Residence Hall Policies and Procedures

Vaughn College’s residence hall strives to provide a living environment that is comfortable and conducive to building positive community, study and intellectual achievement. To be a resident who contributes to this community, you must recognize and respect the rights of your neighbors and act with civility, courteousness, and responsibility. As in every community, policies and procedures are necessary to protect the rights of individuals and provide the welfare of the community at large. As a member of this community, you agree to abide by and support the Vaughn Residence Hall’s standards and our policies and procedures 

ALCOHOL

  • The use, sale, transfer or possession of alcoholic beverages in the residence hall or on College premises is prohibited, regardless of age. 
  • No alcoholic beverage containers (e.g., bottles, cans, flasks, etc.) will be allowed in residence hall rooms or on the College premises regardless of age. This applies to empty decorative containers and collections as well. 

ASSAULT 

  • Assault is a violation of Vaughn College policy as well as a violation of the law. Examples of assault include, but are not limited to, the following:
    • Acting with intent to injure or harm another person o Using physical force to coerce or to retaliate for a real or imagined offense
    • Threatening to inflict injury upon another person
    • Using any object as a weapon with the intent to injure or harm o Sexual abuse of any member of the community

BICYCLES AND MOTORIZED VEHICLES 

  • Residents must agree to keep their bicycle parked/stored outside the residence hall only in areas that are designated or in a bike rack. 

CANDLES AND INCENSE 

  • Incense, potpourri burners and candles, burned or unburned, are prohibited from the residence hall. The chance and number of fires that have occurred in college housing around the country dictate this mandate. 

CARE OF FACILITIES 

  • Residents are directly and financially responsible for keeping their room and its furnishings, as well as hallways and other common areas, clean and free from damage and to cooperate with roommates in the common protection of health, safety, and property. 
  • Residents are financially responsible for damages or losses that occur to the property of other students or the College which are caused by their actions, carelessness or negligence.
  • All residents are responsible for cleaning the common kitchen after every use including: washing dishes, wiping down sink, counter, stove, microwave, oven and dishwasher. Failure to clean the items you utilize within five hours of usage may result in a disciplinary fine. 

CHILDREN IN THE RESIDENCE HALL

  • Under no circumstances may dependent children or spouses live in the residence hall. In the event of pregnancy, a student should contact the office of student affairs immediately for prenatal referral. Due to health concerns, a pregnant student must make off-campus housing arrangements prior to the third trimester. 
  • Children under the age of 16 may only enter the residence hall if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and are not allowed to stay overnight in the hall (unless approved by the office of student affairs as part of a campus-wide event). Babysitting in the hall is prohibited. 

CIVILITY 

  • Residents will maintain integrity in all their relationships and will respect the dignity and value the worth of all persons. At no time will a resident physically, psychologically or sexually abuse any member of the community, nor participate in or condone any form of bigotry, harassment, intimidation or threat, whether verbal, written, physical, psychological, direct or implied. This standard applies equally to all residents and staff of the hall, guests, visitors and other members of the College community. 

COMPLIANCE

  • Residents and their guests may not interfere or be uncooperative with residence hall staff or other College officials in the performance of their duties and/or disregard a reasonable request of any residence hall staff member. 
  • Failure to honor the decision of a disciplinary body or board is also considered a violation of this policy. Fines may be imposed if you do not complete community service hours or other conduct sanctions imposed. 
  • Refusal to identify oneself, falsely identifying oneself, or failure to comply with a proper order when requested by an authorized residence hall official is not permitted. 

CONDUCT PROCEEDINGS 

  • If a resident has knowledge of and/or is witness to a violation of the housing contract or community standards, he/she may be asked to appear at student conduct proceedings. 
  • As a member of the community, residents have an obligation to help uphold community standards and participate in student conduct proceedings, where they will provide truthful and complete information, when they have information relevant to a violation. 
  • Residents may complete an Incident Report at any time they are aware of a violation of community standards or the housing contract. 

CONDUCT SANCTIONS

  • Residents must complete sanctions as directed for violations of community standards or the housing contract for which they are held responsible. Failing to complete conduct sanctions as assigned may result in further disciplinary action and/or loss of on-campus living privileges. Vaughn reserves the right to levy and collect disciplinary fines or charges for violations of community standards and other established conduct regulations. 

