PHILOSOPHY
Research has shown that students who live on campus are more likely to get higher GPAs, be more involved in campus life, and to stay in school and/or graduate. The residence halls become an extension of your classroom. You will learn skills here that will benefit you throughout your life, regardless of your chosen career. You will have the opportunity to learn or improve communication skills, the art of negotiation, the importance of compromise, appreciation and/or tolerance for different lifestyles and opinions in addition to potentially forming lifelong friendships. The DWU residence halls and apartments are more than a place to sleep, they teach invaluable life lessons that can’t be measured in terms of cost. To maximize these educational opportunities, we have established the following tips and techniques that we hope you will find helpful. We welcome you to the DWU residence halls.

RESIDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As a member of DWU’s residence hall community, you are afforded certain individual rights that your roommate(s) and those living around you should respect. However, these rights carry with them a reciprocal responsibility for you. Your responsibilities ensure that your roommate(s), suite/apartment mates, floor mates, and other residents are afforded the same rights regardless of their gender, race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background, beliefs, values or attitudes. When you meet your responsibilities, you will be helping to make the university and residence halls a great place to live and work.

The residence life staff does not guarantee you will attain each of these rights at all times. You share the responsibility. You can help ensure that these rights will be honored through thoughtful discussion and open communication with roommates, suite/apartment mates, floor mates, and other residents.

The residence life staff is committed to offering you an inclusive environment that will allow you to take healthy risks, grow and participate in enriching and challenging activities. The choice is yours: you can choose to passively exist or to take full advantage of your living environment by participating in activities, standing up for yourself and others and speaking up for what you believe has value.

The following is a listing of your "rights" (things to which you are entitled as a student living in one of DWU’s residence halls/apartments) as well as your "responsibilities" (what is expected of you as a member of a residence community). These rights and responsibilities are not legally binding, but they are meant to complement other university publications and to positively impact your residential experiences.

• YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to a safe and secure residence hall living environment;
• YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to keep your room door, hall doors, and windows locked, and to not prop them open or allow in strangers. You also have a responsibility to uphold all security policies and procedures and to close propped exterior doors if you encounter them. Violations of these security policies and procedures put you and others at risk.
• YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to a reasonably peaceful and quiet space in which you can sleep, study, and live;
• YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to observe quiet hours, to keep your stereo, television, computer and your voice at a reasonable volume in your room and on your floor, and to remind your guests and others that you expect the same of them.
• YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to privacy and to the proportionate use of your room, both in terms of space and time, and the right to be free of unwanted guests in your room;
• YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to let your roommate know of your wishes and preference for hours of sleep, study, and visitation, and to work through any difference you may have in a peaceful manner. You also have a responsibility to make sure your guests do not violate your roommate's rights or interfere with his/her use of your room.
• YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to confront another person's behavior when it infringes on your rights;
• YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to examine your own behavior when confronted by another and to work toward resolving conflicts.
• YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to the assistance of your resident assistant, resident director, director of residence life, or other campus life staff members when you need help with a problem;
• YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to notify a staff person of your problem and request assistance in a timely manner, and to cooperate with those involved as they work with everyone to solve the problem(s). The sooner you report the problem, the sooner it can be addressed to reach a solution.
• YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to know what is OK and NOT OK behavior in your living environment;
• YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to read and understand the information provided to you and for you by Dakota Wesleyan University. This includes, but is not limited to your housing or apartment contract, community expectations and responsibilities guide, and other publications You are permitted and encouraged to ask for clarification if you do not understand any portion of a DWU publication or policy. Policy violations by one or more members of the community undermine the entire community and as such you are permitted to report any violation that you observe or become aware of, whether or not you were personally affected by it.

To a significant extent, your success will depend on your ability to understand and balance the rights and responsibilities aspects of your college experience. The university staff does not assume the role of campus parent, and you will seldom be told what to do or what not to do with regard to your personal behavior. The obvious exception, as with society at large, is when individual behavior threatens the health and safety of others or the community or begins to disrupt the legitimate pursuits of others within the residence halls.

