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One of the chief purposes of residential life at Champlain is to provide a positive environment in which students can prepare for their careers. The College is firm in its resolve to maintain this positive educational environment, and expects all residential students to conduct themselves with the highest regard for their fellow students and for College policy as outlined in the College’s Standard of Conduct and the Diversity Value Statement.
Residency at Champlain College is reserved for full time students. Housing priority is given to Champlain College undergraduate students. The opening and closing dates for residence halls follows the undergraduate calendar. The privilege of enrollment at Champlain or residency in housing may be withdrawn from a student at any time, on any grounds, if the College considers such action best for the welfare of the institution and/or the student. Disciplinary cases involving residential students will be investigated by the Office of Community Standards and resolved in accordance with the procedure outlined in the section titled Conduct Review Process, unless the College decides to take interim or permanent action without following such process, as referenced in the Standard of Conduct.
Residential Life staff not only oversee the day-to-day maintenance of the residence halls and implement College regulations, but also provide valuable guidance and support to residential students. They are committed to creating respectful, diverse and inclusive communities. Very often, they can quickly and directly resolve any concerns.
The major responsibilities of Residential Life staff are to get to know each resident and to actively help each resident become a part of the College community; to build a fun, responsible and engaging community among students within each residence hall; to develop a working knowledge of College resources and refer students to appropriate personnel when necessary; to discuss, clarify and enforce the College’s residential policies and procedures as published in these policies; and to be on duty and available in their residence halls 9:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. daily. Residential Life staff are expected to perform rounds of the building when on duty.
In addition, Residential Life staff generally: attend workshops, training sessions and staff meetings; open and close residences before and after vacation breaks; and report maintenance, safety and security needs as they arise. Any information about the latter should be reported to Residential Life staff.
Balconies
All balconies must be kept neat, uncluttered, and safe. Items on balconies must be wholly contained within the balcony.
The following items are the only items permitted on balconies:
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All-weather furniture
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Plants
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Outdoor string lights
College furniture may not be left unattended on balconies. Obstructing the view of the balcony from the outside by hanging items (flags, towels, tapestries, etc.) is strictly prohibited. Students who share responsibility for a balcony are encouraged to communicate with one another about items placed on the balcony area. All students who live in a suite/apartment attached to a balcony will be held responsible for splitting fines resulting from violations. If violations are not corrected within 24 hours, additional fines or judicial action may occur. Building ledges that may only be accessed from a student room or balcony through a window are not considered balconies. Residents may not climb onto nor place property on to these areas, even if there are railings on the ledges. Throwing, tossing, or lowering objects from balconies is strictly prohibited.
Bicycles
Outdoor bike racks are available in multiple locations. Bicycles may not be stored in hallways, near fire escapes or in any manner that might obstruct access to or egress from any room. There are two indoor, secure, bike storage facilities available to residents on campus in Juniper Hall and Butler Hall. To request access email reslife@champlain.edu. All bikes should be taken home at the end of the spring semester. Bicycles that are not removed from bike storage areas at the end of the spring semester will be considered abandoned property and will be disposed of per Champlain College’s discretion. The College assumes no liability for the loss or damage of students’ personal property if property has been abandoned.
Cleaning and Room Inspections
Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and any connecting bathrooms. Common bathrooms are cleaned by the College on a regular basis, but concern for other residents dictates that each student must clean the bathroom areas after each use.
To maintain standards of health and cleanliness, sheets and mattress protectors must be used on all College beds. Bottles and cans may not be collected in lounges or hallways and must be removed from individual rooms weekly.
The College reserves the right to inspect a room at any time, reserves the right to immediately remove all health or safety hazards, and reserves the right to take any actions determined at its discretion as are necessary to further the College’s Standard of Conduct and/or student compliance with applicable law. The College staff conducts maintenance and safety inspections of students’ rooms in an effort to discover and repair maintenance problems in their initial stages and to prevent hazards from developing. Potential Standard of Conduct or legal violations discovered in the course of maintenance and safety inspections will be referred as deemed appropriate to College or other authorities.
