Policies and Procedures

HOUSING POLICY CHANGES

Students should be aware that University housing policies may change at any time in the University’s discretion and in accordance with applicable New York state and federal requirements and the recommendations of healthcare professionals. Students residing in campus housing may be required to comply with public health requirements, including those relating to testing, tracing, isolation/quarantine, and removal from residence halls. If the closing of all residence halls is necessary for health and safety reasons, students may be required to leave campus housing entirely. If appropriate, the University in its sole discretion may adjust housing charges in such situations. The health and safety of the Hofstra community will guide all decisions.

Residential Policies

Hofstra University has developed policies and procedures to ensure that all contractual relationships, as well as fire, safety, and maintenance standards, are upheld in the residence halls. In most instances, policies relate directly to the health and safety of residents and the condition of facilities. Since the ultimate responsibility for fulfilling these standards lies with the individual residents, all residents must read and abide by the Residential Living Agreement. A copy of the agreement is printed in this publication. If there is anything you need clarified, feel free to contact the Office of Residence Life.

A signed Residential Living Agreement is a binding obligation between the student and Hofstra University. The student is responsible for satisfying the full financial obligation of the contract in a timely manner consistent with published University payment schedules. Failure to meet the financial obligations to the University may result in the student’s required vacancy of their residential space. The student is obligated to reside only in the facility stipulated in the contract and abide by the rules of conduct established for the residence hall system. Failure to do so will result in a fine and/or University sanction.

In addition to these regulations, all students are required to abide by University policies and principles as set forth in the Code of Community Standards. For further information, please visit hofstra.edu/communitystandards.

Sanctions for breaking any of these rules range from a fine, warning, or probation to suspension from the residence halls or from the University. These policies are strictly enforced because of our commitment to ensure the health and safety of all members of our community. If you are banned from housing, you cannot enter a residence hall for any reason without permission from the Office of Community Standards; if you are the roommate/suitemate of the banned student and allow the banned student into the room/suite, you can be held responsible through the student conduct process and/or be charged for the entire room bill for having hosted the banned student. Anyone violating these policies may be subject to automatic disciplinary action under the Code of Community Standards.

Health and Safety Inspections

In order to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and personal safety, maintenance and health and safety inspections are conducted on a regular basis. The University reserves the right to inspect students’ rooms at any time, regardless of whether the rooms are occupied at the time of inspection. These health and safety inspections are conducted periodically during each semester by the resident director, graduate assistants, assistant directors, and the director of residential operations in conjunction with the resident assistant staff and Plant Department personnel.

Possession of a prohibited item in a residence hall will result in confiscation of the prohibited item and

an automatic fine. If the prohibited item cannot be removed by University personnel or if the resident or residents are being cited for a particular action or behavior, a follow-up date will be given for the resident(s) to become compliant. Failure to pass a follow-up inspection will result in a fine. Although fines are generally the sanction for health and safety inspection violations, any violation may be grounds for student conduct action. A confiscated item must be retrieved from the resident director on a day when the student can

show that they will be taking the item off campus. Unclaimed items will be disposed of or donated to

charity on the last day of the semester. Should additional concerns be raised, the Office of Residence Life reserves the right to pursue student conduct action and/or reassignment or removal of the student from the residence halls. All students have a right to live in a residence hall free from disruptions to their daily living, which includes a clean, safe environment. The list below is not an exhaustive list of prohibited items, actions, and behaviors, and is subject to change as per Residence Life policy, New York state law, Nassau County ordinances, and the International Fire Code (IFC). Any item not in compliance with New York state fire codes, IFC, and those of the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office is prohibited in Hofstra’s residence halls. If a resident is assessed a monetary fine for a health and safety violation, the cost will be $100 per violation.This amount will be added to the student’s account for payment.

The following items are prohibited in the Hofstra residence halls and will result in confiscation of the prohibited item and an automatic fine.

• Extension cords and multiplugs that are not grounded and do not have a light indicator AND an on/off switch. • Multiplug lamps and lamps with an outlet (even if the outlets are not in use), rock salt lamps and plug-in rock salt night-lights, lava lamps, sun lamps, halogen lamps, and black light bulbs. • Scented and unscented plug-in air fresheners (unless UL-approved), air purifiers (unless it is Medify Air

MA-14 Air Purifier), and diffusers. • Candles (even if for decorative use), incense, and wax warmers. • Cooking appliances of any kind, including but not limited to broilers, hot plates, hot pots, slow cookers, microwaves, immersion coils, electric teakettles,* electric grills and electric skillets, toasters,* toaster ovens, rice cookers,* popcorn poppers, and coffee makers* (unless it is a one-cup coffee maker that is UL-approved with an automatic shutoff).

