Guilford is a residential college and all students age 16-22 are bound by the Residential Contract and are required to live on-campus unless released by explicit permission from the Director of Residential Education, or their designee, as outlined on the Residential Education and Housing website. In order to be eligible for continuous housing throughout each semester, a student must be enrolled in concurrent academic coursework at a minimum of 12 credits during each of the 14-week sessions and a minimum of 2 credits during the Spring 3-week session. A student who is not registered for, or is withdrawn from, Spring 3-week courses may not remain in the on-campus housing assignment for the duration of that 3-week period, regardless of the number of enrolled credits during the Spring 14-week session.

Each residential student has the responsibility to maintain a comfortable and safe living and learning environment. Students living in College apartments are bound by the same regulations that govern traditional residence halls.

Additional information and protocols are described in detail on the Residential Education and Housing website.

The Rights of Residents

Each resident has the right to:

• Study and sleep without interference, unreasonable noise or other distractions
• Be free from intimidation and physical and emotional harm
• Have personal privacy within one's room
• Live in a clean and safe environment
• Expect that their personal belongings will be respected
• Have guests who understand and honor the rights of all others
• Expect a reasonable response from the College when issues related to the above are reported

The Responsibilities of Residents

Each resident has a responsibility to:

• Abide by federal, state and local laws and all College regulations 
• Adhere to regulations for individual residence areas and halls
• Abide by the terms and conditions of the Residential Contract
• Be accountable for the actions of their guests
• Comply with reasonable requests of all College officials, including Resident Advisors (RAs), Assistant Community Directors (ACDs), and Community Directors (CDs)
• Report residence hall and College violations to appropriate staff
• Maintain their residence in reasonable order and abide by health and safety standards
• Show respect for others in the residential community
• Allow the College to respond appropriately and reasonably to reported issues

Contracts, Refunds and Off-Campus Housing

By enrolling at Guilford College, each student agrees to the terms and conditions specified in the residential requirements and the Residential Contract which outlines information about refunds and off-campus housing policies.

Access Policies

Entry into Residence Halls

All students should utilize the secured doorways to each building using their own student ID card. Passage through building windows or emergency exits is prohibited except when necessitated by a true emergency. Students should have their room key and ID with them at all times. Residential students must not give others access to any residential area or lend/give their card to another person in order to access the residence halls. Doors to residence halls are not to be propped open at any time.

Solicitors

Solicitation is prohibited in College housing facilities. Residence hall staff or Public Safety should be notified of any solicitor in a residence hall.  See also the Posting/Solicitation Policy.

Food and Parcel Delivery

Delivery drivers/services are not permitted access to residence halls and students are expected to arrange to meet deliverers outside of the residence halls.  Parcels may be mailed to students' own on-campus mailing address to be picked up in the Mailroom.

Residence Hall Keys

All students are issued a key prior to or upon occupying a residence. Room keys may not be duplicated for any reason. Keys should never be leant to another individual when it will allow access to shared/common space. In cases where residents change rooms during the year, keys are never to be exchanged directly from student to student. All room changes and all key exchanges must be handled through the Residential Education and Housing Office. If a key is lost or not returned on time, a fee to replace that particular key will be billed to the student’s account for lock and key replacement: $200 per key for North, South, and East Apartments and Bryan Hall suites; $125 for Binford, English, Mary Hobbs, Milner, and Shore Hall rooms. Requests for replacement keys should be made through Residential Education and Housing. (See Approved Room Changes below and the respective semester's closing notices for details on key return deadlines.)

Lockouts

If a student is locked out of their room, they may contact Public Safety 336.316.2909, for assistance. Students will be required to show identification. Each student will receive one complimentary lockout request per semester. Subsequent requests will result in a $10 charge assessed to the student’s account.

Early College

Early College students are prohibited from entering any on-campus residence hall or apartment. Any residential student who knowingly allows or aids in the entry of an Early College student into student housing/residence hall facilities will be subject to student conduct action.

