Residential Life & Housing Policies

Room Changes

Students wishing to change rooms within residence halls should speak with their Residential Life Professional Staff Member. In all cases, when a student expresses the desire to change their living environment, Residential Life staff will assist the student in exploring the reasons for the request and the options that may be available. Consideration will be given to the student’s overall development.

If a change is recommended by the Office of Residential Life and Housing, students must follow the appropriate steps, as determined by the Residential Life staff, to change their room assignment. Once these steps have been completed, the Residential Life staff member will submit the room change form to make the room change official and have a student’s ID card assigned to the new residence hall.

The Office of Residential Life and Housing will not approve room changes solely on the basis of differences in race, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, national origin, or age.

No room changes will be granted during the first two or last two weeks of any term.

Students changing rooms without approval will be required to move back to their original room and may be subject to Student Conduct action.

In the event that a vacancy in a double or triple room cannot be filled, students in doubles or triples without roommates may be consolidated.

The ability to change rooms may be limited by the space available.

Any student who wishes to change rooms must submit a Room Change Request.

Checking Out

During check out, the student will return their room key and complete the checkout portion of the Room Inventory online. All rooms will be checked by a Residential Life staff member after the student has vacated the room. The staff member will compare the current room condition with the original inventory form. Students will be held responsible for the condition and cleanliness of their room and furnishings, and any loss or damage other than normal wear that occurs during their occupancy. Furniture and other items may not be left in hallways, utility rooms, or public areas. Any such items left will be removed by College staff and residents will be held accountable for appropriate replacement costs. This form is not the final billing statement. Any student failing to check out of their room properly will be billed $50 for failure to check out, in addition to any charges for damages and may result in Student Conduct action.

Vacating Rooms

The following vacating schedule must be followed to allow proper cleaning and maintenance of rooms between residents:

Any residents terminating occupancy at the end of any term must vacate their room within 24 hours after their last exam and no later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the term

All summer residents must vacate their rooms by the last day of the program.

Any student leaving on leave of absence, extended medical leave, or withdrawal must vacate their room within 24 hours of the effective date of leave (or withdrawal).

Students may be required to leave their College residence immediately if found to be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct and campus policies and/or considered a threat to themselves or others.

Students will incur a cleaning charge for any room left in unacceptable condition. Personal belongings remaining in a room will be removed by the College and may be discarded; students will be billed for their removal.

End of Academic Year

Non-graduating students:

Students whose last final exam is on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of finals week must check out within 24 hours of their last exam.

Students whose last final exam is on Thursday of finals week must check out by 5:00 p.m. on the Friday of final exam week.

Summer storage areas are not available. All personal items left in residence hall rooms, storage rooms, or public areas after the end of spring semester will be disposed of and students will be billed for the removal.

Graduating students, Commencement volunteers and Summer Housing students:

Students that meet one of the following criteria are required to check out of their on-campus housing by 8:00 p.m. on the day of Commencement:

A senior who will be walking in the Commencement ceremony;

A student who has been pre-approved to volunteer at Commencement through the Office of Campus Vibrancy (e.g. marshals, ushers, volunteers, musical ensemble);

A student who has submitted and been approved by the Residential Life and Housing office to stay on campus for the summer for classes, research, Orientation training or summer employment. These students will move from their current residence hall to their summer room on the Sunday following Commencement. Moves must be completed by noon; or

An approved exception by the Office of Residential Life and Housing.

Billing

During spring semester, students will receive information regarding check-out procedures (including how to avoid end-of-year cleanup charges). The College will bill students for personal furniture removal, damages, and excessive cleanup. These charges will be applied to the end of year bill.

Appeals of end of year damage assessments may be made, in writing, to the Director of Residential Life and Housing by June 30. Failure to appeal within this period forfeits all rights for future appeal.

Room Damages

Each student will be held responsible for any damage she or he causes. An occupant of a residence hall is responsible for all damage to their room. “Room” refers to the interior (walls, ceiling, and floor) all furnishings (including built-in dressers and closets), door locks, windows, and doors. Damage to property during the year can result in charges for damage and/or disciplinary action. Failure to check out properly waives a students’ ability to appeal any damage charges.

Common Areas

In common areas (these may include, but are not limited to, lounges, hallways, laundry rooms, kitchens, restrooms, etc.) when individual responsibility can be determined, the charges will be made to the responsible individual(s). Students are not billed for items that have been affected by normal wear and tear. Incidents involving deliberate damage may also be subject to disciplinary action.

