Residential Learning Community Policies and Guidelines

**These dates are subject to change.**

Fall Term 2022

• Residential communities open for first-year students on Thursday, September 1^st at 8:00 a.m. Meal plan (7-day plan) begins with Dinner.
• Residential communities open for second-year students on Saturday, September 3^rd at 8:00 a.m.
• Residential communities open for all remaining upper-year students on Sunday, September 4^th at 8:00 a.m.
• Residential communities close for all winter break on Thursday, December 22^nd at 12:00 noon

During the winter break, some residential buildings may be closed for safety and energy conservation reasons. Each year The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community, in cooperation with the Facilities Department, will determine which residential communities will be closed. Residents living in buildings selected for closing will be assigned to another residential community or may elect to stay in a friend’s room with permission.

Spring Term 2023

• Residential communities close for all undergraduate students on Saturday, May 13^th at 12:00 noon

With the exception of members of the senior class the only students who will be granted access to their rooms are the Resident Advisors and other groups who have received approval for extended stay. Summer housing residents, Commencement/Reunion workers, international students, athletes participating in competition, etc., who have been extended may be subject to temporary relocation. These students must relocate to a temporary assignment upon request by The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community.

Residential Closures

• All residents must vacate their campus residence 24 hours after their last final examination each semester.
• Fall-term residents who do not contract a room for the spring term must completely vacate their fall-term room by Thursday, December 22^nd, 2021 at 12:00 noon at the latest.
• All spring-term residents must completely vacate their room by Tuesday, May 13^th, 2023, at 12:00 noon at the latest.

Please Note: A per-day fee may be assessed to any student who occupies his or her room outside the dates stated in the residential contract.

Upon closure of residential buildings, representatives from The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community and the Facilities Department will inspect all rooms for damages, noting missing college issued furniture and determining if excessive cleaning is required.

Upon completion of inspections, all rooms will be cleared and prepared for the fall semester. Any personal belongings left in the room will be considered abandoned and disposed of. After residential closures, students will only be granted access to their former residential assignment at the discretion of The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. A room entry fee will be assessed for access if granted.

Break Housing

Students are not permitted to remain in campus residences during the winter or summer break periods without the explicit written permission of The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. Break periods are defined as any period not included in the residential contract dates listed above.

Although College services (such as dining facilities) are limited, students are permitted to remain in campus residences during the Thanksgiving break and spring break periods.

To obtain permission to stay during break periods, students must an application for Break Housing to The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. Students granted permission to stay during the break periods must stay in the room approved by The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community and must abide by all policies contained within these residential guidelines.

Permission will not be granted for personal convenience. To be eligible for break housing, one of the following must apply to students:

• international student
• working on campus (supervisor must confirm employment during this period)
• has academic obligations requiring them to be on campus (professor must confirm the obligation during this period)
• enrolled and taking a course during this period (course enrollment will be confirmed with the Registrar’s Office during this period)
• member of an in-season athletic team (membership will be confirmed with Athletics during this period)
• participating in an internship opportunity in the Hartford area (internship will be confirmed with Career and Life Design or with internship supervisor)

Please Note: The eligibility guidelines listed above are the only acceptable reasons for being on-campus during any portion of break periods. The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community strictly adheres to these guidelines.

Residents who enter or remain in campus residences during break periods without prior approval will be subject to disciplinary action/penalties and required to vacate immediately.

Any unassigned damages occurring to the buildings over any break periods will be charged to students granted occupancy for that time period.

