Students needing special housing accommodations due to ADA requests must have the condition documented and approved by the ADA coordinator (Anne Arundel 100). The ADA coordinator, in conjunction with the associate provost and the associate Dean of Students, reserves the right to judge whether a specific condition warrants a special housing assignment. Please contact the ADA coordinator in the Office of Academic Services for more information (240-895-4388).
Residents are not permitted to install outdoor antennas or other devices on the exterior of any residence hall, suite, apartment, or townhouse or in adjacent trees or shrubbery. Under no circumstances may the electrical wiring in a room be altered. Installation or alteration of electrical equipment is prohibited. Fires in student rooms have resulted from electrical defects or careless use of electrical appliances. The following are the ONLY appliances which may be operated in student rooms: answering machine, clock, computer and printer, curling iron, electric blanket (with heat control), electric curlers, fan, hair dryer, hot pot (must have closed heating element), iron, lamp (except halogen*), popcorn popper, refrigerator (less than 5 cubic feet capacity, only one per room), radio, sewing machine, shaver, stereo equipment, television, typewriter, VCR.
Students living in the suites, apartments, or townhouses are permitted to have one microwave oven per suite, apartment, or townhouse unit. Students in traditional residence halls are not permitted to have a microwave in their rooms. One is provided in the common area kitchen.
Electrical appliances not included on this list are not allowed and may be confiscated and stored at the student's expense. No appliances may have an exposed heating element. All appliances must be UL-approved. Candles and incense are not permitted due to the danger of open flame and unattended heat sources. Window air conditioners are permitted only for those students with approved medical reasons who have received written permission from the Health Center and the assistant dean for residential life.
* Halogen lamps have been responsible for a number of housing fires across the country. Halogen bulbs burn three times as hot as incandescent bulbs. They are not permitted at SMCM.
Bicycles may be parked in any of the bicycle racks, stored in the bicycle room located on the ground floor of each residence hall (except Calvert Hall), or at the "bike barns" at Lewis Quadrangle or the breezeways of Waring Commons. For safety reasons, bikes may not be parked or stored in stairwells, hallways, lounges, or public rooms. Bicycles are not to be attached to light poles, benches, or railings on handicap access ramps. Bicycles attached to these items may be confiscated. Bicycles may not be ridden in the residence halls. Motorcycles and mopeds may not be operated or stored in the residence halls, suites, apartments, or townhouses because of the hazards. Contact the Office of Public Safety for information on the registration and parking of bicycles and motor vehicles.
Cohabitation (members of the opposite sex living together in the same room) within the residence halls and Crescent townhouses is prohibited. Married students may not live together on campus. Members of the opposite sex may share a suite, townhouse, or apartment - but not bedrooms - in Lewis Quadrangle, Waring Commons, and the old townhouses (on the Greens).
When vacancies occur in a student room, the remaining student may be required to accept another roommate or be reassigned to another room.
Any structural modification, alteration, or addition to the interior or exterior of rooms or townhouses is strictly prohibited without written authorization from the Office of Residence Life and the director of Physical Plant. Residents are not permitted to extend or hang objects from the windows or doors. Residents are also prohibited from making any alteration to their room or townhouse that could result in a fire hazard, fire code violation, or other dangerous situation.
Hanging Pictures
We recommend that residents use the poster mounts, provided by the Office of Residence Life, on their walls. Repairs resulting from damages caused by using other devices will be charged to the residents in the room or unit.
All residents should avoid using duct tape and double-sided foam tape to hang pictures on painted or wooden surfaces. The residue left when the tape is removed is impossible to eliminate and will add significant costs to damage billings. In order to avoid chipping the paint and causing other damages, use putty or removable mounting tabs (for example, Magic Removable Mounts, available in the CampusStore) to put up posters, etc. on the walls.
Holiday Decoration
Students may decorate their rooms and hallways for holidays.
