Residence Hall Regulations & Policies

The complete Guide to Housing & Residence Life is available by clicking here.

Free at last, away from the watchful eyes of parents and ready to make your way in the world on your own!

Campus Every society or community has a set of regulations for behavior so that its members can live in peaceful co-existence. Residence halls and university campuses are no different. Sometimes students feel that now they have moved away from home, they will not have any rules. If you honestly feel that way, you may want to reconsider living on campus.

If you think you can live within the framework we've found successful for our campus, we think you've made a great choice we and look forward to our time together. Our intent is to make your college living experience as pleasant and rewarding as possible.

The pages that follow should be used as a reference about the rules and regulations you and your fellow students will be required to abide by when you are living on campus. So please, read on.

Residence Hall Regulations

Grasso Hall Please keep in mind that the following are only some of the University policies for our residence halls and there are many rules that are unique to each building. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with all University and Housing & Residence Life policies. This information is contained in the Residence Life Guide and Student Handbook, which are available from the RD and the Department of Housing and Residence Life in Newbury Hall.

Prohibited Items

Firearms of any kind, or any item which could be mistaken for a firearm. This includes, but is not limited to water guns and paintball guns.
Weapons of any kind, legal or illegal, including but not limited to guns, knives, bows and arrows, martial arts types of equipment, BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns or air guns.
Explosives or fireworks of any kind.
Volatile liquids and substances of any kind, including but not limited to fuels, open paints, paint thinner, or turpentine.
Gasoline motors, including motorcycles and mopeds.
Wicker, paper or other types of flammable wastebaskets .
Paper, cloth, and other types of flammable lampshades and covers.
You may not have microwaves in rooms on the Midtown campus other than those provided on the Microfridge rental units.
Prohibited appliances on the Midtown campus and in Centennial Hall include:

George Forman grills
electric frying pans
hot plates
toasters and toaster ovens
immersible heating coils

and on both campuses:

room air conditioners
space heaters

This list is not intended to be all-inclusive, and additional items may be added to the list as they become identified. The University reserves the right to limit the usage of any appliance on an as-needed basis.

Refrigerators larger than 6.0 cubic feet, and no more than one per resident in each room or apartment.
Non-UL approved or faulty appliances.
Halogen lamps of any kind.
Octopus outlet plugs and extension cords. (UL approved circuit breaker power strips are permitted if necessary.)
Flammable or non-UL approved decorations, including Christmas decorations. UL-approved decorations are appropriate, but must never be placed outside of the room or in a dangerous position in the room. No decorations may be hung from Pinney Hall balconies.
Live (or cut) Christmas trees.
Waterbeds.
Major weight-lifting and exercise equipment (over 20 lbs.)
Uncovered food, soda (or other) cans, excess dirt, litter, and other unsanitary items.
Incense or candles of any kind and for any purpose.
Illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia.
Pets of any kind, with the exception of non-meat-eating fish, which may be kept in containers not to exceed ten (10) gallons in capacity.
Objects placed on window ledges or hung from windows.
No cigarettes or tobacco of any kind, including but not limited to bidis, clove or other scented cigarettes, chewing tobacco and similar products.
Alcohol or other beverage containers stored in rooms or for decorative purposes. You may also not display alcohol packaging and/or advertising.
No washers, dryers, and dishwashers are permitted in individual rooms or apartments.
No glow-in-the dark stickers or wall decorations, or writing on walls with laundry or other detergents.
Nothing (cloth, beads, etc.) may be hung from ceilings. Also, nothing is ever to be hung on doors, overhead pipes, and/or sprinklers or sprinkler heads.
Painting, wallpapering, stamping and/or stenciling walls.

