Air-conditioned residences are Caroline Hall, Lewis Quadrangle, Prince George Hall, Waring Commons, and the Townhouses. The air conditioning in campus buildings is turned on in early May, when the outside temperature is consistently above 75 - 80 degrees. The air conditioning is turned off on campus in late September or early October, when the outside temperature at night is consistently below 65 degrees and the daytime temperature is consistently below 80 degrees. We therefore recommend that if a student living in Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester, Prince George, or Queen Anne needs air conditioning because of a medical condition, the student should have a window air conditioning unit in order to ensure his or her health (please see the information below for Lewis Quad and Waring Commons). Students living in the Townhouses are responsible for controlling their own air conditioning use and paying their own electric bills, so the housemates need to discuss climate control issues among themselves. Townhouse residents are not permitted to install window air conditioning units.
Students requesting air conditioning due to medical concerns must submit their request and appropriate medical documentation to the Health Center for review. Students may contact the Office of Residence Life for submission deadlines. There is a $100 fee for submitting a request after the deadline. There is no guarantee that an air conditioning unit will be provided for any requests received after August 1. If the request is approved by the Health Center, the student will be permitted to have one provided by the College for an additional fee of $150 per year. Only students whose requests are approved are permitted to have an air conditioner. The Office of Residence Life will notify the student of the status of his or her request. The Maintenance staff will install the air conditioner for the student, usually prior to the student’s arrival in August, to ensure that it is properly installed and will not fall out of the window. The unit is to stay in the window for the entire year (Maintenance does not take it out for the winter and then reinstall it in the spring).
Lewis Quad and Waring Commons Air Conditioning Policy
Lewis Quad and Waring Commons have climate control systems that maintain a temperature range of 68ºF to 75ºF throughout the year.
Window AC units are not allowed in Lewis Quad or Waring Commons. The College will maintain a comfort range of between 68 to 75 degrees. Students with allergy problems would be better served by purchasing an air purifier with a HEPA filter for their room.
A rack is provided to secure bicycles in the storage area of Caroline, Dorchester, Prince George, and Queen Anne residence halls. These areas are located on the ground floor. Calvert bicycle storage is outside, beneath the front door porch. “Bike barns” are located at Lewis Quadrangle between suites 8 – 9 and 16 - 17. Bike racks are provided in the “pass-throughs” of Waring Commons. These are covered areas that offer some protection for bicycles.
Safety in the residence halls is monitored by both Public Safety officers and Residence Life staff. Each student has a cardkey (the student’s ID card) which unlocks his/her living area.
Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester, Prince George and Queen Anne residences are locked 24 hours a day.
When Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester, Prince George, and Queen Anne halls are locked, the cardkey proximity access system is activated. To gain access to these residence halls, students must use their ID cards at the proximity readers located near the front door and one or two of the side doors. Students may get into their own building anytime using the cardkey system. Visiting students with a valid student ID can get into a building using the cardkey system until midnight. The front doors of Caroline, Dorchester, Prince George, Queen Anne, and the side door of Calvert have a combination lock that can be used in the event of a power failure or a problem with the proximity readers. In those instances, residence life staff will provide the residents with the combination. It will be changed immediately after the proximity readers are enabled.
In addition to the five traditional halls, SMCM has three residential areas on its North Campus:
Townhouses, Lewis Quad, and Waring Commons. These buildings are not traditional-style residences. Students living in Lewis Quad will be issued a key that operates the outside suite entry door as well as the student’s assigned bedroom. Students living in the Townhouses will be issued a key that operates the outside front and back entry doors. Students living in Waring Commons will be issued a key that operates the door to the student’s assigned apartment or suite and the student’s assigned bedroom door. The outside entry doors at Waring Commons can be accessed with the cardkey system or the key. Public Safety officers and Residence Life staff ensure after-hours safety in these areas. Please immediately report lost keys to your RA or the Office of Residence Life in order to ensure the security of your living area.
