Housing Guidebook
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Policies

In addition to all regulations in the student code of conduct regulation 4.007, the Department of Housing and Residential Education will also enforce all policies outlined in addressed per regulation 4.007 5(ff) violations of Housing and Residential Education policies and procedures.

HOUSING ALCOHOL POLICY

  • Students who display intoxicated behavior or who require assistance due to consumption of alcohol are subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU student code of conduct, regulation 4.007.
  • In accordance with Florida Atlantic University’s policy on alcoholic beverages policy 1.2, per the housing policy concerning alcoholic beverages, only beer and wine are permitted in university housing by residents of legal age.
  • Students who are 21 years old may consume beer and wine in their assigned individual room and not provide alcohol to anyone below the legal drinking age. Residents are not permitted to carry an open containers of alcohol around the housing common areas and lobbies.
  • Beer kegs, party balls, funnels, hard liquors, and any drinking game paraphernalia such as beer pong tables, shot glasses, and beer or wine glasses are not permitted in or around university housing.
  • Collections of empty beer or alcohol bottles or cans are not permitted.
  • Any university official has the right to request appropriate student identification when questioning an individual’s age for alcohol consumption purposes.

ANIMAL POLICY

Possession of animals, other than fish as defined below, are prohibited. Any cost associated with the possession of an illegal animal will be charged to the responsible resident(s) or to all residents of the room/apartment, (damaged furniture, cleaning, pest control, etc.). Feeding or petting stray or wild animals is prohibited. Fish, may be maintained as pets, as long as they are kept in fish tanks which are no larger than 10 gallon capacity. Residents are responsible for maintaining the tanks and are responsible for any and all damage caused by the fish or the tank. This policy shall not effect the verification process of service animals or approval process of emotional support animals by Student Accessibility Services.

Failure to comply with this process as outlined by SAS regarding services animals and emotional support animals may result in a Code of Conduct Violation and/or a breach of the Housing Contract.

BICYCLES, MOPEDS, MOTORCYCLES, VEHICLE PARKING, BICYCLE RACKS

  • Bicycles should be registered with the University Police. There is no cost for this registration.
  • Locks are recommended to secure bicycles and are not provided by the University.
  • Bicycle racks are available throughout University Housing areas.
  • Motorcycles, mopeds, and gas or electric powered scooters including two-wheeled "hoverboards" are prohibited inside University Housing. Parking lot space is available in close proximity to University Housing. Storage or parking of these vehicles as applicable is allowed only in designated parking lots.
  • Designated parking lots adjacent to University Housing are reserved for residents. All vehicles must be parked in parking lots and not on grass or other places. Several of the parking lots designated as Faculty or Staff lots are available for student parking at designated hours. Check the signs posted prior to parking vehicles.
  • Bicycles may be stored in either bicycle racks or in resident rooms, provided they do not impede movement within the unit. Bicycles may not be chained to railings, buildings or any portion of buildings or equipment on University Housing grounds.
  • Bicycles, motorcycles or motorbikes may not be stored in hallways, entry areas, stairwells, walkways, patios or balconies. Motorcycles and motorbikes must be parked in parking lots with proper decals. Improperly stored vehicles will be removed at the owner’s expense.

CANDLES / INCENSE

Possession of candles (unless wicks are clipped to the wax), open flames, incense, hot plates or other heating units with an open flame or heating element are prohibited.

COMPLICITY POLICY

An individual who aides another in any action that violates these rules, or assists in the concealment of any conduct that constitutes a violation of these rules, or does not leave the scene of the violation, if not assigned to the unit in which the violation is occurring, may be subject to action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007.

