Residential Living Community Responsibility
Illinois College believes that living on campus is an important aspect of a private, liberal arts education. Studies have shown that students who live on campus are more involved and have a higher retention rate and a better overall college experience.
It is the policy of Illinois College and the Office of Residential Life that students share in the responsibility of setting and maintaining a studious and respectful environment in the campus residence halls and apartments. Resident students are entitled to an atmosphere that facilitates personal growth and encourages the pursuit of academic endeavors. Each student shares in the effort to maintain a high quality of residential life. Students should at all times exercise self-discipline and should consider and respect the rights and privileges of others.
Students are responsible for what occurs in their room, what is in their room and the guests in their room. It is a privilege to be a part of the Illinois College residential community and to be a part of this institution. Any behavior which detracts from the image or reputation of Illinois College will not be tolerated and may result in judicial action.
Housing Policy/Agreement
Housing Policy | On-Campus Terms and Conditions | Returning Student Room Assignments | Room Consolidations | Room Changes | Single Rooms | Summer Housing
General Housing Information
Abandoned Property | Air Conditioning | Appliances | Athletics Equipment and Activities | Balconies | Break Closing | Break Housing | Cable | Check-In and Checkout | Computer Network Access | Damages | Emergency Exits | Fire Equipment | Fire Evacuation | Fire Hazards | Fireworks | Furnishings | Guests | Health and Safety Inspections | Insubordination/Abuse | Keys/IDs | Kitchenette | Laundry | Locking Doors | Lofts/Wooden Structures | Modifications/Personalization of Student Rooms | Off-Campus Living | Pets | Quiet and Courtesy Hours | Signs, Posters & Flyers | Room Search Policy | Summer Storage | Telephones | Theft | Trash/Recycling/Cleanliness | Unauthorized Entry | Use of Roof | Visitation Hours | Windows
Housing Policy
Living on campus contributes to the academic success of students and creates opportunities to develop lasting friendships. To increase our students’ academic success and foster a strong sense of community, the College requires students to live on campus for their first six semesters or until they have earned 88 credit hours. The College charges the full food and housing cost to the accounts of those students. Students who study abroad within their first three years at Illinois College will be able to count that time towards the residency requirement. Additionally, transfer students may count semesters enrolled full-time at another institution toward the requirement.
Students receiving the Trustee, Presidential, 1829 or International Student Scholarships, or Campus Assistance Grants forfeit the scholarship if they choose to move off campus.
Illinois College will make any arrangements necessary within our ability to comply with housing accommodation requests in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Requests for housing accommodation can be made through Illinois College Disability Services.
At times, a student with a disability may warrant an exception or modification to the housing policy. The College recognizes the importance of providing reasonable accommodations in its residential life policies and practices as necessary for individuals with documented disabilities to fully participate in the residential life program. Requests for housing accommodations should be made through Illinois College Disability Services. It is essential that requests for accommodations are made as early as possible to ensure the provision of the requested accommodation.
Any student who wishes to request an exception to the housing policy must file a housing exception form with the Office of Residential Life no later than March 15 in order for the request to be heard before room selections begins, or November 1 for students arriving in the spring. The College normally approves such requests if a student:
- graduates from a high school in one of the approved regional school districts* and will be living with his/her/their parent or legal guardian;
- is married;
- is living with or providing direct care for dependent children;
- is 23 years or older;
- is a veteran or active service member;
- is a transfer student who earned an associate’s degree after graduating from high school; or
- is a transfer student who has completed three or more semesters of course-work while living independently in off-campus housing.
*Approved regional school districts include any public or private school served by the following districts: A-C Central, Franklin, Jacksonville, Meredosia-Chambersburg, Scott-Morgan, Triopia, Virginia, Waverly, and Winchester.
Students who have already lived on campus for six semesters or have earned 88 credit hours are not required to live on campus. These students are not required to submit housing exception forms. Housing exception forms can be found on Connect2 for returning students. New students may request a form through the Office of Admission.
If a student with fewer than 88 credits seeks to live off-campus for another reason, the student should provide evidence documenting the need to live off-campus. Approvals of requests for reasons other than those listed above are unusual, but are considered on a case-by-case basis.
On-Campus Housing Terms and Conditions
1. General Terms and Conditions
- Full-time status (at least 12 credits) is required to be eligible to live in the residence halls. Students who fall below full time at any point in the semester must receive the approval of the Office of Residential Life in order to remain living on campus. Students who are in their final semester and only taking courses required to complete their degree may live on campus as part-time students.