These are some of your rights and responsibilities. Think about them, talk about them and make them a part of what you do during your stay here.

*adapted from Oregon State University Residents' Rights and Responsibilities and the University of Delaware*

TIPS, SUGGESTIONS, AND EXPECTATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL STUDENTS

BUNK BEDS AND LOFTS
Many students find that they can increase the living space of their rooms if they bunk or loft their beds. Residents of Dayton Hall may choose to create bunk beds using materials provided. Metal lofts may be used in the women’s wing of Dayton Hall and are available for rent. Contact the director of residential life for more information. Wooden lofts and platforms are not permitted due to safety concerns.

CHECK-IN
We understand that many students are excited about moving into their new living area and/or starting their college career and are anxious to move into their assigned area. During the summer, students will receive notification of their assigned room/apartment with details about moving in. In order to provide the best service possible to all residents, please plan to arrive and/or move in during assigned dates and times. If you are with a group, such as certain athletic teams, which requires additional dates/time, your coach will coordinate those arrangements with the residential life staff and contact you regarding these arrangements. Students should contact their resident assistant or resident director for details regarding check-in, keys, mailboxes, etc. Students are responsible for inspecting their rooms, apartments, or suite before signing the check-in sheet.

CHECKOUT
Students should arrange a checkout time with a resident assistant. The RA will check the student's room, apartment, or suite using the Room Inventory & Condition Form that each student signed when he or she moved in. Residents will be assessed for damages above normal wear and tear and for common hall share charges. It is important for students to remember to return the room/area to its original condition before checkout. Each room must contain all the furniture that was originally in there upon check-in. Students should not leave lumber, construction materials, bricks, blocks or personal furnishings in rooms, lounges or hallways. Hall rooms and apartments should be clean at the time of the student's checkout. If a student's room/apartment requires extra cleaning, he or she will be assessed labor costs. Students will continue to incur room and board costs until properly checked out and will be assessed a $250 fine for failure to check out properly. Dakota Wesleyan University reserves the option to dispose of any property not removed within two weeks following separation from the university or conclusion of the current academic session without prior notification.

CHECKOUT CHECKLIST
Students failing to check out properly risk losing/forfeiting their housing deposit. We know that you probably have plans for your deposit and are counting on getting it back. In order to increase the odds of having your deposit returned in a timely manner, you should do the following:

1. sign up for checkout with an RA;
2. remove all personal items;
3. return all original room furniture to original condition;
4. clean the room (sweep, mop, empty trash);
5. close all windows;
6. sign the check out sheet after RA's inspection;
7. lock room door;
8. turn in room key and
9. leave forwarding address with DWU Central Services.

COMMON HALL SHARE (CHS) CHARGES
As in any community there are instances when damages or vandalism may occur. When these damages occur in the residence halls, the staff will make every effort to identify the individual or group responsible. When they are unable to identify the person or group responsible the costs of repair/replacement are divided equally among the floor/building where the damage occurred. These charges are known as common hall charges (CHS) and will be deducted from each resident's housing deposit at the end of each semester. Charges in excess of this deposit will be billed to the student and must be paid prior to the start of the next semester. We would rather work with the student or group responsible than to bill everyone but when that isn’t possible, we have to bill everyone on the floor or in the building, depending on the location and extent of the damage. You can reduce these charges by being proactive, being aware of your surroundings and reporting those individuals that you observe damaging your living area.

COOKING
Students are welcome to cook in designated kitchens in each residence hall. It is the student's responsibility to clean the area when finished. Limited cooking may be done in the rooms with appliances that are permitted by the South Dakota State Fire Marshal. Appliances with open elements are prohibited, including but not limited to “fifth” burners, toaster ovens, electric woks/skillets/grills, etc. The only appliances allowed in the rooms are popcorn poppers, coffeepots, toasters, microwaves, refrigerators and microfridges.

