Requirements

First and second-year undergraduates are required to live on campus. Requests for exceptions to this policy should be addressed to the Coordinator of Student Services. Housing is limited for upperclassmen and will be available through a housing lottery.

On-campus housing is available for Graduate Institute students only during the summer semester. Such housing is generally subject to the policies outlined below but see also Graduate Institute Summer Housing Policies.

Life on campus is governed by the four principles listed above: civility, honesty, responsibility, and citizenship. Housing regulations apply most directly to students living on campus but must be respected by all members of the community.

Appliances

Hot plates, electric frying pans, toasters and toaster ovens are not allowed in the residence halls. Each room may plug in and run up to three appliances at a time. Small refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric coffee pots, and other small cooking appliances may be brought to the residence halls. Cooking on open burners is prohibited.

Changing Rooms

Undergraduate students are not to change rooms without the permission of the Coordinator of Student Services. Students who change rooms before receiving permission to do so will incur fines. Those wishing to change rooms must see the Coordinator of Student Services to discuss the need to be moved.

Common Rooms and Kitchens

The Edensword, Gilliam, Humphreys, and Spector kitchens are for the occasional use of all on-campus students. Occasional use includes baking or preparing meals on special occasions. The kitchens are not intended for the preparation of daily meals since this interferes with the wider use by the community. Common rooms are intended for use by all students. Students are not to sleep in the common rooms.

Conducting Business

Students may not engage in independent commercial activities on college property without express permission of the Director of Student Services.

Decorating Rooms

When decorating a residence hall room, do not damage, paint, or mark the door, the walls, or the woodwork. Hang pictures and wall decorations only from the picture molding in Chase-Stone, Pinkney, Edensword, and Humphreys. In Paca-Carroll only small thumbtacks or fine pushpins may be used, as tape damages the walls. Do not use Scotch tape or glue of any kind. Decorations may be affixed to the wall with “Plasti-Tak,” or similar products that may not damage paint, but the responsibility for any damage is the students. Nothing should be suspended from the ceiling. Fixtures for curtains will be installed on request. See Repairs and Maintenance. Students must supply their own fixtures but must not attempt to put them up. Minimum charge for damage to walls caused by tape, adhesives, fixtures, or anything else is $35.

Candles, incense, and any other sources of flame are prohibited in the residence halls.

Fireplaces

Useable wood-burning fireplaces are in the Coffee Shop, Chase-Stone basement, and Paca-Carroll. Buildings & Grounds can place logs on the hearth which requires submitting a work order a few days in advance. Before you light a fire, you must contact the Office of Public Safety and let them know which fireplace you will be using and so they can send an officer to be present when the fire is lit. NOTE: paper is not allowed for lighting fires in college fireplaces. Wood-burning fireplaces may only be used between October 15 and April 15.

SJC also has a new gas fireplace in the Fishbowl in Mellon Hall. Please contact Public Safety if the fire is not burning so they can turn it on for you.

Furniture

Residence hall rooms are furnished with a twin bed, desk, chair, lamp, and dresser for each student. Bed linens, pillows, towels, and area rugs must be supplied by the student.

Box springs and mattresses must stay in the room. Students will be charged for their cleaning and repair if necessary. Students will be charged $300 for missing beds. Other college furniture is not to be moved into or out of common rooms or residence hall rooms without the permission of the Director of Student Services. Students will be fined $50 per item if they fail to comply with this regulation.

Unwanted furniture may not be placed in hallways. Fire regulations require that hallways be kept clear of obstacles at all times. Students placing furniture in hallways will be fined at least $75. Waterbeds in residence hall rooms are not permitted. Any student living in the room where a violation of this regulation occurs will be fined $50 per day.

Keys and 1Cards

See Campus Public Safety.

Living in the Residence Halls

Students must respect the needs and sensibilities of other residence hall residents. In addition to being the residence of many students and two of the Community Facilitators, the residence halls are the workplace of housekeeping, maintenance, Public Safety, and other staff members. They must be shown the courtesy of respectful language and appropriate dress and must be allowed to do their work unimpeded. Staff members take pride in their work and appreciate students taking the time to get to know them. If there is any significant conflict between the responsible performance of their work and the needs of the residents, this should be discussed with the Coordinator of Student Services. Please do not ask housekeepers and other staff members to alter their schedules or the work they are assigned.

Unmarried freshmen and sophomores are required to live in the residence halls and to take their meals in the dining hall. Exceptions to this rule are rare, since it is our experience that freshmen and sophomores living off campus have significantly more difficulty meeting the demands of the academic program and benefiting from campus life. Circumstances that may warrant an exception should be discussed with the Director of Student Services. Students are cautioned not to sign a lease, make a deposit, or otherwise obligate themselves without first receiving this permission.

Living Off Campus

Students beyond the sophomore year are permitted to live off campus. It will be presumed that students who are already living off campus intend to continue to do so. If they wish to move back to campus, they should contact the Director of Student Services.

Married Undergraduate Students

The college does not have married student housing.

