{"id":367,"date":"2024-09-04T19:56:53","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T19:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/tothepoint-2024\/?page_id=367"},"modified":"2025-01-17T13:55:24","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T13:55:24","slug":"campus-housing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/tothepoint\/campus-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Campus Housing"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Office of Residence Life has designed the Resident Student Handbook to provide all SMCM students with information\u00a0pertaining to resources, policies, and procedures for residence life. The Resident Student Handbook can be found at <\/span>http:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/residencelife\/resources\/housing-policies\/<\/span><\/a>)<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All residential students should be aware of the policies\u00a0outlined in \u201cTo the Point,\u201d the Resident Student Handbook, as well as the housing contract. All students, including commuter\u00a0students, should be aware of the following policies which are also outlined in the Resident Student Handbook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Disorderly Conduct\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Failure to comply with directions given by a Residence Life staff member, Public Safety <\/span>Officer, or other College official, or to use any type of\u00a0harassment or abusive language toward any Residence Life staff member, Public Safety-Officer, or College official in the performance of assigned\u00a0responsibilities, shall be considered disorderly conduct and subject to conduct action. Non-students shall be asked to leave\u00a0the campus and may be subject to criminal charges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Full-Time Housing and Registration Policy\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Housing Contract states \u201cOn-campus housing is available to students classified by the College as full-time (12 or more\u00a0credits). Students who wish to drop below full-time status must receive prior written approval from the director of residence\u00a0life.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Students with extenuating circumstances may be approved to drop below 12 credits for one semester while remaining in\u00a0housing. Extenuating circumstances may include (but are not limited to): failing a course and wanting to drop it in order to\u00a0focus on the student\u2019s other courses and\/or to avoid causing a precipitous drop in the student\u2019s GPA; medical or psychological\u00a0reasons with documentation provided to and a recommendation from the Office of Accessibility Services; a senior\u00a0in their final semester who needs less than 12 credits to graduate. All resident students must register for at least 12 credits by\u00a0the published deadline prior to the start of each semester and may be permitted to drop courses after classes start. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All requests must be submitted in writing and include the reason(s) for the\u00a0request.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Requests to remain in housing while being registered for less than 12 credits may be granted under the following conditions:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. The student must remain registered for at least eight credits during the semester.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. The student should attend all of their remaining classes unless they are ill and communicate that to the student\u2019s professor(s).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. The student is to maintain exemplary conduct and adhere to all College policies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. There is no refund on the full-time tuition and students are responsible for the full-time rate.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. The student is strongly encouraged to check with their insurance companies to ensure continued coverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. The student must register for at least 12 credits next semester if not a graduating senior.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    Guests\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    A resident\u2019s guest (whether a student from another residential area, commuter, or someone not affiliated with St. Mary’s) may stay no\u00a0more than four days \/nights in a given month and at no time should a roommate be displaced. (Refer to the visitation policy in this\u00a0section.) Guest must be registered and 18 years of age or older with the Office of Residence Life. The online registration form can be found at the staff offices in each residence hall. Residents are responsible for informing their guests of College policies and guests who are not members of the St.<\/span> \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0Mary’s College community and who are in violation of College policies may be asked to leave the campus. Host students are\u00a0responsible for the conduct of their guests and any violations of school policies by their guests may result in disciplinary\u00a0action against the host students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Quiet Hours, Noise (in and around the living areas, including DPC)\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    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\u00a010:00 a.m. During these hours, noise must be kept to a minimum in and around the living areas (including DPC, the athletic, near academic buildings that are adjacent to residential spaces). However, courtesy hours are always in effect and residents should respect the rights of others who wish to\u00a0sleep or study. Stereo speakers and amplifiers are not permitted to be directed and projected out of any windows in residential communities, including townhouses, at any time. Exterior speakers need to be kept at a reasonable level during courtesy hours and must be muted if they cause a disturbance, if there are community complaints, and during quiet hours. Speakers with extension cords extending from the inside of any residential unit are prohibited. Even before quiet hours, staff may instruct students to lower volumes from within individual units if disturbances are reported by the community. Bands, live music, amplifiers and\/or amplified music are not permitted in the traditional halls. These areas are not suited for this type of activity. Arrangements for more appropriate performance space can be discussed with the\u00a0Music Department, The Dodge Performing Arts Center, or the Office of Student Activities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Student bands\/live music are allowed to rehearse in the suites, apartments, and townhouses Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from\u00a04:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Quiet hours are in effect for 23 hours during final exams. The one-hour \u201cstudy break\u201d is 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. nightly.\u00a0 During final exams, residents are prohibited from band rehearsals within housing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Solicitation\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    In the residential facilities, solicitation and selling (e.g., merchandise, food,\u00a0 items through multi-level marketing networks, etc.,<\/span>) door-to-door, from a student\u00a0room, or in a public area are not permitted without prior, written authorization from the Office of Residence Life. Electronic solicitation is also not permitted in the residence halls, suites, apartments, and townhouses; and students should\u00a0not assist vendors who attempt to enlist students to arrange campus canvassing. Students are not\u00a0permitted to use the residential facilities for commercial purposes or for conducting a business enterprise. Residents should\u00a0contact Residence Life staff members when unauthorized solicitors are canvassing in college housing. Student Government Association sponsored organizations or organizations sponsored directly by the College, who wish to fundraise for their organization need prior approval from the Dean of Students or the Director of Residence Life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Visitation\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    St. Mary’s has developed a visitation policy that provides for a degree of flexibility to accommodate varying lifestyles.\u00a0 Because some students prefer a restricted visitation policy and others desire a greater degree of choice in entertaining guests\u00a0in their rooms, roommates must determine their own limitations.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    The visitation policy is based on the College\u2019s confidence in the ability <\/span>of St. Mary’s students to make mature\u00a0decisions about their social behavior. The College also believes that no individual has the right to infringe upon another\u2019s\u00a0freedom, privacy, happiness, and safety, and that students are willing to accept both the rights and responsibilities of such a\u00a0policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Open visitation hours are not to be construed as permission for students or guests to sleep overnight in another\u2019s room or to\u00a0conduct themselves in such a way as to invade a roommate\u2019s privacy and full use of the room. Guests are permitted to stay\u00a0overnight only with prior permission of the roommate, suitemate and housemates and for no more than four nights in a given month. Should such\u00a0behavior come to the attention of Residence Life staff, disciplinary action may be taken.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Should visitation arrangements lead to problems between roommates, they should, after trying to resolve the\u00a0problem privately, ask the Residence Assistant staff to assist. The staff, in turn, will participate in the resolution of the problem, which might include, among other things, a change in the roommate agreement.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Registration of guests are required for any non-student who remains on campus after 8:00pm. Students must submit their guest registration form no later than 4pm the business day (Monday \u2013 Friday) prior to their guest\u2019s arrival on campus. Students can find the Guest Registration form at the door of the RA office for their building. <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Residents are responsible for escorting guests within the building and assume responsibility for their guests\u2019 behavior and location while on campus<\/span> \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Due to fire, health and safety regulations, the number of people permitted into each residential space is as follows. The occupancy includes the residents and guests within each unit.<\/span><\/p>\n