Due to fire safety regulations, students are not permitted to block light fixtures or smoke detectors with tapestries or other material. Because windows and doors must be accessible in the event of a fire, students may not hang material in a manner so as to block easy access to these egress points.
This is defined as failure to comply with directions given by a Residence Life staff member or other College official, or to use any type of harassment or abusive language toward any Residence Life staff member or College official in the performance of assigned responsibilities. Such conduct is subject to judicial action.
To accommodate all students who are guaranteed housing, there are times when the College will use "expanded housing." When necessary, study rooms will be converted to accommodate up to four students, and larger double rooms will be converted into temporary triples. Students assigned to these spaces will be provided with the usual furniture: bed, dresser, desk, and chair. In study rooms, wardrobes will also be provided. Students will be reassigned to standard residence hall spaces as soon as space becomes available. Priority for reassignments goes to students involuntarily placed into expanded triples, then to students in the study rooms.
Residents may not use electrical extension cords more than eight feet in length or four-way plugs in the outlets; both these practices may cause an electrical overload and fire hazard. All electrical extension cords must be UL-listed.
On-campus housing is designed for individual students. The College does not provide family housing or married-student housing. Students with children, spouses, etc. are encouraged to come to the Office of Residence Life for a listing of off-campus housing options. Students who are pregnant are permitted to live in College housing during the pregnancy. This information should be discussed with the associate dean of students in order to make sure that appropriate arrangements are made in the event of medical problems, the onset of labor, etc. Relevant information will be shared with those who have a specific need to know (such as the Health Services staff).
St. Mary's adheres to fire codes as noted in the NFPA Inspection Manual (seventh edition). As such, personal property cannot be left in corridors as "All paths of travel from any part of the building must allow the occupants to travel safely without obstructions to the exits. Corridors and passageways must be at least 44 inches wide and completely clear of obstructions." (NFPA, p. 351).
Furniture from suites, apartments, townhouses, residence halls, DPC, or other College buildings must remain indoors and not be moved to other locations (for example, for seating on the track or on Townhouse Green). Lounge furnishings are provided for the use of all residents and guests. Students must not move lounge furniture from its location in the residence halls. Students who violate this policy will be subject to a furniture removal charge and additional disciplinary action.
Graduating seniors, residence life staff, ushers, summer employees, food service, and maintenance personnel who are resident students are the only individuals permitted to remain in housing just prior to Commencement. Seniors who are returning to SMCM in order to participate in Commencement exercises should contact the Office of Residence Life by May 1 to obtain College housing for Senior Week. The residence halls and suites close at 3:00 p.m. on Commencement Day, and the Townhouses and Apartments close at 5:00 p.m.
A resident's guest (whether a student from another area, commuter, or someone not affiliated with SMCM) may stay no more than four days in a given month and at no time should a roommate be displaced. (Refer to the Cohabitation policy listed in the "On Campus Housing Policies" section.) Residents are responsible for informing their guests of College policies and are also responsible for the behavior of guests while on campus. Guests who are not members of the SMCM College community and who are in violation of College policies may be asked to leave the campus, and hosts may face disciplinary action.
In the interest of safety and damage reduction, hall sports are prohibited. Please refrain from throwing balls, frisbees, or other items in the building. Additionally, students should not do the following: wrestle, box, hit or putt golf balls, bowl, play hackey-sack, hockey, or soccer, engage in water fights or water slides, skateboard, rollerblade, ride bicycles within the buildings, or engage in any sporting activity that threatens the safety of others or the destruction of property.
Residence Life staff will conduct health and safety inspections when we close for Thanksgiving Break (November), Winter Break (December), and Spring Break (March). We will focus on fire safety concerns, health & safety issues, and use these inspections in an effort to reduce end-of-the-year damage billing. If we catch potential problems earlier than May, that will help with the transition from academic year to summer-housing use, thus reducing the amount of time we spend on room inspections and damage billing.
