Printer FriendlyCommon Areas and Services
Cleaning and Care
Custodial service is provided only for common areas such as floor shower rooms, corridors and lounges. It is the student’s responsibility to maintain individual rooms, suite and apartment areas. Vacuums are available for check out in each residence hall from the Residence Hall Staff. Custodians are not responsible for excessive messes in common areas. Group billing may occur for the clean-up of excessive messes in common areas.
Possession of Property
Under the University Ethos Statement, all students are encouraged to respect property. The University procures and provides property for the common use of all students within specific areas. Examples include, but are not limited to: furniture, fixtures, equipment and signage. Local residents and businesses also own property privately. Unauthorized possession of property is prohibited, regardless of whether it is owned by the University or a private entity. Examples:
- Taking common area couches, tables, chairs to your room
- Taking common area recreation equipment
- Street signs from on or off campus
- Traffic equipment owned by campus, Spokane, State of Washington, contractors
The furniture which is placed in common areas (e.g., lounges, study rooms, recreational areas) is there for the use of all persons within the University Residence. Privately owned property has its own uses which are important to the owner(s). These furnishings and property are not to be removed from their locations. Students who are found to be in unauthorized possession of property are subject to disciplinary action under this policy and the University Ethos Statement and can be fined $50.00 for each piece of property found (per occurrence).
Common Area Damage / Billing Procedure
The cost of damage due to accident or vandalism in our cities is paid by everyone through numerous taxation efforts. Likewise, our own communities on campus are asked to bear the responsibility to prevent such damage, report it when you know who caused it, and assist the University with the cost of repair.
Damage, either deliberate or unintentional, which occurs within a residence hall or on-campus apartment but for which no individual or group of individuals has taken responsibility is termed "Common Area Damage." Unaccounted-for Common Area Damage ultimately is paid for by everyone through indirect means such as increased housing costs and more directly by deducting equal amounts from student housing deposits.
If Common Area Damages occur for which no person(s) are willing to accept responsibility, the following procedure will be followed:
- Upon discovery of the Common Area Damage, a representative of the Residence Life Staff will post signage in a prominent, central area of the hall notifying all residents of the following:
- the nature of the damage
- The location of the damage
- The estimated cost of repair
- The residence hall community will be allowed to determine who, individually or collectively, is responsible for the damage. You can work with your Residence Director on this initiative.
- If no person or persons have come forward who are willing to accept responsibility for the Common Area Damage, each resident of the hall or area will be billed in equal part for the damage. This amount will be charged to the students’ accounts, normally at the end of the academic term or year at Housing’s discretion.
- The Residence Director, together with the staff of the Office of Housing and Residence Life, is responsible for determining the scope of responsibility in the case of a Common Area Damage situation (i.e., the entire hall, one floor, etc.).
- Students who accidentally break something in a common area will not get in trouble if they report their responsibility and accept financial costs of repair/replacement. We call this our "free pass" system and hope it encourages you to be honest when those inevitable accidents occur.
Storage: Bicycles
There are some external bicycle lockers around the residence hall areas and some indoor bicycle storage facilities in various halls for use. Access to external lockers can be secured from Campus Security. Access to bicycle storage areas inside residence halls can be secured for free from your Residence Life Staff. In addition to the various indoor areas for bicycle storage inside residence halls, we have a limited amount of sheltered and secured storage bicycle storage units accessible from the external portions of our buildings in Corkery and Dillon Hall, open for all residents on a first-come, first-served basis. All sheltered, secured or indoor storage space related to residence halls is free to residents.
Storage: Personal
The University does not allow storage of student belongings between academic years. The Office of Housing and Residence Life can provide you with a list of off site storage companies in the nearby area. Such a list is also a normal part of our closing newsletter to each resident in the late spring.
Student Lounges
Within most residence halls there is at least one lounge, created to provide space for all residents to visit and study. Pool tables and televisions are provided in some lounges. Many of these areas are known as "common areas" in that they provide a place for guests to visit outside a student’s room. It is important that all persons remember that these areas are available for the use of all members of the residence hall community. Behaviors which might be offensive or inappropriate, such as hosting an overnight guest in the lounge, are not permitted.
Most residence halls have a common area convenience kitchen for residents’ use. The cleaning of sinks, ovens and refrigerators is the responsibility of the residents. Kitchen utensils, pots and pans, when provided, are also the responsibility of the residents to clean.
In lounges set aside for quiet study, it is expected that study groups use other locations if the room is being used for study by individuals. It is also considered a violation of "24 Hour Courtesy Policy" to disturb others in the room trying to study.