CONFIDENTIALITY 

  • Although staff members may form bonds with student’s residing in the hall, any information presented to a staff member relating to the violation of college policy and/or the threat/harm to oneself or a member of the College community must be reported to a supervisor. 

CONFISCATION 

  • Student affairs staff reserves the right to confiscate and /or discard any item(s) that are not permitted in the residence hall. Any item being misused and /or involved in a violation of College and /or Residence Hall policies will be confiscated. A resident may be required to ship any confiscated items home at his/her expense. 

COURTESY HOURS 

  • All times not designated as quiet hours shall be considered courtesy hours. Behavioral expectations for courtesy hours are not as meticulously defined as those for quiet hours. However, during courtesy hours, residents engaging in normal day-to-day behavior are still expected to act in a manner which demonstrates respect for the rights of others to study and sleep in their rooms. 

DAMAGES 

  • The resident will be responsible for any damages that occur in their place of residence. It is up to the residents to indicate to the hall staff who is responsible for the damage(s), prior to their leaving the Residence Hall at the end of the housing contract. All damages will be divided equally between all residents of the room/suite if the perpetrator is not known. All common damages will be divided equally between all residents of the suite, floor or building, if the perpetrator cannot be identified. Each resident will have 10 days to appeal the damage charges. This appeal must be done in writing to the student affairs office. 

DISHONESTY 

  • Presentation of false information to residential hall staff or other College employees in the performance of their duties, including at student conduct meetings, is prohibited. 

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Infractions of this rule include, but are not limited to: 

  • Deliberately resisting or refusing to obey identified College officials, including resident assistants (RAs). 
  • Failure to properly identify yourself when asked by a College official, including RAs. 
  • Behaving in a publicly lewd or indecent manner in the residence hall areas. • Misusing mechanical or audio devices in order to disturb the peace of the residence hall areas. Directing speakers or other audio devices toward the outside of the building is a violation of this rule.
  • Shouting out of residence hall windows. 
  • Throwing objects from hall windows. 
  • Using windows as exits and/or entrances. 
  • Violations of community living standards or floor agreements. 
  • Damaging fire sprinkler heads. 
  • Propping open or disabling exterior doors or alarms. 
  • Removing window restraining devices. 
  • Providing false information. 

DRUGS 

  • Residents will not possess, use, sell, share or otherwise distribute illegal drugs or controlled substances. Furthermore residence will not misuse prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs. At no time will a resident, by action or inaction, actively or passively condone the use, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs or controlled substance by others. This standard applies to drugs, controlled substances and/or related paraphernalia, (including cigarette wrapping paper) in or around the residence hall community. 

DRUG PARAPHERNALIA 

  • All equipment of any kind used, intended for use, or designed for use in planting, propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing, testing, analyzing, packaging, repackaging, storing, containing, concealing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance is prohibited. 

ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES 

  • Due to fire, damage, electrical considerations and accident potential, the following items are not permitted in the Residence Hall: microwaves; any items that can be classified as a hot plate, electric frying pan or oven, toaster, etc.; sun lamps; electric blankets; air conditioners; space heaters; waterbeds; halogen lamps; Christmas lights/ornamental lights; grill type units (i.e., George Forman grills); extension cords without fused strips; live Christmas trees; etc. Any item that would be deemed dangerous to the health, safety or welfare of the student’s, as determined by the student affairs staff, is also not permitted. It is prudent of the student to ask the Student Affairs staff in advance. 

ELEVATORS 

  • Residents will use elevators only for the intended purpose of traveling from one floor to another and will neither misuse them nor tamper with their proper operation. 

EXTENSION CORDS 

  • For the safety and security of all residents and to comply with safety codes, only extension cords with fused strips (power strips or surge protectors) may be used. 

FIGHTING 

  • Vaughn College prohibits fighting both on and off campus. 
  • On the basis of the first report, students who are found to have been involved in fights may be placed on probation or suspended for a minimum of one semester. The specific course of action chosen will be determined by the crudity of the language used, the seriousness of the threats, the level of violence, and the extent of injuries. Subsequent involvement in any fight may result in suspension of the students involved. 

