The primary challenge of living in a residence hall is to live together with a wide variety of people.  For individuals to live together, respect for each other and a commitment to certain standards is required.  The standards are based upon this respect for the rights of others and exist to provide the most freedom for the most people.  Every resident in every hall has the right to an environment conducive to academic pursuit and personal growth, the right to some measure of privacy, and the right to belong to the community.  Along with these rights go responsibilities to oneself, to one’s roommate, to the residents of the building, and to other members of the university community.  Section 3 of the Guide to Residential Living will discuss in greater detail specific residence hall policies.

Roommates

Having to share your bedroom and living space with someone is often an adjustment.  Spend plenty of time getting to know your roommate/s during the first few weeks and make sure that you talk to each other about the ground rules for your living space.  The Residence Life staff are also ready and willing to help you form a roommate agreement or to help with roommate miscommunication.

The coordination and management of the Residence Life program is accomplished by a staff of 262 live-in personnel.  Each complex is staffed by either a Residential Coordinator (RC) and Assistant Residential Coordinator(ARC), or a Resident Director (RD).  The Resident Assistant (RA) is the staff member with whom you will have the most direct contact.  RAs have received extensive training to assist you with adjustment, serve as a source of information, and provide opportunities to expand your university experiences.  Also assisting in your residential experience are Security Aides (SA), who work inside and outside the halls to assist with security, student concerns, and the maintenance of a healthy living environment.  To see individual names and contact information for the professional staff in the buildings, please click here.

There are many ways to get involved in your living community.  Talk with your RA about the opportunities in your hall or complex.  Most complexes have a hall/complex council which is a self-governing body to enact change in the living environment of the halls through programming, community service, and making aesthetic changes to the halls. For more information on how to get involved with your building’s hall council please go to the tRAC (the Residence Action Council, Ohio University’s Residence Hall Association) website here.  For information on student organizations, please visit the student organization directory here.

All of the university's residence halls on the West and East Greens, except for Jefferson and Bryan, are completely air conditioned. On the South Green, Ewing House, Hoover House and Wray House have air conditioning on the third and fourth floors and have a number of air conditioned rooms on the first and second floors. Other South Green buildings have a limited amount of air conditioners on each floor.

Ohio University prohibits the installation of personal air conditioners and refrigeration units. Special medical needs related to these items must be identified in advance and must be accompanied by a recent physician statement outlining the medical need and indicated on the Housing and Dining Services Contract. Accommodations and university-owned equipment would be utilized to best meet the needs of the individual within university owned residence halls.

If you have medical needs for an air conditioned room and are a first-year student please fill out the form on the Ohio University Housing website found here. The form along with medical documentation must be returned by June 1 to Housing; 060 Chubb Hall, Athens, OH 45701. Upper class students should select a room with air conditioning if needed to meet their medical needs.

Bicycles are permitted on campus.  However, for safety reasons, they may not be stored in public areas, such as mods, lounges, stairwells, entrances/exits, or other undesignated areas.  They can be stored in your room and the many bicycle racks around campus.  On New South, there are bike rooms available for storage; ask your RA for information regarding this process.  It is recommended that you register your bicycle with Ohio University Police Department at 135 Scott Quad, you will need to fill out a description and serial number of the bicycle in order to register.

Certain items are prohibited in the residence halls because of health, fire, or safety reasons, state law, or university policy.  If items such as appliances (George Forman grills, toasters, toaster ovens, hot plates, sandwich makers, woks, etc.), weapons (guns, knives, pellet guns, BB guns, etc.), candles, and incense are found in your room, they will be confiscated by Residence Life staff.  Each time an item is confiscated from your room, a $25.00 fine is assessed.  You will be able to claim your items at the end of the academic year or upon your withdrawal from the university.  Weapons are turned over to the Ohio University Police Department.

When damages occur to facilities, the responsible individual(s) will be billed; judicial action is also possible depending on the situation.  When damage occurs outside of a student room which can not be attributed to the responsible individual(s), all students in the hall, floor section, or mod may be held responsible for the cost of the repair.  Should you become aware of those responsible for the damage, contact your RD, GRD, ARD, or RA.  The cost billed is the actual cost of materials and labor, and you will be billed your prorated portion of this fee upon your departure from the residence hall or at the time the billing is determined.

Check out the Dining Services website at http://www.ohio.edu/food for current dining hall menus, locations, and hours.  Please note that special accommodations can be made for students who have special dietary needs, have a class conflict and need a sack lunch, or students who are sick and can not make it to the dining hall.  Please, do not “borrow” glassware, dishes, or silverware from the dining hall.  Stolen items cost residence hall students as much as $45,000 in a year and contribute to the rising cost of meal plans.