Prohibited Activities

Water bombs, balloons, squirt guns and/ or water fights.
Snowball throwing in the immediate vicinity of the residence halls and adjacent parking or lawn areas.
Sports playing in the hallways, including but not limited to playing catch, rollerblading, bicycling, running, etc).
Removing lounge furnishings or room or apartment furnishings without permission.
Removing or damaging any windows or window screens. You may not throw, toss, or otherwise move items through windows.
Erecting exterior clotheslines or placing drying racks in hallways.
Illegal parking of motor vehicles.
Using an exit way for any purpose that will interfere with its use as an exit way.
Altering or tampering with heating, electrical, fire, safety, or security systems; including but not limited to misuses of smoke detectors, sprinklers and sprinkler heads, fire alarms, thermostats, or door lock systems.
Collecting or assembling flammable materials which constitutes a fire hazard.
Using rooms or common areas for activities which could be considered parties.
Using rooms as sales rooms or for storage of merchandise, solicitation, or peddling.
Solicitation or peddling.
Deliveries to individual student rooms.
Pointing speakers out of residence hall room windows, or excessively loud stereos, TVs, video games, etc.
Wet and dry erase message boards are not permitted on your door (inside or out). They may be mounted on other surfaces.
No posting of any materials without approval and stamping by HRL office.
Furnishings must be kept 18 (or more) inches from the front of HVAC units in all rooms and apartments.
Curtains may be hung only using tension rods.
Table games (such as pool, ping pong, foul shot games, pinball, or other games of chance or skill) are prohibited, as are poker or other card games and paraphernalia associated with these games.
Entering or exiting rooms or apartments through windows or balconies, unless in the case of an actual fire or life-safety emergency.
Any activities which are violations of local, state or federal laws.
Other policies and proscribed behaviors are detailed in your Student Handbook, which also details the judicial due process.

Alcohol Policy

Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons under the legal drinking age is prohibited.
Students of legal drinking age may not have alcohol in their room/suite/apartment at any time if any of the students residing in the room/suite/apartment are under the legal drinking age. No alcohol will be visible or consumed while anyone under the legal drinking age is in the room/suite/apartment.
It is never permitted to possess an open container of alcohol or to consume alcohol in public areas in or around the residence halls. This includes but is not limited to hallways, practice or study rooms, computer rooms, lounges, bathrooms, and lawns or parking areas adjacent to the residence halls (including parking garages).
Common source alcohol containers (such as, but not limited to, kegs, beer balls, punch bowls and wine boxes) are prohibited.
Students of legal drinking age may bring alcohol into the residence halls. However, alcohol containers, full or empty, may not be used for decorative purposes. Paraphernalia associated with drinking or alcohol-related games (such as, but not limited to, funnels, beer bongs, and taps) are not permitted in the residence halls. Possession of such implements or containers is a violation of university policy.
The storing, displaying, or collecting of empty containers in a room, suite, or apartment is prohibited. Failure to remove or return these containers in a timely way is a violation of the alcohol policy.

Every resident is encourage to read the WCSU comprehensive, campus wide Alcohol Policy.

Bag Check Policy:

Students entering the building with bags (backpacks, bags, or other) may also be asked to show their bags at the information desk so that staff may check for alcohol or other non-permitted substances or materials. The entire policy may be read by clicking the Bag Check Policy.

Weapons Policy
All members of the Western Connecticut State University community have a responsibility to use due care for their safety and to comply with all Federal, State, and local laws and University regulations. In the interest of the public's safety the University prohibits employees, students, visitors and guests from carrying a firearm (except authorized members of a duly organized law enforcement agency) or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument as defined by Connecticut General Statutes 53-206*, anywhere on the property owned or under the control of Western Connecticut State University.

Employees or others who have a concern about personal safety are encouraged to contact the Associate Vice President for Public Safety, the University Police Department, or the Human Resource Office.

* "... any slung shot, air rifle, BB gun, blackjack, sandbag, metal or brass knuckles, or any dirk knife, or any switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which a blade is released from the handle, having a blade over one and one-half inches in length, or stiletto, or any knife the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or over in length, or any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument ...".

Smoking & Tobacco
All residence halls at WCSU are tobacco and smoke free. There are no areas in any residence hall where smoking or chewing tobacco is permitted.

Smoking areas near the residence halls have been identified by your hall councils and IRHA. Benches and receptacles have been placed near these areas. Containers for disposal of smoking materials have been provided, and you are asked to make use of them. University policy dictates that you must be at least 15 feet away from any residence hall while smoking.

Guest Policies
Guest, by the Board of Trustees policy, are permitted visitation during the hours of desk operation. Guests must present valid (non-expired) photo ID (drivers license, CSU student ID, State-issued non-driver ID, military ID, or passport) at the information desk in order to be admitted to the building. All guests must be 18 years of age. The only exception would be a CSU student that is currently not 18 years of age. (Special written permission is required for underage guests.) The desk staff will then attempt to contact residents by phone or intercom. Residents must come to the desk to sign in their guest, and must escort them everywhere in the building.