*Permitted in the Graduate Residence Hall if used only in cooking areas.

Other actions/behaviors/prohibited items that may result in a fine:

• Blocked smoke detector/sprinkler/outlet. • Plugging strands of lights into one another (daisy chaining). • Bed tents. • Wall coverings that exceed more than 50% of total wall space. • Fabric on walls/ceilings/windows, including tapestries (unless flame-retardant is noted on the product), flags, curtains, drapes, and valances. • Oversized or excessive number of refrigerators. (Refrigerators cannot exceed one per room and two per suite.) Refrigerators cannot exceed 5 cubic feet. • Refrigerator(s), appliances, and devices not plugged directly into a wall outlet. • Personal microwaves and refrigerators, including the refrigerator/freezer/microwave multi-units rented through the University-sanctioned vendor, are prohibited in the Graduate Residence Hall rooms and suites. • Stand-alone freezers of any size. • Items on wardrobe or over egress (windows and/or doors). • Items suspended from ceiling or within 24 inches of the ceiling (including ceiling in closets). • Unclean living conditions. • Illegal or double occupancy (Resident students residing in multiple occupancy rooms/suites not assigned at full occupancy must ensure that the unassigned space remains vacant for resident placement. When a resident does not adhere to this and occupies the unassigned vacant space (e.g., by using a vacant bed, desk, dresser, or other unassigned space), this is referred to as double occupancy.) • Unauthorized pets in room or suite (including pets of a resident’s guest). • Unauthorized personal furniture in room or suite. • Unauthorized Hofstra University property in room or suite. • 3D printers. • Hookahs, e-cigarettes and vaporizers, drug paraphernalia, or illegal drugs. • Humidifiers/dehumidifiers. • Electric heaters/electric blankets. • Power bed risers. • Any type of firearm or weapon. • Self-balancing scooters, hands-free personal transporters, battery-operated scooters, electric-powered skateboards, and similar devices, as well as their chargers. • Failure to comply with residence hall procedures.

If you receive a health and safety violation fine, specific instructions on the appeals process will be provided to you at that time. Appeals of all fines must be made in writing by the deadline to the Health and Safety Violation Committee. The committee will review the appeal and respond in writing via the student’s Hofstra Pride email account.

When it cannot be determined who is responsible for a violation, all occupants of the room, suite, or apartment will be fined the listed amount. Students assuming responsibility for the violation can do so in writing to the committee (by the scheduled deadline) and have the charges against their suitemates/ roommates rescinded. Dropping charges against suitemates/roommates rests with the discretion of the Office of Residence Life. Should you have any questions about the health and safety violation appeals process, you may email the Office of Residence Life at reslife@hofstra.edu.

Maintenance

Report any maintenance issues via the online maintenance request system (see below). Indicate all important information and details in your request, such as location and room number. If it is an emergency, please call Residential Operations between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 516-463-4140. After 5 p.m. and on the weekends, these emergency maintenance calls should be directed to Public Safety at 516-463-6606. Refusing entry for scheduled maintenance can result in delays to complete the work and could also subject you to fines and/or disciplinary action. See steps below to enter your work order request online.

Online Maintenance Request

To enter a work order request online: 1) Log in to the Hofstra portal at my.hofstra.edu. 2) Click on the My Apps icon in the top right corner. 3) Click on the Work Request icon. 4) If applicable, disable your web browser pop-up blocker. 5) Enter the building and room number in the action requested field, and be as detailed as possible. If you have any questions, please call Residential Operations at 516-463-4140.

Housing Deposit

All residential students pay a housing deposit when they apply to live on campus. Once a student occupies a residential space, the housing deposit is held in an account by the University for the entire tenure the student maintains housing on campus. The $300 housing deposit is refunded to the student after their on-campus residency ends, provided at the time of checkout, there has been no damage to the room or common areas AND there are no outstanding balances on the student’s account. During the semester, if there has been damage to the room or common areas, charges applied for lost or broken keys, or health and safety violations assessed, the student is responsible for paying those fees in order to maintain a $300 housing deposit.

Please note: Prior to the start of room selection (approximately at the end of February), if an outstanding balance exists on the student’s account, the student’s housing deposit will be applied toward the balance.

Costs to repair damage to the room, suite, and/or residence hall common areas will be added to the student’s account for payment. The student is responsible for paying those fees in order to maintain a $300 housing deposit.