- The student will use the premises solely for residential and educational purposes of Illinois College. No student is permitted to operate a business from their residential location using College resources.
- Residents are expected to exercise reasonable care in the use of the facilities in the residence halls in keeping with health, safety and maintenance standards. Students are expected to know and follow Illinois College policies whether the policies are in effect now or are later enacted.
- The College reserves the right to make room assignments, to authorize or deny room and roommate changes, to consolidate vacancies and to require a student to move from one room or residence hall to another.
- Room assignments will normally be made on the basis of two residents per room in the residence halls. However, if there is a need, additional residents may be assigned to larger rooms, which the College reserves the right to do. A student may also be assigned to a temporary space. Students assigned to temporary spaces will be reassigned to double occupancy rooms as they come available.
- Unless a student requests an extension of the arrival period in writing through the Office of Residential Life, Illinois College is not obligated to hold a room assignment past 12 noon on the first day of classes. If a resident does not check in prior to 12 noon on the first day of classes and later requests an assignment, the resident may be relocated from the original assignment.
- Requests for changes to room assignments may be made in writing to the Office of Residential Life after the 10th day of classes each semester. If the request is due to a roommate/floor mate conflict, the students involved will be expected to participate in conflict mediation sessions before any move can take place. Mutual requests for room switches are still subject to approval by the Office of Residential Life. A student who makes an unauthorized room change will be required to return to the original room and will be assessed a fine for an unauthorized room change.
- The College may alter the specific room assignments, if deemed necessary, during the assignment process.
- All contracts are for double-occupancy accommodations unless otherwise noted. If space allows, a resident who does not have a roommate may have the option of reserving the room as a single. Single room reservations must be arranged with the associate director of residential life. Additional rates will apply for single rooms. Students in this situation (whether by choice or by circumstance) are expected to consolidate with another student if they wish to avoid the additional single room fee.
- In order to practice the commitment to tolerance and respect set forth in the College’s Affirmation of Community Responsibility, it is the policy of the College to assign roommates without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion or disability and not to make changes to room assignments due to reasons that are discriminatory.
2. Room Assignment Cancellation
- When a student signs a food and housing contract, that contract covers the entire academic year.
- If an enrolled student chooses (or is required for disciplinary reasons) to move off campus within a contract period, either mid semester or between the fall and spring semesters, the student will not receive a refund for the food or housing charges.
- If a student withdraws from the College in the middle of the semester the student will receive a prorated refund for food (meal plan) charges. Room charges are not refunded. Students with room assignments in the fall semester who are not enrolled for classes for the spring semester are not assessed food and housing charges for the spring semester. Upon a cancellation, a student has 24 hours to move off campus and must leave the assigned room, its furnishings and the bathroom in good condition and repair.
- Upon withdrawal from the College, any room reservation for the upcoming academic year is cancelled.
- The College assesses a penalty to students who reserve a room on campus and subsequently cancel their housing contract. Reserving a room makes it unavailable for other students choosing later, and cancelling a housing contract after reserving a room does a disservice to other students and does not meet the College’s standards for community responsibility.
- Students who reserve a room and then choose to break their housing contract (whether they have at least 88 credits prior to the housing contract period or an approved housing exception) should notify the Office of Residential Life in writing of their decision. The College assesses this penalty because of the disservice to other students. If the student breaks the contract before June 30, the penalty assessed is $1,000.
- Students who reserve a room and break the contract after June 30 leave the College with few opportunities to assign the room to other students. The College therefore charges a student who chooses to break his/her/their contract after this date the full cost of the reserved room, college house, or apartment.
- If a student cancels a housing contract after room selection and before the start of the fall semester, regardless of reason, his/her/their roommate and suitemates’ assignment may also be impacted.
- If the student responsible for cancelling his/her/their housing contract initiated the room selection and invited the other students into that room or suite, the remaining students may forfeit the space upon the student’s cancellation.
- The rest of the group’s housing points will be calculated minus the student who cancelled, and if the space would not have been available to the group without the other student, the group can be removed from that assignment and moved to another location. This is most applicable to groups who sign up for suites in Lincoln or Greene Halls. The Office of Residential Life works with all students to attempt to make change arrangements that the students are satisfied with.
Returning Student Room Assignments
Returning students wishing to live on campus must submit a housing contract before any room assignment can be made.
There are designated times/days in the spring semester for returning students to reserve on-campus housing for the following academic year. The Office of Residential Life will not guarantee a student’s request for a double room as a single and the student may be assigned a roommate.
