from Hobart and William Smith residency requirement. In addition to married students, students 23 years of age or older, and students with legal dependents, some seniors may be given an exemption to Hobart and William Smith residency requirement after all available spaces in HWS owned residences are filled. Permission is granted on the basis of a selection process conducted by the Office of Housing and Residence Life each academic year. Confirmation of status is given by a letter from the Office of Housing and Residence Life following the selection process. Students without official permission will be required to pay for campus room and board and will be expected to live in their on-campus assignment. Students should never sign a lease for an off-campus apartment until they receive written confirmation of off campus status; having a previously signed lease does not warrant an exception to Hobart and William Smith residency requirement. If a student is granted off-campus status as a rising senior and is later reclassified as a junior the student will be expected to move back on campus.

B) Residency Exception Requests
For students who wish to request an exception to Hobart and William Smith residency requirement due to an extenuating circumstance, must adhere to the guidelines of one of the processes below:

• Medical Requests
  Students who believe they have a medical necessity that cannot be accommodated within the flexible living environments at Hobart and William Smith and who are seeking to reside off-campus should apply through the standard off-campus selection process. If they are not eligible to apply for the off-campus process, the student must apply for a medical housing accommodation through the Non-Academic Accommodation Committee and specifically furnish a letter that details a specific medical disability that cannot be accommodated through on-campus living. This letter must be furnished from their doctor to the Non-Academic Accommodation Committee. The guidelines for requesting an accommodation is posted on the Disability Services website. General or vague medical letters, requests from non-medical persons, and requests from family members (regardless of their medical professional status) are not acceptable. The letter must document that a situation exists that cannot be met within the normal flexibility of the housing inventory. The Non-Academic Accommodation Committee will review medical information and, when appropriate, discuss the student’s need with the director of dining services, the Hubbs Health Center staff, and the Director of Housing and Residence Life, as well as other campus partners as deemed appropriate, to determine whether on-campus arrangements can be provided. If a medical accommodation is determined to be necessary, the Non-Academic Accommodation Committee will send an accommodation letter to the Director of Student Housing and Residence Life and/or their designee.
• Non-Medical Requests
  As Hobart and William Smith are residential, all students are required to reside on-campus unless express permission is provided. This generally occurs through the off-campus housing selection process or via a medical approval. Should a student believe they have a non-medical extenuating circumstance, they must submit a request outlining their extenuating circumstance (inclusive of any supporting documentation) to the Director of Housing and Residence Life. Non-medical requests for exceptions to Hobart and William Smith residency requirement are reviewed by a committee once per semester; the committee may also convene if a new student enrolls at Hobart and William Smith. The Director of Housing and Residence Life convenes the committee and may contact campus partners to determine the validity and necessity of the request. All non-medical requests for an exception to the residency requirement are due by February 15th for the following Fall semester and November 15th for the following Spring semester. Requests from students not yet enrolled to the institution, and students returning from a personal or medical leave of absence, are due by one calendar month before the first day of classes for the upcoming semester.

C) Meal Plan Requirement
As a residential institution, Hobart and William Smith believes that it is essential to our community’s wellbeing to keep students living off campus engaged in campus life and contributing to the daily rhythms of the campus. Since meals are a time for the community to come together, students who live off campus are required to purchase one of the meal plans.

D) Off-Campus Permission Status
While living off campus fosters independence and personal growth, and provides a sometimes welcome alternative to traditional residence hall living, it also requires a great deal of responsibility and sensitivity to immediate neighbors and the larger community. As Hobart and William Smith jurisdiction for our Community Standards extends on and off-campus, if a student or group of students abuse this privilege and is found to be in violation of the Community Standards and/or federal, state, or local laws or ordinances, their off-campus status may be revoked.

IV) ROOM CHECKS

While respecting the privacy of individuals in their rooms, Hobart and William Smith reserve the right to enter HWS owned residences and student rooms for appropriate reasons, including but not limited to repairs, furniture inventory and room condition checks, to ensure compliance with campus safety and fire and safety codes, to investigate student misconduct allegations, and/or in any emergency. Hobart and William Smith reserve the right to remove any item not in compliance with HWS policies, New York State statutes, or federal law. This includes a review of student-owned belongings if it is determined that a violation of the Community Standards may be present. Regular residence halls checks will be conducted at the close of each semester and at any time at the discretion of the Director of Housing and Residence Life. There also may be some periodic unscheduled room checks.