Staff members will post notification flyers at least three days prior to each H&S inspection. Staff will write in the specific date and time of the inspection (residents do not need to be present). Staff will do a visual inspection of the room and will not open drawers or closets. Staff will be checking for:
RAs will note issues and concerns initially, share this information with residents, give the residents at least one week to correct the problems and then re-inspect. While residents may not make repairs to holes, etc., they must remove all other problems cited, such as tapestries, microwave, pets, etc. If the corrections are not completed, the RA will submit an incident report for follow-up.
The inspections will take place as follows:
Returning students complete the room and meal plan selection process in March for the following fall semester. New students are matched with roommates and assigned to housing in June for the fall semester, and late December/early January for the spring term.
Returning students must submit a $150 housing deposit (electronically, or in-person at the Business Office) and a signed housing contract (electronically, or by submitting a hard copy at the Business Office) in order to be eligible for housing for the next academic year. Housing contracts are available online through the SMARTNet system, in the Business Office, the Office of Residence Life, and from Residence Life staff members. Applications for suites, apartments, townhouses, and single rooms, as well as special housing request forms, are available online and from the Office of Residence Life or from Residence Life staff members.
All contracts and applications for townhouses, apartments, single rooms, special housing requests, and suite applications for fall 2009 must be submitted to the Office of Residence Life (electronically or hard copies) as follows.
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Deposit and housing contract
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Friday, February 27, 2009 (due in the Business Office by 5:00 p.m. or online by midnight)
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Apartment and special housing applications |
March 5
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Townhouse applications
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March 9
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Convenience Single-Room Requests
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March 26
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Six-Person Suite Applications
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March 12
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Ten-Person Suite Applications
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March 24
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Room Draw numbers distributed
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March 27
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Room Draw (online)
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March 31
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Students may submit multiple applications (for example, for a townhouse, apartment, and a single-room).
Students who have not been assigned to housing by March 27, 2009 will receive a room draw number, entitling them to participate in Room Draw on March 31. To sign up for a room at Room Draw, roommate pairs will go online at the designated time for the lowest room draw number in their pair. Students without roommates will go online at the time designated for their Room Draw number. Students will be able to identify which rooms are vacant, look at floor plans, and then select a room. Students who submit the deposit and contract but are not assigned to housing by the end of Room Draw be assigned to whatever space is available beginning on April 1. More information about the room selection process will be available in late January 2009.
Purpose: To prevent students from moving off-campus for one year and then moving back on-campus.
Rationale: In recent years, a number of students have moved off-campus during the sophomore or junior year simply because they could not get assigned to a townhouse or single room. They live off-campus until they can obtain a townhouse or single room. Those students who live on-campus throughout their first three years should have priority for apartment or townhouse spaces or single rooms over students who live on-campus, then off-campus, then on-campus again.
Procedures:
Students requesting to be released from the Housing Contract due to participation in a College-approved program (for example, internship site outside of St. Mary's County, study abroad, NSE), or who are graduating, are automatically approved with no financial penalties. Housing deposits will be transferred to the semester in which the student returns to the College. Students who transfer or withdraw from the College are released from the Contract and must pay liquidated damages as noted below. A committee made up of faculty, staff, and a student representative will usually review requests from students who want to be released from the Housing Contract in order to live off campus, based on medical or financial need.
Written requests to be released from the Housing Contract are due in the Office of Residence Life according to the following schedule:
For release for the spring 2009 semester:
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November 1:
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No financial penalties
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November 2 - December 1:
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Assessed 10% of semester housing cost
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December 1 - January 19:
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Assessed 20% of semester housinng cost
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January 20 and beyond:
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Assessed full-semester cost of the room
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For release for the fall 2009 semester:
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May 1:
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No financial penalties
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May 2 - July 1:
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Assessed 10% of semester housing cost
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July 2 - August 24:
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Assessed 20% of semester housing cost
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August 25 and beyond:
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Assessed full-semester cost of the room
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Students who take a leave of absence or withdraw after classes begin are subject to the standard refund policy (refer to the College Catalog for more information). Students who decide to move off-campus after classes begin are assessed the full-semester cost for their room.
