Roommate Relations
Rooms in residential facilities are assigned to each student for the academic year. A voluntary change in room assignment must be approved by the Residence Life Manager or a Residence Coordinator before any change is made. The Office of Residence Life reserves the right to make changes in room assignments when it deems it is necessary, but it will notify the affected students in advance of these changes whenever possible. Residents are expected to work to communicate with roommates and to establish shared expectations for conduct and chores within the suite or apartment. Conflicts should be addressed and resolved as adults, and assistance in conflict mediation can be requested of any Community Advisor or Peer Advocate. In all conflicts, residents and staff should consider the Roommate Bill of Rights.
Bill of Rights for Roommates
Basic rights of a roommate include:
- The right to read and study free from undue interference in one’s room. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of this right.
- The right to sleep without undue disturbance from noise, guests of roommate, etc.
- The right to expect that a roommate will respect one’s personal belongings.
- The right to a clean environment in which to live.
- The right to free access to one’s room and facilities without pressure from a roommate.
- The right to personal privacy.
- The right to host guests with the expectation that guests are to respect the rights of the host’s roommate and other housing residents.
- The right for redress of grievances. Residence Life staff are available for assistance in settling conflicts.
- The right to be free from fear of intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm.
- The right to expect reasonable cooperation in the use of the room telephone, kitchen, restroom, etc.
REMEMBER: To be a mature adult is to accept responsibility for the welfare of others. Only you can assure that your roommate enjoys those rights.
Conflict Mediation
All members of the residence life staff have been trained to facilitate conflict mediations between two or more individuals experience personal differences or communication difficulties. Residents having roommate conflicts or any form of relationship challenges may request that a mediation be scheduled for all individuals involved in the conflict. If residents are contacted by a staff member and asked to participate in a mediation, they are expected to comply.
Conflict mediations serve to allow an external, objective party to help facilitate effective and civil communication, exchange of ideas, problem-solving, and compromise between two or more individuals. They can be very effective in resolving interpersonal difficulties. Residents participating in mediation should prepare to be fully engaged in the process with a desire to find a positive resolve to the conflict. Some mediations will result in an agreement being developed by participants. Residents contemplating a room change request should be aware that except for in extreme circumstances, they must engage in conflict mediation and have expressed a sincere effort to have uphold any resulting agreement before the professional staff member will conduct a second mediation or authorize a room change. See the Room Changes section of this handbook for more information.
Quiet Hours
Excessive noise which is disruptive to campus life in any way is not permitted, representing a 24-hour courtesy hours policy. Between 10:00pm and 8:00am nightly no noise should be so great that sound from voices, stereos, televisions, musical instruments, etc. can be heard outside the building by passersby (Outside Quiet Hours). Student Housing has neighbors in nearby houses and condos, and several children reside in family apartments. Sound carries easily between apartment buildings and across the parking lot. After 11:00pm Sunday through Thursday, and after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, no noise should be so great within any housing unit that residents of that unit are disrupted from studying or sleeping (Indoors Quiet Hours).
Sound travels easily through walls and floors of Banfield Hall and the apartments, sometimes making it possible that stereo bass can be heard two stories above or beneath the offending noise. Essentially, the Residence Life Staff will enforce Outside Quiet Hours regularly, and will respond to residents’ requests to enforce Inside Quiet Hours as well. Exceptions to these provisions may be granted with prior consent from a Residence Coordinator, such as for special events and community-wide functions at late-night hours. Any parties, registered or unregistered, must observe student housing Quiet Hours.