Each residential green has an administrative office that is open weekdays from 8:00am-5:00pm.  South Green Office is located on the ground floor of O’Bleness House, East Green Office is located on the 1^st floor of Jefferson Hall, and West Green Office is located on the 1^st floor of Boyd Hall.  You may need to stop by the Green Office if you lose your keys or have a question.

Residents have access to conveniently located laundry facilities.  Several halls have a few washers and dryers located in the hall, however not all of them support Bobcat Cash.  A larger laundry facility is located on each green with Bobcat Cash.  The centers are located in Dougan House on South Green, Gam Hall on East Green, and Treudley Hall on West Green.

    
        If you have locked yourself out of your room, any residence

        life staff in your building or complex can help you. Each

        student is given one free lock-out per quarter during regular

        daytime hours. After that each time each lockout will cost 

        the student $5.00.  During the hours from midnight until

        8:00am the cost is $10.00, regardless of whether or not it

        is your first lock-out.

Upon your arrival to your residence hall you will receive a room and exterior key for your building.  Although, in Read, Johnson, Biddle and Bromley you will be issued only a room key, because your student ID will be coded to give you access to all exterior doors.  Your keys should not be loaned to anyone at any time.  Please note that if you lose your keys, you will need to stop by your green office to pick up temporary keys.  If you do not find your keys you will be assessed $60.00 for the room key and $10.00 for the exterior key. 

Mail is delivered to each residence hall and the Nelson Mail Room (for New South buildings) Monday through Saturday, except on holidays.  If you have a question about your address, ask your RA for help.  Mail is forwarded during winter and summer breaks to your permanent address on file with the university.  Residence Hall mailing addresses are available here.

For health and safety reasons, motorcycles (including mopeds and scooters) are allowed only on streets.  They are not permitted on residential greens, in university garages, or in the residence halls.  Contact the Office of Parking Services at 593-1917 to inquire about approved parking areas.

As a community, you have the opportunity to personalize your space (mods, door frames, wall space, etc.) through painting murals or pictures.  Talk to your RA about how to go about this process.  This is a wonderful opportunity for your community to leave its mark at Ohio University.

Furniture is provided for residence hall public areas (e.g. lobbies, lounges, mod areas, rec rooms) for the use of all residents in the building/complex.  Furniture must remain in these areas.  It is important to take care of the furniture so it can continue to  be enjoyed by residents.

If you wish to change rooms, you may do so only during designated room/hall change periods, that are offered twice a quarter.  Signs will be posted around the 2^nd and 8^th week of the quarter indicating the dates and times of the all-hall and all-campus room change meetings.  If you have any questions, please contact a Residence Life staff member.

To protect your right to privacy in the residence hall, door-to-door sales is strictly prohibited.  Advertising of private products is permitted only with staff approval and only on bulletin boards as space and time permit.  Should you observe sales or solicitation occurring in your hall, please contact a Residence Life staff member.

Security is an important matter, and you have the primary responsibility for this.  Ohio University is a relatively safe campus due to the attention given by students and staff.  You should make sure to lock your room each time you leave, even if it is to go down the hall.  It is also important to make sure that mod doors, hallway doors, and exterior doors are not propped at any time. Front doors to each building will be locked nightly by Residence Life staff at 10:00pm.  Please remember basic safety tips while at Ohio University.  At any time you feel your safety is compromised contact a Residence Life staff member or the Ohio University Police Department.

Environmental surroundings differ from green to green, so policies differ as well.  Talk to your RA about spaces available for sports and other information regarding sports on the green.  Please note that ball playing, bicycles, and skateboards are not allowed on catwalks located on South Green.  Also, sports are not permitted inside the halls at anytime; this also includes any type of water sports (water balloons, water guns, etc.).

All residence hall rooms have been wired with cable.  For channel lineup, campus movie channel schedule, or to report problems, check out CATVision online here.

Every quarter your room will be inspected by the Residence Life staff to ensure that your room meets certain health and safety standards.  Fliers will be placed around your floor section or mod to let you know when inspections will be occurring.  Your outlets, wall decorations, and general cleanliness will be assessed.  It is important that you read the Residential Guide to Safety later in this document.  Your personal items will not be rummaged through, but cupboards and closets may be opened.  Also, any illegal items found will be confiscated at this time.

Throughout the year you may notice that your room needs some basic maintenance (light bulb burnt out, window won’t shut, etc.).  To submit a request, please visit the Facilities Maintenance Request website at https://www.facilities.ohiou.edu/requests/login.php.  If the request is an emergency, contact Facilities at 593-2911.  If you are not sure if your request has been completed or submitted, talk to your RA.

If you would like to paint your room, you will need to follow the Paint Procedure that is outlined by the Department of Residence Life and RCS.  Contact your RA or Green Office to gather the proper information.