Students must remember that it is the College's goal to be at 100% occupancy. The College budget is built, in part, on having a certain number of students living on-campus throughout the academic year. The College has financial obligations that must be met (for example, payment to contractors, salaries, equipment purchases) and must therefore hold students liable for their financial responsibilities. At the same time, there are occasional extenuating circumstances, beyond a student's control, that may have an impact on his/her ability to live on campus.
A $200.00 non-refundable deposit for housing is due before students are assigned to campus housing. The deposit is due Friday, February 27. The deposit can be submitted online via the SMARTNET system, or cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards will be accepted at the Business Office. The deposit is credited toward the next year's housing fee.
A $50.00 security deposit is required of all residence hall students and $150.00 from apartment and townhouse residents. This deposit will be refunded after the end of the term in which the student graduates or withdraws from College housing. Unpaid charges for damage to a student’s room or prorated charges for damages, unpaid parking tickets, or overdue and lost library books will be deducted from this deposit. The deposit is not applied to other College charges and is payable upon matriculation.
Procedures:
Students who are not living on campus for the above reasons may request housing for the semester they return to SMCM. To apply for housing, students must submit their housing deposit and Housing Contract by the following dates:
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Spring 2009 occupancy:
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October 31, 2008
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Fall 2009 occupancy:
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February 27, 2009
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Each student should contact the Office of Residence Life with the name of the person who will be selecting a room in his or her absence (a proxy) or let the office know of his or her housing preferences by the above dates. Housing preferences cannot be guaranteed; however, every effort will be made to honor requests submitted by the deadlines. Please note that housing is usually very limited; therefore, it is important that students returning to SMCM submit their deposits and contracts by the above deadline. Failure to do so forfeits any guarantee for housing. Students are strongly encouraged to submit the deposit and contract prior to leaving campus.
Students are permitted to request a room change during the last two weeks of September, the last two weeks of the fall semester, and after the first two weeks of the spring semester. Requests made at other times during the semester will be considered for extenuating circumstances only. Students must submit a Request for Room Change form to the Office of Residence Life before moving into a new room. The request must be approved in writing before the room change can be started. Once approved, the student must complete a check-out inspection of the room being vacated, and a check-in inspection of the room into which he/she is moving. These inspections are to be completed within seven days of the request being approved. Students who change rooms without authorization may be required to return to their original room and may be subject to judicial action.
The apartments and townhouses are designed to provide a transition opportunity for upperclass students. Hence, students living in the apartments and townhouses must have at least junior class standing. Exceptions are made for students who must be accommodated through ADA compliance (as recommended by the ADA Coordinator), for non-traditional-age students, and for new, incoming transfer students who are at least 20 years old.
Students interested in moving into a different room, suite, apartment, or townhouse, commuters desiring on-campus housing, and students with special requests are encouraged to contact the Office of Residence Life to be put on the Housing Wait List. Students will be taken off the Wait List as space becomes available, according to the special need or credits. Students already assigned to College housing who want to switch rooms and new students who are guaranteed space have priority for housing over commuters.
Property: SMCM is not responsible for theft, loss, or damage to students' personal property. Many families have homeowner policies that may cover personal belongings while students are attending college. Be sure to check with your family to see if your property is covered. While incidents of theft do occur, most involve rooms left unlocked by a student or an outer door propped open after the building is locked.
Health: All students should have health insurance. Many families carry health insurance that provides coverage to dependents while full-time college students.
Cooking is not permitted in student rooms; please use the kitchen facilities. A limited supply of cooking utensils can be signed out from the residence hall staff. Be sure to clean up after using the kitchen and its utensils.
For academic year 2008 - 2009, we will have several LLC programs in the residences. The International Languages and Culture (ILC) LLC will be housed in Lewis Quad. The W.I.S.H. House LLC will be housed in Waring Commons. The EcoHouse LLC will be housed in Lewis Quad and the Townhouses. In addition, affinity housing for students wishing to live in a substance-and alcohol-free environment (the SAFE house) will be available in Waring Commons and Queen Anne.