DAMAGE DEPOSIT
Residential students pay a $50 deposit prior to being assigned a room and/or being allowed to move into residence halls and a housing deposit of $150 for students moving into the apartments. Each room, apartment and suite is inspected before occupancy to insure that it is in adequate condition and contains a full complement of furnishings. At that time, existing damages are noted so that the new occupant is not held accountable. When vacated, the room is checked a second time and all damages occurring during the intervening period are charged against the housing deposit. After all charges have been calculated, a refund of the student's housing deposit will be applied to any outstanding university balance. If there is no balance, the deposit will be returned to the student by the business office.

Students need to know that failure to check out of their living area properly may result in forfeiture of their housing deposit. Check with the residential life staff or the director of residence life for additional information.

DECORATING
Students should feel free to decorate their rooms, suites, and apartments according to their personal interests and needs. You may find it helpful to discuss and/or coordinate your decorating ideas with your roommate(s). Regardless of how you decide to decorate, all students are asked to use good judgment and caution. The residence halls and apartments do not have elevators and the stairs may be an important factor in deciding which items to bring and which ones to leave at home. Be especially careful not to overload existing outlets. We know that students tend to bring more electrical items now than in the past and recognize the limited number of outlets available in each living area. To accommodate your electrical needs and for the safety of all our residents, we require students to use power strips with built-in circuit breakers instead of extension cords. Again we advise students to use both caution and common sense when using the power strips. Do not plug one power strip into another as that may defeat the built-in safety features and could compromise the entire electrical system. Students are encouraged to hang posters and other items on their walls with masking tape or removable poster putty. Nails, double-stick tape, duct/packaging tape, and other adhesives will damage the walls and doors and result in charges. Decoration of public access areas (e.g. outside room doors, hallways, lounges) shall be left to the discretion of the resident director. Items considered offensive, harassing or pornographic are not permitted and will be removed.

We encourage students to express their religious/personal beliefs and to decorate accordingly. No live trees are permitted in the residence halls or apartments by order of the Fire Marshall. Residents are asked to unplug all seasonal lights when leaving the room or sleeping. Students are expected to remove all holiday decorations before leaving for semester break. While we understand that some people prefer to display holiday decorations year round these items may be damaged or fall during the break as a result of building temperature fluctuations that may occur during these times.

The following items are not permitted in the residence halls or apartments. Students possessing these items will face disciplinary action:

• air conditioners, including both window and portable room units (electrical requirements tend to result in overloaded circuits and buildings are not equipped for these items)
• linoleum or foam-backed carpeting (adhesive residue results in charges, foam is a potential fire hazard)
• waterbeds (weight of beds may challenge structure of building and potential water damage to several rooms if punctured)
• electric heaters/blankets (potential fire hazards with this many people/units in one place)
• halogen lights (have been linked to numerous fires across the country)
• traffic/construction signs (possession of these items may also result in criminal charges)

EXTERIOR DOORS
For the protection of our residents, the lobby doors of Dayton Hall will remain locked from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m. daily and 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays. Residents will need to use their key card to gain entrance to the residence halls during these times. All other exits are for emergency use only. Emergency exits are alarmed and will remain locked 24 hours a day. Unauthorized use will activate the alarm. The "propping/popping" of exterior doors will result in at least a $100 fine per occasion and may include replacement costs if actions were the cause of damage or breakage.

FURNISHINGS
Each room is equipped with a basic complement of furniture, which normally includes a desk, desk chair, bed frame, mattress, closet and drawers for each student. Students will be billed for items that were present at check-in but are not upon check out. To prevent damage to the furnishings and charges for missing items, no furniture, including bed frames and springs, may be removed from students' rooms/apartments. Additional furniture or furnishings placed in an assigned room/apartment by the resident is subject to the approval of the resident director for health and safety control. Built-in furniture may not be dismantled or moved. Lounge, classroom and other university furniture are not to be moved to student rooms/apartments for private use.