V) SOCIAL SPACES

Residents, clubs and organizations, and other campus groups are encouraged to use the following spaces and lounges for social programs, meetings, and gatherings. The spaces available for reservations include: the Barn, Bartlett Theater, Emerson Lounge, Hirshson Ballroom, Caird Lounge, deCordova Lounge, Bartlett Lounge, Geneva Lounge, Sherrill Lounge, and Rees Lounge; other residence hall lounges may also be used with approval from the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Students interested in utilizing these spaces must complete an Event Form on Engage two weeks prior to the date of the planned event. Questions on this process can be directed to the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life.

VI) GENERAL REGULATIONS

A) Cleaning: Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms to meet both health and safety and their roommate agreement standards. Hobart and William Smith housekeeping staff is responsible for the regular cleaning of common rooms, bathrooms, and hallways in most residences. The exceptions are the Village at Odell’s, where residents are responsible for all cleaning; and small houses, where residents are responsible for the kitchen and dining areas. Residents are responsible for cleaning up any messes created during an event or social gathering both inside and outside of their residence. Maintenance of lawn space includes collecting all necessary trash and removal of personal items.

B) College Property: Removal of HWS property from residence halls, lounge areas, conference rooms, or other community areas is prohibited. Failure to observe this regulation will result in disciplinary action.

C) Common Area Usage: Residents, their guests, and members of Hobart and William Smith community are encouraged to use the lounges in residence halls for social and educational gatherings. All parties, meetings, and gatherings in residential lounges should be cleared with the Office of Housing and Residence Life.

D) Damages: Students are responsible for reporting damage whenever observed and as soon as possible after it has occurred.

• In particular, it is the responsibility of each individual to report to the Office of Housing and Residence Life staff any damage for which they are personally responsible within 24 hours of occurrence. Damage fees will be determined by the maintenance department and efforts will be made to repair damages as quickly as possible.
• Hobart and William Smith charge all students who are responsible for avoidable damages and losses that occur in student residence halls. “Avoidable damage” is defined as damage that is the consequence of careless, willful, malicious, or other disruptive actions including horseplay and residence hall “athletics.” Such damage contributes significantly to the general deterioration of living conditions, which impacts all students’ attitudes about community and personal security.
• Room Condition Reports must be completed for each residential space to ensure proper documentation of any existing damage; please contact a member of the housing and residence life team if you have concerns or need assistance with your room condition report.

E) Door and Window Propping: In order to ensure the safety and security of all residents, propping of any locked exterior doors or windows is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. Screens must stay in windows at all times.

F) Furniture: Each student living in an HWS residence hall room is provided with a desk, chair, dresser, and bed. Students living off campus are responsible for providing their own furniture. Because campus storage space is limited, students are not permitted to remove furnishings from their rooms. Students are also not permitted to store their furniture in other students’ rooms. Students will be billed for any furniture damaged or missing from their rooms at the end of each semester.

G) Gambling: Engaging in illegal gambling activities is prohibited.

H) Guests: All occupants of a living area are responsible for the actions of guests in their residence; Hobart and William Smith students, however, are always responsible for their actions anywhere on campus. Each student should be aware of activities in their residence and ensure both HWS and Housing and Residence Life expectations are followed.

• Any nonresident of a building is considered a “guest” and must be sponsored by a host who is a resident of the hall or house, and must carry some form of identification. No overnight guest(s) will be permitted in any room before: (1) each room occupant gives their consent, (2) any conditions on the guest’s stay are understood by all concerned, and (3) these arrangements/agreements are confirmed and approved by all parties.
• It is the responsibility of the host to explain residence hall rules to the guest. Students and their guests are expected to be considerate of their and Hobart and William Smith property and neighbors at all times. Although guests are responsible for their own behavior, students are also accountable for the conduct of their guests, with the exception of Hobart and William Smith students, who are responsible for their own actions anywhere on campus. Where the rights of a resident and guest conflict, the rights of the resident supersede those of the visitor.
• Residence hall rooms can accommodate comfortably only those students assigned to them, and occupancy is strictly limited to the students assigned to that room. Therefore, the duration of a guest’s stay may not exceed three days during a two-week period. If there are extenuating circumstances, exceptions may be requested through the Director of Housing and Residence Life.

I) Motorcycles and Motorbikes: Motorcycles and motorbikes are not permitted in the residence halls.

J) Noise/Quiet Hours: Any noise that disrupts the operation of Hobart and William Smith is prohibited. It is the responsibility of each resident, along with HWS staff members, to monitor the level of noise within the residence.