Students participating in an LLC program work closely with faculty from the selected major or concentration to provide programs of interest relating to the major or concentration. These programs may include tutoring assistance, trips to Washington D.C. museums or plays, lectures, book or movie discussion nights, dance performances, etc. Students who live in the LLC must be registered for a course relating to the LLC topic area, and are responsible for planning and implementing programs of interest for students or the community each semester. They receive at least one credit of independent study per semester. For more information on LLCs, please contact the Assistant Director of Residence Life.
Due to safety problems, homemade and/or privately purchased lofts and bunkbeds are not permitted in the residence halls, suites, apartments, and townhouses. Bedframes in Dorchester, Lewis Quad, Queen Anne, and Waring Commons suites can be lofted using College-provided lofting kits, or bunked. Bedframes in Calvert, Caroline, Prince George, and the Townhouses can be bunked. Mattresses and bedframes should not be elevated unless using a College-issued lofting kit or bunkbed pegs. (For example, bedframes are not to be raised up on cement blocks, placed on top of dressers, desks, or wardrobes, etc.) Resting a mattress directly on top of the two-drawer dresser units in Caroline and Prince George Halls (instead of putting the dresser unit under the bedframe where it is designed to go) can cause damage to the two-drawer dresser unit. Please keep the drawers beneath the bedframe.
All mattresses on campus are extra-long (36" x 80" x 7"). Please be sure to bring the linens of the right size.
Students living in the residence halls and suites are required to participate in one of the A or B meal plans. Medical reasons for meal plan exceptions must be documented and approved by the Office of Health Services. The Associate Dean of Students, in conjunction with the director of Health Services, reserves the right to determine whether a specific medical problem warrants a reduced meal plan or a full meal plan waiver.
Painting of the hallways and individual rooms is not permitted. However, door painting, wing projects, and recreation room murals in the traditional halls (Caroline, Calvert, Dorchester, Prince George, and Queen Anne) may be considered by the Office of Residence Life in conjunction with the Maintenance Department and the Office of Conferences and Events. All requests should be submitted (along with a detailed design and color scheme) to the assistant director of Residence Life.
In order to live in campus housing, students are required to be full-time, degree-seeking students in good standing. Students who drop below full-time credit (12 hours) must submit a written request to the Associate Dean of Students to remain in College housing. Last-semester seniors who need fewer than 12 credits to graduate must also submit a written request. If permission is granted (based on the reason for the request and past behavior), the student will have to continue to pay the full-time tuition rate, remain registered for at least eight (8) credits, and maintain exemplary behavior or face the loss of housing privileges.
Before dropping below 12 credits, students are strongly advised to discuss this matter with their parents to ensure that health, dental, and homeowner insurance policies will not be affected. Some insurance companies will provide coverage only if the student is registered as a full-time student. Please keep this information in mind and plan accordingly.
Due to fire regulations, the number of people permitted in a room (including the suites in Lewis Quad and Waring Commons), apartment, or townhouse is limited as follows:
| Residence hall single: | 3 guests plus 1 resident |
| Residence hall double: | 5 guests plus 2 residents |
| Residence hall triple/quad: | 7 guests plus 2 residents |
| Six-person suite: | 15 guests plus 6 residencts |
| Eight-person suite: | 20 guest plus 8 residents |
| 10-person suite: | 20 guests plus 10 rersidents |
| 14-person suite: | 20 guests plus 14 residents |
| Apartment/Townhouse: | 30 guests plus 4 residents or 5 residents |
A party is considered to be a gathering of 10 or more persons. Throughout the party, all guests with alcohol must be at least 21 years old and must remain behind closed doors (within the room, suite, apartment, or townhouse). Individuals are not permitted to drink in the stairwells or common areas of the suites in Lewis Quad or Waring Commons. The noise level should be kept to a minimum so as not to disturb neighboring rooms, suites, apartments, or townhouses. Unacceptable noise levels will be determined by Residence Life and Public Safety staff. All College rules, regulations, and policies must be upheld. The hosts (residents of the room, suite, apartment, or townhouse) will be held responsible for the behavior of their guests, invited or not invited, and any violations of policy. Food and non-alcoholic beverages must be available at the party. If problems develop with invited or uninvited guests, the hosts should contact a Residence Life or Public Safety staff member for assistance.