Damages
Students will be charged for damages to residence hall furnishings and buildings beyond what is considered normal wear and tear. When specific responsible parties cannot be identified, any assessment of damages to common areas, such as halls, bathrooms and living rooms, will be apportioned among all floor residents or all hall residents. Similarly, when damages occur within a room, the person responsible will be billed accordingly. In the event that responsibility cannot be placed on a particular individual, the cost of repair will be shared by all residents of the room, suite, apartment, floor or building. At the discretion of the Student Accounts Office, students may be suspended from classes for nonpayment of any bill.
Fire Safety in Residence Halls
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The College reserves the right to inspect a room at any time, and reserves the right to immediately remove all health or safety hazards.
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Candles and incense are not permitted in any residence.
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Cooking is not permitted in the residence halls outside of designated kitchen areas. Cooking appliances in student’s rooms constitute a fire hazard and, if found, will be removed by the staff. This includes all types of coffeemakers.
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Microwaves that are provided by the College in the common spaces of residence halls may not be moved for any reason.
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Grills are not permitted at any residence hall except at College approved outdoor events.
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Sunlamps, immersion coils and extension cords are not permitted. Power strips are permitted.
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Students may decorate their rooms and residence halls, but real greens are not permitted and only UL-approved lights may be used. Lights may not be draped in doorways or hung from the ceiling or fire safety equipment, and they may not be used anywhere near fabric or paper decorations. The College reserves the right to remove any decorations that present a fire hazard. Extra furniture that presents a safety hazard may be removed by the College.
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All exits are to be kept free of obstructions.
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All fire escapes, extinguishers, alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are for use in emergencies and in supervised fire drills only. Their use for other purposes is a serious violation of College regulations.
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Halogen lamps are not permitted in residence halls.
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No drapes, flags, tapestries or other flammable materials may be hung from walls or ceilings in such a way as to interfere with egress from the room or the operation of a light fixture, sprinkler head or smoke detector.
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Sprinkler heads, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, alarms/pull stations, and fire extinguishers may not be removed, covered or otherwise tampered with.
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Torches and all types of lighters that emit a continuous flame are prohibited.
Students will be fined $100 for any violation of these regulations, including unnecessary removal or discharge of a fire extinguisher, covering or removing detectors, or tampering with pull stations, smoke or heat detectors, emergency exits, carbon monoxide detectors or any life-safety device. Students who fail to exit a building during a drill or an unplanned alarm may also be subject to this fine or similar sanctions (if the responsible party is not identified, the fine may be levied against all building residents). Violation of these regulations may also be a violation of the College’s Standard of Conduct that will be handled under the College’s disciplinary procedures.
Fire drills in residence halls are conducted once per year with most students participating. The Campus Public Safety staff will conduct a fall training session for all students in each residence hall upon request. The procedure for running a fire drill is as follows:
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Campus Public Safety staff will conduct one unannounced fire drill, in every residence hall that will be timed by staff. The goal is for all students to exit the building within two minutes of the alarm sounding. Because students are not to know of the drill prior to its happening, the procedure is as follows: Campus Public Safety officer notifies the local fire department of the drill, then proceeds to the dorm and immediately activates a pull station to start the alarm.
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A Campus Public Safety officer will arrive at the residence hall before the drill is initiated.
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A Public Safety officer will telephone the local fire department to report when the drill will begin, so the department can take the building offline.
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In a planned drill or unplanned alarm, a Public Safety officer will check all the rooms to make sure that all students have evacuated the building. Attendance will be taken at an outdoor waiting area by a Public Safety officer or Residential Life staff member.
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After the evacuation of the building is complete, Public Safety will silence the alarm and reset the pull station. The Public Safety staff will reset the panel and notify the local fire department that the drill is complete.
In the event of an unplanned alarm, please note the following:
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Everyone must evacuate the building immediately. No one may reenter the building for any reason.
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A Residential Life staff member should account for all residents at the designated waiting area. A Public Safety staff member or local fire department representative should be immediately notified if an occupant remains unaccounted for.
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Only after the local fire department establishes the safety of the building may residents re-enter the residence hall.
The College’s annual fire safety report is available at the Campus Public Safety and Security Office or online at: http://www.champlain.edu/annualsecurityreport
Food
Any food kept in student rooms must be stored in tightly sealed containers. Food and beverages may be consumed in the lounge areas.