Door Locks, Combination Locks
Calvert, Caroline, Dorchester, Prince George, and Queen Anne residence halls use combination door locks for student rooms. For security purposes, students should not give out their combinations to other people. The combinations are changed if students change rooms. A $26 charge will be assessed for changing a combination except when students are changing rooms. Lewis Quadrangle, Waring Commons, and the Townhouses have locks and keys. These residents should not copy or give their key to anyone. Students will be charged for lost keys. The single best way to prevent a theft is to make sure that your door is locked whenever you leave your room.
Students should immediately report any problems with combinations or the proximity readers by calling Public Safety or contacting a member of the Residence Life staff.
It is your responsibility to keep your room, suite, apartment, or townhouse clean. Obtain any supplies that you will need to keep your home-away-from-home clean. The housekeeping staff is responsible for cleaning rooms prior to occupancy in August and for daily cleaning in the common areas of the traditional residence halls. Personal items should not be left in the common areas (bathrooms, corridors, common rooms, laundry rooms, recreation rooms) as this makes it much more difficult for the housekeeping staff to complete their work. On weekends, only a light touch-up is done in the buildings. RAs will take note of cleanliness issues while on their nightly rounds. RAs will notify at least one person in the hallway or suite of the following problems (this list is not exhaustive): excess pizza boxes, newspapers, magazines piling up, garbage not taken to the dumpster, dishes or personal belongings left in the bathroom sinks, on the countertops, or on the floor. The residents will need to correct the problem immediately.
Housekeeping staff will go into the suites (Lewis Quad and Waring Commons) twice a week to clean the common bathrooms as long as the bathroom area is accessible (personal items should not be left on the countertops, in the showers, on the floor, in the toilet stalls, etc.). Please note: residents are responsible for cleaning the private bathrooms in the LQ suites. In order to ensure that the housekeepers can adequately do their jobs, residents will be held accountable for cleanliness in their suites, particularly for cleaning the common living room area. Housekeeping staff will not clean this area. It is the responsibility of all members of each suite to ensure that the common areas in the suite (study room, bathroom, and stairwell, if appropriate) are clean, sanitary, and safe for the occupants. If a resident notices an unsafe condition, it should be reported to Maintenance or to an RA in a timely manner. Continuing problems with cleanliness issues in the suites may result in:
Housekeeping does not provide cleaning services in the Waring Commons apartments or the Townhouses. Residents are responsible for cleaning their units regularly.
Students have access to a central computer lab, 24 hours a day. The lab is located in Baltimore Hall and has cardkey access and security cameras in operation. We hope the installation of this computer lab makes your residential experience more pleasant. If you have any questions, please contact Technology Resources (ext. 4414). Please review the “Computer Violations Policy” included in the Student Handbook.
Please note that you are responsible for the security of the computers. If anything happens to any piece of equipment besides normal wear and tear (for example, theft or vandalism), the equipment will not be replaced. Furniture in the lab must remain there at all times. Pay-for-print will be in effect in the lab.
Residents are responsible for any damages in their room, suite, apartment or townhouse that occur during their occupancy. Please become familiar with the policy statement and list of prices outlined in this Guide. College-owned furniture should stay inside the units. Furniture that is damaged due to being left outside in the weather will be replaced, and the students will be billed.
When inclement weather affects College class schedules, a voicemail message will be sent to all resident students, information will be posted on the College’s Web page, and the RHCs will post updated information on the inside front door of each residence hall. Information for townhouse residents will be posted at the laundry room in DPC or on staff members’ front doors. For Lewis Quad and Waring Commons, information will be posted on the outside entry doors leading to staff suites or apartments, and the outside entrance to the laundry rooms and the staff offices. See the “Inclement Weather Policy” later in this Guide for more detailed information.
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St. Mary's College of Maryland
18952 E. Fisher Rd
St. Mary's City, MD 20686-3001
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