Dormitory Regulations
Each residential college is a microcosm of the Yale undergraduate student body. Freshmen are assigned to colleges by a method that attempts to ensure that the population of each mirrors the diversity of backgrounds and interests found in the student body as a whole. The master of each residential college is in charge of all college affairs, including housing. Generally the responsibility for room assignments is delegated to the dean; in extraordinary circumstances the master and dean may collaborate in making housing decisions.
Violation of the dormitory regulations may be subject to disciplinary action by the Yale College Executive Committee. In certain cases, the master of a residential college, in consultation with the residential college dean, will decide that the appropriate punishment for persistent or serious disregard for the regulations is to require the student in question to live off campus, either for a specified period or permanently. This penalty is called "rustication." Rusticated students may be denied access to the college itself and to its facilities. When a student is rusticated, no rebate of room rent will be granted for the time period of rustication. Violations of the penalty of rustication may also be referred to the Yale College Executive Committee.
Dormitory regulations are binding on all students in residence in Yale College housing and on their visitors, whether from Yale or elsewhere. The following regulations apply in college annexes and on the Old Campus as well as in the residential colleges.
1. Occupancy. Students in their first four terms of enrollment must live on campus unless they are married or are at least twenty-one years of age. Students must live in the rooms to which they have been assigned. They may not move without the permission of the college dean or master. Men and women will not be assigned to the same rooms or suites. All resident students must take a meal contract.
Only students currently enrolled at Yale may live in undergraduate housing; students on leave of absence, students on a Term or Year Abroad, and withdrawn students may not occupy student housing. On-campus housing is guaranteed to freshmen and sophomores, for whom residence is required. Housing is generally available for all who request it, but availability is not guaranteed.
2. Room Draw. An undergraduate who participates in the room draw of a residential college in the spring, and accepts a room as a result of the draw, has contracted for that room. If that student subsequently relinquishes the room either to live off campus or to take a leave of absence, he or she will be subject to the charges outlined in Financial Regulations.
Yale has limited wheelchair-accessible housing. Therefore any student who selects and accepts a wheelchair-accessible room may later be required to relinquish it to a disabled student. If the room is needed, the original occupant will be provided with alternative housing.
3. Off-Campus Housing. Juniors and seniors are ordinarily permitted to live off campus; however, the master or dean may require a student to remain on campus in unusual circumstances. The University assumes that students have notified their parents of their housing plans.
Any student living off campus may select a resident meal plan and is encouraged to take advantage of all the other resources of the college.
4. Readmission. Because they are notified so close to the beginning of the term in which they wish to return, applicants for readmission have the lowest priority in the assignment of housing on campus and cannot be assured of quarters either in the residential college or in a college annex. Students applying for readmission who wish to live on campus should notify the residential college dean early in their readmission process.
5. Transfer of College Affiliation. Students may request a transfer from their assigned residential college to another college. Such a request will be granted when a student has compelling reasons and there is space in the college to which he or she wishes to transfer. Instructions and the form to request a transfer may be obtained in the master's or dean's office of any residential college. A student must complete the form, which requires a brief written statement, and must also meet with the master and dean of each of the colleges involved before the application can be considered.
Transfer requests must be submitted by Friday, February 15, 2008, for the following fall term. In unusual circumstances, students may ask to transfer affiliation at other times of the year; such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
6. Occupying and Vacating Rooms. All residences, including the residential colleges, Old Campus dormitories, the New Residence Hall ("Swing Space"), and annex facilities, open for occupancy on stipulated dates before the beginning of classes each term. They are open for the entire fall and spring semesters, but they are closed during the winter recess. A college master may require students planning to stay on campus during the spring recess to notify the office before the start of recess.
All students must vacate their rooms by noon of the day following the end of the final exam period in the fall term. In the spring term, all students but seniors must vacate their rooms by noon the day following the end of the final exam period; seniors may remain in their quarters until noon of the day following Commencement.
Students who withdraw or are withdrawn from the University for any reason must vacate their rooms within seventy-two hours. Students on leave of absence may not occupy a dormitory room. Students occupying dormitory rooms during the fall who will be leaving for the spring term must remove all of their possessions by noon of the day following the end of exam period, so that the room can be prepared for the next occupant.
Living and working in a community requires individuals to show each other mutual respect and consideration. In the case of Yale dormitories, at the very least students need to be able to sleep and study in comfort. All students have a right to privacy. Persistent rooming disagreements should be discussed with the college master or dean.