Furniture
Furniture in common areas has been arranged by the College to provide the best setup both for the residents and for College functions. If you have an idea to make common areas better gathering places, discuss it with Housing & Residential Life. Any changes must be approved by Housing & Residential Life before they are implemented. Students should not bring their own furniture, and lofts that are not provided by the College are not allowed. Lounge furniture is not to be used in students’ rooms or to be placed outside. Students may not make structural changes to their rooms. Air conditioners cannot be installed in student rooms, as this represents a safety hazard and a drain on electrical systems that are not designed to accommodate these loads.
Guest Privileges
Insurance
Champlain College is not responsible for missing, stolen, or damaged personal property in the residence halls. The College strongly recommends that residential students purchase insurance coverage in the event that personal items are stolen or damaged.
Mail
Campus
Please note that Mail Center services and hours are subject to change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the most up-to-date information regarding the Mail Center, please visit their website at https://www.champlain.edu/current-students/mail-center
All residential students will receive mail at the campus Mail Center in the CCM building at 375 Maple Street. Students are notified via their Champlain “mymail” email address when a letter or package arrives, and can pick it up at the Mail Center.
The correct mailing address is very important! Please help us by making sure people know your correct address. All mail to and from students on campus should use this address:
Student’s Name
Champlain College
375 Maple Street
Burlington, VT 05401
Meal Plan
All residential students with the exception of 194 St. Paul Street residents are required to purchase meals under contract at the College dining facility (IDX Student Life Center) and are charged according to the meal plan. The College believes that bringing students together for meals fosters new friendships and is an important part of collegiate life at Champlain.
Students must present an ID card at each meal; students on the full meal plan cannot transfer meals to others. Students may not take food out of the dining facility unless they have permission from a dining employee. Students are expected to behave just as they would in their own home or at a restaurant. Behaving in a way that disrupts or disturbs other people is prohibited, and violators may be evicted. Serious violations of dining hall regulations may result in the cancellation of your meal contract or disciplinary action; this inevitably means that you may lose residency rights as well.
Parties
Large parties may not be held in the residences. Instead, the College makes the IDX Student Life Center and the Alumni Auditorium available during evening hours for social functions. To coordinate events in these facilities, contact the Event Center.
Public Safety Residential Unlock Services
The unlock service is a courtesy offered by Campus Public Safety (CPS) and is not meant to be abused nor used as an alternative to purchasing a new identification card that has been lost or damaged. There may come a time when students are locked out of their room and need assistance gaining access. In these times, students should contact CPS at (802) 865-6465 and explain their location and need for assistance. When the CPS Officer responds, they will request to see photo identification in order to confirm the student’s identity and room assignment.
Starting with the Fall semester of 2019, individuals needing access to their campus room will be granted three courtesy unlocks per semester by CPS. Additional unlock requests will be assessed a fee of $25.00 per unlock. Campus Public Safety will not collect the fee at the time of the service. A notice will be sent to students at a later date with instructions for payment.
To preserve the safety of all residents, Campus Public Safety will only provide students with access to the residence hall in which they live.
During school breaks and in summer, or whenever residence halls are closed, Campus Public Safety will not be able to provide access to the residential halls without prior coordination and permission from Housing and Residential Life.
Note: Students who find their identification card is lost or damaged Compass Services in Perry Hall (802-860-2777), to obtain a new one. Each replacement card cost $20.00.
Recycling
Burlington residents are required by law to recycle the following items: paper (including cardboard), plastics #1-7, aluminum cans, and glass bottles and jars. Items should be reasonably clean. For full details on what can be recycled, go to http://www.cswd.net/recycling/. Recycling of these items is the responsibility of residents as well as the responsibility of all faculty and staff. There are receptacles in the residence halls for these items, and it is expected that residential students will participate in the recycling program. Returnable bottles and cans may not be gathered in lounge areas or in the hallways.
Residence Hall Break Closures
Students are notified prior to the beginning of each school year the dates that the College will close for breaks. Students are expected to adhere to these dates and vacate their residence hall rooms on time. Exceptions will only be considered in cases of extenuating circumstances. Students failing to vacate on time will be referred to the Office of Community Standards, and may be subject to sanctions under the College’s Conduct Review process or COVID-19 Temporary Student Conduct Process.
Roofs
Students are not permitted on roofs because of the danger of falling and because of the damage, this can do to the roofs. Additionally, students are prohibited from climbing on or rappelling from any College owned or operated buildings or structures.