FAU COMPUTER NETWORK

  • All users of the FAU network must abide by the rules contained in the FAU Acceptable Use Policy found at http://www.fau.edu/oit/techpolicy/v.php FAU Office of Information Technology (OIT) monitors the FAU network by a variety of methods, both automated and manually driven. When a situation on the network is detected that is not in keeping with FAU regulations, a user’s access to the network might be limited or cutoff.
  • The use of the FAU network is a privilege that may be revoked at any time for inappropriate behavior. Such behaviors includes verbal or written threats or conduct that intentionally or recklessly places another individual in reasonable fear of physical harm through words or action directed at that person, or creates a hostile environment in which others are unable to reasonably work, learn, live, or engage in other activities. All complaints regarding inappropriate behavior will be subject to review by the Assistant Director for Residential Education.
  • The user is not allowed to share her/his network connection with more than one computer/device at the same time. This prohibits the use of network devices such as; hubs, switches, wireless access points and routers which would permit the user to connect multiple computers/devices to the FAU network.
  • The primary purpose of the FAU network within Housing is to support students’ educational goals, and to build an active, virtual community for our residents. In support of these goals, the following activities are prohibited and may result in revocation of network access, possible University judicial action in accordance with FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007 and/or criminal charges:
    • Allowing unauthorized persons to access the FAU network.
    • Violating copyright laws.
    • Using the FAU network for personal financial gain.
    • Operating unauthorized servers (email, FTP, www, game, or any other program that makes your computer a server) or P2P or Grid applications.
    • Setting up a router or building a private subnet.
    • Modifying or attempting to modify University owned or licensed information.
    • Attempting to modify, damage, disrupt network services, or attempting to use security tools to catalog the network or other users.
    • Using traffic intensive applications (these types of applications may cause problems within the network or dilute the level of service to other users).

COOKING AND COOKING APPLIANCES

Improper use of any kitchen facility or use of a kitchen appliance in an unauthorized area will result in a health and safety violation and disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007.

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY

You are required to only occupy your side of the room at all times. Please do not allow guest(s) to sleep or settle into the unoccupied space/area, as we may have a new arrival check-in.

DRUG FREE ENVIRONMENT

Pursuant to University Policy 1.6, FAU is committed to providing a campus environment free of the abuse of and illegal use and possession of controlled substances. If illegal drugs are found in student housing, immediate action will be taken consistent with University Policy 1.6, and the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007, in order to maintain a drug free environment for the health and security of all FAU students and staff.

EMERGENCY SYSTEMS

Under Florida law, it is a crime to intentionally set a fire, intentionally cause a false fire alarm, or interfere with fire safety or detection equipment or measures, (Florida Statute 806.10 and Florida Statute, Section 806.101).

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ROOMMATE AGREEMENT

Failure to abide by the terms of the agreement among roommates/suitemates may result in disciplinary and/or administrative action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007.

FIRE ALARMS /SMOKE DETECTORS

Tampering with or damaging fire safety equipment (including automatic door closures, smoke detectors, pull stations, fire extinguishers, sprinkler heads, etc.), initiating false alarms, stopping existing fire alarms, or failing to immediately evacuate during a fire alarm are violations of State fire codes. Violations of State fire codes will result in University disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007 and are punishable under state law. Residents must cooperate with staff and participate in fire and other emergency drills, including exiting the building, going to designated shelters and following the direction of University Housing staff, safety officials or both.

FLAMMABLES

The use or storage of flammable fluid, hazardous liquids or chemicals is not permitted in University Housing. Any substance that potentially could cause fire, damage, or explosion is not permitted inside the residence halls.

GUEST / VISITATION:

  • Hosts assume full responsibility for the conduct of their guests. FAU students will be held responsible for any violations of the FAU Student Code of Conduct. Hosts are expected to be familiar with University and Housing rules and to inform their guests accordingly.  Guests are required to respect and follow University and Housing rules and regulations. Hosts may have overnight guests for up to 15 nights per semester with the prior approval of Roommates/suitemate, if a resident hosts two guests over the course of one night, this will count as two over- night visits. Hosts may have a maximum of two overnight guests at a time. Hosts may have an overnight guest for a maximum of three consecutive nights. All overnight guests must be registered at the Area Office.
  • Residents are not permitted to assign or sublease their assigned space.
  • Residents may not permit any additional individuals, regardless of gender, to live with them in their assigned space. Guests may not give the appearance of living in a space by having food, drawer space, and personal belongings in the bathroom, or being in possession of a resident’s Owl Card, key fob, or room keys.
  • Housing and Residential Education staff may make the determination that a gathering exceeds safe occupancy and may require some or all guests to vacate the area including student rooms, lounges or lobbies.
  • Social gatherings at which alcohol is served must be conducted in accordance with the FAU Policy on Alcoholic Beverages Policy 1.2.
  • The Department of Housing and Residential Education staff reserves the right to ask any guest to leave at any time.
  • Students are responsible for what occurs within their assigned space, including in suite common areas.
  • All guests must be escorted at all times and carry a valid photo I.D.

