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. More information on residence halls, including square footage, furniture, appliance regulations and suggestions for what to bring to campus is available on the Residence Hall Information website.
Break Periods and Campus Closures
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.
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. More information on dates and residence hall opening and closing procedures can be found on the HMC Academic Calendar and the Office of Housing and Residential Life website.
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 may reside on campus during official closure dates, including authorized intercollegiate athletes, residence life staff, and students who petition for on-campus winter housing.
Early Arrival
Students can request early arrival each semester by completing the Early Arrival Request Form on the StarRez Portal. Students approved for early arrival will be charged a nightly fee on their student account; the nightly fee for fall 2025 is $32, however, the fee is subject to change and will be communicated to students at the time early arrival approval is granted.
When a student is separated from the college due to leave of absence, withdrawal or Ineligible to Re-register status, the student is responsible for removing their items from the residence hall. When this separation occurs over winter break or during the summer break, the student’s personal items must be removed from the residence hall prior to the start of the following semester. Storage of personal items is not available through the College, and students are responsible for either removing their items or securing off-campus storage once they are separated from the College. Students can contact the Office of Housing and Residential Life for more information about off-campus moving and storage resources.
Chalking
No chalk or other penetrating substance is allowed on interior surfaces, including walls and floors, 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 residence hall 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 responsible for maintaining shared residence hall space for use by the community, and are expected to clean up shared spaces after use. 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 includes but is 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 by residents from F&M. F&M shall, upon observation of an area in need of excessive cleanup, adhere to the following guidelines:
- When College staff observe an area in need of excessive cleanup upon arrival at approximately 8:00 a.m., they should 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 have the opportunity to select their housing location and roommate/suitemates during Room Draw in the spring semester. Students may live together in a double, triple or quad room regardless of gender identity, gender expression or biological sex. 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, unless requested by the student on the Housing Preference Form. East, North, West and Drinkward residence halls have gender-inclusive common bathrooms; the residents of other residence halls may also identify gender-inclusive bathrooms in their building.
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.
Guest Policy
Guests are non-HMC students or non-enrolled HMC students. The following parameters apply for overnight guests of HMC students:
- Residents may host an overnight guest for a maximum of two nights in a seven day period.
- Prior to the guest’s arrival, the host must gain approval from their roommate and/or suitemates.
- The host should complete the Guest Registration Form on the StarRez Portal 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. All guests are expected to abide by the 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 guest occupies a room without authorization, the student host will be asked to self report.
- Students are not allowed to host a guest under the age of 17, unless the guest is participating in a college sponsored event/program (i.e. Admissions, CMS athletes).
HMC residents may not host other HMC students as guests during “early arrival” times prior to the beginning of semesters. Approval to reside on campus prior to the start of the semester only applies to the student requesting approval.
Housing Contract
Every student residing in on-campus HMC housing must sign a Housing Contract each year prior to occupying their room. The Housing Contract is completed through the StarRez during Room Draw. Students should review the Housing Contract carefully, as it contains pertinent information about rules and regulations, charges and fees, and the rights of the student resident and the College.
Keys, ID Cards and Card Readers
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 efficiencies and column doubles, and Linde and Sontag suites) are required to return keys to F&M at the beginning of winter break. 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 a $150 charge to the resident to re-key their room. 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.
ID Cards
Student ID cards are used to access the student’s residential hall and room, appropriate academic spaces (when open) and the library, and to use their meal plan. Swipe and proximity authorization is coded on student 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 and 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; there is a replacement cost for a new ID card. 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 Claremont Colleges Connection Center to replace the ID card at no cost.
Card Readers
Access to certain buildings on campus requires a campus ID card. Card readers are installed on all doors in East; suite entrances in Linde, Sontag, Drinkward and South; and the L’s and O’s in Case. Only assigned residents of rooms/suites will be coded to have access. Card readers are also installed at the Linde Activities Center computer room, the Platt Campus Center and the academic complex (via Parsons and Keck doors).
Lofting Beds
Students are not allowed to bunk or loft their beds on their own; however, they can place a work order to request a bed adjustment at the beginning of each semester. These work orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis. 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. To request bed lofting or adjustment, submit 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 addition, the nature of a residential campus includes social and community events that may generate noise. In the close quarters of college residence halls,it is important to have respect and consideration for others at all hours, and support the need for both community events and quiet time. 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. Students should be aware that they can be subject to a noise violation from the Claremont Police Department if campus noise is excessive and affects members of the community outside of HMC. 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, quiet hours are in effect beginning at noon on the Sunday before finals and continuing until after the last exam is finished, with the exception of Noisy Minutes - a 15 minute period each day during final exams when noise is allowed. 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. Students should use this mailing list to request that music volume 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 and common areas in the same condition they found them, or the resident will have charges applied to their student account.
Acceptable Furniture and Approved Placement
In the four quad residence halls (inner dorms), students may use personal furniture 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, any complaints about the aesthetic condition of furniture placed outside a residence hall by any member of the HMC community (including students, faculty, administration and F&M) should be brought to ASHMC, who will review 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.
Students should speak with the Office of Housing and Residential Life with any questions about allowable furniture and approved placement in the residence halls.