Room and Roommate Assignments, Room Changes, and Roommate Conflicts

Every effort is made to honor individual preferences in matching roommates and assigning rooms although Residential Education and Housing cannot guarantee any preferred housing assignment. The College reserves the right to make changes in assignments and to enact consolidation. 

Room Types and Policies

Various room types are offered in on-campus housing at Guilford College and the respective room rates are approved and published prior to the academic year.  Some rooms may be offered and used interchangeably as single- or double-occupancy depending on projected housing occupancy.

Double Occupancy Room: Bedroom offered for two roommates at the double occupancy residence hall or room rate. Roommate pairs may be self-selected or assigned by Residential Education and Housing. If a student is or becomes the only occupant of a double occupancy room:

1. They will be expected to accept a roommate when one is assigned. In this case, a single occupant of a double occupancy room will be expected to keep half of the room and furnishings clean and clear of belongings so that a roommate may move in at any time.
2. They may be reassigned to another double room with a student in the same situation.
3. If space allows and at the discretion of Residential Education and Housing, they may opt to convert the room to a single occupancy room by paying the single occupancy residence hall room rate and be guaranteed not to be assigned a new roommate (also referred to as "single room buy-out"). The single occupancy room rate will be prorated if this occurs mid-term.

Single Occupancy Room: Bedroom offered to an individual person who will not be assigned a roommate, regardless of the room size and furniture setup. Students desiring a single room not based on an ADA accommodation are encouraged to sign up for an apartment space if eligible and single rooms in other buildings may be available.  Single room requests are not guaranteed and the number of single occupancy rooms offered is dependent on housing occupancy and at the discretion of Residential Education and Housing. Even if a room is set up as a double occupancy room but used only as a single occupancy room, additional furniture cannot be removed.

ADA Accommodations in Housing

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, various accommodations may be granted in on-campus housing based on room type, location, proximity to resources, accessibility, etc. or off-campus with a release from the residential requirement. Visit the Accessibility Resource Center webpage for information and instructions to petition. Supporting documentation is required. 

Room Changes

Room changes may be granted by Residential Education & Housing on a case-by-case basis. Requested room changes are not guaranteed to be granted and will be dependent on the assessed need for the room change as well as space availability. Residential students must be approved for a room change by a professional staff member in Residential Education & Housing prior to occupying any new space. All students must follow the proper protocols as they pertain to room changes as outlined below.

Accepting a Roommate/Suitemate: Residents with available vacancies in their room or suite are expected to accept and welcome a new roommate/suitemate if and when assigned. At the discretion of Residential Education and Housing, said residents may be moved to another housing assignment, charged the single room rate prorated from the time that they became the only occupant of the room, or removed from housing if they 1.) refuse an assigned roommate or discourage a new roommate from moving in and/or 2.) create an unwelcoming, uncomfortable, threatening, or unsafe environment which violates the rights of a roommate or potential roommate. Such behavior may also result in student conduct charges.

Roommate Conflicts: Living with a roommate(s) is often a challenging experience, but also an opportunity for growth and education. When conflict arises, residents are encouraged to seek the assistance of their respective Resident Advisor first or consult with their Assistant Community Director or Community Director. Every effort to resolve roommate conflicts will be made before a room change is approved. If issues cannot be resolved and become severe, one or both persons may be moved to a different room. Room change requests arising from roommate conflicts are decided on a case-by-case basis by the Community Director and roommates may be asked to participate in a conversation, mediation, or other avenues towards resolution. The student requesting a room change assumes all responsibility for completing the room change request process and meeting with the appropriate hall staff as directed by Residential Education and Housing.

Housing Waitlists: Students who wish to request a different type of housing assignment may register on the Housing Waitlist(s). Waitlist requests will be considered only if and when possible and based on availability. Waitlist requests are prioritized by earned credit hours (greatest to fewest) and then by the date/time the request was registered.

Approved Room Changes: If a room change request is approved by the Community Director or as a result of a Housing Waitlist offer, the requesting student will be assigned new housing by the Housing Operations Coordinator. The student will have 24 hours of receipt of the new room key to move, complete both Room Condition Reports, and return the old room key. 

