Click on the links below to locate the desired information.
Western Kentucky University is a community dedicated to learning, where ideas are offered, examined, and discussed. As a member of the community, I have both a personal and shared responsibility to participate actively in university life by:
Practicing personal and academic integrity;
•
Seeking unity by respecting the dignity of all persons;
•
Celebrating and embracing diversity;
•
Encouraging freedom of expression;
•
Acting in accordance with basic principles of citizenship;
•
Preserving and appreciating the natural beauty of the campus;
•
Enriching all aspect of life through the education process, and
by embracing the ideals expressed on the university seal: “Life
More Life” and “The Spirit Makes the Master,”
by pursuing personal growth and a life of excellence.
Welcome to Western Kentucky University and to the Department of Housing and
Residence Life (HRL). The Department of Housing and Residence Life, in partnership
with the student and the University community, will provide a premier living
learning experience to ensure student success. It is our goal that the residence
hall experience will assist in the growth and development of each student.
This publication provides the general guidelines and policies for residence hall
living. It is ultimately up to the individual student to accept responsibility
for making the best decisions about how the residence hall environment is going
to benefit them. To be successful in the residential environment, students need
to practice good citizenship by affirming their own positive personal values
while practicing tolerance for the values of others.
I hope that the information provided in this publication will be useful throughout
the academic year. If you have any comments or questions, please call us at 5-4359,
or email us at hrl@wku.edu , or visit our web
site at http://www.wku.edu/housing .
Sincerely,
Brian W. Kuster
Director, Housing and Residence Life
Fall Semester 2006
August 20 – 24 M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan
August 24 Halls
open at 8:00 am
October 5 & 6 Fall Break – Halls
do not close
November 22 Halls
close for Thanksgiving Break at noon
November 26 Halls
re-open at 10:00 am
December 16 Halls
close at 4 pm for semester break
January Term 2007
January 1 Northeast,
Rodes Harlin and McLean Halls open at 6pm
Spring Semester 2007
January 18 Halls
open at 8:00 am
March 9 Halls
close for Spring Break at 6:00 pm
March 18 Halls
re-open at 10:00 am
May 12 Halls
close at 4 pm
Hall Closings
With the exception of Pearce Ford Tower, the halls close for Thanksgiving,
semester, and Spring Breaks. Students are required to vacate the halls
at these times, but do not need to remove all personal belongings. They
do, however, need to prepare their room for pest control procedures. Students
who need to remain in Bowling Green for these breaks should live in Pearce
Ford Tower. There will not be space available to move there just for the
breaks.
Any personal items abandoned after the student moves out will be disposed of after 10 business days or by the close of each semester.
Adhesives including double sided tape, contact paper, carpet tape, duct tape, etc., may not be used on University walls, furniture, windows or floors. Use of adhesives will result in a charge for damage.
Residents must comply with all federal, state, and local laws governing the use and possession of alcoholic beverages. The University prohibits the possession, furnishing, or use of alcoholic beverages by residents in campus housing and/or guests of residents in residence halls. The University has adopted a Parental Notification Policy for students found in violation of the alcohol or dug policies, who are under 21 years of age.
Residents must comply with all federal, state, and local laws governing the use and possession of alcoholic beverages. The university prohibits the possession, furnishing, or use of alcoholic beverages by residents and/or guests of residents in campus housing. The University has adopted a Parental Notification Policy for students found in violation of the alcohol or drug policies, who are under 21 years of age.
Alcoholic containers are not to be used as decoration. Items in violation will be confiscated by hall staff and disposed of unless the resident makes arrangements to collect the items and remove them from the hall within 72 hours.
Appliances used in the residence halls must be UL listed. No cooking is permitted in a resident's room with the exception of approved microwave ovens (cannot exceed 1 cubic foot and 1000 watts). All other cooking appliances must be used in the kitchens (coffee pots, George Foreman grills, hot plates, toasters, toaster ovens, etc.) Halogen lamps, sun lamps, dehumidifiers, space heaters and gas appliances are not permitted for safety reasons. Irons should not be left unattended.