The following are reasons, either in combination or by themselves, for a Residence Life or Public Safety staff member to request that the residents of a room, suite, apartment, or townhouse disperse their guests and end a party:
It is expected that the hosts of a party will help facilitate its disbursement, with the assistance of Public Safety or Residence Life staff members. It is expected that all guests will leave in an orderly fashion.
The College shall exercise all reasonable effort to protect the personal property of students. However, the College is not responsible for loss or damage to personal property. Students should record descriptions and serial numbers of valuable possessions and have personal property insurance. Personal items such as bicycles and electronic equipment may be registered with Public Safety.
Now that the College is in a collective bargaining (union) environment, we are required to ensure appropriate working conditions for the unionized staff, or face grievances and possible lawsuits. One of the areas of concern already noted by the union is the continuing presence of unauthorized pets on campus. College policy states that pets and other animals are not permitted in any College building because of sanitation, noise, and potential health and safety concerns for students, faculty, and staff. The exceptions are dogs for the visually/hearing impaired, and non-meat-eating fish and non-venomous reptiles in closed aquariums. Animals that are temporarily on the grounds must be under the control of the owner (leashed) at all times. Pets may not be left in cars (due to the potential of problems from heat or cold), and are not permitted to be "tied up" outside of buildings. Pets found tied up or running loose on campus may be taken by Animal Control. Faculty, students, and staff must also ensure that their visitors abide by the College's pet policy.
It has become necessary to strictly enforce this policy for all students, faculty, and staff. Effective immediately, please note the following action that may be taken if students, faculty, or staff disregard this policy.
Faculty/Staff:
Faculty and staff should not bring their pets to campus. Faculty and staff members face employee disciplinary action, including but not limited to warnings, probation, or termination for repeated offenses, as well as the possibility of cleaning and extermination charges if pets are brought into offices and classrooms.
Commuting Students:
Students should not bring their pets to campus while attending classes. Pet owners face 25 hours of community service with the Physical Plant department. Repeat offenders face a one-semester suspension.
Resident Students:
The owner of the pet faces a $250 cleaning/extermination charge and loss of housing privileges for a minimum of one semester. Repeat offenders will face permanent loss of housing or suspension. Roommates who permit unauthorized pets in their room, suite, townhouse, or apartment face 20 hours of community service with the Physical Plant department.
Your cooperation in following this policy is appreciated. It will help create better working conditions for our employees and reduce concerns about personal safety and the problems and inconveniences associated with allergies, fleas, odors, and damages.
The following items are prohibited in the residence halls, suites, apartments, and townhouses. This list is not all-inclusive. The Office of Residence Life reserves the right to prohibit items and practices which may not appear on the list but which are deemed hazardous or unsanitary.
Quiet hours are 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., Sunday through Thursday and on weekends (Friday and Saturday), from 1:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. During these hours, noise must be kept to a minimum in and around the living areas (including DPC). However, courtesy hours are always in effect, and residents should respect the rights of others who wish to sleep or study. Stereo speakers may not be directed out the windows due to the possibility of disrupting classes. Amplified music is not permitted in the near vicinity of the residences (for example, on Townhouse Green, inside Lewis Quad, within the Waring Commons complex, or adjacent to a residence hall). Sound equipment that violates the quiet hours policy may be removed from the resident's room. Residence hall wings may establish additional quiet hours by a two-thirds majority vote.