1. Noise. Students should use sound systems, musical instruments, televisions, etc., with consideration for the rights of others. The college master has the authority to confiscate sound equipment and return it to the student at the end of the academic year if its use is inappropriate. Inconsiderate noise should be reported to the master and dean. Violation of the rules against noise may result in the penalty of rustication.
2. Firecrackers and Fireworks. Most firecrackers and fireworks are illegal in the State of Connecticut. Students may not store any fireworks in a dormitory room, and their use is prohibited anywhere on campus. Violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and referred to the Executive Committee.
3. Firearms and Weapons. Guns, ammunition, air rifles, paintball and pellet guns, BB guns, Tasers, knives, and other weapons are absolutely prohibited.
4. Pets. Students are not permitted to keep pets in their dormitory rooms. Off-campus students may not bring their pets on campus. The custodial supervisor has the authority to remove and to send to the pound any animal found in the dormitories.
5. Thrown Objects. Throwing objects of any kind from windows is forbidden.
6. Guests. Students living in the dormitories may have guests for brief visits, but not for more than a few days. Roommates who feel inconvenienced by the presence of others' guests should discuss the matter with their master or dean. No guest may be in residence during vacation periods or at any other time if a host is not present. Students are responsible for the behavior of their guests at all times; guests may not use common areas of a college unless their hosts are present.
7. Trading and Soliciting. Students may not invite dealers or other tradespeople onto campus unless they receive permission from their college master. They also may not make contracts or agreements with such individuals that would require their presence in dormitories except to remove or deliver goods to an individual student. Violations of this rule could result in the exclusion of such dealers and tradesmen from University grounds and buildings, and might also subject the contracting student to disciplinary action.
8. Restricted Areas. Students may not trespass in areas that are locked, such as rooftops, towers, and tunnels.
9. Smoking Regulations. Smoking is forbidden in the colleges, on the Old Campus, and in the New Residence Hall ("Swing Space").
10. Postings. Notices and postings may be put up on bulletin boards with permission of the master. Students are prohibited from attaching notices or posters to doors, walls, etc.; they will be removed.
Each student in residence in a Yale College room will be supplied with a bed, mattress, bureau, wardrobe, desk, and chair. The University does not provide computer desks or additional tables. A blue recycling bin will be allocated to each suite. In addition, some rooms or suites are furnished with lamps, bookcases, fire screens, curtains, screens, or storm windows. At the beginning of each term, students will receive a custodial supervisor's dormitory room report listing the furniture that has been provided; the property listed becomes a student's responsibility. Students must inform the custodial supervisor within five days if the report contains mistakes. Even when absent from their rooms, students are held responsible for any disorder or damage occurring there.
No University-issued furniture is to be removed from student rooms. If any furnishings are missing from rooms at the end of the year, students will be billed for replacement costs.
Students who damage furniture or furnishings will be charged for repairs, and if it is unclear who damaged furniture all of the occupants of the suite will be billed for a share of the repair or replacement. (See also section I, "Maintenance of dormitory rooms and campus areas.")
D. New Residence Hall ("Swing Space")
All the rooms in the New Residence Hall ("Swing Space"), including common rooms, are fully furnished; students may not remove any of the furniture. Students living in the New Residence Hall may add U.L.–listed appliances such as toaster ovens to their kitchens. All such appliances may be used only in the kitchens. A summary of replacement and repair costs of furnishings and appliances will be distributed to students in the New Residence Hall along with their dormitory room reports when they move into their rooms. All other rules applying to other Yale College rooms apply also to the New Residence Hall.
At all times, storage is limited to the spaces each college designates for that purpose. No student may store possessions in the mechanical rooms of any college basement. The University reserves the right to dispose of improperly stored items without notice and without compensation.
Storage over the summer in the residential colleges is not a right but a privilege. The system is costly in terms of the time it requires of the masters' offices and the custodial staffs, and creates difficulties for the Summer School and for those trying to clean and refresh the facilities. Summer storage is not permitted on the Old Campus or in University annex space. Nevertheless, the masters generally try their best to make the most space possible available, but the space, even in the most spacious of colleges, is severely limited, and students should remember this in making their plans.