Each room contains dressers, chairs, desks, beds, mattresses, recycling bins, wastebaskets, and other items that were present upon your arrival.  You are NOT to remove university furniture or items from your room.  You are responsible for inspecting the condition of your room when moving in and out.  Any damages that may have occurred will be your responsibility and the proper billing will be assessed.

One way you may personalize your room is to paint it, as outlined above.  You can also decorate your room with posters.  Only 25% of your walls can be covered with posters due to fire safety concerns.  Also, when using adhesive, please use masking tape or putty, since they leave the least amount of adhesive residue.  If residue is left anywhere in the room, you are subject to billing upon your checkout.  Do not drill holes in the wall for nails or screws.

The university does not provide telephones in student rooms, but there is a live land-line in your room.  It is a good idea to bring a land-line phone for your room.

Fire safety is taken very seriously at Ohio University.  It is customary that within the first two weeks of every quarter, each residence hall will conduct a fire drill.  Please comply fully with the building evacuation and re-entry procedures, which should be discussed at your opening floor section meeting.  Any time you hear the fire alarm, call 911, pick up your keys, put on shoes, grab a coat (depending on the weather), shut your door, and leave the building immediately.  Never use the elevator.  Take the time to learn where the fire alarms and exit routes are from any room in the building.  Also, do not assume that when you hear the alarm it is a drill, you never know if it could be real.

Halls are equipped with pull stations, alarm horns and lights, exit and emergency lights, fire extinguishers, and every room is equipped with a smoke detector.  Never attempt to disable or cover the smoke detector, and never tamper with fire safety equipment.  By doing so you are violating Federal law and the Student Code of Conduct.  Report any suspected problem with your smoke detector or other fire safety equipment to the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (593-1666) or to your Residence Life staff.  Never store trash, bicycles, furniture, or other items in hallways or stairwells.  These items can easily impede a safe exit from the building in the event of a fire.  Never prop open mod and stairway doors, because this can lead to deadly smoke and fumes entering your living space unnecessarily.

No candles or other open flame devices are permitted in the residence halls.  If you have one for any reason, send it home immediately.  If found, it will be confiscated and your will be fined $25.00 per confiscation.  Unattended burning candles have started the most recent fires on this campus as well as others across the country.  Therefore, our rule is no candles, period.  Also no oil lamps, heaters, grills, or other open flame devices in the residence halls.

Keep the “fire load” in your room or building to a minimum.  It is not the building itself that burns most easily, but the combustible material with which we fill it.  Remove trash and recycling to the dumpster on a regular and frequent basis.  Posters and pictures may be temporarily attached to the walls, but in a fire these can easily help to spread the flames.  Therefore, we insist that the amount of flammable wall decorations be limited to 25% of the wall surface.  Never hang or attach anything to the ceiling (with the exception of glow-in-the-dark stars).  Flammable material on a ceiling can allow flames to jump rapidly from one side of a room or hallway to the other.  This also includes hallways, mods, and lounges.

Torchiere halogen lamps are freestanding lamps with a tubular halogen light bulb mounted on top of a pole about six-feet high.  These bulbs generate so much heat that they can serve as a source of ignition of flammable material near them.  Purchase only new fixtures, which are U.L. listed, and which have a re-settable thermal protector to shut off the lamp in case of overheating, or a protective grid to prevent contact of the bulb with curtain, posters, etc.  Always place these lamps away from curtains, bedding, wall decorations, etc.  Turn it off when you leave the room.  Regular incandescent lamps also produce a significant amount of heat and can start a fire.  These lamps should always have a lampshade and never be placed in close proximity to combustible items.

Never tamper with university wiring by removing or replacing light fixtures or electrical outlets.  Do not wire any appliance or equipment directly to the university wiring.  All electrical equipment and appliances must be in good repair.  The plugs and insulation on the wires must be intact, motor clean, and guards in place.  All electrical appliances used in the residence halls must be U.L. listed.

Some electrical appliances must always be plugged directly into a wall outlet.  These include the microwave oven portion of the fridge/microwave unit; the power strips/surge protectors, and room air conditioning units. (Note: the refrigerator portion of the fridge/microwave must always be plugged into the receptacle on the back of the microwave oven unit).  The duplex outlets have a limited capacity of 15-20 amps.  This translates into 1800-2400 watts.  Only one wattage appliance should be plugged into a duplex outlet (this means a power strip or microwave oven, but not both, and only one power strip per duplex outlet if it does not already have a microwave over or air conditioner plugged into it).  Some residence hall rooms have a light fixture over the dresser with a two-prong outlet built in.  Only one appliance should be plugged into these light fixtures.  Do not defeat a three-pronged extension cord, power bar, or appliance by using two-prong adapters to plug into these outlets.