• Quiet Hours: Residence hall quiet hours are between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 9 a.m., Friday and Saturday. Students bothered by excessive noise who have talked to the person(s) responsible without a satisfactory response should ask a member of the Office of Housing and Residence Life to intervene. If no member of the residence life staff is available, it is appropriate to contact Campus Safety (315-781-3656). After responding directly to the call, Campus Safety may submit an incident report, where further action may be taken.
• Courtesy Hours: Hobart and William Smith have agreed on a 24-hour courtesy policy. If at any time a student is asked to decrease their noise level it is expected that the student will comply with the request.

K) Personal Items: Due to limited space, storage is not available on campus. Private storage companies in the area make easily accessible storage available to students. Any items left in rooms without permission will be removed and disposed of at the student’s expense after a student vacates a room.

L) Pet Policy: Except as permitted by the Policy for Student Use of Animals on Campus, students are not allowed to have animals living or visiting in any of the Hobart and William Smith residences. If an animal is found, the owner(s) will be fined $150 a day until a notification of the new location of animal has been received and is confirmed. The owner may also be faced with additional conduct sanctions. Hobart and William Smith assistance accommodation process may provide an exception for Service and Assistance Animals. The full policy can be found on the Disability Services website.

M) Restricted Areas: Access to the roofs except in buildings with designated sundecks, fire escapes other than in emergency situations, attics, mechanical equipment rooms, and all other areas with posted restricted area/access sign of all Hobart and William Smith buildings and residences is restricted to authorized personnel. Violators are subject to the institutions disciplinary action.

N) Solicitation and Vending: Solicitation or vending of any kind by students, company representatives, or mail-order displays is governed by the Vice Presidents for Campus Life and Communications. Solicitors/vendors in the residence halls must present written approval upon demand. If they are unable to provide documentation, they should be asked to leave and reported to Campus Safety immediately. Hobart and William Smith prohibits the advertising, marketing or merchandising or credit cards on the College campus to students. (For more on vending, see “Vending Policy” under “Administrative Policies.”)

O) Unauthorized Room Occupancy: Residing in a residential space before or after expected occupancy dates, as published within the academic calendar, without approval from the Director of Housing and Residence Life or their designee.

P) Unauthorized Room Change: Residing in a residential space for which you have not been given express permission to do so: for example, changing bedrooms without approval.

VII) FIRE SAFETY POLICIES

Fire safety is a concern in which a student’s actions or inactions can have great impact on other students and the Geneva community. Students who violate fire-safety code and cause the institution to be fined shall be assessed the amount of the fine and other sanctions. The following items are strictly prohibited to secure Hobart and William Smith property and the community’s safety. Any illegal appliance that comes to the attention of an HWS official will be confiscated and the student will be referred to the appropriate hearing body by the Vice President for Campus Life or designee.

A) Prohibited Items: These items are prohibited (this list is a reference and not exhaustive):

• Building lofts and other wood structures
• Candles/open flame devices (a charge of $50 will be assessed for each candle found.)
• Coffee pots (units with an auto shut-off feature and Keurig-style coffee makers are allowed)
• Extension cords (only power strips with surge protectors are allowed)
• Fireworks/pyrotechnics
• Halogen or torchier lamps
• Holiday lights, string lights, or other similar lighting device
• Incense
• Large refrigerators (above 3 cubic feet)
• Microwave ovens (except for Colleges-approved micro-fridges)
• Tapestries or other wall coverings, including but not limited to flags and sports jerseys
• Toaster ovens/hot plates/burners/Foreman grills

To minimize the risk of fire, the following fire safety rules have been adopted; violation of the rules will lead to disciplinary action. Questions regarding prohibited items should be directed to the Student Engagement Center or Campus Safety:

B) Cooking and Kitchens: Use of all cooking appliances in student rooms is strictly prohibited. A list of prohibited items is listed earlier in this policy. A small kitchen area is provided in most residence halls.

C) Electrical Usage: Caution should be exercised in the use of electrical appliances and power strips to prevent overloading of electrical circuits. Aerials for radios and other items of this nature are not permitted outside of rooms or on the building. Electrical wires leading from residence rooms to receptacles outside the rooms are prohibited.

D) Extension Cords: The use of multiple extension cords, “octopus plugs,” or strip plugs is prohibited, as they overload circuits in the room. Placement of cords under carpeting or in locations where they will be walked on and damaged is also forbidden.