Storage in the summer may be divided into two categories: boxed storage of personal effects and furniture or other room furnishings. In order to avoid thefts during the summer recess, to prepare rooms for summer occupancy, and to facilitate important maintenance work, students must remove all their personal effects from the rooms of the residential colleges at the end of the academic year, and must either place their belongings in storage facilities provided by the college or remove them from the premises. Students residing in the colleges may leave one couch per suite, and each student may leave one chair, one rug (cleaned and rolled up), one freestanding bookcase (no cinder-block or brick construction), two framed pictures, and one standing lamp. Refrigerators may not be stored in student rooms or college storage spaces. Students must identify each item left in the room or suite with a tag obtained from the college master's office, and must securely attach and label each tag with the owner's name as well as fall and spring room numbers. Untagged or illegally tagged or excessive furniture, rugs, pictures, and other possessions left in rooms will be removed at the discretion of the college custodial supervisor, and the student will be charged for the expense of the removal.
Students residing in rooms on the Old Campus or in annex apartments must remove all personal effects and furniture when they vacate them at the end of the spring term. Each college will designate one or more areas for boxed storage of personal effects only. Each student assigned to the college (regardless of on-campus/off-campus status) will be allowed to store up to a total of six boxes. The master of each college may designate a smaller number of boxes, depending on available storage space. Only boxed items will be stored; no loose items or outsized items will be stored. Each box must be labeled on the sides in bold black lettering with the student's name and fall-term room number.
Yale takes no responsibility for the safety of items left on University property. Students are encouraged to provide their own storage for furniture and possessions and to provide insurance against loss or damage. In any college designated for occupancy for programs over the summer, or for renovation or alteration, alternate storage arrangements may have to be made.
F. Insurance for personal belongings
Yale is not responsible for loss of, or damage to, any personal belongings anywhere on or off campus, whether in a dormitory room, an off-campus apartment, or in a storage area, regardless of the cause of the loss or damage. All students are encouraged to make their own arrangements to obtain insurance against loss or damage.
The Yale Office of Risk Management provides access for students to a comprehensive insurance policy to protect student personal belongings. Details can be found at www.yale.edu/finance/controller/riskman.
It is crucial that all fires, no matter how small, be reported to the University Fire Marshal's Office at 432-9923 and to the college master's office. This includes fires extinguished without the assistance of the fire department or the University Police.
The University reserves the right to enter and to inspect any student room without prior notice. It delegates to the University Fire Marshal the right to enter and inspect student rooms for fire hazards. All dormitory rooms will be inspected twice a year. When the inspection is completed, occupants will be provided with a University fire and inspection report. The marshal may require the removal of any flammable or combustible material or any obstructions to fire doors or other dormitory exits. The expense of any such removal will be charged to the occupants.
Each member of a suite is responsible for complying with the following fire safety rules:
1. Fire Extinguishers. Students may not remove fire extinguishers from their proper stations or discharge them except to put out fires. Students involved in the unnecessary discharge of fire extinguishers will be fined $100 per person for each extinguisher discharged and will be charged for its replacement. They will also be held responsible for any cleanup costs. In addition they may be subject to further disciplinary action by the master or by the Yale College Executive Committee.
2. Fire Alarms, Smoke Detectors, and Sprinkler Systems. Deliberately setting off a fire alarm when there is no fire is against the laws of the State of Connecticut. A student who sets off a fire alarm will be fined at least $100 and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Further disciplinary action will be taken by the master or the Yale College Executive Committee.
The smoke detectors in each room should be in working order at all times. Students should press the test button on the front cover of their detectors weekly; if there is no sound, they should report the malfunction to the University Fire Marshal's Office (432-9923). If it is found that students have damaged, removed, or deliberately made their smoke detectors inoperative, occupants of the room or suite in which the detector is placed will be fined $100 each, and they will be subject to further disciplinary action by the master or the Yale College Executive Committee.
Students may not tamper with the automatic sprinkler systems in dormitory rooms. It is dangerous, and therefore forbidden, to use sprinkler heads and piping for drying or hanging clothing. Sprinklers should never be painted. Students who cause the unnecessary discharge of a sprinkler will be fined $100 per person and charged for replacement of sprinkler heads and for cleanup costs. If such discharge causes damage to other rooms, students will be held responsible for costs for property and room damage. They may be subject to further disciplinary action by the master or by the Yale College Executive Committee.
If, during a party, deliberate and unnecessary activation or discharge of fire alarms, sprinkler systems, or fire extinguishers or tampering with fire alarms, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, or door closures is discovered, the party will be stopped immediately and the person or persons hosting the party will be held responsible for all fines and cleanup costs.