In common areas (these may include, but are not limited to, lounges, hallways, laundry rooms, kitchens, restrooms, etc.), when individual responsibility for damage cannot be determined, staff will investigate and attempt to identify person(s) responsible. Students, as members of their residence hall community, are encouraged to report damage and provide information to aid in appropriate identification of person(s) responsible. After a thorough investigation, if individual responsibility cannot be determined, the charges will be assessed to hall residents on a prorated basis.

Health and Safety Checks

Health and Safety Checks are required in all college owned housing. These checks are conducted to increase safety within our residential buildings by timely identification and removal of violations from student rooms. These checks also allow our staff an opportunity to educate residents through positive, personal contact.

During the check, Resident Advisors (RAs) conduct a “plain sight” scan of the room. They do not open drawers, refrigerators, or closets, but may move (or ask the resident to move) items blocking outlets.

At the end of the fall semester inspections are conducted by Residential Life staff in all college owned housing. During this inspection, student’s refrigerators will be checked and opened to ensure that they are empty and unplugged.

Fire Safety Inspections

The safety of every student is of paramount importance to the College. As such, residence halls have been equipped with various emergency systems and equipment to help ensure student safety.

The New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) routinely inspects all Hartwick College facilities’ common areas and randomly selected residential spaces for fire code violations. Hartwick College works with OFPC to identify and correct violations. Should a violation occur in a student’s space, that student will receive notice and must immediately correct the issue. If the violation remains upon subsequent inspections, the student will be responsible for any resulting consequences which could include fines from OFPC.

Fire Drills

Fire drills are held periodically, as prescribed by New York State law, under the supervision of the Director of Campus Safety. All residents must comply with these drills by vacating the premises and reporting to designated areas. Some drills may involve room checks to ensure that the building has been properly vacated. Students failing to vacate a building during a drill will be subject to disciplinary action.

It is crucial that all members of the Hartwick College community take fire drills seriously; participate when they are conducted, and follow the instructions and directions of the person in charge.

All members of the college community must become familiar with the emergency exit routes from residence halls and buildings.

Fire Safety Tips

If a student detects a fire in a campus building or residence hall, the best advice is to stay calm and:

Exit the building, and on the way out, and if you are able without putting yourself in danger:

Alert occupants

Pull the fire alarm

Call the switchboard (ext. 4111)

If you are caught in a fire:

If the door is hot, do not open it.

Close doors behind you as you exit.

Crawl if you are caught in a smoke-filled hallway. (Stay Low and Go)

If confined to a room, hang a towel or sheet out the window.

If your clothing catches fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL.

If confined to a room, hang a towel or sheet out the window.

If your clothing catches fire, STOP, DROP and ROLL.

Fires

No open fires outside of permitted fire pits are allowed on campus. . Persons deemed responsible for fires that result in damages to College or personal property will be liable for the cost of the repairs and the loss of property.

Barbecues

Hibachis, other open fire grills, charcoal, and gas/propane grills are not permitted on campus, including in or around residence halls and townhouses unless expressly provided by the college.

Candles and incense

The burning of candles and incense is not permitted. Students should not display candles with wicks in their rooms.

Open Flame Appliances

Oil lamps, lanterns, and other devices and appliances with an open flame create a safety hazard and are not permitted in residence halls.

Fire Equipment

Fire alarms, fire detectors and emergency equipment systems are located in all residence halls. Fire extinguishers are strategically placed throughout all residence halls. Tampering with fire alarms, fire suppression systems (sprinklers and extinguishers), and detection systems (including false alarms) is a violation of New York State law and local ordinances.

Appliances and Electronics

The use of electrical equipment and appliances in the residence halls can pose serious safety hazards. Failing to follow these detailed guidelines can easily overload electrical outlets or damage the distribution system, and result in a serious electrical fire.

Electrical appliances should be Underwriters’ Laboratory (UL) approved and in good operating condition.

Residence hall rooms are not designed or permitted to be used as kitchens, as electric appliances used to prepare food present extreme fire safety hazards.

Coffee makers and coffee pots equipped with automatic shut offs and micro-fridges are the only food appliances allowed in residential rooms. Appliances with an open coil element such as toasters, toaster ovens, etc., are not permitted in residence hall rooms.

Micro-fridge units (refrigerator/microwave combination) that operate under a single power cord directly attached to the unit are permitted in residence halls. Students are limited to one micro-fridge or mini fridge per resident of the room.

