Davidson Student Life - Housing Facilities

Rules & Regulations

1. Term of Agreement

The term hereof shall begin Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 8:30 AM for the Fall Semester at Davidson College. Earlier move in is prohibited unless approved by the Director of Residence Life and the contract begins at said approval date for move-in. The term shall end 24 hours after completing the last Spring Semester exam exam (by 12 noon on May 21, 2007 for graduating seniors) for the 2006-2007 academic year, unless the term terminates early. All residents must vacate the Apartment by 12 noon on December 15, 2006, or within 24 hours after completing Fall Semester exams, whichever is earlier. Residents may return January 13, 2007 beginning at 8:30 AM.

2. Right of Entry

User agrees that the College shall have the right, but not the obligation, to enter and to grant permission to others to enter the Apartment for reasonable cause. The Director of Residence Life or his/her designee shall exercise such right of entry and the granting of such right to others.

3. User shall not make any alterations, additions, improvements or changes to the Apartment. Doing so can result in substantial fines. The following items are prohibited: halogen lamps, additional large appliances, additional beds, live trees (Christmas), candles or other open flames and dart boards. One small refrigerator per apartment may be used in addition to the large refrigerator provided.

4. The Apartment will be inspected for cleanliness twice during the school year (November and April). Residents will be given advance notice of inspection. Following an inspection, you will be given 48 hours to correct any problems. Failing a return inspection will result in fines.

5. Residents of the Apartment are required to provide their own cleaning materials and personal supplies (i.e.: toilet paper, trash bags etc.)

6. Trash and Recycling

A. All residents are required to remove trash and deposit it in the available dumpsters. Bags of trash are not allowed to remain on the porch. Similarly, residents who leave bags of trash on the first level will risk trash fines for the residents of all of the apartments located on that side of the building. Failure to dispose of trash promptly and in secured bags will result in a warning, then fines, then Code of Responsibility charges.

B. Recyclables are not allowed on the porch. They must be taken to the available receptacles (located behind MCF). Otherwise, they must be disposed of along with trash.

7. Throwing or dropping any objects off the porch of the Apartment or from Apartment windows is not permitted. Residents risk Code of Responsibility charges, fines and possible eviction for such incidents.

8. Pets are not allowed in the Apartment. Public health regulations mandate the restriction of pets in the residence halls. College policy prohibits rodents, cats, dogs, spiders, snakes, and birds in the residence halls. The defining characteristic of a prohibited animal is one that can survive outside of its cage, bowl, aquarium, etc. Students may have aquariums as long as the fish are kept in sanitary conditions. Discovery of prohibited pets may result in a $65 fine (even in cases where pets are "just visiting" for a short time). Those found with illegal pets or other violations of the Pet Policy will be subject to the following charges: de-fleaing the residential area if necessary; deep cleaning of all carpeted and upholstered surfaces; and cleaning of the air ducts in the residential area. Violation of the Pet Policy may also result in Code of Responsibility charges and possible eviction.

The college also prohibits the feeding of any stray animals in and around the residence halls or anywhere on the college campus. Caring for these animals during the semester results in cruel abandonment when students leave for winter and summer break.

9. The town of Davidson Fire Marshall has notified the College that cooking out on porches poses a fire hazard and can set off an alarm; therefore, cooking on porches is not allowed. Do not bring a grill to school. Both indoor and outdoor grills, including Foreman grills, are prohibited in or around college buildings. Gas grills are located at different locations around Martin Court for your use. Grills found by college staff will be confiscated.

10. Patios/Porches

You are expected to keep your patio and porch areas neat for health, as well as aesthetic reasons.

A. Patios should be swept regularly and are not to be used as a storage area. Personal items such as clothes, camping gear, etc. are not allowed.

B. Patio style furniture is permitted, but upholstered furniture is not. Also, all College issued furniture must stay indoors. No furniture supported by or hanging from rails or any part of the building is allowed.

C. While stairways will be serviced by the Building Services Staff, trash and rubbish deposited anywhere other than the available receptacle will result in fines for the entire side of a building (unless the specific party responsible can be identified). Fines for stairwell trash will begin at $60 and escalate as necessary.

D. Fire regulations prohibit bicycles from being chained to, or parked on, stairwells and patios as well as handicap ramps. Refer to the Bicycles section of the Red Book for further details.

