Housing Policies

Appliances

Hot plates, hot pots and space heaters are not permitted due to their open coils and are fire hazards if left on unattended. Refrigerators and microwaves are permitted if UL-approved and in good working condition. Refrigerators should be sized appropriate for the residence halls. Residents should use power strips equipped with circuit breakers, rather than extension cords or “octopus” plugs. Extension cords are not allowed by order of the Los Angeles Fire Department. See further residence hall furnishing regulations and suggestions at hmc.edu/student-life/orientation-2014/dorm-faqs/.

Break Periods and Campus Closures

1. Breaks
   The residence halls remain open for all breaks and holidays during the academic year except for winter break. There are limited dining options available on the 5-C campuses during fall break, Thanksgiving break and spring break, and students are encouraged to prepare accordingly if they remain on campus during these times.
2. Campus Closures
   For the fall semester, residence halls close at 8 a.m. the day after December final examinations end. For the spring semester, residence halls re-open mid-January and close at 8 a.m. the day after Commencement. Refer to the HMC Academic Calendar for exact dates.
   
   Students are expected to check out of their rooms with a proctor or mentor before they leave campus each semester. Only students who are approved by DSA (authorized intercollegiate athletes, approved off-campus winter housing petitioners, residence life staff) may reside on campus outside of the official closure dates.

Chalking

No chalk or other penetrating substance is allowed on interior surfaces, nor shall any chalk or other penetrating substance remain on any exterior walls after the end of each semester. Should this occur, the College will charge the resident or dorm the cost of returning the area to its original, unblemished state.

Damages and Fines

All students are responsible for maintaining their room and its furniture in good condition. Damages to the room or furniture will result in students being billed for the damages by the Office of Facilities and Maintenance (F&M). If a student does not feel that they are responsible for paying this charge, or the damage has not been repaired by the beginning of the following academic year, then the student should send an email to damage@hmc.edu. In the event that a mutually suitable agreement cannot be made between the student and F&M, the student may appeal the room charge to the DB chair. The DB chair will hear the appeal and will issue a recommendation to F&M. F&M will take the DB chair’s recommendation into account and may either reverse the charge or let it stand. If the reversed charge also applies to the student’s roommates or suitemate, then the charge will be reversed on their accounts as well. The DB chair will notify the person who made the appeal of the outcome of the appeal. Students may not appeal charges of less than $100. A charge to the residence hall of $100 or more may be appealed to the DB chair by only the dorm president.

Excessive Cleaning Policy

Students are expected to clean up after their use of public residence hall areas so that everyone may enjoy the use of the space. Building attendants are employed to conduct normal cleaning and maintenance of the buildings. Sometimes, though, areas require extra cleaning that is beyond what is considered normal. Excessive cleanup will be considered, but not limited to: vomit and/or other bodily fluids; large quantities of beverage and food debris; floors covered in sticky residue; broken furniture; and other damage. Cleaning kits that include brooms, cleaning solution and other cleaning equipment are available for checkout from F&M. F&M shall, upon observation of an area in need of excessive cleanup, adhere to the following guidelines:

• College staff observe an area in need of excessive cleanup upon arrival at approximately 8:00 a.m. and notify the main F&M office by 9:00 a.m.

• F&M sends a message to the residence hall email list before 10:00 a.m. informing them that a cleanup must occur.

• The residence hall has until 1:15 p.m. the same day to accept or deny responsibility.

• They may only deny responsibility if no one in the residence hall claims responsibility.

• If the residence hall accepts responsibility, it is the duty of the residence hall to clean the area before the next business day. Otherwise, residence hall attendants will be asked to stay overtime to perform the necessary cleaning. Overtime charges and any necessary supplies will be charged to the residence hall.

• If they deny responsibility, dorm presidents must inform F&M of the people involved (if known).

• F&M informs the people involved of the necessary cleaning. Cleaning must occur before the next business day.

• F&M will photograph and maintain a log of the affected areas.

Suite lounges in Atwood, Drinkward, Linde, South and Sontag will not be considered public areas for the purpose of this policy. However, F&M will try to warn residents of a suite lounge problem that could incur additional costs at the end of the year if not cleaned promptly.