Guests/Visitation during home football games:

  • Guests of residents on game day must present a valid ID and sign in to the building. Residents will be able to sign in a maximum of two guests.
  • Intoxicated guests will not be allowed to sign in to the hall. Residents who are intoxicated will be allowed in to the hall but may be documented for consumption based on the level of intoxication and their age.

HARBORING UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS /TRESPASSING

Residents are required to check in to their assigned room assignment and only residents assigned to that designated space are allowed to reside there. If a resident is found sharing their space with an unassigned/unauthorized person, disciplinary action may be taken against both the resident and the unauthorized person.

HEALTH & SAFETY VIOLATION

Items that are prohibited, illegal to possess or pose danger to the safety of the individual or University Housing community, or which violate state or federal laws, University policy or Department of Housing and Residential Education policy, may be subject to removal. The possession of illegal items may result in criminal prosecution, disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007, or both. Illegal items will be turned over to the University Police.

Residents will be asked to immediately dispose of any item(s) in violation of University Housing rules or University Housing personnel will remove the item(s). If an item is removed, the resident will be issued documentation indicating the removal and labeling of the item.

At the discretion of the Housing Staff, confiscated items will be returned after the resident checks out of University Housing. Requests for removed items to be returned prior to the resident checking out of university housing will be evaluated on a case by-case basis by the housing staff.

All removed property will be considered abandoned property if the resident does not request its return in writing to the Resident/Area Coordinator within 5 business days following the end of the semester or the resident’s check out of the space, (See also abandoned property). Abandoned property will be discarded after 30 days.

IDENTIFICATION CARDS

An Owl Card or other form of identification with a picture must be presented upon request of a university housing staff member or other university officials. Presenting a false identification or impersonating another person or a university official is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU student code of conduct, regulation 4.007.

LITTERING

Students may not dispose of litter in any form on University grounds or facilities. This includes, but is not limited to, cigarette butts, flyers, cans, bottles, etc. Students will be held responsible for the cost of clean-up as well as subject to disciplinary action.

MAIL TAMPERING

Tampering with mailbox locks or removing mail addressed to another person is prohibited. Mail addressed to anyone other than the current occupant(s) should be returned to the mail center. Only authorized staff is permitted to enter mail centers, sorting or distribution areas. Other University Housing staff cannot access the mail centers for any reasons. Any issues with student mail should be directed to the Residential Mail Coordinators, Ken Peterkin 561-297-5205 or Michele O’Neil 561-297-5741.

MISUSE OF GROUNDS

Parking or driving on the lawns within University Housing is prohibited. Camping or sleeping on the grounds is also prohibited.

NOXIOUS / OFFENSIVE ODORS

Causing noxious odors (e.g. drugs, incense, cigarettes, clove cigarette, candles, trash buildup, etc.) is prohibited.

POSTING POLICY

All items posted must also be in compliance with the University Posting Policy (see Student Handbook). No individual, including mail center staff persons, is permitted to distribute any materials other than University Housing approved materials into the resident’s mailboxes. Improper use of residents’ mailboxes will be referred for appropriate authorities for action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007, and/or law enforcement officials.

PROJECTILES

Throwing any object from a window, ledge, roof or balcony or within the courtyards adjacent to University Housing is prohibited. The use of slingshots, air-soft guns, bb guns, paintball guns, or other related items are prohibited.

QUIET HOURS

  • Courtesy Hours: Courtesy hour restrictions are enforced 24 hours each day. At no time should residents’ noise level interfere with the academic community. Loud talking or music, bouncing a ball, skateboarding, in line skating, or other disruptive activities in rooms, courtyards, balconies, stairwells, elevated walkways, patios, multi-purpose areas or lobby areas is prohibited. Stereos, radios, TVs, and other sound systems may not be played so loudly that they disturb others. Speakers may not be placed in windows. Residents are responsible for turning down sound systems or discontinuing noisy activity if requested to do so by another resident or staff member at any time.
  • Quiet Hours: During quiet hours, loud playing of radios, stereos or any other noisy activity is prohibited. Quiet hours will be enforced during the following periods: Sunday – Thursday 10:00 PM-11:00 AM Friday-Saturday 12:00 AM-11:00 AM. Quiet hours are enforced at these times regardless of holidays or semester breaks. During final examination periods, quiet hours will be enforced 24 hours per day, beginning at 10 p.m. on the evening before the last day of classes extending through the last graduation of the semester.