11. Cable TV

Cable Television is provided to Davidson College from Campus Televideo (CTV). The cable television charges CTV assesses to the College are based on the number of cable connections. Cable TV is provided to students via one cable connection in each residence hall room. Each Martin Court apartment is also provided with one cable connection, located in the living room. Unfortunately, the wiring in the apartments will not support cable television service in each Martin Court bedroom. Therefore, “splitting” or rewiring cable to provide additional connections in bedrooms without paying for the additional connections is considered stealing and a violation of the Davidson College Honor Code.

12. Laundry Room Usage

A. Laundry rooms are provided for Martin Court residents in both Ryburn and Building F. The laundry room is a community-wide service so it is vital for each user to maintain a clean environment. Abuse of the facility could result in future charging for services or closing of the facility.

B. Any articles of clothing left in the laundry will be bagged up and put in storage in the Residence Life Office. As often as deemed necessary, any unclaimed clothing will be passed on to various clothing collection agencies.

13. Alcohol and Parties

Martin Court staff and Davidson College Police are required to see that the Davidson College Alcohol Policy is followed accordingly in the apartments.

A. Common containers of alcohol, including, but not limited to, kegs, party balls, punch bowls, Jell-O, pony kegs, beer balls, trashcans, ice luges and funnels are not allowed in or around apartments. There will be no warnings for violations of this rule. Violations could result in fines and Code of Responsibility charges.

B. Alcohol is allowed in apartments and on patio areas (by legal aged residents), but is strictly prohibited on the grounds of Martin Court, whether it is in stairwells or open courtyards. Martin Court is not an open consumption area. Residents caught walking around the grounds of Martin Court with an open container of alcohol (regardless of the type of container that it is in) could face Code of Responsibility charges.

C. All parties must be registered with the Martin Court Area Coordinator or in MCF 204 during office hours. Weekday parties must be registered 24 hours in advance of the party and Noon on Thursday for weekend parties. For further details, refer to the Red Book on the process of registering parties.

D. Hosts of drinking games have a special obligation to insure that all participants are of legal age. Party hosts and their roommates will be placed on social probation for the remainder of the semester in which underage guests play drinking games at their party, and a letter will be sent home to your parents. For a second offense of hosting a drinking game with underage participants, party hosts and their roommates will be evicted from college housing without refund.

E. All underage drinkers are subject to Code of Responsibility charges. Underage drinkers participating in drinking games will incur double the applicable sanction (e.g. $50 fine for first offense).

14. Fire Safety
Please refer to all policies and procedures in the Student Handbook regarding Fire Safety rules and regulations. The Town of Davidson Fire Marshall has notified the College that a fog/smoke machine poses a fire hazard and can set off an alarm; therefore, this item is not allowed. Fog/smoke machines found by college staff or the Fire Department will be confiscated and the responsible party will receive a citation and fine.

15. Noise Policy
It is essential to respect the livelihood of your neighbors and fellow Davidson classmates. Excessive noise will not be tolerated when it infringes on the rights of others to study, sleep, or simply enjoy a peaceful environment. Failure to comply with complaints regarding noise will result in Code of Responsibility charges.

A. Quiet hours are from 12 am midnight to 8 am on the nights when there are classes the next day. Weekend quiet hours are 2 AM until 8 AM.

B. If asked to quiet down, turn down music, or disperse an area by a neighbor, a police officer, or a Residence Life staff member, residents must comply with the request regardless of what time of day it is or if it falls under quiet hours.

16. Guests
Apartment residents are responsible for the actions of their guests at all times. Should a guest violate a policy, the College will pursue action with that individual. However, if it is impossible to identify or charge the violator, Code of Responsibility charges will be pursued with the apartment residents. Persistent misbehavior by one’s guests may result in eviction.

17. Students who regularly ignore or abuse the rights of other residents; establish an ongoing pattern of misbehavior; or who are responsible for unusual abuse or destruction of property in the Apartment or in the Martin Court area (grounds, common room, laundry, etc.) may be evicted from their residence. Upon eviction, a student is not refunded the balance of his or her rent.

18. Finally, failure to respond respectfully to the request of any Residence Life staff member or Davidson Police Officer will be treated as a Code of Responsibility charge.