F&M must immediately clean up safety hazards. Examples include, but are not limited to: broken glass and other sharp objects; areas that are slippery or impede entrance and exit paths; and biohazards such as blood, vomit or rotting food. In addition, areas that will adversely affect visitors during a public campus event will be immediately cleaned. For both safety hazards and public events, the determination will be left to F&M and the cost of the cleaning will go to the residence hall. Cleaning that requires specialized equipment (e.g., equipment needed to clean sticky floors) will be done for no charge by F&M, provided dorm residents clean all other aspects of the area.

F&M will have seven days from the date the cleanup occurred to inform the dorm presidents of the circumstances of the cleanup—including its cost and photographs of the area—or will lose the capacity to bill for the cleanup. The residence hall presidents shall, upon receiving the email from F&M, attempt to determine the responsible person(s) and shall report their findings to F&M via facilities@hmc.edu within two weeks. Students responsible for the mess may self-report to F&M. The students will be charged no more than the cleanup cost. If no responsible person is determined, the charges will be distributed equally among the residence hall residents. Disputes regarding charges must be presented in writing/email to facilities@hmc.edu prior to the two-week reporting deadline. F&M staff will respond to the dispute in writing/email within three business days. If further resolution is necessary, a written/email request must be submitted to the DB chair within one week of the final outcome of the original dispute. The DB chair, facilities and maintenance representative and student affairs representative will review the dispute request and their determination will be final.

Gender-Inclusive Housing

Students may live together in a double, triple or quad room regardless of gender identity, gender expression or biological sex. Students may select a room together in the spring room draw process. Students can also request a room change that creates a gender-inclusive room or suite, as long as all students who live in the room/suite are agreeable. Gender-inclusive rooms/suites will generally not be assigned to incoming students, but can be requested. East, North, West and Drinkward residence halls have gender-inclusive common bathrooms.

Glass

Intentionally breaking glass in a residence hall courtyard or other area on campus is a safety hazard. Students who break glass must self-report or be reported to the DB chair.

Guests

Guests are non-HMC students or non-enrolled HMC students. Residents may host a guest for a maximum of two nights in a seven day period. First, the host must gain approval in advance for their guest’s visit from their roommate and/or suitemates. The host should also complete the Guest Application Form on StarRez and notify their proctor of the identity of the guest and the duration of the visit, in case of an emergency. Hosts are responsible and accountable for their guests’ behavior while on campus. HMC residents may not host other HMC students as guests during “early arrival” times prior to the beginning of semesters. All guests are expected to abide by all policies and the provisions of the Harvey Mudd College Student Handbook. If a guest violates College policies or disturbs residents, guest privileges may be revoked. Guests are not allowed to sleep in lounges or other common areas. If any student or their guests occupies a room without authorization, they will be asked to self report. Guests 17 or under are not allowed, unless they are participating in a college sponsored event/program (i.e. Admissions, CMS athletes).

Housing Contract

Every student residing in College housing must sign a Housing Contract each year. This contract will be emailed to each student and must be completed before the student occupies their room.

Keys, Card Readers and ID Cards

1. Keys
   F&M issues each resident a key to their room at the beginning of the year. Residents of rooms that open directly to the exterior of the residence halls and are not equipped with card swipes (North, West, Atwood effiencies and column doubles, and Linde and Sontag suites) are required to return keys to F&M at the beginning of winter break. Campus offices and academic areas are completely closed to students living on campus during winter break (except authorized intercollegiate athletes, approved off-campus winter housing petitioners and students approved by DSA to return early). Since these rooms have direct access to the outdoors, the return of keys is necessary to ensure the security of everyone’s possessions during break. All residents are required to return keys to F&M at the end of the academic year. Failure to return residence hall keys will result in the resident being charged for the re-key of their room. The charge is $150 per missing key issued to the resident. For the safety of each resident, no exceptions will be made. Students should carry their keys with them at all times and report lost or stolen keys immediately to F&M. These keys may not be copied or transferred. Proctors have master keys to all residence hall rooms in case of accidental lockouts or for emergencies. Summer residents are subject to the same regulations as during the regular academic year.
2. Card Readers
   Card readers have been installed on all doors in East; suite entrances in Linde, Sontag, Drinkward and South; and the L’s and O’s in Case. These provide greater security for student living areas, along with 24-hour access to residence hall common areas, the Linde Activities Center computer room, the Platt Campus Center and the academic complex (via Parsons and Keck doors). Swipe and proximity authorization is coded on student ID cards, along with dining plan and library access. Only assigned residents of rooms/suites will be coded to have access. 
3. ID Cards:  Students are expected to carry their ID cards at all times. If a student loses their ID card, they must notify F&M as soon as possible. The lost ID card will be deactivated. The student will need to get a new ID card from the Claremont Colleges Connection Center as soon as possible. The cost to replace an ID card is $15. The new card must be brought to F&M to be re-encoded for housing access. If an ID card is broken or damaged, a student may take the damaged card to the Card Center to replace the ID card at no cost.