Exclusion from housing may be made if a student has demonstrated a lack of respect and responsibility for the policies of Illinois College and the residential life program. The College reserves the right to make whatever accommodation reassignments or adjustments that are deemed necessary by the director of residential life.
Room Consolidations
In an effort to keep room rates low and to operate an economically efficient organization, the College reserves the right to move/consolidate residents to fill vacancies that may occur throughout the year. This policy has been established to deal with the difficult task of room consolidations, and to ensure that such consolidations are performed in a fair and equitable manner.
When one of the occupants of a room moves out, the remaining occupant must obtain a roommate, from a list of residents who do not have roommates, pay the single room rate, or move to another room or apartment. The consolidation process must be completed within two weeks after the vacancy occurs. If the entire process has not occurred within this two-week time period, the resident(s) shall automatically begin to be charged and be obligated to pay for their single room(s) on a prorated basis at the appropriate single room rate. In cases where none of the consolidating parties wishes to move, priority to remain will be based upon
- (a) length of enrollment at Illinois College,
- (b) Illinois College housing points
- (c) length of room occupancy.
Residents who willfully refuse to participate in the consolidation process will be charged the appropriate single room rate. The College will make a reasonable attempt to accommodate room requests for double occupancy. The College reserves the right to assess additional fees for single room occupancy caused by a resident refusing to accept a new room or new roommate. Exceptions from the requirement to consolidate or begin paying a single room rate are as follows:
- If there is an uneven number of residents without roommates within a given residence hall. One of the individuals selected by the associate director residential life will not be required to consolidate or pay a single room rate until the next vacancy occurs in that building or until the College reassigns the space.
- No consolidation is required of vacancies that occur late in the semester.
Room Changes
The Office of Residential Life wants students to be happy with their room and their roommates, and does not try to block any reasonable request for a room change. However, students may be required to participate in conflict mediation with their roommate and a residential life staff member present prior to any room changes. Students are expected to make a reasonable attempt to resolve any roommate conflicts before changing rooms.
After the 10th day of classes, residents may request a room change. All room change requests must be approved by the associate director of residential life. After the student receives approval of the room change, in writing via their IC email address, the move must be completed within three days. Multiple room changes within a given year are discouraged. The associate director of residential life must approve all room moves before the change occurs.
Students are assessed penalty charges if moving occurs without permission from the associate director of residential life. Unauthorized room or hall changes or failure to vacate a room at the time designated by the College may result in a $50 service change, a daily rate being charged, and/or disciplinary action. The associate director of residential life must approve all room changes. All moves back to the resident’s official room assignment must be completed within twenty-four hours. The associate director of residential life and/or the executive director of residential life and campus safety reserve the right to limit the number of moves a resident makes each semester.
Single Rooms
Physical singles (defined by the space available in the room) are available in several of the buildings for an additional charge. These rooms are typically reserved by returning students. There is an additional charge for students occupying a double room designated as a single, “designated singles”. These rooms are not guaranteed. When they are open to the general student body, they are assigned by seniority.
Students interested in a single room should complete the single room request form on the Residential Life portal of Connect2. The College encourages students to remember that there is a finite number of student rooms on campus, which can dictate the availability of single room spaces. Completing the single room interest form allows the associate director of residential life to contact students, in order of the waitlist, if a single room space becomes available.
Summer Housing
Each summer a building is assigned as the summer housing location for students who plan to, or need to, stay on campus during the summer interim. Any returning IC student may request to live in summer housing as long as they are fulfilling academic requirements, taking classes, have an academic internship, working for an office on campus or for other reasons approved by the Office of Residential Life, and will be returning to IC in the fall semester. Space in summer housing is not guaranteed and is filled on a first come, first served basis. Students must have a fall room assignment to be eligible for summer housing. Students should contact the Office of Residential Life for an exception to this. Summer housing information and rates become available after spring break. Students must sign a completed summer housing contract prior to receiving a summer housing assignment. Summer housing contracts are due to the Office of Residential Life, fully completed, by the last day of spring classes. All College Blue Book policies and procedures are applicable during summer housing.
Summer housing begins the same evening that the halls close at the end of the spring semester. Summer housing ends on July 31, at which time all students must check out of their assigned summer room. Students have the option to continue their summer housing contract past July 31, but must discuss their request and receive approval from the Office of Residential Life before beginning summer housing. Students approved to remain on campus after July 31 will move to their fall room assignment on a date designated by the associate director of residential life. These students will pay housing costs during August based on the summer housing arrangement they had prior to the move.
Additional fees will be assessed for the storage of items before or after a student resides in summer housing. Improper check out fees and cleaning charges still apply for applicable rooms. The same check-in and check-out processes exist during summer housing as during the academic year.