Students have expressed a desire to personalize the apartments according to their needs and interests and thus these units are largely unfurnished. We provide a bed frame and a mattress per resident and encourage residents to coordinate additional furnishings with their roommate(s). Residents are reminded to use common sense when choosing their furnishings and consider apartment size as well as the physical design of the building. Items that look fantastic in the store may not fit around corners or through doorways and unless you are fortunate enough to be assigned to the first floor, you will have to haul everything upstairs.

GAME EQUIPMENT
A variety of games, including board games are available in the main lounge of each residence hall. Games can be checked out with desk personnel with a valid DWU ID card.

GUESTS
We encourage guests to visit their family and friends living in the residence halls/apartments. We ask that guests abide by the guidelines we have established in order to protect the rights and privacy of our residents. Nonresidents may visit residents in the residence halls during open visitation hours, 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

All nonresidents must sign in and out at the Dayton Hall front desk from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Nonresidents are expected to leave by 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and by 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Guests must legibly write their first and last name and that of the resident they are visiting in addition to his/her room number. Non-DWU students must be escorted at all times within the hall. Visitors may be asked to leave ID before entry. Minors must leave photo ID, get permission from residence life staff to enter and/or visit residents, and be escorted by a resident while in the building unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Residents are responsible for any visitors signed into their room.

Students will be found to be in violation of the DWU visitation policy if they have a visitor of the opposite sex in their room or are present in a room where visitation is being violated.
Allen Hall and Apartment residents have the privilege of 24 hour visitation. Guests may not spend more than three consecutive nights in the same room. Violations and abuses of this policy can and will result in the privilege being revoked.

Guests planning to stay overnight must sign in and out. Guests who choose to stay overnight must be the same sex as the room occupants and may not stay more than two consecutive nights without permission from the director of residential life. For the safety and comfort of all residents and guests a maximum of three guests per room may stay overnight. Minors are not allowed in the residence hall overnight without permission from parents and the director of residential life. Each resident is expected to limit overnight guests to six stays per semester. Students with exceptional circumstances must contact the director of residential life. Guests are expected to use gender specific restrooms.

Students who entertain guests in their residence hall have full responsibility for themselves, as well as for their guests, and for any damages and/or violations that may occur. It is expected that in regulating your visitation hours you will recognize that everyone deserves consideration. Your nonresident guests are welcome in the residence hall provided they adhere to university policies during their visit. If a guest is disruptive and/or fails to adhere to university policies, they may be asked to leave. Rights of residents supersede those of guests within individual residence hall rooms.

KEYS
Safety and security measures for the entire campus, including the residence halls and apartments are only as effective as the people who use them. Each resident is provided with a room key which will open the interior door of their room or apartment. Your ID card will provide access to locked residence hall and apartment exterior doors. Lost keys undermine the safety of all residents of a particular room or apartment and residents are encouraged to take all reasonable steps to safeguard any keys assigned to them to minimize the likelihood of loss or theft. If a key is lost or damaged beyond use, please notify your resident assistant or resident director immediately to make arrangements for a replacement. We suggest that you notify your roommate(s) about the lost key as a courtesy and to allow them to protect any items that might be at risk in the event that the lost key ends up in the wrong hands. There is a standard charge of $50 for each lost room key to cover replacement costs. Additional charges may be assessed if the lock needs to be re-cored for any reason. Since your ID card provides access to exterior doors, the cost for this replacement is $50 for a new ID card. Charges for lost keys are nonrefundable even if the key or ID is later found or returned. Residents are prohibited from giving their room key or ID to anyone under any circumstances. Note: It is unlawful to duplicate or attempt to duplicate university keys including residence keys.

LAUNDRY ROOMS
Laundry rooms are located in the basements of Allen and Dayton Halls and are provided for residential students only. The cost is 50 cents per load to wash and 25 cents per load to dry. Overloading dryers will result in higher dryer time and cost. If you have never done laundry before or are unsure how to do it, you might find it helpful to get some pointers before you do your first load or you may end up with an odd assortment of colors and/or combinations.