Lofting

Students are not allowed to bunk or loft their beds on their own; however, on a first-come, first-served basis (considering limited equipment available), the College will take requests from students for bed lofting and bunking at the beginning of each semester. Students can adjust the height of their beds (different from lofting/bunking) by themselves and are urged to keep in mind personal safety in doing so. Students may also request F&M to adjust their beds during the bed adjustment period of each semester. To request bed lofting or adjustment, enter a work order at hmc.edu/facilities-maintenance/work-orders.

Noise and Speakers

The primary mission of Harvey Mudd College is education. In pursuit of that goal, residents have the right to quiet time in which to study, rest and sleep. In the close quarters of college residence halls. It is important to have respect and consideration for others at all hours. If residents are disturbed by noise at any time, they should approach the disturbing people and ask them to quiet down. If residents are disturbed by noise emitted by a residence hall’s speakers, they can email the dorm speakers’ mailing lists and request for them to turn it down. If cooperation is not achieved, or the resident is intimidated by confronting the disturbing people, proctors are available to assist and mediate any problems. As a last resort, residents may phone Campus Safety to respond to the problem. Evening quiet hours are established by each residence hall at the beginning of the year and generally run between midnight and 9 a.m. (later on weekends). Residence halls may not establish quiet hours that begin after 1 a.m. on weekdays. During final exam weeks, 23.75-hour quiet hours are in effect beginning at noon on the Sunday before finals and continuing until after the last exam is finished. Noisy Minutes guidelines are reviewed and distributed through ASHMC. During the summer, quiet hours will run between midnight and 9 a.m. during the week and 1 a.m to 9 a.m. on the weekends for students.

Speakers

Many residence halls have speakers that play music in their courtyards. Sometimes these speakers may interfere with the sleep or studying of others. To address noise issues, each residence hall on campus must have a speaker mailing list of the form [dorm name]-speakers-l@g.hmc.edu. This mailing list should have at least one current member of the residence hall on it, who is then responsible for the speakers in the residence hall. These lists are meant to foster inter-residence hall communication about noise issues. For instance, students should be able to email these lists to request that music be turned down.

Outdoor Furniture Policy

College-owned Furniture

No indoor College furniture may be stored outside. Students are responsible for labeling the furniture that they will not be using and placing it in designated storage areas. At the end of the year, students are responsible for setting up their rooms in the same condition they found them. If rooms are not set up properly at the end of the year, charges will apply.

Acceptable Furniture and Approved Placement

In the four quad residence halls (inner dorms), students may have personal possessions in the courtyards provided that doors or breezeways are not blocked. Furniture may not be placed on second-floor walkways or back halls in accordance with aisle width requirements as dictated by the fire code. Couches and chairs may be placed behind the residence halls provided that they be “presentable” and have no open holes, tears or rips and that they abide by the fire code. The “presentable” nature of couches and chairs shall be at the discretion of the owner. However, should members of the HMC community (including students, faculty, administration and F&M) have any complaints as to the aesthetics of any furniture, they may bring their complaints to ASHMC, who will deal with them on a case-by-case basis.

In Atwood, couches and chairs may be placed on the second- and third-floor landings, wherever there are no bike racks, such that no walkways or exits are blocked, in accordance with the fire code.

In Case, no furniture is permitted on the second-floor bridge unless it falls within the limitations of the fire code. Furniture may be placed in the courtyard provided that no doorways or walkways are blocked. No furniture or stored items may be kept in the interior hallways.

In Linde and Sontag, Furniture may be placed in the courtyard, but may not be placed in the walkways or alcoves in accordance with the fire code. No furniture is allowed on the second-floor walkway.