General Housing Information
Abandoned Property
Any student owned property must be removed at the time of check-out. At the discretion of the College, items left behind valued at less than $50 will be disposed of or donated to a local charity. Items with a value of $50 or more will be held for three days. At the end of three days those items will also be disposed of or donated.
Air Conditioning
All residence hall rooms on campus are air conditioned. Students cannot bring personal air conditioning units to campus.
Appliances
Resident students may supply a refrigerator and microwave for their room. Refrigerators must conform to the size of 4 cu. ft. maximum. Microwaves must not consume more than 700 watts. Other appliances used for the cooking of foods that contain open heating elements are prohibited (ex.: regular coffee machines, hot plates, toasters, electric griddles, George Foreman grills, etc.). Malfunctioning residence hall equipment such as washers, dryers, telephones, vending machines, etc., should be reported to the residential life staff immediately.
Athletic Equipment and Activities
Athletic equipment is to be used only in areas specifically meant for the equipment. Corridors, lounges and rooms are not to be used as basketball courts, football fields, etc. Non Motorized bicycles can be stored in student rooms. Bicycles or scooters left unattended anywhere in the residence halls other than in students’ rooms will be confiscated. Bicycles and/or scooters are not to be ridden in the residence halls.
Skateboards, scooters and/or in-line skates are not to be ridden or worn inside any campus building. The use, possession or storage of Hoverboards, Segways, IO Hawks, Skywalkers and similar devices is prohibited throughout the campus until safety standards for them can
be developed and implemented.
Balconies
The College Avenue Apartment balconies are not to be used to place College-owned furniture. Balconies, decks and porches are also considered to be public areas; therefore, consumption of alcohol on them is prohibited. No grilling is permitted on balconies. No more than four people are permitted on the College Avenue Apartment balconies at the same time due to weight restrictions.
Break Closing
The College’s residence halls are closed during Thanksgiving, Spring and Winter Breaks. Students may submit a request to stay on campus during Thanksgiving and Spring breaks by completing the online ‘Break Stay Request Form’ for the corresponding break. Students are reminded that these are requests, and they are subject to approval or denial.
Specific Information about the hall closing will be given to all residence hall students approximately two weeks prior to each break period. The dates and times of the hall closings is available for the entire year on the academic calendar. Students and their families are encouraged to check the Academic Calendar on the College’s website for the schedule of the semester. The residence halls, campus-owned houses, and college apartments, as well as the campus dining facilities remain open during fall and E
aster break, free of charge to all students.
All students not staying on campus during the break must complete the Closing Checklist before they leave for break. The complete closing list should be taped to their room door after the last resident leaves the room for break. For health and safety reasons, residential life staff will enter each room when the residents have left to verify that the checklist is complete. It is at this point in the semester that the College also conducts the health and safety checks of all residential buildings. If rooms are found to not be in compliance with campus policies or health and safety standards, staff will take necessary action, at their discretion, and fines may be issued where necessary.
Break Housing
Academic breaks provide an opportunity for students to relax or participate in activities that enrich their academic or personal experiences. Students are expected to leave campus during the extended breaks to re-energize and prepare for the remainder of the academic year. It is for this reason that the halls are closed during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring breaks. The on-campus dining facilities are closed during these breaks.
The College understands that some students live at a distance that does not make it feasible to go home during Thanksgiving or Spring break. Students whose home address (as recorded with the College) is 500 miles or more away from campus are eligible to stay in campus housing during the Thanksgiving and Spring Break periods when the residence halls are closed, for free, as long as proper stay request procedures are followed.
Students whose recorded home address is within a 500 mile radius from campus may request to stay on campus during the break period by completing the same Request to Stay Form for the break; these students are responsible for a $15 per night charge to stay on campus over the break. Students within the 500 mile radius whom may find it difficult to cover the costs of their stay over the break may request assistance from the Richard B. Maye fund by utilizing the form on the main IC Webpage or by following this link: https://connect2.ic.edu/ICS/Students/Handouts.jnz?portlet=Forms_and_Requests
Eligible students must complete their request to stay by utilizing the Request to Stay Form for the corresponding break by the announced deadline for each break period. The Request to Stay Form is a digital form that is emailed out to every residential student individually and is also be made available on the Residential Life page on Connect2. Notifying the ORL of a request to stay after the announced deadline will result in a late notification fee of $25, requests to stay late that occur the day the halls close will result in a $50 late fee. All students needing to stay on campus over the break period are responsible for completing the request to stay form for themselves; this includes athletes or other students whose advisor/coach/supervisor has received approval for their student(s) to stay on campus during the break period. Students who have requested to stay on campus during the break period will receive an email notification that their request has been approved or denied.