3. Prohibited Articles. For reasons of fire safety, the following articles are prohibited in dormitory rooms:
a. Cooking appliances (microwaves, hot plates, toasters, toaster ovens, broilers, griddles, coffee pots, hot pots, crock pots, or electric woks, except in the New Residence Hall ("Swing Space") and other accommodations equipped with student kitchens.
c. Space heaters (except when issued in emergencies by Physical Plant).
d. Any electrical appliance with defective wiring or an improper current rating.
e. Candles, kerosene lamps, camping cooking equipment, or other open-flame devices.
f. Fabric or fishnet hung from the ceiling or walls.
g. Cork boards more than twelve square feet in size.
h. Flammable fluids and gases such as kerosene, gasoline, and propane.
4. Fireplaces. Fireplaces may not be used under any circumstances.
5. Fire Doors. Access to fire doors should never be blocked; the automatic closure mechanisms should not be propped open; and the security alarms on these doors should never be tampered with. Occupants of any dormitory room in which any of these occur will be fined $100 per occupant.
6. Obstructions of Fire Exits. No object of any sort may be placed or stored in entryways, corridors, exitways, or any other position where it might obstruct immediate access to a fire door or exit. This includes tripping hazards such as rugs or telephone cords.
7. Treatment of Material. Draperies, mattresses, mattress covers, carpets, or wall hangings over four square feet in size must be noncombustible or have been treated with a flame-retardant material.
A $100 fine will be assessed against any student who misuses any of these items or possesses any prohibited item.
The University reserves the right to enter and to inspect any student room. Because of its responsibility to maintain and improve dormitory rooms, inspections may be made without prior notice. Students are responsible for the care of their rooms and are expected to keep them in reasonable condition. If they do not do so, after appropriate warnings by the custodial supervisor they will be charged a $50 fine ($50 per student if more than one student occupies the room). Students who further disregard reasonable standards may be required to relinquish the room without rebate.
In entryway bathrooms, personal belongings are to be left only in the designated storage units or on installed shelves. Students living in suites with self-contained bathrooms are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms and for requesting necessary repairs or other maintenance. Such bathrooms are furnished with cleaning supplies and cleaned twice each year by custodial services, during the winter recess and at the end of the spring term.
At the end of the academic year, each student must sign out of his or her room individually. Each student must complete a sign-out form upon leaving; students who fail to do so will be assessed a $20 fine. When rooms or suites are left in poor condition, a cleaning fee of at least $28 will be assessed, appropriately divided between suitemates or roommates. Each college master has sign-out forms for all members of a college, whether they occupy rooms in the residential college itself or on the Old Campus or in annex housing.
I. Maintenance of dormitory rooms and campus areas
1. Damage to Rooms or Other University Property. Students responsible for damage to their rooms or to other University property will be charged for the cost of repairs. When students move into their rooms they will be provided with a student tenant manual that will include a fee schedule for damages.
2. Alterations. Students may not make alterations to their rooms without advance permission from the residential college master, the Department of Physical Plant at 2 Whitney Avenue, the University Fire Marshal at 314 Prospect Street (432-9923), and the custodial supervisor of the residential college. No fixed or removable lofts (raised beds attached to any wall, the floor, or the ceiling) or partitions (walls or curtains) may be constructed in any University dormitory, whether in a college, on the Old Campus, in annex housing, or in the New Residence Hall ("Swing Space"). Ceiling fans, outside TV antennae, and waterbeds are also prohibited. No furniture or equipment attached to the building itself may be removed. A list of approved construction materials is available in the masters' offices and at the University Fire Marshal's Office. If alterations are made without permission, the University reserves the right to require restoration of the previous condition at an occupant's expense.
3. Painting. The painting or defacing of walls or woodwork in the bedrooms or common rooms of the student suites in any residential college or on the Old Campus is prohibited. In addition, items may be attached to walls in renovated colleges, in fully repainted colleges, and on the Old Campus only with the materials provided by the Facilities Department; attaching items to walls by any other means is prohibited. Painting of entryways, hallways, entry doors to student room and suites, bathrooms, or any other part of a University residence building is prohibited. Fines for noncompliance or the actual cost of repair and repainting will be assessed by Student Financial Services. The minimum cost to repaint one wall or ceiling of a student room is $100.