Improper Room Changes: A student who occupies another room without permission, including room swaps within an apartment suite or occupying a space that is perceived to be vacant, will be charged a $75 fine for improper room change and may face student conduct charges such as unauthorized entry.

Room Change Freezes: During certain periods of the academic year and at the discretion of Residential Education and Housing, room change freezes will be enacted to allow staff to focus on other housing-related priorities, during which no room changes can occur.

Health and Safety Standards

For the health, safety, and comfort of the occupants and in order to maintain our residence hall facilities, Residential Education and Housing will hold students accountable for the following health and safety standards in residential spaces, including shared common areas:

• Residential spaces should be kept clear of excessive clutter; a person should be able to enter, exit, move through and about any room without obstruction. Large piles of items (such as clothes or bedding) or obstructions (such as an obstructive furniture layout) are prohibited as a fire hazard. 
• Residential spaces should be cleaned on a regular basis and should be kept in a state so as not to attract bugs/pests, breed mold, or spread disease. This includes cleaning of surfaces and floors and storing of personal items.
• Personal trash and recycling must be taken to and deposited directly in the appropriate dumpsters frequently enough that the amount does not exceed the trash and recycling bins provided to students.
• Items or activities in a space are prohibited if they cause damage to residence hall facilities or create a health or safety hazard.

Additionally, personal items must not be left in bathrooms, lounges, hallways, stairwells, outside suite/apartments/houses or in any common area. Such items will be removed and disposed of by the College and may result in a fine and/or student conduct charge for individuals or hall groups.

When health and safety violations are documented, Residential Education and Housing may give the student the opportunity to rectify the issue by a specified time frame, proceed with the applicable fines, submit work orders to be completed at the student's expense, and/or proceed with student conduct charges. 

The College may elect to correct health and safety issues and bill the occupants accordingly. 

Room Damage and Cleaning Charges

Occupants of a room will be held responsible for losses or damages to their room and its furnishings including cost of replacement or repair and all reasonable resulting expenses, and cleaning expenses if excessive, including shared areas such as kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms. Such charges are determined by comparing the condition of the residential space and its furnishings upon inspection by residence hall staff as/after a student moves out to the condition of the space and its furnishings as recorded on the Room Condition Report which is completed by the resident within 48 hours of moving in. All information noted on the Room Condition Report will be considered by Residential Education and Housing who will then make final damage assessments. Any damage, loss, cleaning, late or improper checkout fees will be posted to the respective student account. Should damages be discovered when a student vacates a space mid-term, roommates may be charged at that time as well if charges are to be split amongst those who share the space. 

Care must be exercised in displaying items on room walls. Only removable adhesive putty that does not damage walls may be used; nails, screws, tape, staples, and glue, for example, are prohibited. 

Students are prohibited from making repairs or alterations to the halls/furnishings on their own. Should unauthorized repairs or alterations be made, the College will return the room to its original condition and bill the student for materials and labor.

Community Damages/Charges

Keeping common areas (corridors, lounges, bathrooms, patios, porches, landings, courtyards, surrounding areas, etc.) and their furnishings, fixtures, and equipment in good condition is the collective responsibility of all residents. For vandalism, damage, excessive or personal trash, or unsanitary conditions found in common areas of residence halls beyond what may be considered “normal usage," staff from Public Safety and Residential Education and Housing will make every reasonable effort to find those responsible. However, if the responsible person(s) cannot be identified, all residents of a residence hall group (floor/hall/apartment/suite/house/area) may be fined or charged for the repair, replacement, labor, and/or materials and/or required to attend hall meeting(s) regarding the issues. 

Opening and Closing

During fall, Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer breaks and the periods of time between semesters, residence halls officially close and dining services are not available. Students must abide by the opening and closing schedule and information provided by Residential Education and Housing. Students must have the permission of Residential Education and Housing to remain on campus during any break.

