Policies & Procedures
Our residential facilities are here to promote healthy living and community engagement, while meeting the standards and expectations set forth by our college.
combustible items. The use of grills or other sources of flame is prohibited in these areas given the risk of fire. College-owned furniture must remain within the apartment or suite; it is not permitted on balconies or where it is exposed to weather and the elements. Many of our residence halls are historic, and building codes have changed since their construction. As such, several balconies located in the residence halls have restricted access. Residents are not permitted to be on the
balconies of Stuart Hall or on the balcony/sundeck of Wiley-Jackson Hall third floor.
The use or storage of bicycles (and all other motorized or non-motorized vehicles including two-wheeled electric-powered scooters [e.g. Hoverboards]) are prohibited in both common and private spaces within the residential facilities. Bicycle racks are provided around residential facilities and around campus for your use. Bicycles locked or chained to stairwells, balconies, trees, or any college housing or private property other than bicycle racks may be subject to removal. Motorized
vehicles must be parked in a parking space. Other wheeled devices such as skateboards, scooters, and/or rollerblades are not to be ridden or worn inside the residential facilities.
toilets prevents permanent stains. Residents identified as being responsible for offensive odors will be asked to eliminate the cause of the odor. An offensive odor is any odor or aroma of such intensity that it becomes apparent and is offensive to others. Some examples are: perfume, cologne, air freshening spray, or large amounts of dirty laundry. Housing & Residence Life staff will address
offensive odors when complaints are received.
properly. Any materials (i.e. markers, paint, glitter, glue, fingernail polish, etc.) that are spilled or mark college housing property (i.e. furniture, carpet, walls, etc.) that permanently alters or requires deep cleaning is also considered damage and will result in charges assessed to the responsible student’s account. Any unreported damages discovered by staff during the year, during a proper
check-out or following an improper check-out may result in charges to your student account.
bricks you may use pull tab release or adhesive hooks. Since humidity in our area is high, removing adhesive hooks properly can still remove paint from walls. As such, our Facilities Management staff request that adhesive hooks be left in place and removed by them after the resident checks out. With the exception of college endorsed decorations, all decorations on doors and windows are prohibited.
Residents should feel safe and secure in their communities. They should be able to gain appropriate access to their buildings, rooms, apartments, or suites whenever necessary – except during residence hall closures. To that end, exterior doors may not be propped open at any time. It is not advisable that interior doors be propped unless all the residents of a room agree it is allowed and at least one resident is at home and able to see the open door at all times. Interior door
propping will be governed by the roommate agreement.
Additionally, lobbies, hallways, stairwells, and elevators must remain clear and secure at all times. Please report any area that is not accessible or secure to your RA or another Housing & Residence Life staff member. Use of emergency exit or exit-only doors is permitted only in an emergency situation (e. g. building alarm, fire, etc.). Adding or changing locks, deadbolts, chain locks, or other
access control hardware to any door is prohibited.
Equipment and Evacuation
Tampering with, removing, or misusing fire safety equipment such as a smoke detector, sprinkler head, fire extinguisher, emergency exit sign or other relevant signage is strictly prohibited (violators may be subject to immediate removal/eviction from the college housing system and may result in criminal charges). Nothing may be attached to or hung from any fire safety device. Failure to evacuate promptly – using only stairwells – when the fire alarm sounds or remain outside until given expressed permission by a Housing & Residence Life staff member to reenter is also a violation of the fire safety community standard. If it is safe to do so, residents should remember to close and lock their doors
during an evacuation.
Kitchen Usage
College housing offers residents the ability to prepare food in kitchens within various residence halls on campus. Residents who choose to utilize these kitchens are expected to do so in a responsible manner, which includes being responsible for their own safety, the safety of others, and the cleanliness and safety of our facilities. At no point may food be left unattended. When finished cooking, confirm all heat sources are turned to the “off” position and cool. All cooking items should be washed, and surfaces wiped down. All kitchens are equipped with a fire extinguisher. In the event of a fire, never attempt to move food or kitchen equipment that is on fire. Call Campus Police at (276) 944-6222
immediately.