4. Trash. Fire regulations stipulate that rubbish containers may be placed only on the first floor of entryways. In the New Residence Hall ("Swing Space") and the renovated colleges, trash and recycling should be placed in the basement room set aside for it. Under no circumstances should students leave trash in entryways, hallways, stairways, or landings; students who do so will be assessed a fine of $100 and will be charged for the removal of the trash.
5. Recyclables. Under city and state laws, students are required to recycle all newspapers, white office paper, corrugated cardboard, and glass and metal food and beverage containers in the designated recycling sites in each college. A fine of $50 plus removal fees will be assessed if students leave their recyclables in entryways, hallways, stairways, or landings.
6. Items in Entryways and Stairwells. No items of any kind may be stored or chained in the entryways, hallways, or corridors of any dormitory. Vehicles left in entryways will be removed without notice and stored at the owner's expense. A fine of $100 will be assessed.
7. Use of Courtyards. Activities or games that may harm lawns are not allowed in college courtyards, except with express permission of the individual college masters. Organized activities may not take place on the Old Campus except with permission from the Yale College Dean's Office.
8. Use of Grills. Grills may be used only by obtaining advance permission from the appropriate college master or, in the case of the Old Campus, from the Yale College Dean's Office.
While the safety of members of the community and the protection of University and personal property are a common concern of all members of the Yale community, each student is responsible for his or her own safety. Each student should obtain and carefully read the pamphlet entitled "Campus Safety," published by the University Police Department, the University Security Programs Department, and the Office of Safety and Security Education.
The University particularly requests the cooperation of students in maintaining the security of the dormitories. Students should keep their own doors and entryways locked and their windows secured. They should report to the University Police (campus emergency number 111) any activity or the presence of any person that they think might constitute a threat to security. The University Police should be notified immediately in the event of a theft or of any other crime. Students are responsible for not compromising their own security or that of others. Among the actions which endanger the community and for which students may be subject to fines or disciplinary action by the University Police, the master of the college, or the Yale College Executive Committee are those concerning the following:
1. College Gates and College, Dormitory, or Building Doors. Students should never tamper with or prop open gates or doors and should obey security postings at all times, for their own safety and that of their fellow students.
2. Security Systems or Devices. Improper use of, tampering with, or vandalism of security systems or devices is forbidden.
3. University Identification/Proximity Cards or Keys. Students are not permitted to possess unauthorized identification/proximity cards or keys or to improperly give, lend, or duplicate these devices.
Students receive their identification/proximity cards and keys when they take occupancy of their rooms; in some cases they will also receive suite keys. In some cases a student will receive more than one room key. No keys will be issued except to the occupant of a given room, and that student is responsible for the return of all keys. Students living off campus will have identification/ proximity cards giving them access to the residential college gates.
If keys to rooms, suites, or gates are lost, students will be charged a replacement fee of $25 per key. If a student finds the lost key or keys within thirty days and returns it or them to the master's office, the replacement charge will be canceled. If keys are found after thirty days and returned, half the replacement charge will be returned to the student. Ordinarily the University does not change locks when keys are lost unless a form of identification has also been lost.
When a student loses an identification/proximity card, he or she should immediately report the loss to the University Security Programs Department at 100 Church Street South, 785-5555. Replacement cards are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the ID Card Center in room B1, 246 Church Street. At other times, students may obtain temporary identification/ proximity cards from the University Police Department station at Phelps Gate. The replacement fee is $25.
All students must return keys to the master's office at the end of each academic year; when they withdraw or take leaves of absence from Yale College, or if they move off campus, students must also return room keys, suite keys, and gate keys to the master's office. Failure to return keys at such times will result in a $25 fine, half of which will be canceled if the keys are returned within thirty days of the student's departure. Subsequent return of keys will not reduce the amount of the fine. The identitification/proximity card will be deactivated for all students at the end of each academic year, and it will be deactivated for departing students at the time of withdrawal or leave of absence.
Lost and found items should be treated in the following ways:
1. Items of Value. All lost and found items of value, including wallets and cash, should be reported immediately to the University Police at 432-4400.
2. Personal Items. Personal items lost or found in Department of Athletics facilities should be reported to 103 RTH, 432-1420; in the Medical School, 785-4202; in Sterling Memorial Library and Cross Campus Library, 432-1830. Personal items lost or found in other libraries should be reported to the circulation desk. In all other areas, contact the Lost and Found Department at the University Police headquarters, 432-4405 (weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.) or 432-4400 (at other times).