Students staying on campus, with permission, over breaks accept responsibility for College rules and regulations and for their personal safety. If damage occurs, the responsible individuals and/or sponsoring group will be held accountable. Any policy violations will result in immediate removal from residential facilities for the remainder of the break. 

Students who are approved for early arrival, late departure, or break stayover are prohibited from hosting guests or allowing others to gain access to the residence halls during those periods.

The College does not provide storage. Property left behind after a student is no longer in housing (including the period between spring semester and summer session, and between summer session and fall semester) will be considered abandoned property and removed and disposed of at the student’s expense. 

Athletic Activities and Games

Athletic activities are not permitted on the inside of any residential area, including hallways, stairwells, patios and courtyards. Such activities include but are not limited to: darts and dartboards, ball throwing and bouncing, sports of any kind, skateboarding, skating, soccer, throwing water balloons, using water guns, and scooter and bicycle riding. Roller blades and cleats must be removed prior to entering a building. 

Limited recreational facilities and supplies may be available for use in common areas.  Misuse will result in removal of equipment and students may be subject to the Community Damages/Charges policies.

College Furnishings

College-owned furniture and accessories may not be removed from the room or from common areas for use in a personal space. Students will be billed for the return of the furniture to the common area. Residents will be billed for furniture and accessories that are damaged or missing from their original location (unless noted as missing or with pre-existing damage on Room Condition Report at check-in). Writing, painting, or drawing on residential area furniture, walls, doors, floors and ceilings is prohibited. Wall mounts (such as those for TVs) are prohibited. Non-College furniture and accessories must be removed from rooms prior to checkout and disposed of properly. If items are not removed, the College will assess a minimum removal fee of $25. Students are prohibited from storing personal belongings (including furniture) outside of their room/suite/apartment/house, such as in lounges, hallways, and breezeways. Window screens are not to be removed except in an emergency. Students cannot alter, repair, or paint their residence hall rooms.

Unless the space is necessary for a documented medical reason, additional unused college-issued furniture pieces may not be removed from a residence hall space, even in cases where a single occupancy room is set up as a double. Such requests would be made through the Accessibility Resource Center.

Entry Into Residence Hall Areas

Entry by a student into another student’s room or unassigned space without permission is prohibited.

Guilford College officials have the right to enter any residential room/area to address maintenance concerns, conduct routine health and safety checks, fire safety checks, and initiate room searches, if warranted. Any violations of the Student Handbook that are discovered by a College official upon entry of a student space will result in the appropriate response protocol and documentation. Entrance into student living spaces is categorized into three levels:

General Entry

• Non-emergency maintenance repairs: By requesting a maintenance repair, a student has granted permission for a member of the facilities staff to come into the room/suite/apartment and make the necessary repair. In addition, facilities staff may enter student living spaces to verify damages or to perform other maintenance services during normal business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm).
• Periodic health and safety inspections: Residential Education and Housing staff will conduct routine inspections of all student living spaces. These inspections will be announced via email or hall notice at least 24 hours in advance of entry into the room/suite/apartment.
• Fire alarm inspections/issues: Rooms, suites, lounges and bathrooms may be entered when an alarm sounds to make sure all students have evacuated those areas. Rooms may also be entered when the alarm system indicates a smoke detector has been triggered. Fire System checks will be periodically conducted by Public Safety and the Greensboro Fire Department which may require entry into student spaces.
• Facilities Staff: Facilities staff may enter rooms for the purpose of cleaning, in cases of emergency concerns, or cases when a new occupant is moving into a vacated space.
• General Courtesy Issues: Rooms may be entered to turn off alarms and stereos or other items which are causing a disturbance for other members of the community when there has been no response by the occupants.

Investigative Entry (Reasonable Cause)

Violations of College Student Conduct Code or Local, State or Federal Laws: If staff members have reason to believe a law or College policy is going to be, is in the process of being, or has been broken, authorization to enter a space and conduct a search may be obtained (see also Room Search Protocol in the Student Handbook). 

Imminent Entry (Critical)

Life-threatening situation: A staff member may enter a room/suite/apartment if it is believed an emergency situation exists.