If you'd like you may sign your guest out, relinquishing any responsibility for them or their actions. Guest who appear to have stayed in your room more than three days will be considered living illegally in your room and will not be permitted to continue to sign into the building. You may also not sign in more than two guests per resident.

For more details about guest policies, please refer to your Housing & Residence Life Guide.

Quiet Hours
Whenever a large group of people share a confined space, noise can become a big issue. At all times, the Residence Halls observe a policy of courtesy hours. This essentially means that you should be aware of the effect that any noise you make has on those who live around you. If you are asked by someone to turn down the volume on your television or to be less noisy, please Students Studying accommodate him or her. You can and should expect the same treatment from them in return. Commonly, you are considered too loud if you can be heard farther than the door next to your room.

Quiet hours are from 11 pm to 8 am, Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight - noon on Friday and Saturday.

During finals, 24 hour quiet hours are in effect. You will be removed without warning and immediately from the residence halls if you violate the quiet hours policy during these times, or if you get documented for a possible Code of Conduct violation.

Suite and Apartment Policies

Apartments and suites require some different regulations than the traditional Midtown residence hall rooms. Here are some policies relating specifically to Pinney, Grasso, and Centennial Halls.

Furniture

Beginning with the Fall 2011 semester, no furniture (other than a small/medium sized entertainment center) will be permitted to be brought in by students in any apartment building.

You are permitted to bring refrigerators or freezers if desired. None of these can be larger than 6.0 cubic feet and there can be no more than one (1) per person, or (1) per person in the apartment.
No gaming tables, such as foosball, billiards, ping pong, pinball, or bank shot basketball machines allowed.

Decorations
Nothing can be hung from the ceilings.

Walls

Posters, unframed pictures, etc. may be hung with 3M drafting tape, hooks and poster strips only
No Molly Bolts or anchor screws.
Framed items or other decorations may be hung on dry wall with 3M-type wall hangers (removable, non-damaging) only. These items may not weigh more than 3 pounds.
Nothing is to be hung on any doors (mirrors, photos, posters, dart boards, etc.)
Nothing is to be hung from overhead pipes/sprinkler heads i.e. air fresheners, holiday lights, posters, etc.

Please note: An inventory was done of your room/apartment prior to your arrival. All damages were noted and screened by a Housing staff member. You are responsible for all damages that occur in your room/apartment until you sign out with your Resident Assistant at the end of the semester.

Visitation Policy
Please see the HRL Guide for regulations on the numbers of people permitted to be in a room at any time. Violation of this policy will lead to documentation of the residents by a Housing and Residence Life member, and could jeopardize sign-in and visitation privileges. Please remember that visitation/sign-in allowances are a privilege, not a right, so please comply with the policy and guidelines.

Additional Pinney Hall Policies

Please note: Certain violations listed below will lead to immediate separation from Housing, regardless of prior judicial history and the number of times a person has violated policies previous to the violation.

Balconies
Nothing may be thrown or tossed from your balconies/patios. You and/or your entire apartment may be separated from housing if you are found to have violated this policy.

Do not use the balconies as an entry or exit from your apartment, except in the case of a fire or life safety emergency which prevents you from leaving through your apartment door. You may be separated from housing if you are found responsible for violating this policy.

Balconies may have:

Potted plants not hanging from anything.
Two (2) patio chairs (resin, folding, etc). Hammocks, particularly those attached to railings, are prohibited.
NO tables other than a small resin table.
NO permanent (upholstered, etc) furniture, including university-provided desk or dining room chairs..
NO laundry lines or drying rack hanging from or placed on the balconies.
NO decorations of any kind (including banners, holiday lights, etc). (Holiday lights may be hung around the interior of the sliding door, but may not be on any exterior surface.
NO grills of any kind (charcoal, propane, hibachi, etc).
NO stereo speakers aimed out balconies or windows.
NO garbage, boxes, or plastic/paper bags are to be left on the balcony.
Smoking is prohibited on all balconies/patios.