E) Fireworks: All forms of pyrotechnics (firecrackers, cherry bombs, etc.) are prohibited by New York State law. A student found in possession of fireworks will be subject to severe disciplinary action, and the use of fireworks will be regarded as starting a fire.

F) Fire Doors: Fire and smoke doors must be kept closed at all times. They are there to save lives and minimize damage to buildings and personal property.

G) Fire Drills: Failure to exit during a fire drill. Students who fail to exit a building when the fire alarm sounds will be fined $50.

H) Lighting and Fire Safety Policy: The use of halogen lamps, particularly halogen floor or torchier lamps, is prohibited because their bulbs reach high temperatures quickly and their small bases with long segmented poles are often unsteady, increasing their potential for tipping over. Lamps with defective switches, frayed cords, unsteady bases, or broken poles should be discarded or immediately removed from service until properly repaired.

I) Lofts and Other Structures: Building lofts and wood structures are prohibited. Shelves and other room structures may not be attached to room furnishings, walls, ceilings, or floors.

J) Open Flames and Burning: The use of open-flame devices or other burning materials, such as candles and incense, and the melting of wax to fabricate candles, is prohibited. Such materials will be confiscated. Students found responsible for setting fires may expect to be separated permanently from Hobart and William Smith. A charge of $50 will be assessed for each candle found.

K) Space Heaters/Air Conditioners: Due to fire safety concerns and possible overloading of electrical circuits, space heaters and air conditioners are not permitted, unless approved by the Director of Housing and Residence Life under the advisement of the Office of Disability Services.

L) Tampering with Fire Extinguishers and Other Life-Safety Devices: Fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and other life safety devices should be utilized only for their intended purpose and should not be removed or otherwise rendered inoperable. Unwarranted use of a fire extinguisher or any other tampering with fire alarms or devices is considered a serious offense that could lead to suspension from Hobart and William Smith. A minimum charge of $250 will be assessed to any student or floor residents who falsely discharge a fire extinguisher, cover a smoke detector, or otherwise render a fire/life-safety device inoperable.

M) Tapestry: Clothing or other combustible materials should never be hung from any light source or on any wall.

VIII) PUBLIC ORDER

E) General Policies (Filed, as required by law, with the State of New York.)
All persons on the campus, as all other persons, are subject to the constitutions and laws of the United States and the State of New York and to the ordinances of the City of Geneva.

A) The following city ordinances are of particular interest to students:

B) The owner of any dog shall not allow, suffer, or permit their dog to run at large within the city at any time except when such dog is restrained by a leash or unless accompanied by its owner or other responsible person in full control of such dog.

C) No person shall throw, cast, drop, put, or place or (having accidentally dropped) fail to pick up any bag, bottle, bottle cap, box, container, garbage, paper, piece of paper, wrapper, or any other trash or litter in or upon any public park, place, playground, cemetery, fountain, street, or building, except in receptacles provided for such purposes.

D) No person shall drink or otherwise consume liquor, wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages or have in their possession, or carry or transport, any open bottle or open container containing liquor, wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages while such person is in or upon any public sidewalk, street, highway, parking lot, bathing beach, public park, or other such public place.

E) No person shall place, deposit, store, or allow to remain upon any private land or property within the city any abandoned motor vehicle for a period of more than two weeks, except in a garage or similar enclosure.

F) Firearms and/or weapons (including air guns, pistols, knives, martial arts weapons, ammunition and other dangerous devices) are not allowed in college residences or on the campus at any time.

G) Conduct by any person or persons (faculty, students, visitors, or others) that infringes on the civil, personal, or property rights of others will not be tolerated. This includes all actions that, by use of force, obstruct the educational program and other college activities, including the occupation of college buildings or areas of the campus, and destruction of college property or the property of others.

F) Penalties
Violators of these regulations will be subject, if students, to appropriate disciplinary action; if faculty or other college employees, to possible suspension or termination of employment. Visitors who violate these rules will be subject to ejection from the campus and liable to such penalties as may be imposed in accordance with federal and state law and local ordinances.

Removal of Violators from Campus
If a person, who engages in disorderly conduct, as specified above, persists in this conduct despite notice to cease and desist, and the safety of students, faculty, staff, or college property is in question, the person or persons shall be removed from the campus, if necessary by use of police or other civil authorities. Any decision to seek an injunction of a civil court or to call in civil authorities will be made by the president or his designee. The above rules and regulations were adopted and promulgated by the Board of Trustees on February 19, 1971. These rules are not a limitation but are an amplification of existing laws concerning the operation of Hobart and William Smith.