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Campus Policies & Housing Regulations
Summary of Policies:
- Agreements, Rights and Responsibilities
- Behavioral Contracts
- State and Federal Regulations
- Health, Safety and Security Regulations
- Violations of Community Standards
- A Brief Overview of the Residential Judicial Process
Agreements, Rights and Responsibilities
Annual Residence and Dining Service Agreement
The Annual Residence Hall and Dining Service Agreement, signed by every resident student, is a formal contract for room and board services. It is a binding yearly contract which can only be broken under special circumstances with approval by the Assistant Director of Housing Assignments. One of the conditions of the agreement for on-campus residence is participation in a meal plan. Students are advised to keep their copy of the agreement for the duration of the academic year.
Entering Student Rooms
Article D in the Annual Residence Hall and Dining Service Agreement states, "The College reserves the right to inspect student rooms and furnishings in order to maintain health, safety and maintenance standards." This enables college personnel to implement routine maintenance requests from residents. Under special conditions a member of the residence hall staff may ask a resident to go through his or her own possessions to ascertain compliance with such standards.
Overnight Guest Agreement
Students who are assigned college housing accommodations have the privilege to invite guests to stay in their room for a maximum of three consecutive nights. Since overnight guests potentially infringe upon the rights of other's living space, a residential host must receive written permission from his/her roommates/suitemates/floormates prior to inviting overnight guests. Any of these individuals has the right to allow or deny the invitation to a guest prior to his or her arrival. Overnight guest privileges must be agreed upon through the "Shared Living Space Agreement" and in each case specifically.
Room Changes
On the third Wednesday of each semester and at the end of the fall semester, it is possible for residents to change rooms into available vacancies. Information regarding each process is posted in the residence halls about one week prior to this event. All room changes are only allowed with the permission of your Residence Director. Students involved in an unauthorized room change will be required to return to their original room and may be held accountable through the College's disciplinary system. If you are thinking about a room change, speak to your hall's student staff member or Residence Director.
Room Damages
Each resident is expected to maintain his or her residence hall room in good condition. To document the original condition of your room, you will have the opportunity to review and sign a Data Room Inventory Card (DRIC) at the time you move into your assigned room. Please review this form carefully; when you vacate the room, this form will be used for the basis of comparison for damages at check out. At checkout, residents are responsible to formally check out at the hall office and turn in their room key. Individual residence communities will be responsible for damages incurred in the common areas of the residence halls, apartments, off campus houses and townhouses. You are responsible for ensuring the proper use of these facilities by your guests. During all breaks, residents must sign-out at the hall office and are expected to follow appropriate sign-out procedures. For more information about this process please visit Hall Damages Website
Financial charges will result when specific policies are violated. This includes $50 for removing cables on the windows in Travers-Wolfe; $25 for items left in rooms or hallways when the resident(s) are moving out of the room; $25 for cleaning a room which is left in an unsanitary manner (i.e., food left in room) at semester break and year-end; and $15 for not closing storm windows in Norsworthy and ABE during breaks. The replacement of a missing phone is $145. There is a $50 fee for having lounge or common area furniture in your room. Additional charges may apply for other items.
Room Re-assignments
As noted in the Annual Residence Hall and Dining Service Agreement, when a vacancy exists in a double room, The College has the right to reassign the remaining resident to a vacancy or be assigned a roommate by the Office of Residential and Community Development.
Behavioral Contracts
Community Contracts and Living Agreements
These contracts are designed to open lines of communication between roommates, suitemates, apartmentmates, housemates, and floormates. The contract asks students sharing a common space to discuss expectations and guidelines for living together. Some of the topics are: guests, smoking, telephones, use of other's property, and cleaning standards. It is very important when living with others to reach an understanding of what is important to you and to determine your limits. Ideally, you will complete these contracts within the first few weeks of school. Hall staff are available to assist you with this process. Feel free to re-negotiate the items on these contracts or include additional items at any time. Students may be held accountable for these documented agreements.
The Social Contract
A copy of the social contract can be found on the back of your Annual Residence Hall and Dining Service Contract.
State and Federal Regulations
Policies and Regulations
Guidelines are established in accordance with State and Federal laws, and to provide a safe and harmonious community for you and others to live. By entering into a contract with the College, students agree to follow the policies described in The College of New Jersey Social Contract and Student Handbook, as well as the policies and regulations identified in this guide. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with these guidelines and make responsible choices. In a community such as this, it is important to consider the effect your choices and behaviors have on others around you. Understand that you may be held responsible for being present during a policy violation based on a preponderance of evidence. You may also be held accountable for your guests' behaviors and policy violations occurring in your room or the common areas of your apartment, suite or townhouse.