In Drinkward, furniture may be placed in the courtyard, but it may not be placed in the walkways or alcoves in accordance with the fire code. No furniture is allowed on the second or third floor walkways.

Painting and Mural Policy

Students shall be able to paint their rooms and some common areas of their residence halls as long as they adhere to the guidelines at hmc.edu/student-life/residence-life/dorm-affairs-committee-policies. Students may not paint until their submitted proposal is approved by ASHMC and F&M. Any resident painting their walls without authorization will assume full financial responsibility for expenses incurred by the College to return the room to its original state.

Pets

Residents may keep small, caged pets such as fish or hamsters with the approval of their roommate and/or suitemates. Damages to residence hall rooms or furnishings that result from pets will be billed to the resident responsible for the pet. All pets must be kept clean, healthy and in well-maintained living spaces in student rooms only. Pets may not be brought to lounges, common spaces, the dining hall or other campus buildings. 

Cats and dogs are not allowed in the residence halls unless approved through the Assistance Animal Policy. Students requesting to bring an Emotional Support Animal must register with the Office of Accessible Education, provide appropriate documentation for the request, and complete an intake meeting with the Assistant Dean of Accessible Education before the animal arrives on campus. Accommodations for assistance animals are not retroactive. Contact access@g.hmc.edu for more information.

Students are required to complete the Pet Registration Form for any animal living on campus. This form will be provided to all students at the beginning of each semester. For more information visit the Pet Policy page.

Rights and Responsibilities of Residential Living

It can be great to live with someone going through similar experiences. Living with a new person, or even an old friend, is an opportunity to build a rewarding relationship and make great memories throughout the year. This relationship will require personal adjustments as students learn to live with another person in a small space. Roommates/suitemates must give continual attention and care to relationships in order to make living arrangements successful.

1. Roommate Rights
   Living successfully with a roommate requires flexibility, respect and the willingness to openly and honestly communicate. The following are basic levels of respect roommates should show each other:
   1. The right to undisturbed sleep;
   2. The ability to study in personal rooms free of unreasonable noise and distraction;
   3. The ability to access personal rooms at all times;
   4. Security against physical or emotional harm;
   5. A clean and safe environment;
   6. Privacy in the room, and;
   7. Security and respect for personal belongings.
2. Roommate Conflicts:  If students are having roommate problems, they should first have a frank discussion with roommate(s) to express their feelings and seek a solution that is amenable to all. If communication and compromise are unsuccessful, they should consider involving a third person, such as a proctor, who can listen objectively to each roommate and assist in reaching a satisfactory solution. A staff member from the Office of Housing and Residential Life (ResLife) is also available to help negotiate a solution.

Room Changes

1. First-year students may change rooms after the second week of class based on room availability. The reason for this “freeze” is to allow time to work through initial impressions and difficulties before deciding that the pairing simply won’t work. Upperclass students may change rooms at any time with approval of the Res Life staff, who will ensure room draw and housing regulations are upheld. Room changes that create gender-inclusive rooms must be agreeable to everyone living in the room and/or suite.

   B. Students wanting to change rooms should contact ResLife. ResLife will communicate all available spaces on campus. A student wishing to move needs to contact the potential roommates (and/or suitemates, if appropriate) to inform them of their interest in moving to the open space. If everyone is agreeable, the ResLife staff will authorize the move and arrange the exchange of keys with F&M. Students may not move without the approval of ResLife.
2. Students with unoccupied spaces in their rooms or suites should anticipate that someone may move into the empty space at any time. Students may not reject potential roommates/suitemates to preserve the extra space for themselves. If they feel that a potential roommate is someone they would truly not be able to live with, they should tell the ResLife staff why living with the potential roommate will not work. Given the number of students in need of housing and equal room pricing, people without roommates in double rooms may not buy out the extra space for themselves. Additionally, the College retains the right to consolidate students when necessary.
3. Students may not switch rooms without first consulting with the ResLife staff. Room changes that contradict ASHMC-established room draw regulations or College policies will not be approved by the ResLife staff. Unauthorized room changes will be referred to ASHMC for resolution. Possible outcomes include, but are not limited to, a $50 fine, restoring the original assignment and/or referral to the Disciplinary Board (DB) chair. In extraordinary circumstances, the College may change room assignments in the interest of health or general welfare of the residents or community.