Visitation Policy
No more than two guests per resident, (this includes other Pinney residents who do not live in your apartment), for a maximum of 15 people in any apartment at any one time.

Garbage Disposal in Sink
Please do not use this disposal for inappropriate use such as fish tank stones, etc. Any misuse of this disposal will result in damage to University property and restitution.

Storage
Residence halls are designed mainly for living and programming spaces. There is extremely limited storage available, and it is confined to Housing and Residence Life storage only. There is no space available outside your room to store any of your belongings. You may also not move any university furniture from your rooms (beds, dressers, desks, chairs). Please plan accordingly and utilize your space well. Do not move your furniture out of your room and leave it in the hallways. Please do not ask a custodian or maintainer to remove furniture for you.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Science Building
In order to maintain eligibility to live in the residence halls, WestConn's Housing & Residence Life department monitors your GPA (which must remain at 2.0 or higher), and your satisfactory academic progress (SAP), meaning you must complete 24 credits per academic year.

Throughout the course of the year, your Academic Resource Mentor (ARM) will be in contact with you regarding your GPA/SAP status. If it appears that you are in danger of not meeting either your credit limit and/or the necessary GPA, your ARM/RD will work with you to make an action plan so that you can meet these requirements. Part of this plan will probably include meeting with your building's ARM or your RA. If you believe you may not be able to meet these requirements, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to see your RD and make a plan immediately.

More information is available in the HRL Residence Life Guide.

Damages
You are responsible for any and all damages that occur in your residence hall room. You are responsible for damages that occur in public areas of the building. Public Area Damages (PAD) are reported to the building's RD when they are discovered. These can be physical damages, such as broken doors or windows, or may be things such as excessive cleaning (urination in a stairwell). Public Area Damages cannot be appealed.

When damage occurs, an amount (determined by the Department of Housing & Residence Life and facilities Management) is applied to the damage. It is billed to the responsible person when that person can be identified. Often, though, no one can be identified, and the charge is shared by the general community. It is important if you know who is responsible that you bring that information forward to the Hall Council officers, or an RA/RD, so that it can be discussed at your Hall Council meeting. All charges and assignments are listed in the Hall Council minutes and posted throughout the semester. Bills are generated when you move out and leave campus, generally at the end of each semester.