Alcohol Policy
No one under the age of twenty-one is permitted to be in the presence of, possess, or consume alcoholic beverages in the residence halls. These residents also may not have empty alcohol containers in their rooms for decoration. The College condones the responsible use of alcohol by those twenty-one or older; however, any student found abusing alcohol will be held accountable. Residents twenty-one or older are permitted to possess and consume alcohol in the privacy of their rooms, with the door closed, and with no-one under the age of twenty-one present. Residents and guest over the age of twenty-one are NOT permitted to consume alcohol in the presence of those under 21. Within the common areas of an apartment or townhouse, open alcohol is permitted provided all residents and guests are twenty-one or older. No alcohol may be consumed or carried in open containers in any public area of the residence halls. Kegs or beer containers over thirty-two ounces are not permitted. Hosting an event which violates the alcohol policy is considered a serious violation and may result in removal from residence. Any student and/or guest in the presence of open alcohol will be held accountable for any violation of the college alcohol policy. As per the College Alcohol policy, any staff member has the right to inspect packages and coverings entering a residence hall. You may view the College Alcohol Policy and other policies in the College's Student Handbook Online.
Smoking
According to New Jersey State Law, effective October 21, 2005 smoking of any tobacco containing product is not permitted in any college operated facility that serves as a student residence. Residents and occupants of rooms in which evidence of smoking is found are subject to action through The College of New Jersey’ disciplinary process. Any building occupant found smoking any tobacco product in any facility is also subject to a $100.00 fine via citation from Campus Police.
In order to maintain the highest levels of health & safety possible, The College has also prohibited the smoking, lighting, ignition or vaporizing of nay non-tobacco products within any college operated facility. Residents and occupants of facilities in which evidence of use of such a product is found are subject to action through The College of New Jersey’s disciplinary process.
Smoking is permitted outside buildings at a distance greater than 10 feet from building entrances, openings, or air intakes. Smokers are asked to dispose of smoking products in provided smoking receptacles.
Health, Safety, & Security Regulations
Air Conditioners (Window and Portable Units)
Individual air conditioners are not permitted in any residence facility. The electrical circuitry in the buildings is insufficient to provide the necessary wattage required to run an air conditioner.
Appliances
Appliances with exposed heating elements are not permitted in the on-campus residence halls. These devices include but are not limited to: broiler or toaster ovens, heating devices, hot plates, toasters, and space heaters (in emergencies, space heaters may be issued by the residence life staff). The use of appliances with enclosed heating elements for cooking purposes such as coffeepots are only permitted in the common areas (public kitchens and lounges). If found plugged into an outlet in your room, it will be assumed to be in use. It is strongly recommended that all heat-producing items have an automatic shut-off device (e.g. irons, curling irons, etc.). All cooking must be done in the designated kitchen area. Personal microwave ovens, ranging between .4 and .6 cubic feet, are permitted in all residence halls except the Off Campus Houses, Country Club Apartments and Townhouses, where one is already provided.
One personal refrigerator per room, not to exceed 3.5 cubic feet, is permitted in all residence halls. The Off Campus Houses, Country Club Apartments, and Townhouse residents are not permitted to possess refrigerators as one is already provided in their living area. Personal refrigerators are not to be kept in closets or bathrooms.
The College Owned Houses are equipped with full kitchens, therefore, cooking and the use of appliances with exposed and unexposed heating elements is permitted in the kitchen area. Residents may not utilize personal refrigerators, as one is provided. Major appliances not already supplied by the Trenton State Corp., such as portable dishwashers, washers and dryers, are not permitted in the homes or apartments.
No charcoal or gas grills are allowed on campus unless signed out through Residential Education.
Bunk-beds/Lofts
Bunk-beds are not permitted in New Residence Hall, Eickhoff Hall, or the Townhouses. Bunkable beds are provided in all other halls. Lofts and other bed lifting mechanisms are not permitted in any hall.
Room Furnishings
At no time are students permitted to stack their furniture or remove college furniture from their rooms or common living areas. All personal furniture brought into the residence hall must be made of fire retardant materials. Please refer to the appliances and fire safety sections for additional information regarding room furnishings.