Fines and Appeals

Failure to comply with residence hall health and safety standards, opening/closing or check-in/check-out instructions, or other reasonable requests from Residential Education and Housing, or excessive hall damage determined to be caused intentionally or by neglect can render occupant(s) subject to fines without warning, and possible immediate removal from residential facilities. Student conduct charges may also be warranted in such cases.  Students will be notified by Guilford College email of any such consequences and will also be notified of the appellate options, processes, and deadlines. 

Fire Alarms and Drills

In accordance with North Carolina building codes, Guilford requires all persons to evacuate a building when a fire alarm sounds. Proceed directly to the nearest, safest exit and/or stairway. Upon leaving the building, go to the area designated by College staff. Do not reenter the building until allowed by Public Safety staff or the Fire Department. Continued order and quiet are essential. Students who do not evacuate during fire alarms and drills are subject to student conduct charges.

Guest Policy

Guests visiting a Guilford resident may stay with that resident on campus for up to two consecutive nights, not to exceed six nights total over the course of any one semester, as long as the roommate(s) consents and the visit does not interfere with the rights of residents. Overnight guests include non-students and other students who are not officially housed in the host's room. Guests staying beyond two consecutive nights must be granted permission by and register with Residential Education and Housing. Registration approval is made at the discretion of Residential Education and Housing and will include written confirmation that all roommates and/or suitemates have consented to the visitor. Overnight Guest Request/Registration forms are available in Residential Education and Housing. Guests must abide by College policies. The resident is responsible for informing the guests of these policies and will be held responsible for the behavior of guests. (See also Host Responsibility under the Definitions of Violations section of the Student Handbook.) The College has a right to deny access to any guest or to ask any guest to leave if it has been reasonably determined that a guest has disturbed or is likely to disturb other residents. Students spending extended periods of time in living spaces not assigned to them will be considered guests and subject to this policy. 

Maintenance

For routine work order requests, students should submit work requests through SchoolDude (link available in the daily Guilford Buzz email or in Google apps). Depending on the urgency students should allow up to five (5) business days to complete a routine work request. Work requests that are urgent or require immediate attention should go through Facilities during business hours at 336.316.2800 and through Public Safety after hours at 336.316.2909. Public Safety can assess the urgency and report it to Facilities as is appropriate.

Personal Decorations and Furnishings

Students are encouraged to make their space comfortable through various approved decorations and furnishings. Some room displays in public view may constitute a violation of College policies, including but not limited to those which may be considered forms of harassment. While residents are free to express themselves, they are asked to exercise that freedom responsibly and respectfully. Students are prohibited from hanging, displaying, or storing any items on the exterior of buildings or interior hallways without permission from Student Affairs staff. Display of flags and alcohol/drug signs, displays of explicit or suggestive imagery, bottles, and containers in residence hall windows or in a way that they are visible from outside the space is also prohibited. Alcohol containers used as decoration are prohibited in all first year residence hall spaces and in spaces where the occupants are under 21. Decorations and other items may not be affixed to, hung from, or in any way cover fire safety equipment and systems.

Quiet Hours

Quiet hours are defined as periods of time when any sounds originating in a student’s room, lounges, and hall areas must be inaudible outside of that area.

• Courtesy hours are in effect 24 hours a day. Noise that may interfere with an individual's right to study and sleep is prohibited. As such, the use of items including but not limited to subwoofers, amplified musical instruments, and drum sets are prohibited.
• The College’s established quiet hours are from 11pm to 9am the following morning Sunday through Thursday, and from 1am to 9am the following morning Friday and Saturday.
• During exam periods and reading days, mandatory 24-hour quiet hours are in effect. During the 14-weeks sessions, 24-hour quiet hours being at 11pm on the last day of classes each semester/session. During the 3-week session, 24-hour quiet hours will be determined in consultation with the Academic Dean's Office and communicated with residential students directly.

Failure to abide by these policies will result in a verbal warning or student conduct charges. Repeated violations may result in the confiscation of stereos, televisions, game systems, or instruments causing the noise violation.