Room Condition Reports

On-campus residents will receive a room condition report completed by F&M for their room. Students should carefully check the report to be sure it is accurate and add any changes. When F&M or the complex manager goes through rooms at the end of the year to assess damages, they will check the room condition report to see whether damage was reported when the student moved into the room. If it was, then a charge likely will not be deducted from the damage deposit. It is worthwhile to put as much detail as possible into the form. If students do not sign or return a form, they must accept the damage charges assessed after move out.

Termination of Residence Hall Privileges

Living in the residence halls is a privilege. The decision to terminate residence hall privileges is made by the Division of Student Affairs and/or the DB or JB. Students may be required to leave the residence halls for one or more of the following reasons:

1. Indication that the student’s behavior could result in harm to others;
2. Failure of the student to make a required payment for room and/or board (after receiving written notice);
3. Failure of the student to maintain full-time enrollment with the College, or;
4. Violation of any state or federal law, the HMC Housing Contract or the policies stated in this Student Handbook.

Wall Hangings

Residents are encouraged to use non-damaging wall-hanging devices (e.g., poster mounts or non-abrasive putty). Poster mounts are available for free from F&M. Nails are not permitted. Residents are liable for damages caused to walls, such as chipped or discolored paint or holes in the walls. Duct taping things to walls will cause damage requiring repair charges. For fire safety, cloth or other flammable materials should not be hung over the center of a ceiling, near lights, heat or spark sources.

Work Orders

Residents should report a problem or maintenance request directly to F&M by completing a work order at hmc.edu/facilities-maintenance/work-orders. The system will generate an automatic copy of the work order for tracking purposes and will reply via email. Using this system allows residents to track the progress of their work order at any time by supplying the ID number provided. If the repair requires immediate attention (e.g., overflowing toilet), residents should call F&M at 909.621.8226. After business hours, residents can contact a proctor for assistance.

Services

Air Conditioning

All residence halls are air conditioned. Please be aware of energy use. If air conditioning is running, close the room and suite windows.

Cleaning

College staff will regularly clean public spaces, such as all bathrooms, suite lounges, hallways, residence hall lounges, laundry rooms and any other public spaces. Students are responsible for cleaning their private room spaces.

Furniture

Residence hall furniture provided by the College consists of a bed, mattress, desk, chair, dresser and window coverings for each resident. Suite furniture varies by building. F&M will inventory all furniture and draperies to ensure that they are in good condition at the close of each academic year. Residents are responsible for maintaining the good appearance and function of their residence hall furnishings. While normal wear is expected, excessive damage and vandalism will be charged to the resident(s) on a prorated basis. Residents should contact F&M if their furniture is unsafe or damaged.

The furniture placed in each student’s room is intended to stay there throughout the year. Residents may choose to store unnecessary College furniture in the storage area provided in their residence hall. Residents must clearly identify stored items with temporary tape and assume the responsibility of returning these items prior to vacating their room. Failure to return the original room furniture will result in charges. Residents assume all risk associated with storing College furniture and financial liability for replacement. Should loss or damage occur, residents will be billed on a prorated basis for replacement.

Laundry

All residence halls have coin-operated laundry facilities that accept Claremont Cash via student ID cards. If there is a problem with a machine, submit a work order with the machine number and nature of the problem. Each load costs $1 to wash and 50 cents to dry.

Lockouts

If residents become locked out of their rooms, their proctor or another proctor (if theirs is not available) can let them in. The on-call proctor should not be called for this service. If no proctor is available, residents may call Campus Safety at any time, day or night, at 909.607.2000. They will charge $30 per key service. In all cases, entry to rooms is provided only to the resident(s) of the room or with direct, personal authorization from the person who lives in the room.

Storage

Personal storage is not available for students on campus during the academic year or over break periods. Each residence hall has a storage room, which is designated for hall-owned furniture only (ex: outdoor tables, items for parties/events, etc.). At the end of the spring semester, ASHMC organizes the rental of off campus storage pods to be used by students. If students cannot bring their personal items home over the summer, we recommend working with ASHMC or using any local self-storage company in the Claremont area. Items (not owned by the College) that are left in common areas such suites or lounges at the end of the spring semester or summer term will be discarded.