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR REQUESTS
DWU personnel make every effort to repair or replace damaged or malfunctioning equipment and furnishings as quickly and as efficiently as possible. In the event that you discover an item which requires repair or replacement, contact your resident assistant or director as soon as possible to report the problem. He/she will make arrangements to repair or replace the item as soon as practical. When a problem is reported promptly the chances are better that the staff may be able to fix it before it gets more serious and/or takes longer to repair. Request for maintenance gives consent for university personnel to enter room.

If you encounter or observe a serious maintenance situation, such as water overflowing from a sink, toilet, or broken pipe, contact the resident assistant or director immediately to minimize injuries and irreparable damage to personal items and/or the facility. If you are not sure whether or not a problem is serious, notify the residential staff and they will determine the immediacy of the problem. Your help can prevent minor problems from becoming serious and creating a more safe and comfortable environment for everyone.

NOISE
The most common complaint from residents tends to deal with noise, including amount, type, or frequency. Noise is defined as any sound that can be heard outside the confines of a room/apartment. As a general guideline, if any sound can be heard two rooms away it is too noisy and should be adjusted accordingly. Students are expected to be considerate of other residents at all times. This means respecting another's right to sleep, study or not to be disturbed. Effort should be made to keep the sound level confined to the individual's room/apartment. Each resident is expected to initially address any noise problem that is of concern to him/her and to call upon an RA if assistance is needed.

Quiet hours extend from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Residents are expected to turn down volume on televisions, stereos and computer games and to refrain from loud talking and other noises during these hours.

"Jam hours," periods when no regulations apply to noise, exist from 5 to 7 p.m. daily, except during finals. Courtesy hours, periods when students are asked to be considerate of others' rights to study, are enforced from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
Residence halls at Dakota Wesleyan provide students with a living/learning environment that is an integral part of the total educational purpose of the university. The residence halls provide educational support services to the university by creating and maintaining a guided, group living experience for the personal, scholastic and social improvement of the individual resident. Students with circumstances requiring additional consideration or accommodations should contact the director of residential life.

It is the policy of Dakota Wesleyan University that all students live on campus unless one of the following applies to you by the first day of each semester.

• You are under the age of 18.
• You are 21 years of age or older by the first day of each semester.
• You are married.
• You have dependent children living with you.
• You have been disciplinarily dismissed or banned from the residence halls.
• You will be living with parent(s) or legal guardian within 40 miles of the campus. This must be substantiated by parent's signature on housing form.
• You are enrolled as a part-time student (less than 12 credits).
• Additionally, any student receiving over $10,000 institutional aid is required to live on campus, regardless of meeting other criteria.

Students who do not meet the above criteria and live more than 40 miles from campus are required to live on campus. If a student's living arrangements are in violation of the residency policy, the student may either move into the residence halls immediately or "buy out" the room portion of the housing contract at the full semester rate of a double room and a Tiger Blue Plan (15 meals).

RESIDENCE HALL ROOM/APARTMENT ASSIGNMENT
Resident directors and/or the director of residence life will assign a room for each new student after the student has submitted the housing intention form and has paid the $50 room reservation deposit. Each spring, returning students are allowed to select their rooms for the next academic year. Students requesting assignment in a campus apartment must meet the established criteria (at least 60 credits with a 2.5 GPA) and pay the $100 maintenance deposit. Students who fail to take advantage of room selection are assigned rooms in the same manner as new students. Continuing students failing to complete housing intention form will forfeit their deposit. The director of residence life reserves the option to reassign students/rooms as deemed necessary.

RESIDENTIAL LIFE CONTRACTS
All residential students will be asked to sign a contract prior to checkin.

Residence Halls
*Two-semester contracts: Any new, current or transfer student who does not meet the criteria to live off campus and/or commute MUST sign a two-semester contract.
*Fall semester contracts: Students who will be eligible to move off campus spring semester (i.e., turning 21, student teaching, graduating, etc.) or who wish to retain the option of moving home (with parents/legal guardian within 40 miles of DWU) at the semester break, may sign a fall semester contract. Note that any change in housing arrangements must comply with DWU housing policy. Students may choose to extend fall contract through spring semester by contacting the director of residential life. Students failing to properly check out of the halls prior to the first day of classes spring semester give implied consent to renew and extend their contact for spring semester and agree to the terms listed previously. If a student withdraws/transfers from DWU or moves off campus prior to the end of the contract term, they will be assessed a $250 penalty for breaking their contract.
*Spring semester contracts: Any new, current or transfer student who wishes accommodations for spring semester only.