Refrigerators and micro-fridges must be adequately ventilated, 5.0 cu. ft. or less in size, and plugged directly into a wall socket.

According to New York State fire codes, extension cords and plug adapters are prohibited in residence hall rooms and apartments. Only UL-approved, multi-plug power strips that are equipped with a surge protector, a grounded, three-prong plug, and 12- or 14-gauge wire cord can be used.

Plugging a power strip of any type into another (“piggy-backing”) is prohibited.

Electric blankets, space heaters, and sun or heat lamps are prohibited.

The electrical amplification of a musical instrument (as well as the use of drums) is prohibited in all residence halls. These may be stored, but not played.

Halogen lamps are not permitted.

Air conditioners are not permitted, unless approved as an accommodation  through Perrella Health Center.

The use of personal wireless routers is prohibited.

Any appliance not mentioned above may be removed by a Residential Life staff member as deemed necessary for safety reasons.

Smoking

Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, and vaping is not permitted in any building on campus.

For more information on the Hartwick College Smoking Policy, please refer to the Student Code of Conduct and Campus Policies.

Furniture

All fixed furnishings and accessories, such as built-in closets and storage units, lights, and other permanent structures, may not be removed or altered by residents.

All furniture (bed, mattress, desk, chair, wardrobes, and dressers) that is in the room at the time of check-in must remain in the room. Only the Director of Residential Life or their designee can give permission to remove furniture from the room.

Students may not use the common area, kitchen, or lounge furniture for their personal rooms.

Beds in the student’s rooms may be bunked by the students. Lofting is not permitted.

Any violation of these policies may result in Student Conduct action and/or restitution.

Decorations

Offensive material on doors, windows, whiteboards or otherwise displayed publicly is not permitted. This will be determined at the discretion of the Residential Life Staff.

Door surfaces cannot be covered with contact, construction, or tissue papers or any flammable materials. Door painting is not permitted. Only whiteboards and name tags are permitted (one per resident).

Fire safety equipment must not be obstructed or otherwise tampered with.

Students are not permitted to panel, barn-side, paint, wallpaper or otherwise place material on their room walls beyond what is allowed by State Fire code. This includes cardboard boxes.

No shelving or other construction is permitted unless it is free-standing.

No holes may be made in the walls, ceiling, windows, or door frame.

No bars are permitted to be installed in any on-campus housing unit.

State fire codes require that only 20% of the wall space can be covered with posters or pictures, for fire safety. Only paper-made posters, pictures, or decorations may be placed on the walls of the residence hall rooms. Dream catchers are permitted.

Any fabric decorations (flags, jerseys, tapestries, etc.) must be sealed inside of a frame.

Rooms and Halls with Block Walls – Students wishing to decorate walls may use regular scotch tape only. Double stick tape, duct tape, electrician’s tape, masking tape and other brands of tape are extremely difficult to remove and may cause peeling and cracking. Students will be billed for this type of adhesive removal and wall/ceiling repair.

Rooms and Halls with Plaster/Sheetrock Walls – Students wishing to decorate walls may use thumbtacks only. Nails or tape of any kind should not be used. When removing tacks, they should be twisted to minimize damage to the walls. Students using nails or tape on sheetrock walls will be billed for plastering and painting.

Open Windows: Throwing, dropping, hanging, passing objects through, or entering or exiting a building by an open window is strictly prohibited.

String lights, including battery operated, are permitted. However, they may not be “piggy backed” or plugged one into another; each string light must be plugged into an outlet directly. String lights should not be left on and unattended.

Only surge protected power strips (with a visible reset button) can be used for additional outlets. Extension cords and outlet expansion units are not permitted.

“Piggy-backing” or plugging one power strip into another is not permitted.

Curtains are not permitted in the Residence Halls. Window blinds are provided for each room window.

Any violation of these policies may result in Student Conduct action and/or restitution.

Quiet Hours

Quiet hours for all residence halls are Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and Friday to Saturday, midnight to 9:00 a.m. During finals week, all residents must observe 24-hour quiet hours to encourage an environment conducive to learning. The 24-hour quiet hour period will begin at 9 p.m. on the last day of class for the semester (typically a Friday).

Quiet hours shall be characterized by the following conditions:

Whenever sound is being generated within a room, whether by stereo, television, conversation, or other means or devices, the door to that room shall be closed.

Any sound being generated from within a room shall be held down to such levels that with the room door closed the sound may not be heard by fellow residents in their rooms with their room doors closed, nor shall that sound reach such levels as to be a nuisance to occupants of adjoining rooms.