ROOM MODIFICATIONS

Nails, tacks, boards or any adhesive products which damage wall, floor and ceiling surfaces are strictly prohibited. Painting, wallpapering, caulking, plastering and paneling in a unit by the resident is not permitted. Posters, pictures and other decorative objects may be attached to interior surfaces of a unit with the understanding that the residents of the unit will be held financially responsible for any resulting damage. Shelves or other items are not to be attached to walls or ceilings. Carpet may not be affixed to the floor surface. Residents will be charged for the repair of any damages from the violation of these policies. Contact your Area Office prior to making any kind of room modification

SALES / SOLICITATION:

  • Door to door solicitation, sales and canvassing are not permitted.
  • Door to door distribution of flyers or leaflets or the placement of these items on cars is prohibited.
  • Students may not engage in any sales, business, marketing, or telemarketing activities in their units or within any public area of the University Housing facilities

SMOKING

Smoking is not permitted on campus including any of the University Housing buildings, in compliance with the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act, F.S., 386, Part II and the Florida Atlantic University tobacco-free policy, which also will prohibit the use of e-cigarettes. In an effort to create a healthier environment for all students, faculty, employees, vendors and visitors at Florida Atlantic University, the use of all tobacco products including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, smokeless pouches, e-cigarettes and any other form of loose-leaf, smokeless tobacco will be prohibited on all FAU campuses. This tobacco free policy will be in effect for all indoor spaces, outdoor locations and within cars on campus.

SPORTS AND RECREATION IN THE BUILDING

Riding bicycles, motorcycles, two-wheeled "hoverboards," in line skates or skateboards in hallways, balconies, walkways, courtyards, lounges, offices and lobbies is prohibited. Riding bicycles or using in line skates on the sidewalks must be done in a safe, appropriate manner and in designated areas only. The safety of all pedestrian traffic is of foremost importance on the sidewalks. Out of respect for community property, sports and general rough housing are not permitted in the hallways and walkways

UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY - BUILDING/SUITE/ROOM

Individuals, who are not authorized, licensed or invited to enter University Housing facilities and the immediate surrounding areas are subject to arrest for trespassing if they fail to leave after being directed to do so. Knowingly hosting persons under trespass notice is prohibited and may lead to disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007.

UNAUTHORIZED ROOM CHANGE

If you wish to move, you must first seek approval and complete the necessary paperwork. If you move before your approval you will be required to move back to your original assignment. Also you will be charged a fee for improper room transfer, and you will not be granted the room change. You must pick up your new room keys at the assigned area office within 48 hours of your assignment notification. Failure to complete a room transfer within this time may result in the revocation of transfer approval. All forms must be completed and returned to your area office. You must discuss this request with your RA before submitting the form.

VANDALISM

Damage, destruction, or defacing of property of another person, group, or the university. Damage to hall decorations is also considered vandalism.

WEAPONS

Possession and/or storage of weapons, where possession would be in violation of state statutes or regulations of Florida Atlantic University, is not permitted in University residence halls and student apartment communities. Such weapons include, but are not limited to, BB guns, paint ball or air soft guns, pellet rifles or pistols, switchblades, slingshots, , or other devices containing an explosive or caustic substance.

WINDOW POLICY

Windows are not to be used by residents as an entrance or an exit to units except when directed to do so by emergency personnel. Signs, flags, stickers, design items, pictures, posters, banners, bottles or bottle collections, and similar objects may not be displayed in windows. For safety purposes, items are not to block or impede access or exit to/from the unit. Window coverings of any type (except those issued by the Department of Housing and Residential Education) are prohibited. Students are not permitted to remove and/or tamper with their window screens (University Village only). Windows in Algonquin Hall must remain closed at all times and the window sticker on these windows must remain sealed. Residents are subject to University Housing disciplinary action in accordance with the FAU Student Code of Conduct, Regulation 4.007 and fine if window seals are broken.