Students may cancel fall and two-semester contracts in writing without penalty up to August 1. Spring semester contracts may be canceled in writing without penalty up to January 10 for new spring students. Students who do not cancel the contract before that date and/or break their contract (for any reason, including, but not limited to, transfer, withdrawal, moving off-campus or choosing to commute from home of parent/legal guardian), will be assessed a $250 contract breakage fee. Students dismissed as a result of a disciplinary action will be assessed contract breakage fees and are not entitled to a room and board refund.

Campus Apartments
All campus apartment contracts are two-semester contracts including fall and spring semesters of one academic year. Students must sign a new contract for each successive academic year that they wish to live in the campus apartments. Returning students may cancel the apartment contract, without penalty, if written notification is received by May 15. Written notification must include acknowledgement from the other roommates. Cancellation requests received after May 15 are subject to the $300 contract cancellation fee and/or they may be denied.

REQUEST FOR RESIDENCY/MEAL PLAN WAIVER
Dakota Wesleyan University strongly believes in and supports the residential experience. Therefore, there are specific criteria that must be met in order for the campus life committee to grant a waiver of the residency requirement. Students must possess a solid record of academic achievement, demonstrate extraordinary circumstances and be in good standing with the university.

Current students must file all residency and meal plan exemption requests by March 1 for the following academic year. Requests filed after that deadline may not be considered. Appeal applications are available from the director of residential life or from enrollment services. All appeals must be submitted by March 1 for current students, June 15 for students entering in the fall, and December 1 for students entering in the spring. Granted appeals are valid for current academic year only. Students must file a new appeal annually until they meet one or more criteria to legitimately live off campus.

RIGHT TO PRIVACY REGARDING ROOM ENTRY AND PERSONAL PROPERTY
Students have the same rights of privacy as any other citizen and surrender none of these rights by becoming members of the academic community. These rights of privacy extend to living in university owned or controlled housing units. Nothing in the university relationship or housing contract may expressly or by implication give the university authority to consent to a search of a student's quarters by police or law enforcement officers without a warrant.

The right to privacy is of paramount importance and should not be violated. However, the entry into, and/or search of university owned/controlled facilities, including residence hall rooms, apartments, and offices; or private property may be conducted by the following people for the purposes and under the procedures detailed below.

1. By civil law enforcement officers in the performance of statutory duties in accordance with legally defined procedures governing search and seizure.
2. By university officials in the performance of judicial duties and in accord with DWU student code procedures governing search and seizure and/or with reason to believe that violation of city, state, federal law or DWU policy is occurring within university-owned and/or controlled property, including residence hall rooms and apartments.
3. During vacations by authorized university personnel to insure that health, fire and safety regulations are maintained.
4. By authorized university personnel or agents to make improvement and repairs, to provide routine maintenance services, and for fire, life safety and damage inspections. The university shall give at least 24 hours notice of such entry. When a student requests maintenance or repairs, no notice is necessary.
5. By authorized university personnel in emergencies to protect the health and welfare of the occupants, or to make emergency repairs to prevent damages to the property of the student or the university.
6. Out of consideration for neighboring residents/offices when an unattended persistent annoying noise is occurring within the room.
7. During fire alarms all rooms will be entered and checked thoroughly, including closets, for occupants.
8. When a staff member knocks and is invited in.
9. When the door/curtains are open and a violation of university policies is in plain view.
10. In cases where university officials have reason to believe that prohibited items are being transported or stored on university property, they may search the area. Individuals found to have prohibited items may be subject to disciplinary action on and/or off campus. This policy includes, but is not limited to, backpacks, bulky packages, coolers, laundry baskets and vehicles on university property or at university-sponsored events.