FIRE SAFETY 

  • All residents are required to leave the building when the fire alarm sounds. Attempted deactivation of a room smoke alarm may result in activation of the building’s fire alarm system and will result in judicial action. 
  • Activating false alarms, improper use of firefighting equipment, or refusal to leave the building during an alarm are very serious breaches of safety regulations. Any student who so jeopardizes the safety of the community shall be liable to judicial action and may be reported to local police. 
  • Residents will practice effective fire safety at all times by exercising prudent judgment and following fire safety guidelines established or revised for the residence hall. 
  • Residents will use fire alarms, fire extinguishers, fire exits, fire sprinklers and related equipment only for their fire fighting purposes. 
  • Residents will not hang or suspend anything on a fire extinguisher or sprinkler outlet and understand that they will be responsible for any damage caused thereby. 
  • Any violations of policies which result in the activation of fire alarms, sprinkler systems and/or fire safety equipment constitutes a false alarm and is considered to be a serious violation which could result in a fine, possible expulsion from the Residence Hall system and the matter will be reported to the local police. 

EVACUATION PROCEDURE FOR FIRE

  1. Feel the closed door of your room. If it feels hot, the hallway is filled with smoke. Do not open the door. Go to your window and wait for rescue. If the door is cool, close your window before slowly opening the door. 2. Do not stop to dress. Take a pair of shoes and an overcoat or blanket. Upon leaving the room leave the lights on and the door closed. Take your keys with you. Knock on the door on each side of your room and be sure your neighbors are awake before you evacuate. 3. If you cannot leave the room: a. Open the window if there is smoke. If there is no smoke, leave the window closed to prevent outside smoke from being drawn into the room. b. Seal cracks around the door with towels (a damp one, if possible). c. Attract attention by hanging an object from the window—the brighter the color the better. If outside smoke is drawn in, close the window, leaving the object hanging. 4. If smoke is severe, place a wet cloth over your nose and remember—the floor is usually clear of smoke. 5. When evacuating: a. Walk at a brisk pace, but do not run. b. Follow the posted corridor instructions to the proper exit route and assembly point. c. Move in single file along the wall where the exit is located. d. Use only marked exits. e. Never use an elevator when fire is suspected. f. Remain absolutely silent to enable those in charge to give directions. g. While waiting to re-enter into the building, remain 100 feet away from the building to enable appropriate staff needed access. Do not attempt to re-enter the building until you are informed by student affairs staff that it is safe to do so. 

FIRE DRILLS AND FALSE ALARMS 

As required by law, there will be two unannounced fire drills each semester. All residents are required to leave the building when the fire alarm sounds. 

FURNITURE 

  • Residents will use hall furniture only for its intended purpose. 
  • Residents will not remove or relocate furniture from student rooms, lounges or other hall areas. 
  • Residents will not take apart furniture in student rooms or the common areas. 
  • Waterbeds and modifications of intended use of room furnishings are not allowed. 

GUESTS AND VISITATION 

  • Visitation is a privilege in the residence hall. Residents need to understand and agree that the right to study, to sleep, and to privacy take precedence over visitation privileges and will at all times be considerate of these rights. 
  • Guests will be escorted, by the individual who signed them in at security, whenever they are visiting a student in the residence hall. Residents must escort their guests at all times including back to the lobby when signing a guest out of the building. 
  • Residents are responsible and accountable for the behavior of their guests. It is their responsibility to inform their guests of residence hall policies, community standards and other college policies and that their guests are expected to abide by these policies and standards. 
  • Residents may have a maximum of two guests at any given time. 
  • Residents cannot sign in a guest for another residential student. The guest that is being signed into the Residence Hall must be that individual’s guest and be accompanied by this student at all times while in the residence hall. 
  • A resident, their roommate (and suite mates) must be notified in advance about having guests and to the duration of their visit in the residence. • Overnight guest privileges are limited to no more than three consecutive nights per month per guest. 
  • Overnight guest hours are from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day. Any guest signed-in during these time periods will be considered an overnight guest. 
  • No overnight guest can be checked-in by residents to stay in the hall for more than six nights per month. 
  • Guests may not stay overnight in common areas of the residence hall. 
  • Children under the age of 16 are not allowed to stay overnight in the residence hall (unless approved by the office of student affairs as part of a campus-wide event). 