If the University is unable to determine the specific resident(s) responsible for the damages incurred, then the costs will be added to ALL residents of the room, suite, floor, apartment, or building, as appropriate.

Should a resident observe vandalism being perpetrated by a fellow resident or guest, the resident should notify a Residence Life staff member and/or contact Public Safety so that the responsible person(s) can be held accountable.

Community Damage Assessment

Please note that a Hofstra University union employee must fix any damage done to your residence hall room. No outside worker can be brought in, and you may not fix any damage yourself. In the event that an individual floor or other clearly delineated area of the building suffers damage, the Office of Residence Life has the option to limit the liability to the residents of that area. Itemized damage reports will be available periodically upon request in the Office of Residence Life. Excessive damage may lead to students of an area being reassigned or removed from the residence halls.

All residents of the building will share costs for damage done to community areas (such as lounges, hallways, bathrooms, living rooms, and plate glass) that cannot be assessed to the individual

responsible for the damage. When dealing with damages to common areas, the Office of Residence Life considers each building an individual community. Residents will share equally in the cost of repairs that cannot be ascribed to those liable for the damage. It is up to you to let the Office of Residence Life know who has caused the damage in order to avoid everyone in your building sharing the cost.

Insuring Your Belongings

It is imperative that students safeguard their belongings. We encourage all students to have adequate insurance, either through a homeowner policy or by securing renters insurance. Many homeowner policies allow for a rider for renters insurance. Please discuss this matter with your insurance agent prior to your arrival at Hofstra. The University does not reimburse students for lost or damaged items.

Refrigerator/Freezer/Microwave Rental

The Office of Residence Life uses Campus Specialties Inc. (CSI) as our exclusive provider for refrigerator and microwave combination (MicroFridge®) rental units. For more information about renting a MicroFridge®, visit mymicrofridge.com. *Students can purchase refrigerator/freezer units of 5 cubic feet or less for use in residential rooms; however, for safety reasons, only those refrigerator/ freezer/microwave multi-units rented through a University-sanctioned vendor are permitted in on-campus residence halls. Please note that all units must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Only one (1) refrigerator is permitted in a traditional room, and two (2) are allowed in an entire suite.

*Personal microwaves and refrigerators, including the refrigerator/freezer/microwave multi-units rented through the University-sanctioned vendor, are prohibited in the Graduate Residence Hall rooms and suites.

Quiet hours are 11 p.m. to 9 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 10 a.m., Friday and Saturday. Most buildings also offer 24-hour quiet hour options. Courtesy hours are in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. If a student is disturbing another resident because of noise and is asked to quiet down, this request should be honored, regardless of the time of day. Should a resident of a Quiet Floor violate the Quiet and Courtesy Hours policy, the resident may be relocated to another room or residence hall. During finals week, 24-hour quiet hours are in effect in all residence halls. Violation of Quiet and Courtesy Hours by student(s), resident(s), and/or guest(s) may result in a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, and violators may be asked to leave the residence hall immediately.

Guests and Overnight Guests

Prior to having overnight guests, please discuss your plans with your roommate(s) and suitemate(s). Although we hope that these matters can be worked out, a roommate’s objection to a guest overrides an individual’s right to have an overnight guest. An overnight guest is defined as a person who is not officially assigned to live in the residential space and typically stays in the space beyond midnight. Guests must be escorted into the residence hall by the resident host. The resident is responsible and accountable for the behavior of their guests. It is the responsibility of the resident to inform guests of residence hall policies and other University policies, and those guests are expected to abide by these policies and standards. Guests of residents may remain overnight for no longer than three consecutive nights and six nights total in a semester but not without prior approval from the resident’s roommate(s) and suitemate(s) (if applicable). Unauthorized persons who occupy housing for longer than three nights may be charged the full cost of the room. Failure to abide by guest policies may result in the host losing visitation rights or residential status and/or being subject to disciplinary action and/or receiving a fine. The right of a student to live in reasonable privacy takes precedence over the right of a roommate/suitemate to entertain guests. In determining when guests should be invited to the room, apartment, or suite, common sense and mutual respect must prevail. All guests must be registered at the building security booth. The host must come down to the building residential security booth to sign their guest in. In addition, both host and guest must formally affirm that the guest is vaccinated, as per University COVID-19 vaccination policy for its students. This policy is subject to change based on the current health conditions. The most up-to-date external guest policy for the residence halls can be found at hofstra.edu/ togetheragain-residence. ONLY vaccinated individuals may visit the residence halls. Proof of vaccination may be required to be shown at any time. Falsification of vaccination status will result in the immediate removal of guest/s and the immediate suspension of guest privileges for the host. All overnight guests must sign in/out with the resident safety representative (RSR) each time they enter and egress the building. Students who are asked to vacate the residence hall due to nonregistration status may not stay on campus as guests of current residential students. All guests are expected to abide by all University and Office of Residence Life policies, procedures, and regulations. Failure to abide by these policies, procedures, and regulations may result in indefinite denial of guest privileges in Hofstra’s residence halls or housing complexes. During the summer sessions, overnight guests may reside in the halls for a period of 24 hours only. Violation of this policy may result in the resident or guest being billed for the cost of summer housing. Disciplinary action may also be taken. Children under the age of 17 are not allowed to stay overnight or visit in the residence halls unless accompanied by a parent or guardian and approved by the Office of Residence Life. Residential students may only sign in two (2) guests at a time.