	Residence Hall Regulations & Policies The complete Guide to Housing & Residence Life is available by clicking here. Free at last, away from the watchful eyes of parents and ready to make your way in the world on your own! Every society or community has a set of regulations for behavior so that its members can live in peaceful co-existence. Residence halls and university campuses are no different. Sometimes students feel that now they have moved away from home, they will not have any rules. If you honestly feel that way, you may want to reconsider living on campus. If you think you can live within the framework we've found successful for our campus, we think you've made a great choice we and look forward to our time together. Our intent is to make your college living experience as pleasant and rewarding as possible. The pages that follow should be used as a reference about the rules and regulations you and your fellow students will be required to abide by when you are living on campus. So please, read on. Residence Hall Regulations Please keep in mind that the following are only some of the University policies for our residence halls and there are many rules that are unique to each building. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with all University and Housing & Residence Life policies. This information is contained in the Residence Life Guide and Student Handbook, which are available from the RD and the Department of Housing and Residence Life in Newbury Hall. Prohibited Items Firearms of any kind, or any item which could be mistaken for a firearm. This includes, but is not limited to water guns and paintball guns. Weapons of any kind, legal or illegal, including but not limited to guns, knives, bows and arrows, martial arts types of equipment, BB guns, pellet guns, paintball guns or air guns. Explosives or fireworks of any kind. Volatile liquids and substances of any kind, including but not limited to fuels, open paints, paint thinner, or turpentine. Gasoline motors, including motorcycles and mopeds. Wicker, paper or other types of flammable wastebaskets . Paper, cloth, and other types of flammable lampshades and covers. You may not have microwaves in rooms on the Midtown campus other than those provided on the Microfridge rental units. Prohibited appliances on the Midtown campus and in Centennial Hall include: George Forman grills electric frying pans hot plates toasters and toaster ovens immersible heating coils and on both campuses: room air conditioners space heaters This list is not intended to be all-inclusive, and additional items may be added to the list as they become identified. The University reserves the right to limit the usage of any appliance on an as-needed basis. Refrigerators larger than 6.0 cubic feet, and no more than one per resident in each room or apartment. Non-UL approved or faulty appliances. Halogen lamps of any kind. Octopus outlet plugs and extension cords. (UL approved circuit breaker power strips are permitted if necessary.) Flammable or non-UL approved decorations, including Christmas decorations. UL-approved decorations are appropriate, but must never be placed outside of the room or in a dangerous position in the room. No decorations may be hung from Pinney Hall balconies. Live (or cut) Christmas trees. Waterbeds. Major weight-lifting and exercise equipment (over 20 lbs.) Uncovered food, soda (or other) cans, excess dirt, litter, and other unsanitary items. Incense or candles of any kind and for any purpose. Illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia. Pets of any kind, with the exception of non-meat-eating fish, which may be kept in containers not to exceed ten (10) gallons in capacity. Objects placed on window ledges or hung from windows. No cigarettes or tobacco of any kind, including but not limited to bidis, clove or other scented cigarettes, chewing tobacco and similar products. Alcohol or other beverage containers stored in rooms or for decorative purposes. You may also not display alcohol packaging and/or advertising. No washers, dryers, and dishwashers are permitted in individual rooms or apartments. No glow-in-the dark stickers or wall decorations, or writing on walls with laundry or other detergents. Nothing (cloth, beads, etc.) may be hung from ceilings. Also, nothing is ever to be hung on doors, overhead pipes, and/or sprinklers or sprinkler heads. Painting, wallpapering, stamping and/or stenciling walls. Prohibited Activities Water bombs, balloons, squirt guns and/ or water fights. Snowball throwing in the immediate vicinity of the residence halls and adjacent parking or lawn areas. Sports playing in the hallways, including but not limited to playing catch, rollerblading, bicycling, running, etc). Removing lounge furnishings or room or apartment furnishings without permission. Removing or damaging any windows or window screens. You may not throw, toss, or otherwise move items through windows. Erecting exterior clotheslines or placing drying racks in hallways. Illegal parking of motor vehicles. Using an exit way for any purpose that will interfere with its use as an exit way. Altering or tampering with heating, electrical, fire, safety, or security systems; including but not limited to misuses of smoke detectors, sprinklers and sprinkler heads, fire alarms, thermostats, or door lock systems. Collecting or assembling flammable materials which constitutes a fire hazard. Using rooms or common areas for activities which could be considered parties. Using rooms as sales rooms or for storage of merchandise, solicitation, or peddling. Solicitation or peddling. Deliveries to individual student rooms. Pointing speakers out of residence hall room windows, or excessively loud stereos, TVs, video games, etc. Wet and dry erase message boards are not permitted on your door (inside or out). They may be mounted on other surfaces. No posting of any materials without approval and stamping by HRL office. Furnishings must be kept 18 (or more) inches from the front of HVAC units in all rooms and apartments. Curtains may be hung only using tension rods. Table games (such as pool, ping pong, foul shot games, pinball, or other games of chance or skill) are prohibited, as are poker or other card games and paraphernalia associated