Residence Hall Procedures

The Office of Residential Life establishes the dates governing student stay in the residence halls. No one will be permitted to return to campus early or stay late without written permission from the Office of Residential Life for any reason. In the event that permission is granted for a student to return to campus early or late, guests will not be permitted to stay with the student while school is not in session. A written request for extended occupancy must be made to the Office of Residential Life via an early arrival or extended stay application form. Approval of such requests is not automatic. The student will be responsible for extra room and board costs incurred. All students granted permission to return to campus early, or stay on campus late, should realize that college services are very limited during those times.

Room assignments are made through the Office of Residential Life. Students have the opportunity to adjust their current housing assignments and change rooms during our Open Room Change processes. Students may not change room assignments without permission of the Office of Residential Life or outside of those open room change periods. Failure to follow the policy may result in a $50 improper check-out charge and disciplinary action. The College reserves the right to make any changes in room assignments at any time. In order to change rooms please reach out to your professional hall staff member. Your professional hall staff member will be able to explain the room change procedures. Students must follow those directions in order to complete the room change process.

YEAR-END CHECK-OUT POLICY

All students must be checked out by the specified year-end check-out time. Any student who remains in the residence halls after the check-out deadline without permission from the Office of Residential Life will be charged a $50 improper check-out charge, plus $25 per night of stay.

At check-out, vacated rooms must be swept, mopped, and dusted and free of all garbage. Rooms must be returned to their original condition and set up. Failure to leave a clean room may result in a minimum charge of $25 per occupant, depending on the condition of the room. Failure to follow established check-in or check-out procedures may result in a $50 fine. Damage that occurs to a room or its furnishings is the responsibility of the occupant(s) and will be charged to the resident(s).

All students without roommates paying for double room occupancy will be consolidated. The Office of Residential Life consolidates rooms and students during both the Fall Semester and Spring Semester. The consolidation procedure is as follows:

• Students paying for double room occupancy without a roommate will receive a list of students who are in a similar situation from the Office of Residential Life.
• Students will be given at least three working days to choose a new roommate from the list provided.
• If no roommate is chosen within the specified time allowed, one will be selected by the Office of Residential Life.
• Once a new roommate has been selected, the person who is chosen to move out must report to the Office of Residential Life to complete the proper paperwork. All students will be given three working days to have the move completed.
• Failure to follow this policy may result in students being billed for a single room and disciplinary action.

Returning students who wish to reserve a room in a residence hall for the following academic year must be registered as full-time students for the following academic year and participate in the online housing selection process in the Spring. Students who have an unfavorable balance on their account and/or are not registered for the following academic year are not eligible to participate in the online housing selection process. When a student selects a room through the online housing selection process in the Spring, they sign a housing contract for the entire academic year. Housing contracts are binding and cannot be broken. For more information about the housing selection process for returning students, please visit the Office of Residential Life.

Single Room Request

Each semester single rooms may be available based on the total resident population and based on the needs of incoming Carthage students. In the event that single rooms are available, only those students who have applied to be included on the single room waitlist through the Office of Residential Life will be considered. A student’s position on the waitlist is not transferable. A student who refuses a single when offered will be removed from the single room waitlist.

If a student’s roommate leaves the residence hall, for whatever reason, that student may first be given the option of remaining in the room as a single and paying the additional fee for the term. A student desiring a single room should contact the Office of Residential Life at housing@carthage.edu to inquire about the availability of a single room. Students requesting a single room should be aware of the following:

• Due to the popularity of single rooms, and the general lack of rooms available for single occupancy, most often students requesting a single room will be placed on a waiting list.
• Students requesting a single room must sign a room buyout form for that room stating that they will pay the additional money for the single.
• Forms are available in the Office of Residential Life. Single assignments are only for the academic year in which they are assigned.

Carthage College recognizes the right of students to be protected against unreasonable personal search and entry of their rooms. In order to safeguard this right, while ensuring its traditions as a residential college where the quality of life is a proper aim of policy and practice, the College enforces the following regulations to govern student search and entry of College-owned student rooms.

• The College reserves the right for its authorized personnel (i.e. Residential Life staff, Public Safety staff, etc.) to enter rooms to inspect, protect and maintain College property and to inspect the contents of student packages, room furnishings, handbags, or backpacks when violations of College policy, State or Federal laws are suspected. “Probable cause” exists when authorized College personnel has reasonably trustworthy information which would warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that an offense has been or is being committed.
• Residential Life staff and Resident Assistants will inspect student rooms for the purpose of safety and security at the start of each vacation break period. Rooms will be checked for open or unlocked doors and windows, unauthorized residence hall furnishings, plugged in and/or hazardous electrical appliances or health hazards, If warranted, the student will be notified in writing of any items confiscated; arrangements will be made for the return of confiscated items provided that the possession of these items is not a violation of public law. All alcoholic beverages confiscated will be disposed of immediately and will not be returned to the student(s).
• Student rooms may be entered without notice in emergency situations. An emergency situation exists when imminent danger to life, safety, health, or property is feared. Office of Student Life staff members also may enter rooms without prior notification or in the absence of the occupant(s) for matters relating to the comfort and/or safety of fellow hall residents; for example, to close a window or turn off an alarm clock. Such entries are to be recorded by the staff member documenting the name of the person entering the room, the phone extension, the time and date entry was gained, and the reason for entry.
• In non-emergency situations, a member of the Office of Student Life may conduct a student room search in a Residence Hall without prior notification. Such a search can occur when there is probable cause to believe that a violation of College regulations has occurred or is occurring. “Probable cause” exists when a member of the above-stated staff has reasonably trustworthy information that would warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that an offense has been or is being committed. Contraband or evidence of a violation of a College policy will be seized by the persons making the search.
• Police officers desiring to conduct a search of a student’s possessions in the residence hall must present the Office of Student Life staff with a bona fide search warrant authorizing their search before they proceed.

The above policy does not apply to custodial and maintenance personnel as maintenance requests by students shall be considered as permission to enter. In such cases, no notification of entry will be given.