RESPECT AND COURTESY

From this point forward, you are a member of the UW-Platteville community and are responsible for the choices you make and the consequence of those choices. With a conscious effort from all residents, a wing community will be effective, developmental, inclusive, and ultimately home. As a member of the community, you are responsible to not only the university and yourself, but to your neighbors as well.

Steps To Respect And Courtesy

• Get to know your neighbors – The more you seek to understand and know the other students that you live with, the easier it is to confront safety concerns, cleanliness, and noise issues within the community.

• Active listening – In any situation, it is imperative to listen to another person to understand their perspective rather than to listen and respond with our own immediate reaction. Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding.

• Appropriate confrontation – An effective confrontation focuses on what you want rather than what you don’t want and gives examples of the desired behavior so that they know exactly what you are asking for. It is important to approach a confrontation of others when your own emotions are in check.

• Personal hygiene and habits – Odors, cleanliness, and how a person takes care of themselves can impact the community environment. Make sure to practice healthy habits and learn how to manage your room cleanliness so it does not impact your roommate(s) and community.

• Accountability for self – You are accountable for the words and actions you bring to the community, and the impact they can have on fellow community members.

• Accept there will be differences – Not everyone will be exactly like you in their habits, upbringing, opinions, or personal values. Daily schedules between students also vary greatly. Attending UW-Platteville and living in the residence halls introduces you to a wide array of new experiences and personalities. You will not like everyone, and everyone will not like you. Accepting that there will be differences within the community you live, and not assuming that everyone has had the same experience that you have had, is the first step in empathy and living as part of a community.

• Compromise and advocacy – Learn how to compromise on the small things that won’t add up to big things. But speak up and advocate for yourself to fellow community members on the big things. If you cannot rectify a situation on your own, hall staff are present to assist with mediation.

An Inclusive Community

All your life, you have probably been reminded of the virtues of “getting an education.” Aside from helping you achieve academic and career goals; the campus serves as a unique “laboratory” for other kinds of learning. Students of different nationalities, cultures, races, political affiliations, religions, philosophies, lifestyles, socioeconomic levels, sexual orientation and gender identity, and interests all come together to form the UW-Platteville community and contribute to its diversity and vitality.

The campus provides an atmosphere for exploring and understanding cultural differences and offers strong support for cultural traditions. You can choose to remain open to diversity, be curious, and share with others your similarities and your differences. To close yourself to people or ideas because of differences that seem strange or unusual to you deprives you of a valuable learning experience. Even if you ultimately find that you don’t agree with another’s perspective, you will have gained a clearer understanding of the basis for your differences and the need to accept others’ rights to be who they are.

Our heritage, background, and cultural and religious values are an important part of who and what we are. We hope you will embrace the opportunity to truly get to know your community members.

Residence Hall Policies And Procedures

Residence Life partners with UW-Platteville’s Dean of Students Office and University Police to enforce and hold accountable the policies and laws of the university. It is possible for a student to be involved in one incident that violates policies across university, residence life, and state laws, and therefore, be in the conduct process with all three collaborative offices.

• The Residence Hall Policy Handbook is available online. Residence hall staff review policies with residents during their first wing meeting. Students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the contents of the handbook.

• The handbook contains information about Residence Life regulations and policies, including snow removal for parking regulations. The handbook also provides information about the residence hall disciplinary system.

• The Residence Hall Policy Handbook can also be found on the Residence Life website at www.uwplatt.edu/department/ residence-life

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. That’s why your resident assistant, senior assistant, and resident director are here. The Residence Hall Policy Handbook is a guide to many opportunities and requirements that affect the quality of your experience at UW-Platteville.

Community Standards

WHAT ARE COMMUNITY STANDARDS?

Everyone in the community is expected to respect the rights of others. Students must make choices to maintain a safe and secure environment and allow all residents to pursue their academic objectives. Residence Life personnel educates residents regarding their rights and responsibilities that are associated with community living and use them as a guide in making decisions concerning resident welfare and behavior.

To meet the goal of all students achieving the pursuit of their academic objectives, standards of behavior and policies have been set for which you will be accountable. These include, but are not limited to:

• UW-Platteville Residence Life policies contained in this handbook (also available online)

• UW-Platteville Student Handbook

• UW System chapters

• Wisconsin state law

• Federal law of the United States of America