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| Rumored dorm policies set straight
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Hugh Kellnberger
CRSA/Houseing Beat |
Josh Brown | Chief Photographer |
In the world of residence halls
at Appalachian State University, rumors can spread like wildfire.
Rumors have been running rampant for years as to
the exact nature and reasoning behind some of the Department of Housing
and Residence Life’s policies.
The subject of much discussion within the residence
halls is the escort policy (4.03b), found in the 2002-03 Appalachian
State University Residence Hall and License Contract. The policy states
that “all non-residents of a particular residence hall must be
escorted by a current resident of that residence hall whenever present
in the building. On single-gender floors, residents of the opposite
gender must be escorted, including those students that reside on other
floors in the same building.” |
“It makes sense
to have [the guest policy], but it doesn’t affect me really,”
said Heather M. Holland, a freshman music industry studies major from
Robbinsville.
“I don’t like being hassled,” said
Stuart G. Ferrell, a freshman general psychology major from Greensboro.
“It’s good to take precautions, though, because of things
like rape.”
In the same vein of the escort policy is the guest
policy (4.03b, 4.02z, 4.03f), which states that guests of the opposite
sex are not permitted to sleep overnight at any time.
The policy, which is North Carolina state law,
is to protect the rights of the roommates.
“[The policy] is clear, but it’s also
ambiguous,” said Evelyn A. Wallington, associate director of
Residence Life.
The appliances/equipment policy (4.03a) states
students can not have the following items in their rooms: any appliance
exceeding 1,200 watts, George Foreman-type grills, refrigerators with
internal dimensions larger than four cubic feet, air conditioners,
hot plates, toaster ovens, toasters, deep fat fryers, electric grills,
microwaves, open flames, combustibles, electric blankets or halogen
lamps.
Most of the above-named electrical appliances are
not allowed because of wattage restrictions within the residence halls,
said Wallington.
A majority of the residence halls were built around
30 years ago, and there was no way of expecting the amount of electrical
appliances introduced to the marketplace in recent years, said Wallington.
The micro fridge, which is rented to on-campus
students, is a combination of a microwave and refrigerator. It has
a mechanism that allows only the microwave or refrigerator to be working
at one time, said Kathleen D. Hineman, processing assistant for micro
fridges for the Department of Housing and Residence Life.
Six hundred eighty micro fridge units were made
available to students for a yearly rental fee of $160. All units were
gone by the end of July, said Hineman.
Often overlooked is the Department of Housing and
Residence Life’s policy on wall and door decorations.
The 2000 International Fire Code, section 805.1.2,
states: “The permissible amount of flame-resistant decorative
materials shall not exceed 10 percent of the aggregate area of walls
and ceilings.”
The Department of Housing and Residence Life then
added the policy of limiting door decorations to 20 percent of the
door surface, said Wallington.
The old fire codes were more relaxed, allowing
20 percent of the room to be decorated, said Wallington.
The open flame, candles and flammable items (4.03c)
of the Residence Hall and License Contract states: “The burning
of candles, incense, and other open flame items is prohibited in residence
hall rooms and common areas. Candles, even un-burnt, are prohibited.”
The policy on candles is the same in every building
on campus, said Wallington.
The Residence Life staff conducts health and safety
inspections three times per semester. They are required to post signs
in the residence halls giving at least 24-hour notice, said Wallington.
“The staff may only inspect what is in plain
view, but if they suspect something is hidden they can ask the student
to open a closet or remove a blanket that is over a large object,”
said Wallington.
The safety office and the police are allowed to
do a full search of the room if probable cause is determined.
The first offense for breaking a policy results
in documentation for the offending student. The student must attend
a meeting with both the respective resident director and area coordinator.
The student is told to correct the situation at
that first meeting. If they do not comply and are found again breaking
the rule, they may be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs,
said Wallington.
RAs are not immune to the law. If they break one
of the policies they may lose their job due to the work agreements
all RAs signed when accepting the position, said Wallington. |
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