ROOM AND APARTMENT INSPECTION
Room/apartment inspections, as a health and safety precaution, will be conducted at regular periods throughout the year. Students will be given 24-hour notice of upcoming inspections. Violations of university policies will result in disciplinary action. If a room inspection is warranted for reasons other than health and safety, a room search is standard protocol. Residential life staff may obtain a search authorization if necessary.

ROOM, HALL, APARTMENT, or ROOMMATE CHANGE
During the academic year, students wishing to change rooms/halls may do so by making arrangements through the director of residential life. First impressions may not always be accurate and we will not consider room or hall changes during the first two weeks of any semester to allow students an opportunity to get to know their new roommate(s) before requesting a change. This time frame also allows us to verify occupancy and determine where spaces may/may not exist prior to any move. We hope that roommate differences and disagreements may be resolved through mediation and compromise. Resident assistants are available to help with this process if students choose to attempt to resolve their differences instead of moving. If all attempts to resolve the conflict fail and/or the student is determined to change rooms, hall or roommates, he/she is required to follow the established procedures.

Before moving, a student must:

1. Complete the necessary forms with the resident assistant.
2. Obtain the director of residential life signature before any move.
3. Check into new room according to procedures.
4. Check out of previous room according to procedures.
5. Students planning to change rooms between semesters must completely move their belongings before leaving for the break.

Failure to follow the established procedures may result in a $75 charge for unauthorized room change and/or disciplinary action. Students requesting room changes after the designated room change week each semester and/or more than one move per academic year will be charged $25 per change.

DEFAULT SINGLE If the resident’s assigned roommate never checked in or moved out during the academic year leaving one person in a designated double room this is called a default single. You end up with a single but are paying the double rate. This arrangement is not fair to those students who have chosen a single and are paying the higher rate or to those students who are paying the double rate for two people in a room. To remedy this situation, the remaining resident has three options:

1. The student may elect to pay the single room rate that will be adjusted accordingly from the date of change.
2. The student may choose to consolidate by moving to another vacant space in his/her residence hall or have another student move into his/her room in order to maintain the existing room rate.
3. If no consolidation occurs, student must accept any new roommate assigned by the director of residential life with little or no advanced notice.

SINGLE ROOMS We believe that living with one or more roommates is essential to the residence life experience and maximizes the educational opportunities available within the residence hall/apartment and thus only a limited number of students will be permitted to live alone in a double room and only when space is available. Students assigned to a single room understand that this privilege will result in higher room charges than those assigned one or more roommates. In the event that the institution must assign one or more roommates to those previously granted a single, we will notify you as soon as possible of this change. Students assigned roommates will be billed at the double rate until such time as it may become possible to grant their request for a single. We realize that we may have more requests for single rooms than we can accommodate. We have created the following list regarding who has priority for single rooms.

Single rooms are granted in the following order:

1. Resident assistants and some campus life committee exceptions
2. Seniors - and 21 incentives according to the number of achieved credits
3. Juniors
4. Sophomores
5. Freshmen

Once all single rooms have been assigned, students may request that their name be added to a waiting list in the event that a room becomes available. Available spaces are assigned according to the same priority list regardless of whether you are the first or last name on the list. In the event that we need to eliminate singles, they will be eliminated in reverse order when possible.

Students with documented medical or physical special needs requiring a single room may contact the director of residence life for information and additional consideration.

TELEPHONES, LONG DISTANCE SERVICE AND VOICEMAIL
Each room and apartment is equipped to accept a touch-tone telephone which the student must provide. Campus and local service is included in the residential living charge established on a yearly basis by the university. Students may choose to use pre-paid phone cards or personal cell phones for long distance service. Pre-paid phone cards are available from a variety of stores, including the DWU Bookstore.

It is the policy of the campus life office not to release phone numbers to the general public. Calls can and will be transferred from the campus life office to the student requested or his/her voicemail. In rare situations, messages may be placed in the student's campus mailbox. Students are encouraged to activate their voicemail account and to check it regularly since this is the number that most faculty, staff and others are likely to use in the absence of any other contact information.