The advisor/coach/supervisor of students who would be staying on campus while the halls are closed must receive authorization from the Office of Business Affairs in order for the Office of Residential Life to house these students. Athletic teams that practice or play during breaks, resident assistants, and Connections Leaders are examples of students who would have specific reasons to be allowed to stay during breaks. Upon business office approval, the advisor/coach/supervisor should notify the ORL of their need to stay on campus during a break period, and provide the ORL with a roster of their athletes or students who are required to stay on campus. Athletes, student campus leaders, athletic training students, etc. are required to complete the Request to Stay Form if they intend to stay on campus during the break for athletic or approved student organization responsibilities.
All college residence locations remain open to residential students during fall and Easter break. Campus dining services are closed during Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring break. Limited on-campus dining locations are open during Fall and Easter break.
Cable
Basic extended cable service is provided to each residence hall room. Students are not to splice the signal. Access to HBO Go and Max Go are also available to residential students by using their network login credentials. Students may need to purchase a QAM adapter for the digital cable service to work on their television . Some televisions brands, such as Element and Septre do not include a digital-analog adapter. QAM adapters can be purchased at any electronics-carry store or online site. Contact the Office of Residential Life with questions specific to cable television set-up at 217.245.3012.
Check-in and Checkout
Each resident must officially check into his/her/their residence hall with the appropriate residential life staff member. At check-in, students will be sent a Room Condition Inventory (RCI) to their IC student email to confirm the condition of their room. Students should review this email and be as specific as possible about the room’s condition. If a student notices a damage in their room that is not listed on the RCI email, they should contact their RA as soon as possible to have the damage added to the room condition report. Students are responsible for any damages at the end of the year that are not included on their check-in RCI.
Early check-ins are generally not allowed. Students needing to return to campus early must contact the Office of Residential Life for approval before arriving to campus. An approved early return to campus results in a $25 per night charge to the student’s account. Unapproved early arrivals are subject to fines of $50 per night along with a one-time $35 charge for improper check in. Fall or Spring athletes should check in during the designated check-in time that is communicated with the student via their coach. Early returns to campus before the team’s designated time or date will result in applicable charges.
There are two checkout options: regular checkout or express checkout. The regular checkout process involves going over the condition of the room with a hall staff member, in person, and returning both the mail and room keys directly before departing campus. For express checkout, the student completes and signs the express check out form, leaves their keys in the attached key envelope and sign an agreement that the condition of the room will be assessed by a hall staff member after their departure from campus. Students who utilize the express check out method waive their right to appeal damages or room cleaning charges. Students not properly checking out of their residence hall room may be assessed a fine. These check out procedures are applicable any time a student lives in college-owned residential facilities.
Upon checkout, a room must be left in the same condition it was received. If the room is left in unsatisfactory condition, the resident will be billed for restoration charges. The Office of Residential Life and the Office of Facilities Management will assess restoration charges. (See Damages). These charges include, but are not limited to;
- Removal of personal property
- Cleaning charge
- Paint and/or drywall damage
- Damage to furniture
- Broken or damaged windows, blinds, or screens
- Removal of command strips, poster putty, sticky tack, or metal hardware
Students who check out after the hall closing deadline will be charged an initial $25 for a late check out, and an additional $25 for every hour past the checkout deadline. Students who realize they may not be able to check out by the set check-out time should contact the Office of Residential Life as soon as possible to explain their situation, and request a check-out extension. Applicable charges may apply. The rationale behind this policy is that student late check-outs in turn cause the hall staff to have to leave campus late.
Computer Network Access
Each hall is fully equipped to handle computers and have Ethernet and/or wireless internet access available. To access the internet via Ethernet, students will need an Ethernet cable. The IC network is monitored by Meraki Network Access Control (NAC). NAC is an approach to computer network security that attempts to prevent network infections and vulnerabilities by ensuring end users’ computers are protected against viruses and host intrusion, as well as adherence to network policies prior to gaining network access. NAC will not allow access to the network without current and updated Antivirus and Spyware protection. Windows updates must also be current and file sharing software is blocked by NAC.
