From time to time, additional charges may appear on your student's Statement of Account from the College. These charges are assessed following an incident where a violation of our College fire policies occurs or when property is damaged. If the responsible person(s) cannot be found, the amount is divided evenly among all the residents of the floor or building (whichever is appropriate). It is our hope that this policy minimizes the number of violations in the halls and encourages all of the residents to be responsible for the place where they live. This policy is further explained in the housing contract that students sign before moving into the residence halls.
Depending on the nature of the charge, the amount is established in different ways. For violations of state or local fire codes, the Office of Security assesses a fine for each violation. These fines are collected in a safety/security account that is used to purchase items to help prevent similar situations from occurring in the future (propped door alarms, fire pull station covers, safety videos, etc.). For damage to property, our Physical Plant establishes the charge based upon replacement cost including materials and labor as well as a deterrent fee. These charges go into an account for the repair or replacement of the damaged items.
It is also important to realize that a number of proactive steps are taken to reduce or eliminate these situations. First, our security officers and Residence Life staff members complete safety and security checks of the halls on a regular basis. These staff members are expected to confront all behaviors that violate campus policies. Second, we actively educate our students about the dangers/consequences of tampering with fire equipment and the cost associated with damaging College property. We address these issues at meetings held throughout the year and by posting educational signs, especially in areas where damage/fire violations have been a problem. Third, we are constantly exploring new technology that can help eliminate these issues. To date, we have added security phones at the main doors to all residence halls, installed fire pull station covers in areas where patterns of abuse have occurred, and tested door alarms that sound if the door is propped open. It is our hope that these efforts reduce the disruption caused by fire violations and damage.