with these games. Entering or exiting rooms or apartments through windows or balconies, unless in the case of an actual fire or life-safety emergency. Any activities which are violations of local, state or federal laws. Other policies and proscribed behaviors are detailed in your Student Handbook, which also details the judicial due process. Alcohol Policy Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons under the legal drinking age is prohibited. Students of legal drinking age may not have alcohol in their room/suite/apartment at any time if any of the students residing in the room/suite/apartment are under the legal drinking age. No alcohol will be visible or consumed while anyone under the legal drinking age is in the room/suite/apartment. It is never permitted to possess an open container of alcohol or to consume alcohol in public areas in or around the residence halls. This includes but is not limited to hallways, practice or study rooms, computer rooms, lounges, bathrooms, and lawns or parking areas adjacent to the residence halls (including parking garages). Common source alcohol containers (such as, but not limited to, kegs, beer balls, punch bowls and wine boxes) are prohibited. Students of legal drinking age may bring alcohol into the residence halls. However, alcohol containers, full or empty, may not be used for decorative purposes. Paraphernalia associated with drinking or alcohol-related games (such as, but not limited to, funnels, beer bongs, and taps) are not permitted in the residence halls. Possession of such implements or containers is a violation of university policy. The storing, displaying, or collecting of empty containers in a room, suite, or apartment is prohibited. Failure to remove or return these containers in a timely way is a violation of the alcohol policy. Every resident is encourage to read the WCSU comprehensive, campus wide Alcohol Policy. Bag Check Policy: Students entering the building with bags (backpacks, bags, or other) may also be asked to show their bags at the information desk so that staff may check for alcohol or other non-permitted substances or materials. The entire policy may be read by clicking the Bag Check Policy. Weapons Policy All members of the Western Connecticut State University community have a responsibility to use due care for their safety and to comply with all Federal, State, and local laws and University regulations. In the interest of the public's safety the University prohibits employees, students, visitors and guests from carrying a firearm (except authorized members of a duly organized law enforcement agency) or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument as defined by Connecticut General Statutes 53-206, anywhere on the property owned or under the control of Western Connecticut State University. Employees or others who have a concern about personal safety are encouraged to contact the Associate Vice President for Public Safety, the University Police Department, or the Human Resource Office. "... any slung shot, air rifle, BB gun, blackjack, sandbag, metal or brass knuckles, or any dirk knife, or any switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which a blade is released from the handle, having a blade over one and one-half inches in length, or stiletto, or any knife the edged portion of the blade of which is four inches or over in length, or any martial arts weapon or electronic defense weapon, as defined in section 53a-3, or any other dangerous or deadly weapon or instrument ...". Smoking & Tobacco All residence halls at WCSU are tobacco and smoke free. There are no areas in any residence hall where smoking or chewing tobacco is permitted. Smoking areas near the residence halls have been identified by your hall councils and IRHA. Benches and receptacles have been placed near these areas. Containers for disposal of smoking materials have been provided, and you are asked to make use of them. University policy dictates that you must be at least 15 feet away from any residence hall while smoking. Guest Policies Guest, by the Board of Trustees policy, are permitted visitation during the hours of desk operation. Guests must present valid (non-expired) photo ID (drivers license, CSU student ID, State-issued non-driver ID, military ID, or passport) at the information desk in order to be admitted to the building. All guests must be 18 years of age. The only exception would be a CSU student that is currently not 18 years of age. (Special written permission is required for underage guests.) The desk staff will then attempt to contact residents by phone or intercom. Residents must come to the desk to sign in their guest, and must escort them everywhere in the building. If you'd like you may sign your guest out, relinquishing any responsibility for them or their actions. Guest who appear to have stayed in your room more than three days will be considered living illegally in your room and will not be permitted to continue to sign into the building. You may also not sign in more than two guests per resident. For more details about guest policies, please refer to your Housing & Residence Life Guide. Quiet Hours Whenever a large group of people share a confined space, noise can become a big issue. At all times, the Residence Halls observe a policy of courtesy hours. This essentially means that you should be aware of the effect that any noise you make has on those who live around you. If you are asked by someone to turn down the volume on your television or to be less noisy, please accommodate him or her. You can and should expect the same treatment from them in return. Commonly, you are considered too loud if you can be heard farther than the door next to your room. Quiet hours are from 11 pm to 8 am, Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight - noon on Friday and Saturday. During finals, 24 hour quiet hours are in effect. You will be removed without warning and immediately from the residence halls if you violate the quiet hours policy during these times, or if you get documented for a possible Code of Conduct violation. Suite and Apartment Policies Apartments and suites require some different regulations than the traditional Midtown residence hall rooms. Here are some policies relating