Damages
The Office of Residential Life expects its residents to maintain their rooms and assume responsibility, whether present or not, for the use and care of their rooms and furnishings supplied by the College. Students who are identified as being responsible for damages of residence hall furnishings, structures or equipment will be charged by the College for the labor, materials and administrative costs necessary to complete the repair. The Office of Residential Life endorses the following policy regarding damage in the residence halls:
- Any damage, which is the result of accidental or deliberate actions of an individual or group, is the responsibility of the person(s) rather than the resident population as a whole. Every attempt will be made to identify the individual(s) responsible for the damage. These individuals will be charged with the cost of the damage in addition to any appropriate sanctions determined by the administration.
- When deliberate or accidental damage cannot be assigned to an individual or group, all residents of the appropriate residence unit (building or floor) will share the burden of repair costs.
In order to avoid unnecessary billing, all residents have the responsibility to:
- Confront other residents or guests participating in destructive or inappropriate behavior to reduce the occurrence of senseless vandalism.
- Speak up. When destructive or inappropriate behavior is observed, the residential life staff should be notified immediately. In most incidents of vandalism, there are individuals who have observed the actual incident or know someone who did. Residents should not tolerate others who choose to allow the group to suffer for their actions.
Emergency Exits
Stairways, corridors and doors are emergency exits and objects of any type cannot be kept in these areas at any time. Any objects left in these areas will be confiscated at the owner’s risk and expense.
Fire Equipment
Fire hoses, extinguishers and alarms are to be used only in case of fire (residential life staff may use the alarms for drills.) Tampering with fire equipment constitutes a serious breach of Illinois College policy and is a violation of the laws of the State of Illinois
Fire Evacuation
All students are to leave the building in a quick and orderly manner when a fire alarm is activated. In the case of non scheduled fire drills, residential life staff will attempt to inform students but will not go to every room in order to ensure safety. Students must therefore evacuate at the sound of every alarm. Only during scheduled fire drills will the residential life staff enter student rooms to ensure the hall is vacated. Failure to vacate during a fire alarm will result in campus judicial action.
Fire Hazards
Due to the threat to safety, candles, incense, halogen lamps or any other device with an open flame or heating element are not allowed in the halls. In addition, gasoline operated machinery such as motorcycles and mopeds, and any other type of combustible items including live Christmas trees and wreaths are not allowed in the residence halls.
Fireworks
The possession of fireworks of any kind on campus is prohibited.
Furnishings
Every student room is equipped with a bed, desk, desk chair, dresser and closet space. All furnishings in residence hall rooms and common areas must be kept in their original room location. Moving charges will be assessed at $25 per item of furniture that is removed from its original location.
Guests
Illinois College defines a guest as any person visiting campus who is not employed by, or enrolled in the College. For residential students, a guest is defined as any student not assigned to that room, regardless of gender or hall assignment. Each resident is directly responsible and will be held accountable for the actions of any of his/her/their guest(s). All guests must be escorted at all times in residence buildings where they do not reside. The residents of each hall have priority use of all facilities of that hall and guests are subject to the regulations of that hall. Prospective student guests must be registered with the Office of Admission. Campus hosts/hostesses are responsible for their guests during their stay on campus. All guests are subject to regular College and residence hall regulations. Any guest staying for more than two nights or any time outside of visitation hours must be approved by the Office of Residential Life.
Health and Safety Inspections
Health and safety inspections may be held throughout the school year. Authorized College employees perform these inspections. Notices of inspections will be posted at least 24 hours in advance. Scheduled health and safety checks are completed when the residence halls close for academic breaks.
Insubordination/Abuse
Insubordination/abuse to staff members, including failure to follow reasonable instructions, will result in disciplinary action.
Keys/IDs
Residents are assigned a mailbox key and room key when they check into their residence hall. Residents are also given access to their assigned residence building on their student ID. Only building residents and authorized staff are permitted to have such keys. Altering a door lock or having additional keys made is prohibited. Due to safety and security concerns, all lost/stolen keys or ID cards must be reported to the residential life staff immediately. They will be replaced at the resident’s expense. If deemed necessary for security reasons, locks will also be replaced at the resident’s expense.
Kitchenette
Each residential area, except for Turner Hall, has an assigned kitchen facility. Students are to adhere to safe cooking procedures and clean up after their use. Abuse or misuse of the kitchen facilities can result in losing the privilege to use the facility for the individual, group or entire residence hall.
Laundry
Each hall has a laundry facility for use by the residents of that hall. These facilities are free of charge. Students should not leave personal items unattended. Nonresidents found to be using the laundry facilities will be charged for their use.
