1. Nondiscrimination Statement—Colby College housing policies and programs prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, creed, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, or physically challenged status.
2. Liability—The College will assume no liability directly or indirectly for loss of or damage to personal property by fire, theft, or any other cause. In addition, the College will assume no liability for items stored in trunk rooms during the course of the academic year or over the summer. Students should note that the College does not and cannot carry insurance to protect personal property and, as such, cannot be held liable in the event of students’ property being lost or stolen from any College-owned or -maintained buildings. Students should seek coverage for their belongings through their family homeowner’s insurance policy or with a tenant’s policy.
3. • Eligibility—Occupancy of residences is limited to registered, full-time Colby College students in good standing and others affiliated with the College who may be assigned by the Dean of Students Office.
   • Payments—All charges are placed on the semester bill and are subject to semester provisions for payment.
   • Room Assignment Term—The term of this agreement is for the ENTIRE COLLEGE YEAR. Room and board assignments are made on the basis of a full academic year, subject to earlier termination, only in the event of the student’s withdrawal, or completion of residence requirement, or dismissal from College or from the campus residences.
   • Termination and Eviction—The College reserves the right to terminate, without refund, the privilege of on-campus residence for any student found in violation of College regulations or acceptable standards of behavior. In exceptional circumstances, when the College believes the continued presence of a student in a residence hall presents danger or disruption, the College may cancel a student’s room assignment and evict the student from the residence hall prior to any hearing. In the event that room assignment has been made based upon a leadership position (i.e., hall staff, elected position), resignation from or loss of the position may result in reassignment of all room occupants.

Resident Agrees—The student agrees to make payments of fees as specified in the informational materials, to observe all rules and regulations of Colby College, which are, by reference, a part of this agreement, and to honor the terms and conditions stated in this agreement.

1. Assignment Policy—Continuing residents will be given the opportunity to select their rooms in accordance with the selection procedure designed by the College Affairs Committee and approved by the Office of the Dean of Students. New students will be assigned to residences by the Office of the Dean of Students.
   
   The College reserves the right to assign and to reassign rooms, or to effect any other steps necessary or advisable for reasons of health, safety, and conduct of its residence hall program. In the event a vacancy should occur, each room occupant agrees to accept whatever roommate may be assigned by the College. A room assignment cannot be reassigned by the student to any other person, nor can any part of the premises be sublet.
2. Occupancy—Residence hall rooms may be used by returning students 48 hours before the first full day of classes in any semester. New students may occupy rooms on the first day of orientation. At the end of a semester, rooms may be occupied up to 24 hours after a student’s last scheduled exam. Only students who are registered for on-campus January Programs or who have obtained special permission from the dean of students may be permitted to live in the residence hall during the Jan Plan period.
   
   Residences and dining rooms are closed during the winter and spring vacation periods listed in the College calendar and the Colby College Catalogue.
3. Check-in—Upon moving into a room, the resident will complete and sign a room contract and key agreement, which will be an accurate and complete record of the contents and conditions of the assigned room. This inventory will serve as the basis for check-out charges if assessed.
4. Room Changes—Room changes are permitted after October 15. However, the student may change a residence hall room assignment only with prior written authorization. Unauthorized room or residence hall changes or failure to move out of a room at the designated time may result in a charge of $200 and/or disciplinary action being levied against all parties involved in the room change(s).
5. Room Care—The student is responsible for cleaning his or her own room, suite, or apartment, for removing waste materials regularly, and for maintaining sanitation and safety conditions acceptable to the College. Furniture may not be removed from rooms and communal areas to which it has been allocated. A $100 fine and disciplinary action will automatically result for students who fail to return furniture to its rightful location when asked and for those who take furniture outside of its assigned building. Unauthorized painting or altering of the condition of rooms will result in charges to restore the room to its original condition at the end of the year or at an earlier time as determined by the Dean of Students Office. Lofts must be constructed only with the prior approval of the associate dean for housing in specifically designated residence halls to ensure that they do not pose a threat to safety. It is expected the student will return the room to the College in “broom clean” condition, free of any debris. Violators will be fined.
6. Damage in Residence Hall Rooms and in Residence Hall Common Areas—Liability for damage or loss of College property located within individual residence hall rooms lies with the resident(s) of the room.
   