Ideally, you should determine the total electrical load of the appliance being plugged in to prevent the tripping of circuit breakers or overloading components of the electrical system.  However, there may be times when the circuit breaker does trip, which will cut the power to one or more rooms.  If this happens contact your RA or Emergency Maintenance (593-2911).   Try to determine which appliance or piece of equipment is causing the overload, and redistribute some appliances to another circuit.

The only safe and approved way to increase the number of outlets available for your electrical appliances is with the use of U.L. listed power strip or surge protectors that have built-in circuit breaker or fuse.  These powers “extenders” can accommodate four to eight individual appliances (provided a total of 15 amps are not exceeded).  If additional distance remains to reach the cord of a particular appliance, an extension cord can be used between the power strip and the appliance provided that only one item is plugged into the extension cord.  A multiple-outlet extension cord may be used for multiple low-wattage, non-heating appliances such as clocks, radios, answering machines, portable phones, etc., however, the extension cord must have a grounding plug and be at least 18 gauge.  The thickness (gauge) of any extension cord must be a least the same as the appliance it serves.  If an appliance with a large, heavy-duty cord is plugged into a light duty extension cord, the extension cord will heat significantly and may cause a fire.  Avoid running electrical cords under carpeting, pinching doors or piles of clothes; doing so may allow excessive heat build-up or may damage the wire’s insulation and cause short circuiting.  The insulation can also be damaged by fastening electrical wires by nails or tacks to walls or furniture.

To limit the likelihood of insects becoming a problem you should not store perishable food items in open containers.  Cooking in residence hall rooms is restricted to only those foods that can heated using the fridge/microwave, water in hot pots, or popcorn in popcorn makers.  There are student kitchens in Brough House, Bryan Hall, Voigt Hall, and Hoover House available to students living in those buildings/complexes.  Make sure that waste is taken out immediately to prevent insects from finding their way into your room.

Food crumbs and debris that are accidentally spilled onto floors will attract pests.  All food spills should be cleaned up immediately.  Leftover foods, food waste, and food containers should be disposed of in your room trash, NOT in the lounge, mod, or bathroom trash receptacles.  Room trash containing food waste should be removed to a trash dumpster daily.  Bathroom sinks and mop sinks should NEVER be used for disposal of food scraps.  These wastes will create plumbing as well as sanitation problems.  Likewise, toilets should not be used for scrap disposal.  It is your responsibility to keep your room clean and to take your trash to the dumpster on a regular basis.  Leaving personal trash in hallways, common areas, bathrooms, mods, etc. is prohibited.

Having to share your bedroom and living space with someone is often an adjustment.  Spend plenty of time getting to know your roommate/s during the first few weeks and make sure that you talk to each other about the ground rules for your living space.  The Residence Life staff are also ready and willing to help you form a roommate agreement or to help with roommate miscommunication.

University Judiciaries administers the Ohio University Student Code of Conduct and the processing of policy violations.  The Student Code of Conduct emphasizes the university’s obligation to promote your personal freedom, maturity, and responsibility.  As a student, you accept the responsibility to abide by all university rules and regulations. For more details, refer to www.ohio.edu/judicaries.

In regards to violations of the Student Code of Conduct, professional staff in the Department of Residence Life serve as hearing officers for the Office of Judiciaries.  Most B-level cases are heard by Residence Life staff.

Alcohol may be used in the residence halls in accordance with university and state policies.  Responsible behavior is expected at all times, and intoxication is never an excuse for inappropriate behavior.  You may possess or consume alcohol only if you are of legal age and only in your room or the room of another resident who is of legal age.  You will be held accountable for any underage drinking in your room even if you are of legal age.  Use is prohibited outdoors, in mods, lounges, rec rooms, hallways, or other common areas.  If you are under the age of 21 you are not to consume alcohol under any circumstances anywhere.

Violation of any part of this policy may result in an A-3 (Mental or Bodily Harm to Self) charge or a B-7 (Unauthorized Use of Alcoholic Beverages) charge as stated in the Student Code of Conduct.

In underage student rooms, empty alcoholic beverage containers (e.g. beer cans, kegs, liquor bottles, and wine bottles) ARE PROHIBITED, even for decorative purposes.  Empty containers are often indicators of consumption which is prohibited by underage students.

Violation of this policy may result in a B-8 (Violation of Rules Regarding Residence Halls/Dining Facilities) charge as stated in the Student Code of Conduct.

There will be many occasions where a university official (e.g. Residence Life staff) will make a reasonable request for you to open your door or enter your room during a confrontation, remove mod furniture from your room, or to turn down your music.  As a student you are expected to comply with such requests.  If you are confronted by Ohio University Police, you must answer your door, but you do not have an obligation to allow the police to enter the room.

Violation of this policy may result in a B-3 (Failure to Comply/Identify) charge as stated in the Student Code of Conduct.