Locking Doors
The outer doors to the residence halls are locked 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year round. Students may not prop open a locked door at any time. Propping open locked doors poses a security and safety threat for all residents. All residents are responsible for taking reasonable measures to protect their own person and property and also that of their roommate(s). Students can manage their safety and security by routinely locking their room door, retaining their assigned key/ID, supporting and cooperating with efforts of the residential life staff and Department of Public Safety personnel.
Lofts/Wooden Structures
Lofts are available for use in Ellis Hall, Fayerweather House, Gardner Hall, Lincoln Hall and Turner Hall only. They can be rented through the Office of Residential Life at an additional cost by filling out the request form on Connect2. Loft kits are $100 for the school year, charged to the student’s account. Loft kits are also available during summer housing, when applicable, for $50 for the summer. Students are not permitted to build lofts or use any other wooden structure or cinder blocks to raise their beds. Plastic bed risers are permitted, and encouraged.
Modification/Personalization of Student Rooms
Students may change the arrangement of their rooms to suit their needs as long as upon checkout the room is left as it was found. Screens may not be removed from residence hall room windows. No painting is to be done to windows, walls, ceilings or floors. Any permanent modification to College property will result in restoration charges to the responsible party/ies.
Students are encouraged to bring items from home to give their room a more personal feel. Students are discouraged from making holes in the walls, or using nails. Students should use adhesives that are easily removed in order to hang pictures and posters.
Off-campus Living
See Housing Policy/Agreement
Pets
There can be no pets in residence hall rooms except fish in a 20-gallon tank or less. Possession of any other pets will result in fines and possible confiscation of the animal(s). The College is not responsible for fish left unattended over breaks. The first violation of the pet policy will result in a $25 fine to the the responsible party/ies. Fines will double for subsequent violations.
Quiet and Courtesy Hours
To ensure an atmosphere which is conducive to studying and comfortable community living, students may not cause disruptive noise. Courtesy hours are in place at all times; students are encouraged to speak respectfully to other students who may be disrupting their environment. Any noise, inside or outside of the hall, which disturbs other residents (regardless of day or time) is a violation of 24-hour courtesy hours. The College advocates for respectful communication between adult parties to resolve the disruption.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 12 midnight to 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Mandatory 24-hour quiet hours occur during the final exam periods. Residents are expected to respect quiet hours, and their fellow community members, during the times of day when others are likely sleeping or studying. Students will receive an educational warning the first time quiet hours are violated. Subsequent disturbances may lead to residential life fines.
Signs, Posters and Flyers
Signs, posters and flyers are to be posted on bulletin boards available in the halls. Approval to post any materials needs to be gained from the Office of Residential Life prior to posting. Signs posted without approval will be removed. Students cannot advertise for companies or
organizations outside of the college, on college property. Signs should not be posted on clear-glass doors due to blocking lines of sight. Students should utilize appropriate tape when hanging posters so that College structures are not damaged.
Room Search Policy
Room Entry
Designated College staff members, including but not limited to, public safety officers, residential life staff and facilities management personnel have the authority to enter and inspect rooms for health and safety purposes, conduct repairs or investigate any suspicion of student endangerment or policy infractions at any time without permission or consent of the student occupant(s). Students are expected to cooperate with reasonable requests for entry. College staff will never enter a student’s room without probable cause. College staff will respect students’ privacy in their rooms; however, representatives of the College will enter a student’s room under the following conditions:
- In circumstances when there is the possibility of danger to life, health, safety or property.
- When there is evidence that the College or residence hall policies (in Section C or Section D of the Blue Book) have been violated. (Examples of “evidence” may include, but not limited to, observing alcohol bottles or drug paraphernalia; smelling smoke or odors that might indicate cigarette or drug use; attempts to obscure evidence such as towels wedged under doors, vents covered or fans “unnecessarily” blowing air out open windows.)
- As needed for the inspection of general physical conditions and/or damage of the room, inspection of fire safety/evacuation or health standards or when the student has requested inspection or repair work.
- In conjunction with the hall closings, Thanksgiving, semester and spring breaks, for inspection of all rooms after they are vacated to ensure proper closing of all residence halls. If during these checks, there is visible evidence of a violation of College policy, local, state or federal regulations, a College official will document the situation and may confiscate any prohibited items. If items are confiscated, a confiscation report will be submitted and the students will be notified. Confiscated items will be stored in a secure location until a follow up meeting is had with the student(s).
Room Searches
Designated College staff members, including but not limited to, public safety officers, residential life staff or facilities management personnel who are in a student’s room may react to or report any violation of the law or College policies based on visible evidence or suspicious odors (for example, stolen property, weapons, illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia, alcohol and health hazards).
