Other Community Guidelines
Personal Hygiene and Sanitation
Students who elect to reside in a communal environment, such as the one student housing provides, should be conscious of how their lifestyle, habits, and cleanliness might affect those whom they share living space with. In cases where roommates complain about poor hygiene or sanitation habits, the offending student will be addressed by a staff member and informed that his or her personal lifestyle is disturbing others.
In essence, individuals should realize that maintaining relaxed hygiene or cleanliness standards is often not conducive for living in close spaces with others who do not share the same lifestyle. In the interest of helping to promote healthy habits, personal wellness, and a pleasant living environment for all students in a suite or apartment, the following hygiene and cleanliness standards should be observed.
- Shower and wash hair several times per week, or daily
- Use antiperspirant and/or deodorant if body odor becomes an issue—everyone has different body chemistry
- Clean clothing, bath towels, and bed linens regularly with laundry detergent. Do not leave soiled laundry sitting in the room.
- Clean dishes soon after use and remove trash that may contain food or in a reasonable time frame
- Vomit, blood, and other bodily fluids and biohazard should be cleaned immediately with a disinfecting cleaning solution
- Conflicts that arise from such issues will be addressed with the “offending” individual being instructed to improve his or her hygiene practices. It is possible that an unwillingness to improve these living conditions will result in the termination of a resident’s housing contract.
Public Postings and Art in Public Places
Public postings, including art, advertisements, or promotional materials, may not be hung in any common area, public place, or outdoor space without the approval of the Residence Life Manager, and students requesting to post within Banfield Hall must obtain permission of the Residence Hall Coordinator. Refer to the Decorations section of this handbook for information regarding personal expression in publicly visible areas such as windows and areas outside the external door of the suite or apartment. Individuals or groups wishing to place chalked messages on sidewalks or cement walls must request permission of the Residence Life Manager. Failure to do so will result in the persons or organization responsible being charged for the cost of removal of the messages and possible judicial action.
Public bulletin boards for students and public entities to post personal sales ads, notices, or messages are located just inside the front entrances of the Lodge and Banfield Hall. Postings found elsewhere that have not been approved will be removed and disposed of. Flyers may not be posted on glass doors or where they might cover fire alarms, smoke detectors, etc. For more information about posting notices on campus, refer to the Bulletin Board Policy in the UAS Student Handbook.
Gambling
The University of Alaska Southeast does not allow gambling on the campus. There is to be no gambling at any university-sponsored activity or in public areas, and any advertisements for gambling will be removed by staff. UAS has a raffle and fundraising policy as well, and there are to be no such campaigns in Student Housing that have not been approved by the institution. For information regarding the registration of raffles or fundraisers contact the Student Activities help desk on the lower of the Mourant Building or by calling 796-6528.
Peddling and Selling
Peddling merchandise in Student Housing is prohibited. Residents may not operate a business out of their rented housing units on campus unless they receive approval from the Residence Life Manager. They may not create a display in a common area, receive customers at their door, or approach residents in an attempt to sell their wares. They may not purchase food or other items and sell them at a profit to their neighbors. An exception to this policy is the online sale of property on Ebay or a related website. However, residents wishing to conduct business or sales through the mail may not use the 4300 University Drive address for these transactions, but rather should pay for a post office box at one of the local post offices. Fundraisers for university-related organizations and activities must be approved by the Activities & Housing Office.
Residents wishing to sell personal items, such as books, furniture, computers, and vehicles may do so as a one-time sale by advertising these items on the public posting bulletin boards on campus or on the boards just within the entry of Banfield Hall and the Lodge. Residents are not permitted to sell items, including vehicles, belonging to non-residents on university property. Any resident suspected of continuously buying and selling items will be considered a peddler and be charged a fine and possibly receive additional judicial action. Requests to facilitate community-wide “yard sales” at semester-ends should be directed to the Residence Life Manager.
Assembly
Within the context of established university policies, peaceful assembly and picketing are recognized as legitimate methods of personal expression. However, protest need not and must not take the form of violence, destruction, damage, physical abuse or confrontation that substitutes physical force for orderly efforts to attain one’s ends. It should be remembered that freedom to protest is protected only so long as it does not interfere with the rights and freedoms of others. Additionally, though the university will respect students’ right to assemble, the Office of Residence Life can stipulate times and locations on campus in which these actions are not disruptive. For this reason, assembly in student housing is permitted in the Lodge and parking lot during daytime hours, so long as individuals are still able to conduct their business in the Lodge offices to a reasonable degree, and that traffic is not obstructed in the parking area.
Non-social assembly is not permitted any closer to residential buildings or in Banfield Hall due to the close proximity to residential units and the likelihood that residents would be disturbed in their homes by such assembly. Students who violate this regulation will be referred to the Residence Life Manager or the Campus Judicial Officer for immediate action. Depending upon the degree of involvement, destruction of property, etc., the student may be warned, placed on disciplinary probation, suspended or permanently expelled.
Supervision of Children
Children under the age of 18 should be supervised properly at all times when in student housing. Youth between the ages of 15 and 18 may only be in the Lodge unattended if they are registered family housing residents. Children under the age of 15 may not be unattended in the Lodge at any time. Conduct issues such as destructive or disruptive behavior may result in the loss of privileges for these youth to visit the Lodge unattended. Minors may not enter Banfield Hall without being accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Parents are responsible for the behavior for their children, and repeated disturbances to the housing community may result in a termination of the family housing agreement. Children left unattended in a seemingly careless manner, malnourished, or withheld from education will be reported to social services. See the Abuse and Neglect section of this handbook.
Exterior Elevated Surfaces of Campus Buildings and Structures
The regulations regarding fire safety and use of exterior elevated surfaces of campus buildings are very serious and explicit. Entering surfaces such as roofs, fire escapes, terraces, balconies or ledges above the first floor is strictly prohibited, except in emergencies. Similarly, climbing up the side of the pavilion, balconies, or fire escapes by means other than the intended staircases meant for safe access is prohibited. The university will take disciplinary action on a first offense, possibly including the imposition of a fine.
Unauthorized Presence and Unlawful Entry
Persons found to be in residence hall rooms, faculty/staff offices and campus buildings without authorization or permission will be subject to disciplinary action and possible prosecution.
Online Community Conduct
Online communities such as Facebook, Myspace, and other networks provide students with venues to share information with friends both near and far, to meet new people, and to express themselves and their ideas in a variety of fashions. However, many dangers and risks can be associated with membership in these online communities. Students are warned not to give out personal contact information or physical addresses to strangers and to make wise decisions when communicating with individuals they are not very familiar with. Users should always log out of the website when they are finished. Unfortunately, online communication is also used to conduct criminal or hurtful behavior. Students will be held responsible for threats, harassment, and slander expressed on these sites.
Online communities should be considered as public viewing areas rather than private webpages. For instance, many users do not read the fine print when registering a Myspace page that entitles Myspace to use any photo posted on their site for advertising or other purposes without user consent. Students posting illicit, incriminating, or worrisome photos or text regarding members of the housing community will be addressed appropriately. Residents should consider postings on online community sites as a public display, just as one might do if he or she tacked up photos or messages on the bulletin boards in the Lodge or Banfield for all to see. Photos and messages revealing residents engaging in policy violations or illegal activity that identifiably took place in student housing will be subjected to the policies and procedures outlined in this handbook.