• When a student withdraws from their room, rental charges are based upon the date of receipt of written notification of withdrawal from the residential contract. Students must correspond in writing with The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community as soon as a decision is made to withdraw from a contract.
• In order to ensure that students who select rooms during the housing selection process have the intention of residing in those rooms in the fall, there are cancellation penalties. This is very helpful in making sure that all vacancies are known well in advance of move in and that students who do not yet have a room are not waiting for a space to become available. Students who are assigned housing and cancel their contract will be charged half the cost of a semester’s housing.
• If a student fails to occupy a residence without notification by the first day of classes, it may be assumed that the student has withdrawn and that a legitimate vacancy exists. The room-cancellation fee will be placed on their student account.
• When a withdrawal from a contract occurs before the beginning of the eighth week of the term, the room-cancellation fee will be placed on the student’s account. Additionally, the rental charges of the room will be prorated. During or after the eighth week, students are required to pay rental for the full academic semester.
• In the event that a resident student withdraws from a single-occupancy room, The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community will reassign the vacancy.
• In the event that a resident student withdraws from a multiple-occupancy room, The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community will assign an occupant to the vacancy if the remaining occupants do not select, in writing, a replacement within 72 hours after the vacancy is recognized. If a replacement is selected, that chosen individual must immediately contact The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community to negotiate assignment to the vacancy.
• To be considered for reassignment from a multiple-occupancy room, students must first contact their Residential Learning Coordinator -TRINsition Fellow. In most cases, students will be asked to first attempt to rectify any conflicts through staff-mediated discussions. Students may not change their assignment without first notifying their roommate(s). Please note that very few vacancies actually exist, and the best course of action is always to use the Residential Learning staff to help with roommate
  conflicts.
• Students residing in multiple-occupancy rooms who go through the appropriate steps and are allowed a room change will almost always be assigned to a vacancy in another multiple-occupancy room and not to a single room.
• Disciplinary penalties may be levied against those who deliberately discourage or reject individuals from filling vacancies.
• Before a vacant space may be occupied or any change in residence (including switches) made, all room changes must be approved by the The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. Failure to obtain the approval prior to occupying accommodations may result in penalties and eviction of the occupant.
• Students arriving early and/or staying late will be fined and/or subject to disciplinary action for the use of the space outside of the regular operating schedule for student residential spaces.

• Residents are expected to abide by all published fee and occupancy schedules and are required to pay their semester room fees prior to assuming occupancy.
• Residents must occupy their accommodations as assigned by The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. Written approval from The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community must be secured for all residence assignments before a student may occupy a residential space.
• Any student who vacates or is required hereunder to vacate accommodations shall remove all personal property prior to the time specified herein for yielding up such space. In the event such property is not removed, it shall be deemed abandoned and may be disposed of in any manner deemed appropriate by the College.
• Assignment switching (changing rooms) without written permission is prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.
• The College supplies custodial services only for public common areas. Residents are responsible for maintaining clean private spaces.
• There are no sanctioned storage areas accessible to students. Students should seek outside vendors for this type of service.
• The College’s responsibilities under a residential contract remain in force only so long as the student is enrolled as a Trinity undergraduate student and otherwise permitted to occupy student accommodations. Students who are not so enrolled or who are required for any reason to vacate their accommodations must vacate within 48 hours of the notice. Failure to vacate will entitle the College to remove the student from accommodations without resort to judicial proceedings. If such proceedings are commenced, the student will pay the College’s costs and attorneys’ fees incurred in the enforcement of the residential contract.
• In order to house all undergraduates, the College may, at its discretion, increase the occupancy of assigned residences or reassign occupants to other accommodations.
• The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community strives to fill every bed, particularly for the beginning of each semester. A student whose roommate cancels their housing contract or moves out of the room should not expect to occupy a multiple occupancy room alone. Students will be asked to: (a) consolidate within another vacancy, (b) notify The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community of new roommate(s) within 72 hours of the vacancy, or (c) expect to receive new roommate(s) placed by
  the Director of Housing Operations. Reassignments and consolidations usually take place two to four weeks into each semester but can occur at any time during the active residential contract. The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community reserves the right to consolidate empty spaces within a building or make reassignments when vacancies occur during the summer or winter recess or summer session.
• The College may delay in enforcing any of its rights under a residential contract without losing them. Additionally, the College may elect to waive any of its rights under a residential contract without jeopardizing any other rights so granted.
• Any form of lottery fraud (misuse of lottery numbers, special arrangements, etc.) may invalidate a residential contract.
• At the beginning of each semester, there will be a two-week moratorium on room change requests to conduct a census and verify all vacancies.
• There are more specific policies regarding the room-selection process contained in the document titled “Room Selection Instructions.” Please refer to this document for specifics on the room-selection process. Housing selection for fall occupancy is an online process and students will receive instructions and important dates prior to the selection period.
• Trinity College is a residential college, and all students are expected to live in housing provided by the College. Prior to the spring housing selection, The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community will publish guidelines for students requesting to live off campus. Note that there is a maximum number of students each semester that are released from on-campus housing. Students are not guaranteed that they will be granted permission to live off campus.

All Trinity College students must comply with all medical documentation requirements as required by the Health Center. The Health Center must collect certain health related information for compliance with the State of Connecticut and Trinity’s admissions requirements.

Please Note: Students will not be allowed to take occupancy of their residence until the Health Center has certified they are in compliance with these requirements.