Bicycle racks are located around the residence halls. You may choose to store your bicycle in your room as long as it does not interfere with entrance or exit to your room and does not inconvenience your roommate. Bicycles may not be stored in hallways, stairwells, kitchens or any other common area. Gas powered vehicles cannot be stored in the residence halls.
If a bomb threat is announced in your residence hall, please follow the directions provided by your hall staff and/or the WKU Police. It is important that you remain calm and that you cooperate fully.
There is a public bulletin board in the lobby of each residence hall, which can be used for posting information. Staff members use other bulletin boards throughout the hall for programming and informational purposes.
WesternCable is provided in each residence hall room at no additional charge. The channel lineup provides a variety of entertainment, educational and informational channels. Residents should report problems with their cable to 5-6819.
CANCELLATION OF THE HOUSING AGREEMENT
A contract termination fee of $750, any applicable housing fees, and forfeiture of the housing deposit will be assessed to residents who officially withdraw from the residence hall at any time during the academic year and subsequently continues full-time enrollment.
Items should not be hung from or attached to ceilings. Ceiling tile should not be tampered with or moved for any reason including running cables or data cords, hanging objects or decorations, or storing items.
Contact your hall staff if you experience a power loss in your room due to a tripped circuit breaker. Under no circumstances are students permitted to reset circuit breakers. Upon determination of the problem, you may be asked to make adjustments in the use of appliances or electrical equipment.
Each residence hall room has a data port that provides unlimited access to the Internet. To connect to the Internet, students will need an Ethernet card in their computer. For more information or for troubleshooting, call the helpdesk at 5-7000.
Concrete blocks and bricks are not permitted in the residence halls.
Students are assigned accommodations assuming double occupancy of rooms unless alternative arrangements are made. If a vacancy occurs in a room due to the withdrawal of one of the residents during the first four weeks of the semester, the remaining resident has the following options:
• Pay the additional fee necessary to occupy the room for the remainder of the semester as a private.
• Request a room change with someone who currently has no roommate, or
• Allow the hall director to assign a new resident to the room or move to another room that has only one occupant.
Contact paper is not allowed on walls, fixtures, or university furniture. Damages, as a result of contact paper, will be charged to the student at the time of check-out.
Coupon tables are located in the lobby of each residence hall and are used by businesses to offer discounts to students. Only items offering discounts can be put on these tables.
These items are not permitted in the residence halls.
Illegal use, possession, or distribution of drugs, controlled substances or drug paraphernalia may be cause for dismissal from the residence hall, as well as other disciplinary and police action.
The following policies concerning the use of electrical outlets must be followed:
• In each duplex electrical wall outlet, no more than four appliances can be plugged in at any one time.
• All major appliances (refrigerator, microwave) must be either plugged directly into the wall outlet or into a heavy-duty extension cord plugged directly into the wall outlet.
• Adapters or extension cords cannot be used in the light fixture outlet; ONLY one item may be plugged directly into this outlet.
• Six-way adapters, power taps, and electrical bars are strictly prohibited and will be removed by the HRL staff.
• Use of a surge suppressor for computer equipment is permitted. Electrical equipment other than computer equipment may not be plugged into a multi-outlet surge suppressor.
Elevators are provided for your convenience. Anyone found tampering with or vandalizing elevators may be subject to restitution, disciplinary sanctions, and/or criminal prosecution. Misuse or abuse of the elevators will be considered criminal mischief. Only authorized personnel are allowed in the elevator shaft. Students who drop keys, IDs or other items down the elevator shaft may be billed for their retrieval.
This option is offered in Pearce Ford Tower and allows students to live in their rooms throughout the Thanksgiving, semester and spring break periods, when other halls close.
All alarms should be regarded as actual fires. The University and state law requires all residents and their guests to adhere to the fire safety regulations of the campus. Failure to evacuate is not only a safety hazard, but it is a violation of University policy and state law.