Creation of noise disturbances in the corridors, bathrooms, lounges, and other public areas (i.e., loud conversations, yelling, slamming doors, rowdy behavior) is unacceptable.

Courtesy Hours

Courtesy Hours are to be adhered to during all other times not specified for Quiet Hours.

Sound levels are, at all times, to be kept at a minimum. And at no time reach an unreasonable level that will disturb roommates, other residents, or members of the community.

Residents should always comply with requests from their neighbors to cease bothersome noise or activity.

All garbage must be removed, by the student, to the garbage side of the dumpster outside of each residence hall.

All recyclable material must be removed, by the student, to the recycling side of the dumpster, located at each residence hall. 

Under no circumstances should any personal garbage or recyclable materials be discarded in lounges, kitchens, or bathrooms in the residence halls. Students who fail to remove personal garbage from the building may be documented and held accountable through the Office of Student Conduct.

Animals, with the exception of fish contained in a fishbowl and animals that provide assistance, are not permitted in campus buildings except as permitted by law. This excludes approved service and/or emotional support animals.

Animals that are allowed in the Residence halls include:
Fish that are kept in containers that do not require a filter, heater, or light are permitted in residence halls.

Service Animal: A service animal is one that has received significant training (18 months to three years of training) to perform specific tasks to assist those that cannot do so for themselves (Guiding Eye dogs), and is entitled to open access except in private homes. Any place which is open to the public is to allow a service animal (with the exception of churches and Indian reservations as they are considered sovereign nations). Only dogs and miniature horses can be service animals.

Emotional Support Animal: Emotional Support Animals are only allowed in housing, and cannot be brought to class or other restricted areas. Documentation and approval of an Emotional Support Animal must be completed by the Director of AccessAbility Services.

If pets are on campus grounds, they should be leashed at all times. Pet waste should be disposed of immediately and in appropriate refuse receptacles.

Any damage or excess cleaning that is the result of an animal is the responsibility of the student.

All animals must be approved by AccessAbility Services PRIOR to coming to campus.

A residence hall guest – is any person not affiliated with Hartwick College who is staying overnight. A guest must have a host who is a member of the College community residing in a residence hall.

A residence hall visitor – is any Hartwick College Student not assigned to the room in which they are staying overnight.

In order to ensure safety and security:

Visitors and guests must have proper photo identification and be prepared to produce it upon request.

All guests must be at least 18 years old with the exception of College-recruited visitors.

Students may not have more than two guests at the same time.

Students should respect their roommate/suitemates when hosting visitors and guests.

Any guest parking a motor vehicle on the campus overnight must obtain a Temporary Guest Parking Permit from the Office of Campus Safety.

Individual guests may be hosted in Hartwick College housing no more than three nights total in any month, whether with the same host or different hosts.

No guests are permitted during exam periods, the week preceding an exam period, or during any College recess.

Sleeping in student lounges and other public spaces is prohibited.

Any Hartwick College Student on leave may not visit unless special permission is granted by The Office of Residential Life and Housing.

Student hosts are responsible for guest compliance with all college policies.

Under no circumstances may a student on a leave of absence or suspended from the College reside in on-campus facilities. Should a suspended student or student on leave need to conduct official College business, they must receive prior written approval and visit during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).

The Guest and Visitation can be updated at any point at the discretion of Residential Life & Housing.

Students will receive and sign for their room key(s) at check-in. Room key(s) will open the door to the room, suite, apartment, and/or townhouse that a student was assigned to. It is imperative that a student moves into the space that they were assigned. By signing for a room key, students are agreeing to always lock their room, suite, apartment, and/or townhouse doors when they are not there – even for a short period of time. This helps ensure the safety of our residents and their personal property.  Students should keep their room key in their possession at all times to prevent being locked out. 

Lost Keys

If a student loses a key or it has been stolen, they should immediately inform their Resident Advisor (RA) or a Residential Life professional staff member and go to the Residential Life and Housing Office during the next business day for a replacement key. Students may also request to have the door core changed. Students will be billed $50 for a replacement key and $25 for a core change.

Lockout Procedures

A student locked out of their room should:

• If it is between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and midnight, students should first try to contact residential life staff to request entry into their room. If the student is unable to contact a residential life staff member, then the switchboard should be contacted to request assistance from Campus Safety.
• If it is between the hours of midnight and 8:00 a.m. students must contact the Dispatch Desk, at (607) 431-4000, to request assistance from Campus Safety.
• The response by Campus Safety will be subject to other responsibilities that campus safety staff may have at that time. Students must give their name and show their College ID to the campus safety officer when their rooms are being unlocked.