Opening and Closing Dates for 2023-24

Students who are residence hall residents may move into their rooms and must leave or vacate their rooms according to the opening and closing dates noted below. Those students who must arrive and move in after registration hours can pick up their keys from Public Safety. In general, no students are permitted to remain in residence in the residence halls during college breaks. Students are expected to leave their rooms in a clean condition upon vacating them at the end of the year.

December 16, 2023	Residence halls close at 12 noon for winter vacation
January 6, 2024	Residence halls open at 12 noon
March 2	Residence halls close at 12 noon for spring break
March 16	Residence halls open at 12 noon for all students
May 13	Residence halls close at 12 noon for summer vacation
TBD	Spector Residence hall opens at 9 a.m. for Graduate Institute students
TBD	Spector Residence hall closes at 12 noon for Graduate Institute students

There will be no exceptions to these dates and times.

Open Flames

No items with an open flame may be used in residence halls or other buildings. This includes lit candles, incense, matches, or other items that have the possibility of catching anything on fire. Violation of this policy constitute violations of fire code and may subject the offender to criminal charges.

Pets

Birds and mammals are not allowed in the residence halls or on campus. Students failing to comply with this regulation are assigned a minimum of $150 and required to remove the animal immediately. Students whose illegal pets cause an infestation of fleas or other vermin may be assessed sizable extermination costs for a whole floor or residence halls.

Renters’ Insurance

The college recommends that students, whether they live on campus or off, consider renters’ insurance. College insurance will not, in general, cover theft or loss on campus, and will never cover theft or loss off campus.

Repairs and Maintenance

Bring any need for repairs to the attention of the maintenance staff by either notifying an RA or asking that a work order be submitted. Be specific about the location and nature of the problem. If the repair requires access to your room, you will need either to be present while it is carried out or to give your permission for the staff to enter your room in your absence.

Restrooms

Contact your Resident Advisor if a restroom is not in a useable condition.

Room Inspections

Residence hall rooms are inspected at least three times a year: just before occupancy, during the winter break, and at the end of the year. The college reserves the right to inspect residence hall rooms for damage at any time. Damage beyond normal wear and tear is reported to the Finance Office and charged to the student’s account.

Room Selection and Housing Lottery

Demand for on-campus housing fluctuates from year to year. In order to keep costs reasonable for all residence hall residents, the college must keep the residence halls full. Students who have signed a housing contract to live on-campus must obtain permission from the Director of Student Services if they need to move off campus during the academic year.

Choosing a room on campus is a two-step process:

• Step 1 – Lottery. In early February, lottery numbers are randomly assigned to all freshmen (rising sophomores) and all sophomores (rising juniors) and juniors (rising seniors living on campus who want to remain on campus for the following year.
• Step 2 – Room Selection. Students who have had lottery numbers assigned to them will pick rooms at room selection. Students must appear in person at room selection unless they have made a prior arrangement with the Director of Student Services.

Choosing a room at room selection represents a serious commitment on the part of students. The signed contracts are legally binding.

Stereo Equipment

Music or other sounds emanating from the residence halls must be kept at a level that does not interfere with the conduct of college business. Speakers are not allowed in the windows. Failure to respect the rights, privileges, and sensibilities of others will result in substantial fines or expulsion from the campus.

Student Visitors and Guests

Overnight guests of students must sign in and out at the Public Safety Office. Failure to register guests upon their arrival and to sign them out when they leave may result in a $25 fine per day to the host student and possible eviction from the residence hall. Guests must produce identification, such as a driver’s license, when signing in. The Public Safety Office will verify the identification. No student may sign in more than two guests at one time and students may not have currently enrolled students as overnight guests. Guests must stay in their host’s room and may not occupy common spaces.

Normally the maximum length of stay is three nights. For longer visits, see the Director of Student Services. Unregistered visitors may be required to leave.

Students are responsible for the conduct of their guests while their guests are on campus. All guests are expected to abide by the rules of residence.

Graduate Institute Summer Housing Policies

Off-Campus Housing

A Graduate Institute housing and rides bulletin board is located on the first lower level of the Barr-Buchanan Center.

On-Campus Summer Housing

As the introduction of this Handbook states, St. John’s College is a community of learning. To provide graduate students the best conditions for learning in the compressed, intensive summer term, residence hall rooms are available for summer Graduate Institute students only. A room may be reserved through the Graduate Institute Office during the preregistration process. A room deposit is not required. Roommates are not assigned. Students reserve rooms as singles, although there are a limited number of double rooms that may be reserved by students who will have an immediate family member living with them for the summer.

Moving into the Residence Hall

Graduate Institute students who have reserved rooms for the summer semester may pick up their residence hall packets at the Public Safety Office in Pinkney Hall on the weekend prior to the beginning of summer classes.

Moving out of the Residence Hall

Students must be moved out by noon on the Saturday after classes end. Room keys are to be turned over at the Public Safety Office upon departure. There is a $50 fine for failure to return a residence hall room key at the end of the summer.

Damages During Occupancy

Damage beyond normal wear and tear after summer occupancy is reported to the Finance Office, and the resident is billed accordingly.

Food Service

There are no summer dining plans. (See Dining Hall.)