Policy Statement
Student Responsibilities
Due to health and safety concerns, students are expected to keep their rooms reasonably clean and orderly.
- If, after appropriate warning, a student does not maintain the room in reasonable order, the student may be required to vacate the premises. If this occurs, no rent refund will be offered, and the student may be assessed a room cleaning charge.
- If a vacated student residence is left in a condition that it requires more than routine cleaning, a minimum charge of $50 will be assessed.
Custodial Services
Custodial services are provided to every College-owned or operated residential facility. Custodians keep the common living areas clean, provide routine maintenance, empty trash in common areas, and otherwise keep buildings up to College standards.
- It is a student’s responsibility to clean his/her own room, and dispose of trash after they have used kitchens or other common spaces.
Room Furnishings
In all College residences, each resident is provided with a bed frame, mattress, desk, desk chair, dresser and closet/wardrobe. The College does not provide storage space for room furnishings. Student rooms are generally carpeted.
- All Office of Residential Life-supplied furniture must stay in its designated room.
- Students are not permitted to leave room furnishings in common areas, hallways or corridors.
- Furniture found in any of these areas will be returned to the student’s room and a $100 fine for obstruction of egress and a moving charge will be assessed to the student for each incident.
- Due to the damage they cause and the excessive labor required to remove them at the end of terms, cinder blocks are not permitted in all College residences.
- At the request of the Hanover Fire Department and in the interest of fire safety, lofts of any type are not permitted in residence hall rooms.
- Ping-Pong tables, pool tables, video arcade games and other large game tables (by use or function) are not permitted due to limited room space and potential disruption to other students.
- Students who have a medical need for furnishings or equipment other than those provided should contact the Housing Office to obtain information regarding an application and the requirements for medical documentation.
- Privately-owned Greek letter organizations and Society Houses establish their own policies regarding room furnishings.
- For safety reasons, triple bunking of beds is not allowed.
Permitted Items
Items appropriate for, and permitted in, residence hall rooms include:
- Electric refrigerators not larger than three cubic feet; small coffee pots (if UL-approved for commercial use, or comes with a three-pronged plug AND has automatic shut-off); cordless telephones of 900 MHZ or 5.8 GHz
- Electric flat irons with an automatic shut-off, hair dryers
- Surge protectors
Non-Permitted Items
Other items are not appropriate for use in student rooms for safety reasons. Possession of one or more of these items can subject the occupant(s) of the room to a $50 fine and possible disciplinary action. Those items include:
- Air conditioners (Privately-owned Greek letter organizations and Society Houses develop their own policies.)
- Outside antennas and/or satellite dishes for television/radio reception
- Waterbeds
- Portable space heaters; electrical appliances with a heating element
- Microwave ovens, hot plates, toasters, rice cookers
- Electric, propane gas or charcoal grills
- Torchier-style halogen lamps, or any halogen lamp with a bulb of 100 watts or greater
- 2.4 GHz cordless telephones, as they interfere with the College’s wireless network. 900MHz and 5.8 GHz telephones are permitted in rooms where a VoIP phone is not already provided
- Live or cut Christmas trees
- Flammable liquids or gasses
- Cinderblocks
Obligations of the College
- The College will provide furnishings and utilities to its residences.
- The Office of Residential Life will provide smoke-free housing for students.
- The College will provide maintenance service for any utility under its control and will seek service for utilities it does not own.
- The College shall, within a reasonable amount of time and within its monetary resources, maintain its residences in good repair.
- A resident may request repairs to his/her room and/or living unit by contacting the Residential Life Business and Operations Office.
- There will be no adjustment of housing fees in the event that the College is unable to restore services.