• The sounding of false fire alarms and tampering with fire-fighting or safety equipment including extinguishers, smoke detectors, sprinklers, exit signs, extinguishing powder, door and fire alarms is prohibited.
• Tampering with or removal of posted fire evacuation signs will result in disciplinary procedures as well as restitution for the replacement signs.
• The use of open-coil, open plate devices, open flames, ember devices, oil lamps, and incense is prohibited.
• Candles are not permitted in the residence halls.
For more information on Fire Safety click here.
When the alarm, shouted warning, or the sensation of smoke or fire has alerted you, adhere to the following:
• If there is smoke in the room, keep low to the floor.
• Before passing through any door, feel the doorknob. If it is hot, do not open the door.Before opening a door, brace yourself against the door and open it slightly. If heat and smoke are present, close the door and stay in the room.
• If you cannot leave the room, open the window. If trapped, attract the fire department by hanging an object out the window. If there is a phone in your room, call WKU Police at 5-2548 or 911 and give the room number and specific location.
• If you can leave a room, close the door behind you.
• Go to the nearest exit or stairwell. Do not use the elevator.
• If the nearest exit is blocked by fire, heat or smoke, go to an alternate exit.
• If all exits are blocked, go back to your room, open the windows, and attract the fire department.
• After evacuating a building, move away from it and stand clear. Emergency personnel and equipment will be maneuvering around the building.
• Follow the directions of fire, police, and hall personnel.
• You may reenter the building only after fire and police officials have given their approval.
Gambling, in any form, is prohibited.
• Possession of firearms, fireworks, or weapons is prohibited. Instruments used to simulate such weapons (such as water guns) are also prohibited.
• Objects are not to be thrown out of windows and screens are not to be tampered with. Lights and other items should not be displayed in windows. The windows in
Pearce Ford Tower are equipped with a stop for safety reasons. These stops should not be removed or tampered with.
• Only the main lobby doors are to be used to enter and exit the building.
• Live trees and other room decorations that constitute a fire hazard are not permitted.
• Emergency hallway lights should be left on at all times.
HALL GOVERNMENT/RESIDENCE COUNCILS
Hall Government consists of student leaders from the residence halls. The officers are elected each fall for the academic year. Residence Councils meet regularly to plan programs and to make recommendations to the Residence Hall Association. Also see RHA.
This living option is available in Rodes Harlin for freshmen and McLean Hall for upperclassmen that are enrolled in the University Honors Program.
Residents submit a $150 deposit with their Housing Agreement. This deposit will remain on file throughout the resident's term of occupancy and serves as a combination room reservation, cancellation, damage, and room checkout deposit. This deposit does not apply towards the semester housing fee unless the resident fails to meet the payment schedule and accumulates a past due balance. Forfeiture of all or part of this deposit may result from cancellation of the Housing Agreement, failure to check-in by the first day of classes, failure to check out properly, or having room damages and/or missing equipment.
INSURANCE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY
The Department of Housing and Residence Life does not assume liability for the loss, damage or theft of personal property. Residents wishing to protect themselves from the possibility of losses should cover their belongings with insurance. In some cases students may find they are covered or can be covered under the terms of an existing homeowners policy carried by their parents. In the event of damages sustained to person or property as a result of negligence on the part of a University employee, the University is authorized to compensate individuals. The burden of proof that the University employee was negligent rests with the claimant. Claim forms may be picked up at the HRL office.
Each student is responsible for his or her room key. This key unlocks the bedroom, mailbox and the lobby doors of your residence hall. If a key is lost, the student may check out a spare with an ID and $25 for a maximum of 72 hours. If the key is not returned in 72 hours, the $25 will be used to re-core the locks. Guests or non-residents are not allowed to check out keys.