Key Policy
It is a resident's responsibility to carry their room and building access key at all times and not to lend their keys to others. In an attempt to reinforce the responsibility of carrying a room key, residents who repeatedly sign out a spare key will be held accountable. After three requests for spare keys in one semester, a disciplinary hearing may be held and possible sanctions given. Further requests may result in additional sanctions. Students who either lose keys or have them stolen will be issued a spare key, and they will not be held accountable through the disciplinary system, but will be charged $50 for a lock change. The fee for a lock change in the College Owned Houses is more expensive. It is a direct cost of having a locksmith make all the necessary core changes and key cuts. If a spare key is not returned within seventy-two hours, a lock change will be administratively activated at the resident's expense.
Guest Policy
Residents are welcome to have guests, however, each residential host assumes responsibly for their guests' behavior and actions during their visit. All guests in the building after 8 p.m. must be registered with the hall security desk. Any non- resident is in the building prior to 8 p.m., must register at 8 p.m. when the security desk begins operation. Each guest will be required to provide a picture ID and will be issued a Guest Pass.
Overnight guests are permitted for a maximum of three consecutive nights with the written approval of all roommate(s)/suitemates/apartment and floormates. Solicitation is not allowed on campus unless approved through the Office of Auxiliary Services. Door-to-door solicitation is strictly prohibited in the residence halls.
Halogen Lamps
The use of halogen lamps within all residence halls is not permitted.
Hallway Games
Because of the potential damage to the building and danger to residents, hallway games are not permitted. This includes but is not limited to throwing balls and frisbees, hockey, running, wrestling, roller blades, scooters, bikes, and water fights.
Exterior Doors
Leaving exit doors propped open or unlocked, or entering or exiting the residence hall through clearly marked exit doors which will only open during fire alarms, is a safety hazard. College Owned Home residents, Apartment, and Townhouse residents are expected to properly secure their entry doors at all times. The State of New Jersey Uniform Fire Code strictly prohibits the propping open of all egress doors, to include alarmed emergency egress doors.
Fire Safety
Leaving fire doors propped open is a safety hazard. All fire doors are to remain closed at all times and under no circumstances may be propped open. The State of New Jersey Uniform Fire Code strictly prohibits the propping of all fire doors.
Upon hearing a fire alarm, all residents/occupants are required to immediately evacuate the building, and shall not re-enter the building until authorized by the Campus Police or a residence life staff member. Upon detection of a fire, immediately exit your residence and activate the nearest pull alarm station. Upon hearing an individual smoke detector alarm, residents must immediately notify the hall office and evacuate the building. During an alarm, all rooms must be entered to ensure the safety of the building and all residents. This search does not include opening of closets or drawers. In situations in which the fire safety of a building is in question, authorized individuals of The College's Department of Administrative and Environmental Services shall have the right to impose additional restrictions and policies changes as necessary to ensure the safety of all building occupants. Such restrictions or policy changes may be in addition to, but may not conflict with or detract from, the provisions established by the state of New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, as enforced by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Fire Safety.
In strict adherence to the State of New Jersey's Uniform Fire Code, The College strictly prohibits the following: Tampering or misuse of all fire safety equipment (which includes, but is not limited to, fire extinguishers; pull alarm stations; sprinkler heads; smoke detectors; heat sensors; exit lights; elevator phones, fire doors and call boxes); blocking doorways; hanging articles from windows; hanging objects on/from fire safety equipment or ceiling; initiating bomb scares; and initiating false alarms.
Due to the extreme potential for fire hazard, candles (even for decorative purposes), incense, halogen lamps, fireworks, smoke/fog machines or other flame-producing devices, and personal furniture containing or constructed of urethane are strictly prohibited from all residences.
All fire safety violations are considered very serious and may result in removal from residence.
Multi-Plug Adapters & Extension Cords
Effective June 1, 2001, The State of New Jersey Uniform Fire Code strictly prohibits the use of all non-fused multi-plug adapters from Residence Halls. Power-strips with a breaker or fuse are required for all applications. Light-weight extension cords are prohibited from use (16 or 18 gauge brown/white cords) and all other heavy-duty extension cords may only be used for temporarily.
Pet Policy
For reasons of sanitation and security, The College has a specific policy against housing certain types of animals in residential facilities. Pets are prohibited in all College Owned Houses. However, fish, turtles, hamsters, mice, gerbils, small guinea pigs, iguanas, lizards, and hermit crabs are permitted. Before bringing any other animal not specifically included above, discuss the matter with your Residence Director. ALL animals must be confined to a glass tank that is no larger than ten gallons; wire cages are not permitted as they have been deemed unsanitary and easily escapable. Heat lamps are not permitted due to fire safety concerns, but heated rocks are an acceptable alternative. Animals may not be removed from their tanks at any time except for cleaning. Animals which are specifically banned include: cats, dogs, rabbits, ferrets, chinchillas, snakes, and birds. These animals typically need to be taken out daily for exercise and comfort and/or have noise and sanitation concerns.