   When damage or loss of College property occurs in residence hall common areas (e.g., lounges, hallways, lobbies, bathrooms, etc.), the dean’s office staff makes every effort to identify the individuals responsible and to bill them. In cases where the dean’s office determines that responsibility lies with the residents of a specific section of a residence hall, those students will be billed. When the individuals responsible for damage or loss of College property cannot be identified, the cost of repair or replacement is assigned to occupants of the residence hall. At the end of each semester, Residential Life, in cooperation with the Physical Plant Department, determines the cost of all unidentified damage and loss of College property and bills the residents of each residence hall on a pro rata basis. Any conflicts regarding assignment of responsibility may be directed to the Conduct Board.
7. Check-out—The student agrees to follow the proper check-out procedure when vacating the premises, which includes a mandatory check-out with a member of the residential life staff, removing waste and debris, and leaving the room in acceptable, clean condition. Should extra cleaning be required, a service charge and fine will be assessed to the student. Any items left in a room after a student has vacated that room will be discarded. Failure to check out properly could result in fines and loss of room for the following year.
8. Room Inspection Policy—In order to both protect student privacy and to meet the College’s obligation to provide safe residence halls, protect property, and safeguard the well-being of all residents, the College will employ the following policy regarding room maintenance and inspection.
   
   The College has the right to enter rooms for maintenance or inspection at any time. Announcements will generally be made in each hall prior to the commencement of inspections in that particular hall and the College will attempt to make inspections when at least one of the room occupants is present. Either the hall staff or a member of the dean of students staff will visit rooms to ensure the smoke detectors and sprinkler heads are in good working order and that they have not been tampered with or obstructed. While in the room, particular attention will be paid to other issues, which could compromise the safety of the specific occupants, or other students living in the building. Items prohibited in individual student rooms for safety reasons include, but are not limited to: candles, incense, torchiere-style halogen floor lamps, any lamp with a bulb larger than 250 watts, non-approved cooking devices, oil lamps, and power strips without surge protectors or circuit breakers. Occupants will be given 24 hours to correct any infractions and receive fines if corrective action has not been taken prior to the follow-up inspection. While the primary purpose of these inspections is to identify and correct safety problems, if contraband or stolen property (including College property) is discovered in plain sight, it may be confiscated. Disciplinary action would likely follow. (For the purposes of these inspections, “contraband” is defined as illegal or unauthorized material as defined by state or federal law or by College regulations, or as items that present evidence of illegal activity. Such items can be confiscated immediately if they are present and in open violation of law or College regulation or if they pose a threat to safety. “Plain sight” is defined as something in open, plain view, that can be seen without displacement of other items.)
   
   Thorough room searches (closets, desk drawers, etc.) may be made by civil authorities with appropriate warrants or by authorized College employees who have received voluntary written consent from the student or, in unusual circumstances, when there is imminent threat to persons or property.
   