HALL SPORTS AND GAMES 

  • Residents will not participate in any kind of sport, horseplay or physically active games inside the residence hall, including but not limited to hockey, golf, roller blading, frisbee, bowling and water fights. 

HALOGEN LAMPS 

  • For fire and safety reasons, halogen lamps are not permitted in the hall. Any halogen lamps found in a residence hall room will be confiscated and will be considered a policy violation. 

HARASSMENT 

  • Harassing behavior may take a variety of forms including, but not limited to, the following:
    • Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory comments, slurs or unwelcome sexual advances, invitations or comments;
    • Visual conduct such as derogatory posters, photography, cartoons, drawings or gestures;
    • Physical conduct such as unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or interfering with work;
    • Threats and demands, such as those which seek submission to sexual requests, in order to retain employment or education benefits and/or offers of job or education benefits or conditions in return for sexual favors;
    • Retaliation, in the form of adverse actions for participating in a good faith investigation proceedings or hearings related to this policy;
    • Harassing behavior includes conduct directed towards persons of the same or opposite sex;
    • Attempting to coerce, intimidate or force another student out of his/her assigned room is strictly prohibited;
    • Telephone harassment is considered repeated unwanted verbal telephone communication;
    • Sending obscene/profane audio, visual, written or electronic communications.

HAZING 

  • Individuals or members of registered student organizations are expressly prohibited from engaging in hazing. “Hazing” is defined as committing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to commit any act of initiation individually or with any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person. Groups and organizations, as well as individuals, can be held responsible for any act of hazing. Any penalty imposed by the College shall be in addition to any penalty pursuant to the penal law or any other law to which a violator or organization may be subject. 

HOLIDAY DECORATIONS 

  • For fire and safety reasons, all holiday decorations must not hang from or touch any light fixtures or fire safety equipment. Live holiday trees are not permitted and all decorations shall not block any doorways or windows. 

ILLEGAL OCCUPANCY 

  • If a new or non-resident student occupies a room without the consent of student affairs, the student will be fined and made to pay a prorated housing charge. The student may also be required to vacate and is subject to disciplinary action. Unregistered non-student occupants are subject to arrest and the occupants of the room are subject to a fine plus a prorated housing charge. 

INTERNET USE 

  • A resident is responsible for all activity originating from their internet connection. Residents must take reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorized use by others of this connection, and his/her accounts, programs or data. 
  • Residence hall connections are provided for individual use only. Residents may not create accounts on his/her computing system that provide campus network access for anyone else. 
  • Residence hall connections are for college-related activities only. Residents may not conduct a commercial business via the hall connection. 
  • Residents may not participate in illegal activities such as software piracy — either the distribution of copyrighted software or illegal attainment of software or other copyrighted materials — from the residence hall connection. • In order to ensure that the internet is being used for purposes consistent with the educational mission and operation of the College, students are required to sign and abide by the rules of the Vaughn College computer usage agreement.
  •  The second floor residence hall study lounge is for use by all residents – please show common courtesy. The study lounge computers are for educational purposes. A resident utilizing the computer for personal usage must vacate the computer when a resident requires access for educational purposes. 

JOINT RESPONSIBILITY 

  • A resident is responsible for the actions of people in their room, regardless of whether or not the resident is present in their room. Additionally, if a resident is present in their own or any other hall room or area where college policies are being violated they are subject to the same disciplinary action as the resident of that room. 

KEYS 

  • Residents are responsible for keys/access cards that are issued to them for their proper use. They will not lend or otherwise permit others to use their keys or their Vaughn ID at anytime. A resident must immediately report lost or damaged keys/access cards to the student affairs staff. 

LAUNDRY FACILITIES 

  • The College is not responsible for laundry that is lost, damaged, or stolen. Laundry left in the laundry rooms may be disposed of. The college recommends that students stay with their laundry while it is in the laundry room. Laundry facilities are for residents’ use only. 