Student ID Card
Your student ID card serves many purposes. In addition to verifying your status as a TCNJ student, the card hosts your meal account, serves as collateral for borrowing items from the hall office and provides access into buildings. Students are expected to carry their ID at all times; lending your ID card to someone else or failing to present it when requested by a college official is a violation of college regulations. You may report lost or stolen IDs to the On-Line Card Office at http://www.tcnj.edu/~stuacct/card or The Office of Student Accounts at 609.771.3145 (24 hours a day). A nominal replacement fee will be charged.
Throwing Objects Out Windows
Throwing objects out of windows is dangerous to individuals, their property, and the surrounding areas. It is also prohibited to remove screens, enter or exit a building through a window and/or to suspend objects outside of a window. Firefighters interpret objects hanging outside a window as a signal for an emergency. This is considered a serious violation and may result in removal from residence.
Quiet Hours & Noise
To ensure an environment conducive to sleep and study, individuals are responsible for monitoring their personal noise level. Noise is considered a problem when it is deemed disruptive to others. Quiet hours are in effect from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight to 8 a.m., Friday and Saturday. During quiet hours, all noise must be confined to student rooms at a level that cannot be heard outside the room when the door is closed. Quiet hours are in effect twenty-four hours-a-day during reading periods and finals week at the end of each semester.
All remaining hours of the day are considered courtesy hours. During courtesy hours, all noise must be kept to a level which is respectful to other residents in the building and residents are asked to comply with reasonable requests from their peers. If residence life staff deem appropriate, students can be documented for violating the noise policy during courtesy hours. Amplified music or bands are not allowed and all groups using common areas and/or lounges need to abide by quiet hours.
Common Area Cleanliness & Damage
The common areas (bathrooms, elevators, hallways, kitchens, laundry rooms, lobby, lounges) are for everyone's use and should be left in the condition in which they were found. Residents will be held accountable for excessive cleaning charges. Bodily fluids spills may require specialized cleaning by building services, contact a staff member. Damage assessments for vandalism and missing property, including excessive cleaning fees due to damages, are a shared responsibility of the respective residents (apartment, floor, hall, room, townhouse).
Posting Policy
All posters, fliers, and mailbox stuffers must be approved for posting and distribution by the Dean of Students Office, located on the second floor of the student center. Posting must comply with the posting guidelines as published in The College of New Jersey Student Handbook and Student Organization and Advisors Guide. Approvals are done on Monday and Thursday afternoons.
Violations of Community Standards
The College of New Jersey Student Handbook outlines unacceptable behaviors at The College. Although The College neither substitutes for nor interferes with local, state, or federal legal processes, there may be circumstances when The College should take action through its own applicable disciplinary processes that potentially overlap with external criminal or civil proceedings. When an act committed off-campus (1) poses a substantial and continuing danger to the safety and/or property of The College or members of its community (for example, sexual assault, the illegal distribution of controlled substances); and/or (2) otherwise constitutes a serious criminal offense, The College may take official internal action to protect its orderly functioning as an academic community. In such cases, the college administrative officials will advise affected parties of sources of appropriate assistance.
In order to maintain the safety and welfare of the campus community, The College of New Jersey specifically prevents behaviors which interfere with or threatens the welfare of others. It is impossible to list all the acts that might constitute unacceptable conduct, or violations of community standards or college policies. However, any conduct deemed unacceptable by The College, including but not limited to those behaviors explicit within this section, is prohibited. It is the responsibility of each student to become familiar with these behavioral expectations.
A Brief Overview of the Residential Judicial Process
The College Judicial System exists to resolve alleged violations of College policy. The rationale for such a system is two-fold: it sets and enforces a minimum standard of acceptable behavior within the campus community, and it provides an educational venue for helping students see how their behavior affects themselves and those around them.
While there are general rules which govern all campus disciplinary processes, different aspects of campus life call for specific applications of these processes. For example, there are specific routes and procedures for Academic Integrity Issues, Greek Organizations, Off-campus and Residential Students, as well as others. The Chief Disciplinary Officer in the Office of the Vice President for Student Life serves as the coordinator of these processes and also administers disciplinary processes for off-campus students as well as any alleged violation that may result in suspension or expulsion.