The State of Connecticut requires by law, all Trinity College students to have completed and show proof of immunization/vaccination, prior to the start of their first semester at Trinity College. The following vaccinations are required:

• Meningococcal (1 dose after age 16, within 5 years of residing on-campus)
• Measles (2 doses)
• Mumps (2 doses)
• Rubella (2 doses)
• Varicella (2 doses)

Additionally, Trinity College requires COVID vaccination, including a World Health Organization approved primary shot or series and booster dose.

The medical director and the clinical lead of the Health Center reserves the right to assess incoming documentation and qualify immunizations/vaccinations as acceptable or request additional immunizations/vaccinations and documentation.

The College will consider requests for special room assignments. This process is explained in the room selection lottery instructions. Special assignments may be considered for the following situations: documented medical needs, physical disabilities, and students with married status (spouse must be a matriculated Trinity student as well).

Students with documented medical needs or physical disabilities must apply for accommodations through the Student Accessibility Resource Center.

Special arrangements are certified at the time of assignment, often with additional contractual guidelines. Any misuse of the special assignment or any change in circumstance that invalidates the need for a special assignment may result in termination of the contract. The College may then take possession of the assigned accommodations.

Eligibility To Live Off-Campus

Rising seniors and juniors in good academic and good social standing, who have not yet accepted, or are not yet assigned to on-campus housing for the upcoming academic year can apply to live off-campus.

Students who are unsure of their academic standing must check their academic/advising transcript. Students who are unsure of their social standing should email [email protected].

Please Note: Students who currently live off-campus MUST reapply for approval to live off-campus for the upcoming academic year.

Once applications are reviewed, students will receive notification of their application status. 175 student applicants will be approved based on their lottery number to live in housing not owned by the College.

Students whose applications are not approved based on lottery number:

• Will be placed on the off-campus housing waitlist
• Can elect to participate in the on-campus housing lottery

Please Note: Students who choose to live off-campus without approval will charged a $2500 penalty

• The $2500 penalty will not be waived
• There is no appeal process to waive the $2500 penalty

Eligibility To Obtain Commuter Status

Students who reside with their parents or legal guardians in their permanent legal residence within a 50-mile radius from the Trinity College campus.

• Students are responsible for signing their room condition report within one week of assuming occupancy of a residential assignment. Prior to occupancy, a room condition report is completed by the Residential Learning Community Staff noting the condition of the space including an inventory of furnishings. The Resident Advisor will meet with each resident during the first week of classes and ask the resident to review the room condition report. It is the student’s responsibility to verify the condition of the room. Any damages or missing items must be documented in order to avoid future charges. Failure to sign the room condition report will result in the resident’s right to dispute charges due to damages or missing items that were inventoried for the room.
• At the end of each term, rooms will be inspected by a representative of the Facilities Department and/or The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community and any damages or missing items not previously noted on the check-in form will be billed directly to the student’s account. Excessive damages and/or necessary cleaning found at the end of a term may also be referred for disciplinary action.

• Students are responsible for maintaining the condition of their rooms and their furnishings during their periods of occupancy. Changes such as painting, installing shelves, etc. are not permitted and are considered unauthorized changes. Unauthorized changes and damages to College property that occur during the school year by residents or their guests are the financial responsibility of the residents of the room/suite/apartment. Students are required to report these unauthorized changes/damages immediately to The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community. Unauthorized changes/damage to furniture, walls, or any part of the room will be assigned a repair/replacement cost and charged to the responsible student(s). Students with excessive damages in their rooms will face disciplinary action up to and including restriction from housing.
• The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community staff conducts health and safety inspections in each individual room in residential buildings once per semester. Not only is it expected that rooms be free of any prohibited items/policy violations, students are also expected to maintain hygienic conditions so as to not attract insects and rodents to the area. For safety reasons, rooms must also be free of debris and not overloaded with furnishings. Failure to comply will result in disciplinary action and/or a $100 fine. Hazardous materials such as bodily fluids found in a residential space will result in disciplinary action.
• Each room is equipped with a bed frame, extra-long mattress, desk, desk chair, and wardrobe/bureau (where built-ins do not exist). Many common rooms are provided with a sofa and chair. There are only a limited number of items in back stock, but every legitimate furniture request will be honored. For furniture repairs, requests, etc. please contact the Facilities Help Desk via the Facilities Web site http://Facilities.trincoll.edu. Please note that bookcases are not guaranteed.
  • All furniture that is issued to student rooms must remain in that room for the duration of the year. If room furniture is found outside the room (e.g., hallways, basements, lounges, storage areas, etc.), it will be removed and the resident(s) of the room missing that piece will be charged for its full replacement cost.
  • Students are prohibited from bringing their own mattress into the residents hall unless it is approved by Trinity College Health Center.
• The College employs a maintenance and custodial staff to keep the residential communities in good physical condition. Requests for maintenance should be directed to Facilities at x5300. Upon vacating their assignment, students are expected to take all personal belongings, remove all trash, and do a quick sweeping. Supplies are available from Facilities or the Residential Learning Coordinator & TRINsition Fellow’s office. Please be advised that rooms that require excessive cleaning or  furniture/rug removal will be assessed a cleaning fee.
• Nails, screws, double-stick tape, or duct tape on the walls, furniture, or fixtures is prohibited due to the physical damage that often occurs from using these materials. Repainting/repairs resulting from the use of such adhesives is the financial responsibility of the resident(s) of the room. The use of low-adhesive masking tape or white poster putty may be used to hang posters and other decorations.
• In all cases, if a responsible party is not identified in advance, the assigned financial cost for damages, missing items, furniture removal, and/or cleaning fees within a room will be equally distributed among the roommates of that space.
• Public displays: Pictures and other materials that may be considered to be objectionable are subject to removal in areas that may be visible outside a room/suite/apartment in a residential building (e.g., directly in windows, exteriors of doors, etc.).