Card Access

The Card Access System controls entry to our Residence Halls 24 hours a day. Exit doors are locked at all times to prevent non-residents from entering, but are never locked from the inside.
To enter your Residence Hall, you simply need to swipe or tap your Hartwick College WICKit ID Card through the card reader mounted by the door. If you have access privileges for that building, you will gain immediate entry. According to Hartwick College policy, you should carry your Hartwick College WICKit ID Card at all times. If your ID card doesn’t grant you access, contact the Office of Residential Life and Housing. If you lose your WICKit you will need to purchase a new one in the Technology Resource Center (TRC) in Clark Hall.

The safety and security of all Hartwick College students is of utmost importance to all of us in the Office of Residential Life and Housing. For everyone’s safety, students are expected to adhere to the following policies:

• Students may not prop open doors to residence hall buildings.
• No one is permitted on the roof of any building on campus at any time.
• Sitting in or hanging out of or entering/exiting the building through open residence hall windows is not permitted.
• Activities producing odors considered offensive to members of the residence hall community must be curtailed upon request.
• Sport activities are not permitted in common areas (lounges, hallways, bathrooms, stairwells, laundry rooms) of the residence halls.

Sports and physical games are not allowed in the residence halls; this includes common areas and individual student rooms. Balls, pucks, bats, and other sporting equipment may do serious damage to walls, ceilings, and floors and may cause a noise disruption to other students. People who need to walk down the hall should not worry about getting hit or hurt while walking in a public space. Any damage that occurs will be charged to the resident responsible.

• Air conditioners (without appropriate accommodations)
• Alcohol, alcohol containers (including shot glasses, wine glasses, funnels, flasks, and other related drinking devices), and commercially produced alcohol paraphernalia (including empty bottles or cans, bottle caps, labels, or boxes)*
• Ammunition
• Amplifiers and musical instruments that amplify
• Bed Risers w/ outlets
• Candles with or without wicks
• Ceiling fans
• Curtains
• Drugs and drug paraphernalia including Hookahs
• eCigarettes and vaporizers
• Extension Cords and multi outlet plug adapters
• Fireworks
• Flammable liquids and gases (Including gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, propane, butane, and oil)
• Gasoline powered equipment
• Grills (Charcoal, electric, and gas)
• Halogen lamps and lightbulbs
• Heating units (Including electric units, electric blankets, space heaters, sun lamps, and electric fireplaces)
• In rooms without a private kitchen: Coffee makers and coffee pots equipped with automatic shut offs and micro-fridges are the only food appliances allowed in residential rooms. Appliances with an open coil element such as toasters, toaster ovens, etc., are not
  permitted in residence hall rooms.
• In spaces with a private kitchen: Microwaves and small appliances with an automatic shut off and no exposed heating element are allowed. Alliances should always be kept clean and should be unplugged when not actively being used. Only one small appliance can be used at a time, to avoid overloading circuits.
• Hoverboard/Electric Skateboards (storage or charging)
• Incense
• Items hanging from ceiling, sprinkler head, or windows
• Large electrical appliances (Other than college provided appliances in the kitchens of the Apartments,
• Townhouse, Leitzell and Pine Lake)
• Mattresses from home
• Microwaves (Separate from MicroFridge units)
• Oil lamps
• Non-approved animals (Other than fish in 2.5 gallon or less tanks without need of a filtration system or heating unit)
• Tapestries or other fabric on walls
• Waterbeds
• Weapons (Including fire arms, BB guns, airsoft guns, paintball guns, all ammunition, and knives with the exception of kitchen knives and knives smaller than 3’ in length.

* Students 21 and over are allowed to consume alcohol ONLY in the Apartment Community, Pine lake, Townhouse Community, and Leitzell suites. All other residence halls are dry.
**For more information, please reach out to your Area Coordinator

Other:
Bicycles must be stored in outdoor racks or in rooms without blocking egress. They may not be stored in lobbies, closets, or stairwells.

Allowed small kitchen appliances include coffee pots with an automatic shut off.

State fire codes require that only 20% of the wall space can be covered with posters or pictures, for fire safety. Only paper-made posters, pictures, or decorations may be placed on the walls of the residence hall rooms. Dream catchers are permitted. Panel, barn-side, paint, wallpaper or otherwise place material on their room walls.

The Residential Life & Housing Policies are included in the Code of Community Standards.