Each assigned space is fully furnished and residents may not bring additional/extra or personal furniture into their room/suite/apartment, without written authorization from the Director of Housing & Residence Life or designee. Prohibiting personal furniture such as couches, futons, chairs, bean bags, etc. decreases the likelihood of infestations, bacteria, and other issues from upholstered furniture. It also reduces the likelihood of ingress and egress
issues. Common area furniture may not be moved or relocated into rooms or apartments for any reason. Furniture that is allocated for a vacant space must remain clean and accessible to an incoming roommate at all times.
Accommodations where one can bring personal furniture can be discussed with the Office of Housing and Residence Life and Office of Disability Support Services.
Residents are held responsible for the behavior of their guests. A guest is defined as any person in a room, suite, apartment, or building to which they are not assigned, which includes a resident of another E&H residential community. Consequences for guest behavior may be financial, legal, or result in action under the Code of Student Conduct. Housing & Residence Life reserves the right to remove a registered or unregistered guest from its facilities at any time and to restrict future guests for any resident.
Responsibility for Guests
Guests must be escorted by a resident at all times when present in the residential
facilities. Guests are not issued keys by Housing & Residence Life and residents should never allow a guest to borrow their keys or College ID card. Residents are responsible for the actions of their guests at all times and are fully responsible for educating guests about college policies and procedures.
Overnight Guests
Overnight guests must be discussed and approved by the roommates, suitemates, and/or apartment residents prior to the guest’s arrival. A roommate, suitemate, and/or apartment resident reserves the right to disqualify a guest for reasonable purposes. Residents should talk to their roommates, suitemates, and/or apartment residents about a guest staying, including the length of the stay within a reasonable amount of time prior to the guest’s arrival. If an agreement cannot be reached, the residents should have a mediation conversation with their Resident Advisor. Residents may not have guests more than three consecutive nights or five nights in a month. Overnight guests are prohibited during breaks.
Cohabitation
Cohabitation is strictly prohibited and will be deemed to have occurred when a person not assigned to a specific space uses that room as if they are assigned to that space. Accessing an assigned space while the assigned residents are not home, keeping clothing or personal items in another’s assigned space, and regularly sleeping in or using the restroom facilities in a space to which one is not assigned are examples of cohabitation. Residents who allow an unapproved resident or guest to occupy their room may receive a charge to their student account and be held responsible under the Code of Student Conduct.
Residents may not participate in or encourage any sport, horseplay, or physically rough play inside the residential facilities due to the potential for damage, injury, and/or the setting off the fire safety sprinkler system. This includes, but is not limited to, bouncing, throwing or kicking of balls and/or other objects, rollerblading or roller-skating, throwing a Frisbee®, playing tag, wrestling, or water fights/games. Games or activities that encourage excessive or accelerated consumption of food or beverage are prohibited. Furthermore, playing pranks on fellow residents is strictly prohibited.
Aside from the negative repercussions to relationships, real damage to facilities and safety concerns are often the result of pranks.
Residents must keep their keys and college ID card on their person at all times. Keys are issue along with assignments and will only be issued to the assigned resident. Residents may not allow guests, parents and family members, or other residents to borrow their assigned keys or college ID card. Keys must be turned in during the checkout process and in accordance with Housing & Residence Life staff instructions. Residents who fail to return their key will be charged a re-core fee to their student account regardless of whether it was lost, stolen, destroyed, etc. The replacement cost for a room key is $150.00, which includes a new lock and three new keys. The replacement cost for a building entrance key will depend on the number of residents occupying the building and the number of entrances into the building. Excessive lockouts are considered irresponsibility with keys
and are therefore prohibited.