The College will make every attempt to respect the student’s desire for privacy within the community. This policy is designed to ensure reasonable and appropriate entry into a student’s room by only authorized staff members and to define the conditions under which authorized personnel may enter a student’s residence/room.

Authorized staff members who may enter a student’s room include: Department of Facilities maintenance and custodial personnel, Campus Safety personnel, Residential Learning Community administrative staff members, Deans, Administrators on Call, and Resident Advisors.

• Rooms may be entered under the following conditions:
  1. To provide room maintenance inspections or repair services
  2. To conduct health and safety inspections
  3. When there is reasonable cause to believe the College community standards are being violated
  4. When there is reasonable cause to believe an emergency situation that requires the room be entered has arisen
  5. When a student vacates a room for a break period
  6. When the occupancy period of the room has ended
  7. When sanctioned for room checks after adjudication of a fire-safety violation
• Illegal materials/prohibited items in plain view may be confiscated and disposed of if they are noticed by authorized personnel or in response to a violation of College or residential policy.
• When a member of the police or a government agency seeks permission of the College to search a student’s room, such permission will not be granted without a warrant. Undergraduates (including roommates) have no authority to grant permission to such agencies to conduct searches of property of individuals in absentia. The director of campus safety, the dean of students, and/or the administrator on call must be notified immediately of such agencies’ presence and intent.

The College has an electronic control system working to protect students in the residential communities: These are networked card readers. This system is administered by the Information Services Department, Help Desk on Level A of the Library.

• Electronic card readers are used on exterior and interior doors within all residential communities. All residential communities are ID access only. IDs are not to be shared under any circumstance. If an ID is compromised it may result in disciplinary action. IDs will open all residential communities, suites/bedrooms, bathrooms, and lounges within the residential communities.
• At the entrances to all residential buildings, the College also has networked card readers that use student ID cards. Students are expected to carry their IDs with them at all times. The exterior doors are also equipped with horns and strobe lights that will alert both residents and Campus Safety when a breech has occurred. Please note that each resident has several seconds to enter the door and have it close behind him or her.
• Under normal circumstances, all lock repair issues, or card-reader failures should be directed to x2007. If an emergency exists, please contact Campus Safety immediately at x2222. Students who require a replacement ID card should go to the library (x2007) during normal business hours(note: a $30 replacement fee will be assessed). Call Campus Safety (x2222) during evening hours or on weekends.
• Tampering with any locking system, adding locking devices, propping open any exterior residential building doors, bathroom doors, or holding the door open for nonresidents are very serious violations that will result in disciplinary action.

Neither the College nor The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community can be held directly or indirectly financially liable for any damage or loss of property due to the actions of students, undetermined vandalism, fire, facility failure, theft, severe weather, or other acts of nature. Students are therefore encouraged to review their family’s personal property insurance for coverage or to carry their own homeowner’s/renter’s insurance to ensure that property and belongings are covered for theft and loss while at school. The Bantam Network Residential Learning Community has student insurance information available upon request.