A search can be conducted if the student is present and gives consent to the search. A physical search can also be authorized by court authority (if police are involved) or by permission of the executive director of residential life and campus safety or associate dean of student success and director of student development. A reasonable effort will be made to have the student occupant(s) in question present during the search which would be conducted by a member of the department of public safety and/or a professional member of the residential life staff.
Resident assistants (RAs) are often first responders and may conduct a visual scan or assessment to verify the presence of evidence that resulted in a later need to enter. RAs will never conduct a physical search of property.
Note: Most routine maintenance and inspections occur when classes are not in session. If students are on campus and inspections are needed, every attempt is made to notify the student 24 hours in advance. Occasionally, an emergency arises or unscheduled maintenance is needed and notification cannot occur. In these situations (water damage or flood, electrical issues, fire, etc.), facilities management personnel will enter the room to observe damage and make necessary repairs. Facilities management personnel staff will not be observing or reporting campus violations to other staff unless it is extreme or life threatening. Their goal is to address a reported repair or address an emergency. In these circumstances, rooms may be entered without the resident being present.
If room entry is required by a resident assistant, every attempt will be made for the RA to be of the same gender as the resident. However, students residing on a coed floor should understand that this may not always be possible.
Summer Storage
Limited summer storage is available for students on a first come, first served basis for a flat summer rate of $100. Students with permanent home addresses outside a 500 mile radius from campus will receive priority. The Office of Residential Life oversees the process of summer storage. Information about summer storage and the summer storage agreement form is available in April. Questions about summer storage should be directed to the associate director of residential life.
Students must submit a summer storage request form, and receive approval, before any belongings can be placed in campus storage. After the on-campus summer storage is approved, the student will be emailed with information regarding their assigned location for storage, as well as the contact information of the hall staff member(s) who they will work with to store their belongings. Access to the assigned storage area will be arranged by the student and the respective resident assistant in the assigned hall once both individuals have been notified by the ORL. In most cases, students’ summer storage location will be assigned in the residence hall where the student is assigned for the following fall semester.
Telephones
Most students arrive on campus with student owned cell phones. Please provide the cell phone number at check in or through Connect2 so the College can contact you. Telephone service is available in each residence hall room on request at no extra cost to the students.
Phones are not provided in rooms. If a student requires a landline telephone, they should submit their request to the Hall Director of their residence building. Residential Life will work with Information Technologies to have a Mitel phone programmed for the student. The phone will be equipped with an individual phone number and voicemail box. All voicemail boxes should be set up by the 10th day of classes. If the voicemail box is not set up by that date, phone service will be discontinued.
A phone number (either cell or residence hall) will be listed in the directory and is one of the official ways the College will contact you. The College’s primary means of official communication with students is through campus email.
Theft
Any incident of theft will be referred to the Department of Public Safety and is viewed as a serious breach of community standards.
Trash/Recycling/Cleanliness
Residents must clean their rooms regularly, remove trash and maintain reasonable sanitation and safety standards. Residents are responsible for taking their personal room trash outside to the available dumpsters. Students living in the campus-owned houses (except Fayerweather), and the College Avenue Apartments are responsible for cleaning all interior areas of their residence. Residents of Greene Hall and Lincoln Hall are responsible for cleaning their bathrooms. No trash may be placed in lounges, hallways, stairwells, closets, bathrooms or on balconies. Residents must keep trash in their own rooms and empty it into designated trash receptacles outside the building. Nothing may be thrown from windows, doors and/or balconies. The bathrooms in Pixley, Turner, Gardner, Ellis, and Mundinger are cleaned daily by the College’s custodial staff.
Recycling containers are placed outside the the campus residence halls in proximity to the dumpsters. Containers are also located throughout the academic buildings. Everyone at Illinois College is encouraged to use the recycling service.
Unauthorized Entry
Unauthorized entry into a residence hall is strictly prohibited. Allowing anyone other than your guest’s entry is prohibited. Students must not lend their ID to any other individual for use for entry into their assigned residence hall. Community responsibility fines will be assessed to students who allow others to utilize their student ID to gain entrance to their building.
Use of Roof
Students are not allowed on the roofs of any residence hall.
Visitation Hours
Visitation hours are from 8 a.m. until 12 midnight, Monday through Thursday, with 24-hour guest visitation from 8 a.m. Friday until 12 midnight Sunday. All guests must be approved by your roommate(s). (For the College’s definition of guest, please see the Guest section.)
Windows
No items are to be thrown out of or into windows and no student should ever sit on a window ledge or hang out of a window. Tampering with windows or screens will result in damage fines.