   At the time of the inspection, written notification will be left with the occupant(s) of each room visited and will indicate one or more of the following results:
   • no deficiencies/infractions noted
   • a brief description of deficiencies/infractions
   Anything discovered during an inspection can be used as evidence in disciplinary action.
9. Room Entry for Purposes Other Than Inspection
   Hall Staff—There are times when it is necessary for the hall staff to enter a student’s room when the student is not present, or when the student has not invited the hall staff member in. This practice will be exercised only:
   • when there is clear or imminent danger to the persons or contents of the room
   • to ensure evacuation during fire alarms and drills, or any other emergency situations
   • to ensure adherence to fire safety issues, such as open flames or ceiling hangings
   • at the request of the Office of the Dean of Students (i.e., to determine that a student has arrived for the beginning of a fall or spring semester; left for, or returned safely, from a vacation period; etc.)
   • before vacation periods to secure the residence halls
   Safety and Maintenance Throughout the Year—During vacation or non-vacation periods, the Physical Plant Department (PPD) or other authorized employees, will not provide written notification prior to conducting routine maintenance work (to be defined as: responding to heat calls; closing windows in cold weather; conducting repairs—windows, walls, ceilings, floors, electrical devices, and fixtures; all manner of painting; to remove or replace unwanted or damaged furniture; to gain access to concealed plumbing; and all other related work). It should also be noted that professional contractors and non-PPD employees (when escorted by a College official) share these same room entry rights. A notice will be placed on the door or inside the room, notifying resident(s) of PPD’s visit.
10. Fire Safety—Because of the extreme and ever-present danger of fire in the residence halls, the College takes the issue of fire safety very seriously. Possession of flare guns, fireworks, candles (decorative or otherwise), oil lamps, incense, torchiere-style halogen floor lamps (exceeding 250 watts), or other incendiary devices in the residence halls is expressly prohibited. Students found in possession of such items will be subject to fines and/or disciplinary action.
11. Food Preparation in Rooms—Cooking is not permitted in student rooms. No hot plates, electric heaters, toaster ovens, camp stoves, or other flame-producing or open-heating devices are permitted.
12. Guests—Students are responsible for the conduct and actions of their guests.  This includes violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
13. Pets—Dogs, cats, birds, rodents, and other air-breathing, non-aquatic animals, are not permitted in student rooms, suites, or apartments, or in the residence hall common areas.
14. Pregnant Students—Pregnant students are allowed to reside on campus. The student would be asked to maintain contact with the College Health Center to discuss pre-natal care, arrangements for labor and delivery, and transportation to the hospital.
    
    Once the child is born, it is expected that mother and child would live off campus, unless a suitable campus apartment becomes available. Traditional dorm rooms and facilities do not provide a suitable environment for an infant.
    
    If the mother would like to return to full-time residence without the child, such an arrangement would be permissible.
15. Student Entrepreneurs—Businesses may not be operated from/in student rooms without the permission of the director of campus services. Students receiving permission to operate a business will not be allowed to use Colby’s phone, mail, or technology infrastructures for business purposes.
16. Thefts—All thefts should be reported to the Department of Security at once. In addition, thefts from residence halls should be reported to the Office of the Dean of Students.
17. Students are prohibited from “combining” rooms. That is, groups of students from more than one living unit may not relocate all beds into one room and use the second room as social space. Students who combine furnishings to create a bedroom/social room arrangement will be required to immediately set all rooms involved back as found when arriving. Disciplinary action and/or fines may be applied.
18. Smoking—Smoking is not permitted in any residence hall on the Colby campus, nor is it allowed within twenty-five (25) feet of any residence hall. It is expected that all residents, guests, and College employees inside or within 25 feet of a residence hall will adhere to this policy. Students violating this policy can expect disciplinary action, increasing in severity for each occurrence, including but not limited to warnings, written notices, probationary status, and potentially more severe sanctions should violations be repeated. The College Affairs Committee has imposed the following sanctions:
    
    In Dorm Offenses:
    • 1^st Offense: $150 fine for smoking of any kind
    • 2^nd Offense: Housing probation
    • 3^rd Offense: Removal from College housing
    Offenses Outside the Building:
    • 1^st Offense:   Verbal Warning
    • 2^nd Offense:  Verbal Warning
    • 3^rd Offense:   Disciplinary Warning for “Failure to Comply”, referral to Health Center
    • 4^th Offense:   Disciplinary Probation (one semester)
    • 5^th Offense:   Disciplinary Probation (one year)
    • 6^th Offense:   Permanent Disciplinary Probation
    • 7^th Offense:   Meeting with Conduct Officer (consider suspension)