Housing & Residence Life reserves the right to determine an item is disruptive to the community or presents a safety risk and may instruct a resident to remove an item from the residential facilities. The following list is not intended to be an exhaustive, but rather a representative list of items prohibited in the residence halls:
Alcohol Containers
Emory & Henry College is a community that discourages alcohol misuse and is
committed to educating residents about decisions to possess items that may encourage alcohol consumption. The use of alcoholic beverage containers and packaging (cans, bottles, kegs, beer boxes, etc.) as decorations or for any other purpose regardless of your age is prohibited. This includes beer bongs, shot glasses, martini glasses, yard or half-yard glasses, beer pong tables, or other devices used to drink alcohol, with or without alcohol in them.
Appliances
Residents are permitted to bring one (1) refrigerator so long as it does not exceed 4.3 cubic feet and is approved by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). One UL approved microwave (less than 1,000 watts) is also permitted. Residents are advised to limit the number of appliances in their spaces due to limited space and limited electrical power capacity. Housing & Residence Life reserves the right to require residents to remove or discontinue use of appliances should they become a safety or disturbance issue.
Candles and Incense
Since candles and incense constitute a fire hazard, they are not permitted in the
residential facilities (including, but not limited to candles with or without wicks, candle warmers, gifts or mementos, decorative items, warmed wax, and similar devices). Materials used for decoration that present a fire hazard (e.g. live trees, hay, etc.) are also prohibited.
Cinder Blocks
Cinder blocks, bricks, blocks of wood, and any other materials which may damage
flooring or become a hazard in the residential facilities are not permitted. Residents may purchase plastic risers no higher than 12 inches high (these typically look like square mini traffic cones).
Electric Heaters and Personal Air Conditioners
Given the fire safety hazard and additional load on residence hall electrical systems, electric heaters and personal air conditioners (e.g. window fans) are not permitted.
Fuels / Combustible Materials
Any combustible fuel or material (e.g. lighter fluid, oil, gasoline, charcoal, propane, or kerosene) is strictly prohibited. These items must be removed from the residential facilities immediately. All associated costs for proper disposal will be assessed to the responsible resident(s).
Loft Kits
Loft kits are not permitted. Loft kits are designed to lift the height of a bed; however, due to the increased instability of loft kits and the injuries they cause, loft kits are prohibited in the residence halls.
Non-UL Approved Lights / Extension Cords / Multi-Plug Adapters / Electrical Hazards
Only one surge protector strip is allowed per double outlet. Rewiring of resident rooms by non-college employees is not permitted. Neither Housing & Residence Life nor Emory & Henry College is responsible for any damage to electrical equipment (computers, TVs, phones, appliances, etc.) caused by power surges or lightning. All appliances, lights, and cords used in college housing facilities must be UL approved and deemed non- hazardous by Housing & Residence Life. (UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories which performs safety testing for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.)
Open Heating Elements
Any appliance or device typically used at home or in an office environment that has an open heating element and does not have an automatic shut off feature is prohibited. If your assigned space includes a kitchen, you may bring small countertop appliances with an automatic shutoff feature engaged at all times as long as it does not disrupt the academic environment and meets the approval of the Housing & Residence Life Office.
Pets
No pets are permitted in the residential facilities with the exception of fish contained in a tank equal to or less than ten (10) gallons (per apartment, suite, or room). A fish is defined as legless, cold-blooded, aquatic vertebrate animal with fins, gills, and scales. Pets belonging to guests and family members are prohibited from visiting the residential facilities. The resident will be responsible for all costs associated with the possession and removal of the animal (i.e. damaged furniture, cleaning fees, pest control, etc.). Residents are restricted from feeding or leaving food outside the buildings for animals.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) must receive approval from the Director of
Disability Support Services prior to bringing the animal into the residential community. While Service Animals do not require approval, residents are encouraged to communicate with the Director of Disability Support Services and The Office of Housing & Residence Life in advance of moving in.