LAW VIOLATIONS 

  • Violations of local, state or federal laws on college property or off campus where such violations of the law adversely affect the mission of the college or the health, safety or welfare of the individual members of the College community will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary actions. 

LEWD BEHAVIOR 

  • Residents will not intentionally expose intimate parts of their body in a public place, or in private premises under circumstances in which they may readily be observed. This includes urinating or defecating in places other than appropriately designated areas. 

LOFTS 

  • Lofts or other structures that require assembly inside the room are not permitted in the hall. Residents may not stack their beds on cinder blocks or other furniture. 

LOSS OF PERSONAL PROPERTY 

  • Vaughn assumes no responsibility for the loss of or damage to personal property in the residence hall. The College will not compensate for loss of personal property in the residence hall. Damage to personal property in the residence hall should be covered by a renter’s insurance policy and is not compensated by the College. 
  • Vaughn urges residents to lock their doors for protection of persons and property. Residents are advised not to keep valuable property or large sums of money in their rooms. In addition, residents are strongly encouraged to obtain insurance to cover personal belongings and valuables. Items remaining in a student’s room after the move out day and/or after the student completes checkout, will become College property and/or be disposed of. 

MICROWAVES 

  • Microwave ovens are available for residents’ use in the kitchen area of the building. Microwaves are not allowed in individual student rooms. The residence hall is not equipped with the electrical service to allow residents to have microwave ovens in their rooms. 
  • Vaughn has made arrangements with a vendor to provide both refrigerator and refrigerator/microwave rental units at competitive prices. Although students can purchase refrigerator/freezer units of five cubic feet or less for use in residential rooms, for safety reasons, only those refrigerator/freezer/microwave multi-units rented through a College-sanctioned vendor are permitted in the residence hall. 

NOISE 

  • Residents will not make or cause noise that intrudes on the privacy and the needs of others to sleep and study. Noise, which is disruptive to other residents, is prohibited, both inside and outside of the hall, and courtesy and consideration for others is expected at all times. 
  • Residents need to be particularly sensitive to this issue during established “quiet hours” and understand that these hours extend Sunday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Weekend quiet hours are considered to be in effect when the following day is a College holiday. 
  • 24-hour quiet hours go into effect during final exam periods. Violations of quiet hours during final exams may result in the assessment of a fine against the resident. 
  • Excessive noise at any hour is unacceptable and at no time should amplified sound or yelling be directed out of or toward residents’ windows. Reasonable quiet in areas near the residence hall must be maintained, and noise may be deemed disruptive if it can be heard through a closed door or window. 
  • Residents need to respond positively and courteously to requests to reduce noise and to respectfully approach others with requests for noise reduction. 

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY 

  • Residents will take responsibility and be accountable for their behavior and for the choices they make as a member of the residence hall community. Residents will not engage in behaviors that could endanger others or themselves in the community. 

PETS 

  • Pets are a problem in College housing because of sanitation, pest control, allergies, noise and destruction of property. Pets including but not limited to animals and reptiles are prohibited. Only fish in small aquariums are allowed (10 gallon maximum). 

POSTING 

  • All postings of signs within the residential hall must be authorized by the Student Affairs staff. Signage that does not have a student affairs staff approval is to be removed immediately. If postings are of an offensive or derogatory nature or attack individuals, they should be brought to the Resident Advisor office and will be reported to the proper authorities. The following guidelines have been established to ensure that flyers are posted in a consistent manner in the residence hall:
    • For safety reasons, flyers are not permitted on glass doors, elevators, exit doors or windows.
    • All flyers pertaining to the particular Residence Hall must be hung by the building staff.
    • All flyers shall be removed no later than 30 days after posting or not later than 24 hours after the event to which it relates has ended, whichever is earlier.
    • No flyer will advertise or imply improper use of alcohol or drugs, or other inappropriate or illegal activities.
    • The student affairs staff reserve final judgment on objectionable flyers, advertisements and decorations.