specifically to Pinney, Grasso, and Centennial Halls. Furniture Beginning with the Fall 2011 semester, no furniture (other than a small/medium sized entertainment center) will be permitted to be brought in by students in any apartment building. You are permitted to bring refrigerators or freezers if desired. None of these can be larger than 6.0 cubic feet and there can be no more than one (1) per person, or (1) per person in the apartment. No gaming tables, such as foosball, billiards, ping pong, pinball, or bank shot basketball machines allowed. Decorations Nothing can be hung from the ceilings. Walls Posters, unframed pictures, etc. may be hung with 3M drafting tape, hooks and poster strips only No Molly Bolts or anchor screws. Framed items or other decorations may be hung on dry wall with 3M-type wall hangers (removable, non-damaging) only. These items may not weigh more than 3 pounds. Nothing is to be hung on any doors (mirrors, photos, posters, dart boards, etc.) Nothing is to be hung from overhead pipes/sprinkler heads i.e. air fresheners, holiday lights, posters, etc. Please note: An inventory was done of your room/apartment prior to your arrival. All damages were noted and screened by a Housing staff member. You are responsible for all damages that occur in your room/apartment until you sign out with your Resident Assistant at the end of the semester. Visitation Policy Please see the HRL Guide for regulations on the numbers of people permitted to be in a room at any time. Violation of this policy will lead to documentation of the residents by a Housing and Residence Life member, and could jeopardize sign-in and visitation privileges. Please remember that visitation/sign-in allowances are a privilege, not a right, so please comply with the policy and guidelines. Additional Pinney Hall Policies Please note: Certain violations listed below will lead to immediate separation from Housing, regardless of prior judicial history and the number of times a person has violated policies previous to the violation. Balconies Nothing may be thrown or tossed from your balconies/patios. You and/or your entire apartment may be separated from housing if you are found to have violated this policy. Do not use the balconies as an entry or exit from your apartment, except in the case of a fire or life safety emergency which prevents you from leaving through your apartment door. You may be separated from housing if you are found responsible for violating this policy. Balconies may have: Potted plants not hanging from anything. Two (2) patio chairs (resin, folding, etc). Hammocks, particularly those attached to railings, are prohibited. NO tables other than a small resin table. NO permanent (upholstered, etc) furniture, including university-provided desk or dining room chairs.. NO laundry lines or drying rack hanging from or placed on the balconies. NO decorations of any kind (including banners, holiday lights, etc). (Holiday lights may be hung around the interior of the sliding door, but may not be on any exterior surface. NO grills of any kind (charcoal, propane, hibachi, etc). NO stereo speakers aimed out balconies or windows. NO garbage, boxes, or plastic/paper bags are to be left on the balcony. Smoking is prohibited on all balconies/patios. Visitation Policy No more than two guests per resident, (this includes other Pinney residents who do not live in your apartment), for a maximum of 15 people in any apartment at any one time. Garbage Disposal in Sink Please do not use this disposal for inappropriate use such as fish tank stones, etc. Any misuse of this disposal will result in damage to University property and restitution. Storage Residence halls are designed mainly for living and programming spaces. There is extremely limited storage available, and it is confined to Housing and Residence Life storage only. There is no space available outside your room to store any of your belongings. You may also not move any university furniture from your rooms (beds, dressers, desks, chairs). Please plan accordingly and utilize your space well. Do not move your furniture out of your room and leave it in the hallways. Please do not ask a custodian or maintainer to remove furniture for you. Satisfactory Academic Progress In order to maintain eligibility to live in the residence halls, WestConn's Housing & Residence Life department monitors your GPA (which must remain at 2.0 or higher), and your satisfactory academic progress (SAP), meaning you must complete 24 credits per academic year. Throughout the course of the year, your Academic Resource Mentor (ARM) will be in contact with you regarding your GPA/SAP status. If it appears that you are in danger of not meeting either your credit limit and/or the necessary GPA, your ARM/RD will work with you to make an action plan so that you can meet these requirements. Part of this plan will probably include meeting with your building's ARM or your RA. If you believe you may not be able to meet these requirements, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to see your RD and make a plan immediately. More information is available in the HRL Residence Life Guide. Damages You are responsible for any and all damages that occur in your residence hall room. You are responsible for damages that occur in public areas of the building. Public Area Damages (PAD) are reported to the building's RD when they are discovered. These can be physical damages, such as broken doors or windows, or may be things such as excessive cleaning (urination in a stairwell). Public Area Damages cannot be appealed. When damage occurs, an amount (determined by the Department of Housing & Residence Life and facilities Management) is applied to the damage. It is billed to the responsible person when that person can be identified. Often, though, no one can be identified, and the charge is shared by the general community. It is important if you know who is responsible that you bring that information forward to the Hall Council officers, or an RA/RD, so that it can be discussed at your Hall Council meeting. All charges and assignments are listed in the Hall Council minutes and posted throughout the semester. Bills are generated when you move out and leave campus, generally at the end of each semester.