Room Assignments
Please note that the information below is accurate during a typical year, but may be subject to change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All questions regarding room assignments and changes should be addressed to reslife@champlain.edu.
Incoming students are encouraged to submit housing and/or roommate preferences via the Incoming Student Housing Preference form available to admitted students on the College website. The College will attempt to assign students based on their preferences. The same buildings are often chosen by many incoming students, so it is not always possible to grant all students’ preferences. Roommate choices will be honored only if both parties make the request to live together.
Returning students are assigned priority numbers in early April, during housing selection, in order to select rooms for the following year. Priority numbers are based on the number of credits earned toward graduation. Detailed housing selection information is released each March and is available on the Housing & Residential Life Department Web page.
All students have an opportunity to complete the Identity or Religious Housing Preference form. This form does not guarantee a student’s preference, but informs the Housing & Residential Life staff in our housing process. Students wishing to move during the academic year may request a move if space is available. Information regarding the room change request process can be found in the room change request section of this catalog. Information regarding special accommodation room assignments can be found in the Accommodations section of this catalog.
Students may occupy housing assignments in accordance with the opening and closing dates of residence halls, which follows the academic calendar. Students are required to sign housing agreements/contracts before moving into a residence hall. By taking ownership of room keys and having access to your housing assignment, it indicates a student’s understanding and agreement to Housing & Residential Life and Champlain Colleges policies, and regardless of a signed contract/agreement. Students are expected to remove all personal belongings from their assigned living area and associated common areas on the date their housing assignment ends, whether it is due to a room change, required relocation to another residential space, and termination of student housing or withdrawal from the College. All items remaining in student rooms and associated common areas at the end of their contract period or when the student leaves an assigned space will be considered abandoned property and will be disposed of per Champlain College’s discretion. The College assumes no liability for the loss or damage of students’ personal property if property has been abandoned.
The College reserves the right to reassign, restrict or terminate student housing where that decision will serve a compelling community interest or as deemed appropriate through the Conduct Review Process. This includes the restriction from participating in housing selection process.
Room Change Requests
Please note that the information below is accurate during a typical year, but may be subject to change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All questions regarding room assignments and changes should be addressed to reslife@champlain.edu.
At Champlain College, we believe strongly in the educational benefits of learning to live with others and practicing responsibility, collaboration, and compromise. All residential students will complete living agreements with their roommates during the first few weeks of the semester. The Housing & Residential Life Staff works with students to help mediate and resolve potential conflict. We are committed to helping students to learn important lifelong interpersonal and conflict-resolving skills and our staff will assist students in attempts to resolve their issues themselves before any room change process occurs. Steps towards resolution of conflicts could include revisiting the living agreement, participation in a discussion with a Resident Advisor, and/or discussion with an Area Coordinator.
No student has the right to change rooms without the proper authorization from Housing & Residential Life. Unauthorized room changes are prohibited and may result in disciplinary action.
In the event of a room change, students are responsible for moving their belongings. Housing & Residential Life staff members, Campus Public Safety Officers, and other staff members are not available to assist in this manner. Students may be able to borrow equipment to assist in the moving process, and should check with Housing & Residential Life staff regarding the availability of such equipment.
The College reserves the right to reassign students as necessary.
Solicitation
No sale or solicitation of materials or services of any type is allowed within the residence facilities without the written permission of Housing & Residential Life.
Storage
Because storage space is very limited and students sometimes move from room to room during the academic year, individual room furniture may not be disassembled or moved without specific written permission from Housing & Residential Life. No space is available for storage of students’ belongings over the summer.
Study and Quiet Hours
When you are living in a community with other students and College staff, it is important to remain respectful of others at all hours of the day and night. It is expected that electronic devices will be operated at a reasonable, considerate volume at all times. Speakers or amplifiers may not be placed on or in windows or outside at any time. Quiet hours are 11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. daily, but courtesy is expected 24 hours a day. During exam periods, 24-hour quiet is required in all residence halls.
Theft
Suspected thefts should be reported immediately to Campus Public Safety. It is your responsibility to carry theft insurance on your property in the residence halls; the College does not assume responsibility for any personal possessions that are lost or stolen.
Windows
Windows may not be used for entry or non-emergency exits. Students are encouraged to keep windows closed and locked when not present in the room.
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