PRANKS 

  • Though it is not uncommon for the student community to engage in humorous pranks, all individuals and groups are expected to ensure that such activities never exceed the bounds of good humor and respect for others. Such activities must never infringe on a student’s rights, inflict physical or psychological pain or cause personal humiliation or damage to college or personal property. Any action that gives rise to such consequences will be subject to disciplinary action and possible prosecution under New York state law. 

PROHIBITED ITEMS 

  • Residents will refrain from using or possessing candles, dartboards, incense, halogen lamps, kerosene lamps, open-coil heaters, waterbeds, hookahs, extension cords, electric blankets, cooking appliances, firearms or weapons, electric grills, pets, microwaves, toasters, air conditioner units, hot plates and satellite dishes. 

PROPPING DOORS 

  • The propping open of any residence hall door is prohibited (i.e., entry, fire doors, etc.). 

RESPECT FOR PROPERTY AND ENVIRONMENT 

  • Residents will respect their personal property, as well as property belonging to other members of the community and the college. Residents will do no damage to property and will not condone damages committed by others. 
  • Residents will promote a clean and safe environment in the hall, including their room/suite, bathroom and common areas. Residents may be billed individually or collectively for any property damages or for excessive cleaning necessary as a result of individual resident or group behavior.

ROOFS

  • Only authorized College personnel may have access to or be on the roof of the hall. 

ROOM REFRIGERATORS 

  • Residents may have a refrigerator in their room, but it may not exceed five cubic feet. 

ROOMMATE AND SUITEMATE AGREEMENTS 

  • Residents must complete the roommate agreement with their roommate(s) (and suitemates) when moving in together or when changing rooms. 

ROOM/SUITE INSPECTION 

  • Periodically, the student affairs staff or Maintenance staff will be entering rooms/suites to do inspections for damages or fire rounds. Advance warning will be given when possible by maintenance. Fire rounds will be unannounced in order to protect the integrity of the inspections. Other times will be during breaks to check on windows, appliances and heat. Housing inspections for damages generally occur at the end of each semester and the beginning of mid-semester breaks, but can occur at any time if there is just cause. student affairs reserves the right to enter a room at all times. 

ROOM CHANGES 

  • Requests for room changes will be accepted beginning two weeks after the start of classes. All approved changes are to be completed within 48 hours of approval from the assistant director of residence life. 
  • Room changes may be made as often as requested during scheduled room change periods provided space is available. Only in unusual circumstances will requests received outside of the scheduled period be approved by the assistant director of residence life or his/her designee. 
  • Improper room changes may result in a monetary fine and the individual(s) involved may be required to move back to the regularly assigned room(s). 

ROOM DECORATIONS 

  • Each resident is responsible for the condition of his or her room and for the care of College furnishings. The following things are prohibited: Any adhesive other than masking tape, particularly duct tape; nails, tacks, etc.; wall murals; chalk; hooks or holes for hanging objects; beer cans; alcohol bottles; traffic signs, public signs, traffic horses, realty signs, political signs etc.; Christmas/ornamental lights; The use of beer cases containers to decorate walls; etc. Fines, repairs and sanctions will be imposed against violators. 

ROOM OCCUPANCY 

  • After entering students are officially admitted to the College, have signed the residence hall contract, and paid the required housing deposit fee, they are assigned a room as space permits. Assignment is determined by the date of application, within the priority groups. Whenever possible, written requests for a specific roommate(s) will be honored, but the College reserves the right to make whatever room assignments are considered in the best interest of the institution and student body. Students may not move into any room other than the one assigned.
  • If a resident fails to occupy his or her assigned space on or before the first day of classes, the assignment may be canceled if proper notice of late arrival is not given to student affairs. However, a resident who enrolls but fails to occupy his or her assigned space will be required to pay full housing fees. Residents who withdraw from the College at the end of or during the fall semester or spring semester, must officially check out with a student affairs staff member. Residents may request and pay extra for a single room if space is available. This includes rooms designed for double occupancy. ROOM 

PAINTING 

  • Residents are prohibited from painting their rooms. However, if a resident feels that their room is in serious need of painting, they should contact the student affairs staff to arrange for their room to be painted. 