Kitchens are located in each residence hall. Residents need to supply their own utensils and remove them after each use. Kitchen policies vary from hall to hall, but all halls require that residents clean up after themselves. At no time should food be left unattended while cooking and each resident should make sure the stove is turned off before leaving the kitchen. Storage is not provided in the kitchen area.
Laundry facilities are available in all residence halls where residents may use either cash or Big Red Dollars. There are washers, dryers, change machines and soap dispensers in each facility. The cost per machine is $1.00 per load.
The lobby area is available to the residents and their guests 24 hours a day when the building is open. If guests in the lobby become loud and unruly, they will be asked to leave the building.
Top
The State Fire Marshall will not permit homemade lofts in residence hall bedrooms. Beds may be elevated to a maximum height of 36” and must be fully supported.
US and campus mail is picked up and delivered to the halls daily except for Sundays and holidays. Campus mail may be used for University business and does not require postage. Mailboxes for the residents are located on the first floor of each hall.
Maintenance can be reported by anyone at any time. All concerns in these areas can be reported at the front desk of each hall and the Zone Techs will pick them up daily. Requests can also be filed on line from the HRL web site. For repairs concerning the data connection, see Computer Equipment/Resnet. For repairs to the cable, see Cable Television and for repairs to the telephone line, see Telephone Repair.
The following residence halls have built in furniture: Douglas Keen, Gilbert Hall, McCormack Hall, Pearce Ford Tower, and Rodes Harlin. Whether the furniture is bolted in place or not, it should not be moved around the room.
Residents who do not check into their room by midnight of the first day of classes will be declared a “no-show”. Their room assignment will be cancelled and deposit forfeited, unless HRL has been notified in advance.
To properly and officially check-out / withdraw from the residence hall, residents must:
• Remove personal property from their side of the room.
• Remove trash and/or unwanted materials (i.e. coat hangers, cardboard boxes, etc.).
• Sweep, vacuum, and/or mop floor and wipe furniture off on their side of the room.
• Have room inspected by a member of the HRL staff.
• Turn in the room key to the person who inspected the room.
• Sign the Room Condition Report.
Residents who do not officially checkout / withdraw will be charged $150.
OVERNIGHT GUESTS – see VISITATION
Residents, who may need to drop to part-time status, must get approval from Housing and Residence Life to remain in the residence halls. Residents who are only enrolled part-time may be asked to leave the halls at any time if they are involved in violations of University policy.
The residence halls are treated for most pests and insects on a regular basis, but if your room needs to be sprayed, please turn in a maintenance request form and it will be taken care of on an individual basis. To minimize the chance of pests, please keep your room and kitchens clean and store food in closed containers.
Pets, with the exception of fish, are not allowed in residence halls.
• 24-hour courtesy hours – courtesy hours are in effect at all times. If someone asked you to decrease the noise level in your room, you should comply with that request.
• Quiet hours are observed from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Sunday – Thursday and midnight to 8:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Quiet hours means that there should be no noise heard outside the room when the door in closed.
• During finals week, 24-hour quiet hours are in effect.
• Unruly guests may be asked to leave the building by hall staff if they refuse to comply with requests of staff or residents to decrease the noise level.
• Stereo equipment, amplifiers, and/or speakers may be removed from a room at the discretion of the hall director in extreme circumstances.
Radio transmission is not permitted except through authorized agencies or clubs.
Residents are permitted to bring a refrigerator, provided it does not exceed 5.0 cubic feet.
Full-time freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus, space permitting. Exemptions include students who are: veterans of military service (181 days or more); married; primary care giver for dependent children; 21 years of age or older; members of fraternities or sororities living in the chapter house (sophomores only); or commuting from their parents' permanent home and primary residence. Students who live on campus will not be granted an exemption to commute once the contract period begins. The burden of providing necessary documentation and evidence to support an exemption request rests with the student. Housing and Residence Life will not attempt to obtain information or documentation for the student. Students who provide false information in order to obtain an exemption will be referred to the Judicial Affairs Office for violation of policy and will be charged the $1000.00 non-compliance fee. The Department of Housing and Residence Life tracks and investigates all allegations of false information to obtain an exemption. Information submitted by parents, legal guardians or other individuals on behalf of the student will be considered as submitted by the student for purposes of the exemption.
RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION (RHA)
The Residence Hall Association is composed of representatives from each hall. The primary functions of RHA are to review policy recommendations from students concerning residence hall living and to build a community atmosphere on campus by working with individual hall governments on campus wide programs. RHA meets every Monday at 4:00 p.m. in Southwest, room 12 and is open for all students to attend.
Room assignments are made based upon date of receipt, indicated preferences and priority status. Returning residents who renew by the deadline are reassigned first. Incoming freshmen and transfer students are assigned next. Roommate assignments are based upon mutual requests. Assignments are made without regard to race, national origin, sexual orientation and rejects requests made for these reasons.
Three room change periods are offered throughout the school year. Residents who desire a change of room or hall must submit a Room Change Request Form, to the hall they want to move to. A resident must be granted approval before moving. Unapproved moves or unauthorized room changes will result in a move to the resident's original assignment and possible disciplinary action.
This form is available to help you and your roommate work through issues. This agreement opens the lines of communication and allows you to establish some general guidelines for each of you to follow. Once you get to know each other's preferences and lifestyles, you should be able to coexist and build a positive relationship. Your Resident Assistant or Peer Advisor is available to help you and your roommate work out an acceptable agreement and resolve disagreements as necessary.
ach roommate has the right to:
• ...Read, study and sleep without interference, noise and distractions.
• ...Have personal privacy.
• ...Live in a clean environment.
• ...Have guests, but must take responsibility for their guests' behavior.
• ...Have free access to their room and hall facilities.
• ...Be free from the fear of intimidation and physical and emotional harm.
• ...Air grievances to the HRL staff.
• ...Expect respect for their belongings.
• ...Have unique interests and values.
Residents may paint their rooms provided they get approval from their hall director and receive a copy of the required guidelines. Before painting may begin, a Resident Room Painting Agreement must be signed and a $20 refundable deposit check must be taken to the HRL Office. Paint and supplies will be furnished by HRL and will be available the next business day.
Safety checks are to ensure the safety and sanitation conditions of each room. They are conducted by members of the hall staff and take place the first Tuesday of every month with the exception of January, when it takes place the Tuesday after classes begin. These inspections take place between the hours of 10:00 am and 10:00 pm on the scheduled days. It is not necessary for you to be present during these checks.
Each residence hall desk is staffed 24 hours a day and closed circuit cameras are used to monitor each door that is not easily visible from the desk area. Any attempt to circumvent the security measures is a violation of policy and may result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from the residence halls.
Every month, each resident is required to check the smoke detector in their room and sign a checklist provided by the staff. This requirement is outlined in the State Fire Code.
All residence halls are smoke free. Students, who choose to smoke outside, must stand at least 30 feet away from the entrances to the residence halls or go to the designated areas.
SOLICITATION/COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY
Commercial solicitation is prohibited. It is prohibited for vendors and organizations seeking funds, services or memberships to solicit or attempt to sell products in the halls. However, solicitation for certain worthy causes or those in the best interest of the university community may be authorized to take place in the main lobby area with approval. No one is allowed to solicit door-to-door. Residents are not permitted to operate any type of business out of their room.
Each residence hall room has an active telephone line for campus and local service. Students may obtain long distance service through the University's Telephone Communications office located in 124 DUC. Residents who need their phone line or phone jack repaired should report this to telecommunications@wku.edu
If a tornado warning or alarm is issued, it is important for you to move from your room to a designated safe area, away from the top floors of the residence halls and any areas having exterior windows or glass. Your hall staff will direct you to the designated safe area in your hall. Timeliness and cooperation is of utmost importance. Ask members of your hall staff for more information regarding tornado procedures.