Smoking/Tobacco
The college smoking policy restricts smoking to certain areas for the purpose of health and fire safety. Smoking in any campus building or outside of campus buildings except in designated smoking areas located at least 25 feet from all entries, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows is prohibited. This includes tobacco products and electronic smoking devices. The Commonwealth of Virginia prohibits the purchase and possession of tobacco, nicotine vapor, and alternative nicotine products for anyone under the age of 21.
Wireless Routers and Internet Switches
High quality internet service is provided throughout the residential facilities. Residents who plug in their own personal router can create a security risk. Additionally, routers and switches are often connected to the network in reverse which results in a failure of the entire network. Ultimately, these devices will disrupt the continuity and security of the provided network.
In order to maintain an environment conducive to study and sleep, residents are responsible for turning down sound systems or discontinuing noisy activity immediately if requested by others to do so. Please remember other residents may live above, below, and beside you in every direction and you have a responsibility to prevent noise and activity that can be heard by other residents whenever possible. Furthermore, car stereo volume and general noise exterior to the building may have a negative impact on interior residential environments.
Quiet hours are as follows:
▪ Sunday – Thursday: 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
▪ Friday and Saturday: 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
▪ 24/7 quiet hours are in effect from the evening prior to Review Day through exam week at the end of each semester and will be clearly posted and strictly enforced.
It is important each resident makes an attempt to confront any resident who may be creating a disturbance before contacting your Resident Advisor or Area Coordinator so long as you are confident your safety is not in question.
Additionally, any noise or distraction that disturbs residents is not conducive to academic success and personal health and, therefore, courtesy hours are in effect 24 hours a day and seven days a week throughout the year. Excessive noise, at any time, is not appropriate and will be subject to documentation without warning. Please reference this community standard when requesting your fellow residents cease any loud or distracting behavior.
Failure to uphold, respect, or abide by a roommate agreement is unacceptable. Roommate agreements are not intended to be exhaustive contracts between roommates, but they do serve as clear statements of expectations between those living together and the staff who support them.
Using a window as an entrance or exit is prohibited (unless in case of emergency). Also, removal of any screen or window is prohibited and the cost of replacement/repair will be charged to the responsible resident. Items including banners, signs, and posters may not be hung in windows. In respect for the greater community, residents are restricted from decorating or posting any materials on windows. This includes window paint and decals. This is also to ensure the health and safety of residents and emergency personnel. Residents may not take any action that may cause damage to the window or screen. If in need of repair, the residents should submit an online maintenance request. In order to protect those individuals who may be walking outside the facility, no objects of any type may be thrown, dropped, pushed out of, placed outside of, or allowed to fall from any residential space.
All trash must be deposited in designated disposal areas. Littering is also prohibited (this includes paper, cans, bottles, bags, and boxes of trash).
Residents or guests occupying an unassigned bed space or using unassigned furniture is prohibited. Each resident is assigned one (1) bed space and one (1) set of associated bedroom furniture. Unoccupied bed spaces, closet space, and furniture must remain unused, clearly separated, clean, fully assembled, and available for incoming residents at all times. Furniture arrangements must be hospitable for incoming roommates and have proper ingress and egress pathways. Use of unassigned beds and furniture may result in additional housing fees and referral to the student conduct process.
Emory & Henry College is a weapon-free campus. This applies to the residence halls and townhouse apartments. Housing & Residence Life strictly prohibits the use, possession, and storage of weapons of any kind in the residential facilities. Weapons include, but are not limited to, firearms, simulated firearms, BB guns, pellet guns, water guns, dangerous chemicals, any explosive device (including fireworks), ammunition, nunchucks, brass knuckles, butterfly knives, sling-shots, swords, knives with a blade larger than 3 inches, paintball guns/equipment, bows and arrows, darts, and other materials that can be used to intimidate, threaten, or endanger others. Possession of a weapon may subject a resident to eviction from the residence halls/apartments as well as the College. Furthermore, throwing any object or trash from/toward windows, ledges, roofs, or balconies is prohibited.