Bands are not permitted to perform in the rooms, suites, apartments, and townhouses. These areas are not suited for this type of activity. Arrangements for more appropriate performance space can be discussed with the Music Department or the Office of Student Development.
Due to the special nature of Calvert Hall (faculty and administrative staff offices, and residence hall spaces), students living there are required to keep noise to a minimum during working hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), as well as during regular quiet hours. In all residence units, quiet hours are in effect for 23 hours during final exams. The one-hour "study break" is 9:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. nightly.
Students with quiet-hour complaints should do the following:
Opening and closing dates and times for room occupancy are specified on the College calendar and must be observed. Therefore, residents are reminded that they may not check into their residence hall rooms early nor will they be allowed to deliver personal property to their rooms before the residence halls, suites, apartments, and townhouses officially open. Residence halls are closed during vacations and no student is permitted to remain in them during these periods. All students must leave by the appointed time. If transportation problems arise, students must make other arrangements. Students must check out of their residence hall, suite, apartment, or townhouse in the presence of a staff member following established check-out guidelines. Failure to do so will result in a $50 improper check-out fine and loss of the right to appeal damage charges. Additional fines will be assessed for students not complying with dates and times for closings.
College officials, including Residence Life staff members, reserve the right to enter a student's room, locked or unlocked, at any time it is deemed necessary, for policy enforcement, monthly health & safety inspections, maintenance and repairs, concerns about fire safety and well-being, and other similar emergencies. College officials and Residence Life staff will attempt to notify residents in advance.
Each residence hall room and townhouse is inspected by the Residence Life staff for major repairs prior to the opening of the halls in the fall term. Residents are expected to inspect their room/suite/apartment/townhouse for any and all damages and fill out a Room Condition Report (RCR) accordingly. Failure to fill out an RCR will result in an administrative hold being placed on the resident's account and a blank RCR being placed in the student's file. Residents may not make any repairs to College property.
At check-out (after a room change or at the end of the year), the room will be inspected again by the Residence Life staff to determine the charges, if any, to be assessed to the residents for repair or replacement of items damaged or lost during their occupancy. Except for normal wear and tear, items noted at check-out that were not noted at check-in will be billed back to the assigned residents. When individuals responsible for damages cannot be identified, all the residents of the room, suite, apartment, or townhouse will be held liable. Failure to complete a "Room Condition Report" or "Townhouse Condition Report" and the inspection process will result in a $50 fine. Personal belongings left in any room, suite, apartment, or townhouse after the space has been vacated will be discarded.
For students officially withdrawing or taking a leave of absence from the College, a refund schedule for tuition, room, and board is available. Students who withdraw from housing but remain enrolled in the College are also eligible for refunds based on the College's established refund schedule. Please refer to the College Catalog for more information.
There is no room refund for students who are removed from housing due to a housing contract violation or judicial sanction (housing revocation, suspension, or expulsion). The meal plan charges will be prorated on a weekly basis based on the official date of departure from housing or the effective date of the restriction, suspension, or expulsion as noted by the judicial adviser. For more information, please review the housing contract and the College Catalog.
A limited number of single rooms are available in each residence hall. Singles are assigned first on a medical or psychological basis or ADA compliance, then by seniority based on earned credits. Medical reasons must be documented and approved by the Health Center. Psychological reasons must be documented and approved by the Counseling Center. ADA reasons must be documented and approved by the ADA Coordinator. The Associate Dean of Students, in conjunction with the director of Health Services, director of Counseling Services, or the ADA Coordinator, reserves the right to judge whether a specific medical or psychological problem or ADA reason warrants a single room.
In the resident facilities, solicitation and selling (for example, merchandise, food, magazines) door-to-door, from a student room, or in a public area is not permitted without authorization from the Office of Residence Life. Soliciting by telephone or by using the all-student e-mail system is also not permitted, and students should not assist vendors who attempt to enlist students by telephone or e-mail to arrange campus canvassing. Residents should contact Residence Life staff members when unauthorized solicitors are canvassing in College housing, including people selling pizzas, perfume, candy, T-shirts, magazines, etc.