You are responsible for the removal of all personal trash from the building. Trash can liners may be obtained at your lobby desk. Some halls are equipped with trash chutes and some halls have a compactor located outside. All room trash should be taken to the compactor or chute, and not left in common areas or outside the chute or compactor. Dispose of carpet and other large items in the designated areas. These large items are strictly prohibited in the trash chutes. Failure to properly dispose of trash will result in disciplinary sanctions and/or community service.
For any WKU student to be considered an authorized guest they must adhere to all visitation procedures of the hall in which they are visiting including visitation hours, check-in/out procedures and proper escort. Students may visit residents of the same sex at any time. Residents are responsible for the actions of their guests.
Visits by underage guests need to be authorized by the hall director. The following policies exist concerning underage guests:
• Guests of the same gender under the age of 18 may be checked into the residence halls for the purpose of visitation for short periods of time on an occasional basis. These guests should be supervised closely at all times by the resident checking them in. The resident's WKU ID shall be sufficient to check in an underage guest of the same gender.
• No overnight guests under the age of 18 are allowed.
• No guests of the opposite gender under the age of 18 will be checked in unless they are a WKU student with a valid WKU ID.
• Babysitting is not permitted. Infants should be accompanied by their parents and may visit for short periods of time.
Anyone caught damaging university or residence hall property will be subject to disciplinary sanction, possible legal prosecution, restitution, and may be subject to removal from campus housing.
Vending machines are located in every hall and are equipped to accept both cash and Big Red Dollars.
Members of the opposite gender may visit residents during the following hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - midnight and Friday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m. All guests must check in at the desk with a WKU ID or valid driver’s license. They must be escorted by a resident when in the building and must use the designated restrooms. Guests should not be left in the building while the resident is not there. The resident must check out each guest as they leave the building. Residents are responsible for the actions of their guests.
• SINGLE GENDER HALLS (Gilbert Hall, Meredith Hall, and Minton Hall)
Members of the opposite gender may visit residents during the following hours: Monday - Thursday 10:00 a.m. - midnight and Friday 10:00 a.m. – Sunday at midnight. All guests must check in at the desk with a WKU ID or valid driver’s license. They must be escorted by a resident when in the building and must use the designated restrooms. Guests should not be left in the building while the resident is not there. The resident must check out each guest as they leave the building. Residents are responsible for the actions of their guests.
• CO-ED HALLS
Co-ed halls have 24-hour visitation. All guests must check in at the desk
with a WKU ID or valid driver's license. They must be escorted by a resident
when in the building and must use the designated restroom. Guests should
not be left in the building while the resident is not there. The resident
must check out each guest as they leave the building. Residents are responsible
for the actions of their guests.
• OVERNIGHT GUESTS
The hall director must approve overnight guests of the same gender. The hall
director will consult with the roommate, if applicable. Student recruits
(athletic, admissions, or other university programs) need to register with
HRL at least 48 hours prior to a visit. Overnight guests of the opposite
gender are not permitted.
Waterbeds are not allowed in residence halls.
Possession or use of firearms, explosives (including fireworks), dangerous chemicals or other dangerous weapons or brandishing of any weapon or any other object in a menacing or threatening manner on institutionally controlled property is prohibited. Weapons may be defined as any object or substance designed to inflict a wound, cause injury or incapacitate. Weapons may include but are not limited to: all firearms, pellet guns, stun guns, paintball guns, slingshots, martial arts devices, switchblades, swords, decorative knives and clubs. Weapons will be confiscated and placed in the possession of University Police for proper disposal.
Tampering or removal of windows safety equipment may result in disciplinary sanctions and a $40.00 charge to replace the damaged equipment.
Northeast, Rodes Harlin and McLean Halls will open for the winter term on January 1, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. Only those residents who live in these halls for the fall and spring semesters will be able to move in.
WKU Home Page - Student Affairs & Campus Services - HRL E-Mail
Copyright © 2004 Western Kentucky University