ROOM VACATING 

  • When residents vacate their space, they must officially check out with the appropriate student affairs staff member according to published procedures. Failure to do so may result in additional charges. At the end of each semester, residents must vacate their room within 24 hours of their last exam. Students removed from the residence hall for disciplinary reasons will not be entitled to a refund from their housing contract. 

SAFETY AND SECURITY 

  • Residents must actively promote and support safety and security within the residence hall community at all times. As such, they will not prop open or otherwise disable the latching/locking mechanism of any door to the building and will unprop any door that they find propped open or otherwise unsecured. • Residents will not permit access to the residence hall by non-residents who are not their personal guests and will not condone others doing so. 
  • Residents will not enter or exit their room or any residence hall room through a window, except in the event of fire or other similar emergency situation. 

SMOKING 

  • The entire Residence Hall is non-smoking. This includes cigarettes, cigars, aromatic cigarettes, herbal cigars and burning incense. Students may smoke outside in designated areas away from the Residence Hall access doors. 

SOLICITATION 

  • Commercial solicitation and canvassing are not permitted in the Residence Hall. Any unauthorized solicitation activity needs to be reported to a student affairs staff member or to security. 
  • Residents are prohibited from operating a business from their rooms or over the internet. 

SOUND EQUIPMENT 

  • The use of sound equipment such as stereos, radios, televisions, tape decks, etc., must not infringe upon the rights of others. We strongly encourage the use of headphones. The use of sound equipment in which the volume exceeds acceptable levels can result in disciplinary action. The student may be required to remove the equipment from the residence hall. 

STORAGE 

  • Storage space is limited to the space available in student rooms. The storage of personal belongings in student rooms or any other area in the residence hall over the summer months is not permitted. 

THEFT 

  • Theft of college or personal property and services in the residence hall (including unauthorized borrowing or possession of stolen property) will be subject to discipline proceedings, referral to the judicial process, and/or criminal prosecution. Any thefts need to be reported to a student affairs member or to security. The college is not responsible for individual student belongings and strongly encourages residents to insure their own property. It is the resident’s responsibility to keep their room door locked whenever they are away from their room or sleeping. 

UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS 

  • Residents may not enter restricted access areas unless specifically authorized to do so by student affairs staff. Restricted areas may include but are not limited to the security front desk, roof of the residence hall, outside gated hangar area, or machine/storage rooms. 
  • Forced or unauthorized entry into any residence hall or resident’s room is prohibited. 

VANDALISM 

  • The abuse or destruction of college or individually owned/rented property constitutes vandalism. Disciplinary sanctions may include separation or suspension from the college and/or cancellation of the student’s residence hall contract. 

VERBAL ASSAULT

  • To threaten to kill or to inflict injury upon another person is a breach of Vaughn College policy, whether the ability to carry out the threat is apparent and present or not. Racial slurs and the use of disparaging or derogatory epithets motivated by racism or anger is ugly, against the law, and a violation of Vaughn College policy. Such violations are considered as serious as any physical assault and may result in probation, suspension, or dismissal. 

WALLS 

  • Residents should keep their walls in as good a condition as possible. Nails, adhesive tape, glue, screws and tacks should not be used in hall . Also any tape, stickers or other adhesives that are placed on the walls must be fully removed prior to checking out. Residents will be charged for any nail holes or other marks that were not noted on their initial room condition report. 

WEAPONS 

  • Residents may not bring any type of weapon into the residence hall. The term “weapon” includes but is not limited to firearms (or C02 cartridge guns, stun guns, pellet guns, bows-and-arrows and sling shots); dangerous chemicals; any explosives or explosive device including fireworks; ammunition; nunchucks; brass knuckles; hunting knives; and other materials that can be used in the endangerment of others. In unclear cases of definition, the context in which a particular object was used will determine whether it is indeed a weapon. 

WINDOWS 

  • Residents will not remove and/or damage the windows or window restraining devices in their residence hall. Additionally, residents will refrain from leaning out windows, and from dropping, suspending, throwing or shooting anything from or through them. 

WIRING 

  • Exterior wiring, satellite equipment and/or antennas are not permitted in order to maintain the exterior physical condition of the residence hall, as well as for safety reasons.