Situations in which students are alleged to have violated College policy are called "incidents". Incidents are usually introduced to the residential disciplinary system through a student staff member (CA, Security worker, etc.) via an Incident Report. This report is forwarded to a professional staff member who will serve as the Hearing Officer for that case.
At that time, all students who are alleged to have violated College policy will be contacted by that Hearing Officer. The Hearing Officer will arrange a time to meet to discuss the case. This contact usually takes place about 2 or 3 days after the initial incident.
When this meeting takes place, the Hearing Officer will discuss the student's rights and hearing options. Students may choose either a "formal" or "informal" resolution. It is essential that students take this opportunity to ask questions about each form of resolution and choose wisely. As a general rule, students should choose a formal hearing if they have witnesses that they want to testify on their behalf or if they strongly disagree with the allegations set forth in then incident report. Students who agree to take responsibility for the allegations set forth in then incident report can usually be served through an informal resolution. REMEMBER - these are generalizations and no two cases are alike. It is essential that students take an active part in discussing their options with the Hearing Officer and make the best decision for themselves.
Once the student chooses a hearing option and is well informed of her/his rights and responsibilities in the college disciplinary process, the hearing takes place. Informal hearings may happen immediately while formal hearings may take several days to coordinate. After the hearing, the Hearing Officer makes a final determination regarding the student's level of responsibility.
If the student is not found to be responsible for any of the alleged violations, they will receive a letter to that effect and the process is completed. If, however, the student is found responsible for violating College policy, the Hearing Officer will determine appropriate sanctions. The student will then receive a letter including both the final decision and the sanction. It is then the responsibility of the student to either file an appeal or to abide by the sanctions as indicated.
Specific information on appeals may be found in A Guide to Residence Living and/or in the Student Handbook.
Here are some important things to remember throughout the disciplinary process:
- Failure to respond to communication from the Hearing Officer will result in a decision being made in your absence
- It is each student's responsibility to know and assert his or her own rights in the judicial process
- If at any point a student feels unsure or uneasy about the process they should ask questions to clarify their concern
- Successful appeals must be based on specific grounds that can be proven to have negatively effected the outcome of the original hearing - it is not enough to merely disagree with outcome
The Appeals Process
An appeal is the process by which a student can request a re-hearing of their case.
The appellant must appeal on at least one of five separate grounds, but they may appeal on as many grounds as they feel are appropriate for their case. Additionally, the appellant may use the same ground more than once if he or she feels that different arguments support the same ground. It is essential that appellants give significant thought to their arguments with respect to the grounds for appeal.
The grounds for appeal are listed below. For detailed explanations of each, refer to the Student Handbook or A Guide to Residence Living.
- procedural irregularity
- mitigating circumstances
- undue severity of sanction
- bias on the part of the hearing officer
- evidence of an arbitrary or capricious decision
A resident student receiving a determination from a residence life hearing officer or board may appeal such decision by making an appointment with and submitting a letter of appeal to the Community Standards Coordinator (CSC) in the Vice President for Student Life Office within seventy-two (72) hours of receipt of the decision. The written request must 1) specify any applicable ground(s) for appeal and appropriate rationale for these grounds, 2) identify relevant case information including the date and location of the original incident, the date of the hearing, the name of the hearing officer, and the original sanctions. A student who fails to file his/her written appeal statement by the due date specified and/or who fails to make and keep an appointment with the Community Standards Coordinator, waives his/her right to an appeal.
If grounds are approved, a new hearing is granted. The original decision is set aside and a new process is begun. The new hearing may occur immediately or may be scheduled for a later time and date.
The hearing body presiding over the case will make a final determination of responsibility, and if the student is found in violation, the hearing body will establish the appropriate sanction(s). The decision made in the new hearing is final. There is no further appeal beyond this stage.
This is merely an overview of the appeals process in rough terms. If you have more questions about the process, please refer to the Student Handbook. If you have gone through the judicial process, please help us to improve it by providing us with feedback.
Last Two Weeks of Academic Year
The last two weeks of the spring semester are particularly important for students who are writing papers and studying for final exams. The residence life staff understands the need for a quiet and comfortable environment conducive to such activities. Therefore, disruptive behavior during this period may result in immediate removal from residence, and temporary banning from the residence halls. Students are reminded that any disciplinary sanction may carry over into the following academic year.