Recycling

Hofstra University makes significant contributions toward protecting the environment through its comprehensive recycling program. Our efforts include an active recycling program at all dining facilities. Plastics, cans, and bottles are collected in all buildings for recycling. Also removed from the waste stream by Hofstra are the following items: mixed paper, cardboard, cooking grease and oil, lamps, batteries, vehicle used oil, antifreeze, and paint thinners.

Posting Policy

Posting of flyers without approval of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement or Office of Residence Life, or posting of flyers by persons other than Residence Life staff is a violation of the posting policy. Students or groups wishing to post flyers in the residence halls must obtain a copy of the posting policy at the Office of Residence Life, Room 126 Wellness and Campus Living Center, North Campus. The conducting of an enterprise for personal profit is prohibited in or around University-operated living units. Residential networks and computer services may not be used for solicitation. Door-to-door solicitation for any purpose is prohibited. Parties that are hosted for the purpose of selling merchandise are prohibited in the residence hall lounges and/or the residence hall rooms. Residence hall rooms/lounges cannot be used for outside lectures, concerts, demonstrations, displays, exhibitions, or in any manner as a means of promoting commercial companies, products, or services. Residence halls are dedicated exclusively to providing a living environment that is conducive to activities associated with student life and academic success. Charitable solicitations not in conflict with this policy may be arranged with your RD. These charitable solicitations must be held in accordance with all University policies. Violation of this policy may result in a violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

Custodial Services

The University employs staff whose responsibility is to clean public areas of the residence halls, including lobbies, lounges, hallways, stairwells, common bathrooms, and kitchens. Bathrooms in the high-rises are cleaned seven days a week during the fall and spring semesters. Bathrooms in suite-style areas are cleaned during the winter intersession and spring break. Schedules are posted in the residence halls to notify students of the cleaning schedule. However, maintaining cleanliness in the residence halls is the responsibility of residents as well as custodial staff. To make the job easier, please wrap all trash in bags before you throw it away in the large receptacles in the public areas. This is especially necessary with food. While custodial staff clean the high-rise bathrooms every day, they have only a limited amount of time to do so. Please clean up after yourself so they will have more time to devote to the major work of cleaning the facilities. During the two times per year that suite bathrooms are cleaned, residents are required to remove all their items from the bathroom countertop and shower stall, and allow the cleaning staff to enter. The suite door will be left open while custodians are cleaning the bathroom. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in a health and safety violation fine of $100 for each student sharing the suite. In addition, when a student vacates a room, a custodial team will enter the room to clean the space. Students living in double rooms should be aware that if one roommate moves out, the vacated half of the room will be cleaned. Therefore, it is important to note that the vacant half of the room/suite/apartment must remain clear of any personal belongings. If excessive cleaning is necessary, a monetary fine will be issued. Please consult with Student Health Services about the proper procedure for discarding medical waste.

Painting

A year-round painting schedule is in effect for all University buildings and residence halls. Should a resident’s room be scheduled for painting, the resident will be notified approximately five to seven working days in advance by an email to the resident’s Hofstra Pride account and with a notice placed in the room. When a room is scheduled to be painted, all items must be removed from the walls and/or ceiling. Residents are encouraged to move all items away from the walls toward the center of the room. Residential students with allergies will be given alternative housing the evening after the painting has occurred. The student should contact the Office of Residence Life to make the alternative housing arrangements. Residence hall rooms may not be painted except by University personnel. Failure to have the room prepared as scheduled and/or violation of this policy may result in a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and/or fines.