Study rooms are available in each residence hall and are to be used for study purposes only (except for overcrowding situations). These rooms are not intended for socializing or recreation. Students are expected to respect the needs of fellow students using the room for study.
Summer housing is handled through the Office of Residence Life. Any student needing to live on campus between graduation and Governor's Cup weekend for on-campus summer employment or summer school should contact the Office of Residence Life for more information.
Applications for summer housing are available each year starting in March. Limited housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Generally, students employed at least 20 hours per week during the summer receive housing. Students living on campus during the summer are subject to the policies listed in the Student Handbook and on the summer housing contract. Violations of the College Code of Conduct and/or the summer housing contract may result in loss of housing for the summer and possibly judicial action.
Students may not stay in any residence hall during the period of a vacation or break. Residents in the suites, apartments, or townhouses may remain in their units during Thanksgiving vacation and Spring Break with approval from the Office of Residence Life. Except in highly unusual circumstances, residents may not remain in campus housing during the December-January break.
When necessary, residence hall students may stay in a suite, apartment, or townhouse unit, provided all residents of the unit are in agreement. If this option is chosen, students are responsible for identifying and making the appropriate arrangements. When you have identified a space, you will need to follow the posted closing procedures pertaining to remaining on campus during a break. Only those students who are approved through the Office of Residence Life to remain on campus during a break may do so. The registration and approval process during the past few years has decreased undesirable activity on campus, thus reducing incidents such as break-ins and theft.
Townhouse residents will be billed for electricity during break periods.
Residents should be aware that the Residence Life staff is not available during College breaks (Thanksgiving, December-January, and Spring), and the College assumes no responsibility. During the breaks, the dining hall will be closed. In case of emergencies, contact the Public Safety Office at ext. 4911.
The residence facilities will open and close during the 2008 - 2009 academic year as listed below:
End-of-year closing schedule for 2009:
Specific information will be provided before each closing. Please be sure to read and follow the closing procedures.
NOTE: When leaving during College breaks, townhouse residents should never turn the thermostat below 55° (lowering the temperature may cause the water pipes to freeze and burst).
SMCM has developed a visitation policy that provides for a degree of flexibility to accommodate varying lifestyles. Because some students prefer a restricted visitation policy and others desire a greater degree of choice in entertaining guests in their rooms, roommates must determine their own limitations.
Our visitation policy is based on our confidence in the ability and inclination of SMCM students to make mature decisions about their social behavior. We also believe that no individual has the right to infringe upon another's freedom, privacy, happiness, and safety, and that students are willing to accept both the rights and responsibilities of such a policy.
Open visitation hours are not to be construed as permission for students or guests to sleep overnight in another's room or to conduct themselves in such a way as to invade a roommate's privacy and full use of the room. Should such behavior come to the attention of Residence Life staff, disciplinary action may be taken.
Should visitation arrangements lead to problems between roommates, they should feel free, after trying to resolve the problem privately, to ask the Residence Life staff to assist. The staff in turn will participate in the resolution of the problem, which might include, among other things, a change in housing assignments.
Residents are responsible for escorting guests within the building. The College recommends that male guests use the bathrooms on a male wing and female guests use the bathrooms on a female wing. Some buildings have bathrooms located in the lobby for guest use.
The danger of water damage and structural damage due to excessive weight on the floors prohibits waterbeds and hot tubs inside the residences.
For health, safety, and maintenance reasons, screens should not be loosened, propped open, or removed from the windows. Storm windows are not to be removed at any time.
Firearms, knives of any kind with a blade of 3 inches or longer, explosives, dangerous chemicals, or other illegal weapons are strictly prohibited on College premises. If found, the items will be confiscated and the student will be addressed through the judicial system.
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St. Mary's College of Maryland
18952 E. Fisher Rd
St. Mary's City, MD 20686-3001
240-895-2000