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 Room Painting and Mural Policy. All students who wish to paint their room or a common area must complete the Room Painting & Mural Agreement, and they may not paint until reviewed by F&M, dorm presidents and the RALs. 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. Additionally, the student may be required to repaint the room at thetime of move-out or have those expenses charged to their student account.
Pets
Residents may keep small, caged pets such as fish or hamsters with the approval of their roommate and/or suitemates. Damages by pets to residence hall rooms or furnishings will be billed to the resident responsible for the pet. All pets must be kept in the student room in clean, healthy and well-maintained living spaces. Pets may not be brought to lounges, common spaces, the dining hall or other campus buildings. More information is available on the Housing Policies webpage.
Non-caged animals, including cats and dogs, are not allowed in the residence halls unless approved through the Assistance Animal Policy, managed through the Office of Accessible Education. 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 Housing Policies webpage.
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.
We encourage residents to establish a Roommate Contract at the beginning of the year. The Roommate Contract provides an opportunity to discuss expectations for the residential space and establish guidelines for successful living arrangements. Residents are encouraged to review their Roommate Contract and revise as needed throughout the year.
Roommate Rights
Living successfully with a roommate requires flexibility, respect and the willingness to communicate openly and honestly. The following are basic levels of respect roommates should show each other:
- The right to undisturbed sleep;
- The ability to study in personal rooms free of unreasonable noise and distraction;
- The ability to access personal rooms at all times;
- Security against physical or emotional harm;
- A clean and safe environment;
- Privacy in the room, and;
- Security and respect for personal belongings.
Roommate Conflicts
If conflicts arise, we encourage roommates to discuss their feelings with each other and explore possible solutions. If communication and compromise are unsuccessful, students can seek support from the Office of Housing and Residential Life staff or their proctor, who can suggest communication strategies or possible solutions, and can facilitate a roommate mediation, if necessary.
Room Changes
A. First-year students may not change rooms until after the second week of class; any room changes are based on room availability. We encourage new students to allow time to navigate their transition to College and to explore ways of living in community during this initial period before requesting a change. The Office of Housing and Residential Life staff is available to support students during this initial period on communication strategies and best practices for living with a roommate.
B. Upperclass students may request to change rooms pending approval of the Office of Housing and Residential Life staff and based on room availability. Room draw and housing regulations must be upheld in any room change. The Office of Housing and Residential Life will communicate all available spaces on campus and the student wishing to move should 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 Office of Housing and Residential Life staff will authorize the move and arrange the exchange of keys with F&M. Students may not move without the approval of Office of Housing and Residential Life. Students interested in a room change may be placed on a waiting list if an appropriate room is not available.
C. Room changes that create gender-inclusive rooms must be agreed upon by everyone living in the room and/or suite.
D. Occasionally, a room may have an unoccupied space and not be at full capacity. The College retains the right to consolidate students when necessary, and these unoccupied spaces can be filled at any time by the Office of Housing and Residential Life staff, as needed. The Office of Housing and Residential Life staff will notify students when an additional roommate is being considered for their space. If a student has concerns about the compatibility of a potential roommate, they should speak with the Office of Housing and Residential Life staff to share their concerns. However, students may not reject potential roommates/suitemates in order to maintain extra space for themselves. Additionally, students are not allowed to buy out the unoccupied space in order to maintain a single room.
E. Students may not switch rooms without the approval of the Office of Housing and Residential Life staff. Room changes that contradict ASHMC-established room draw regulations or College policies will not be approved by the Office of Housing and Residential Life staff. Unauthorized room changes will be referred to ASHMC for resolution. Possible outcomes include, but are not limited to, a 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
At the time of move-in, on-campus residents will receive a room condition report completed by F&M certifying the condition of the room and identifying any existing damages in the room. Students should carefully check the report to be sure it is accurate and note any additional damages they observe. At the time of move-out, a F&M staff member will inspect rooms to assess damages and will consult the room condition report to confirm if damage was reported at move-in. If additional damages are identified, a charge may be deducted from the student’s damage deposit, depending on the nature and severity of the damage. We encourage students to put as much detail as possible into the room condition report to document the current condition of their room. Students who do not sign or return a form lose their right to dispute damage charges and must accept all damage charges assessed after move-out.
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. The furniture placed in each student’s room is intended to remain there throughout the year. Suite and common area 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.
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.
The College does not provide personal storage for students in residence during the academic year or over break periods. The storage room located in each residence hall is designated for hall-owned furniture only (ex: outdoor tables, items for parties/events, etc.). Personal items that are left in common areas such suites or lounges at the end of the spring semester or summer term will be discarded.
ASHMC organizes the storage pods for student use over the summer break. Additionally, students can use one of the local self-storage companies in the Claremont area to store items over the summer break.
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, based on one or more of the following reasons:
- Indication that the student’s behavior could result in harm to others;
- Failure of the student to make a required payment for room and/or board (after receiving written notice);
- Failure of the student to maintain full-time enrollment with the College, or;
- 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 tape will cause damage to walls and require 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. 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 should contact the Proctor On-Call for assistance.
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