WARNING: Students are NOT authorized to charge calls to ANY university number. Any such calls will be referred to the telephone company as fraudulent calls. South Dakota laws prohibit the fraudulent use of a credit card, telephone billing number or device to obtain or attempt to obtain telephone services without payment of lawful charges. The maximum penalty for violation is a fine of $1,000 or two years imprisonment or both. Law prohibits intentional annoyance of another by telephone. The maximum penalty for violation is a fine of $500 or one year imprisonment or both. The misuse of college telephone equipment may result in the offending student's suspension from the university.

VACATION POLICY
Students must refer to the information listed below for specific requirements of each vacation or break period. Halls are closed during Christmas break and all students must secure alternative housing arrangements. Step-down status will be in effect on campus during fall break, Thanksgiving, Easter and spring break, and during summer classes. During step-down status, services provided to students are limited (i.e., limited residence hall staffing, no food service, halls to remain locked 24 hours a day). All university rules and policies are in effect. Visitation policies may be modified during any portion of a break or all break periods at the discretion of the director or residence life in consultation with the resident directors and the vice president for campus life. Students will be advised of any policy changes that will be effect during posted breaks.

When residence halls close for the semester and breaks, residents must complete the following checklist before departure:

• Ensure the smoke detector works.
• Empty the garbage.
• Turn heater to low setting (not off).
• Unplug all appliances except aquariums and refrigerators (at semester break everything must be unplugged.)
• Close and lock the window and shut the drapes.
• Lock the door.

Students are encouraged to follow these guidelines whenever they leave for extended time periods.

Heaters are required to be left on because frozen pipes break and can cause extensive and expensive water damage. Repair and damage costs are the responsibility of residents who fail to keep their windows closed and heaters on during cold weather and vacation periods.

Students are encouraged to defrost their refrigerators regularly or at least once a year (i.e., before leaving for semester break). When you defrost your fridge, we recommend that you empty water trays, remove wet towels and prop fridge door open prior to leaving for the break. Water and wet towels left in a closed fridge may result in odor and mold upon your return as well as possible damage to the floor or furnishings from water leakage.

Department of residential life staff members will enter all student rooms and apartments when the halls close for breaks to make safety and security inspections and to complete work orders with or without additional notification.

Residents should also arrange for the care of plants and fish when the halls are closed since residence hall staff members are not responsible for upkeep.

Breaks are designed to give faculty, staff, and students a chance to relax and return refreshed and for these reasons all students are expected to leave for each designated break. With permission from the resident director, an exception may be granted if:

1. A student is required by the university to stay;
2. A student lives more than 400 miles from campus; or
3. A student has extraordinary circumstances deeming it necessary to remain in the halls.

Students wanting to remain in the halls must contact their RD a minimum of two weeks prior to the break. There may be an additional charge for those individuals staying over vacation periods since room/board costs do not include break periods. We reserve the option of determining which rooms/halls will be used for vacation housing. Any student violating policies during these times will be subjected to double sanctions and required to find alternative housing for the remainder of the break. Students choosing to stay should seek alternative meal arrangements. Campus food services are not available during break periods.

THANKSGIVING BREAK The residence halls are not closed during Thanksgiving, however step-down status will be in effect during this time. No meal service is available and visitation is not permitted during this time.

CHRISTMAS/SEMESTER BREAK Christmas break officially begins after a resident's final exam. All residents are expected to be out of the residence halls 24 hours after their last exam. Halls will reopen at noon the day before classes resume.

SPRING BREAK The residence halls are not closed during spring break, however step-down status will be in effect during this time. No meal service is available and visitation is not permitted during this time.

EASTER BREAK The residence halls are not closed during Easter, however step-down status will be in effect during this time. No meal service is available and visitation is not permitted during this time.

SUMMER BREAK Residents are expected to be out of the residence halls 24 hours after their last final exam or by 5 p.m. the day after graduation. Residents needing to stay beyond that time must have permission from the director of residential life