Community Living Standards

There are four Community Living Standards that residents are expected to uphold while living in campus housing. The Community Living Standards are broken down into more specific Residence Hall Policies.

These Community Living Standards were developed to help provide a safe and secure community. Violations that compromise the safety and security of residents may result in appropriate disciplinary sanctions, including up to contract termination.

I. HRC Intellectual Environment

You are responsible for creating an environment that promotes the academic mission of the University. This includes upholding the noise and visitation policies in the residence halls, and being held responsible for your visitors' and guests' behavior.

Residents are responsible for and/or prohibited from the following:

1.1 Guests: Residents are responsible for the behavior of their guests or visitors.

1.2 Visitation: Residents are responsible for upholding and abiding by the visitation policy and hours in all residence halls. Visitation hours are: Sunday thru Thursday: 10am to 12am and Friday and Saturday: 10am to 2am. No resident or guests are permitted to be in another residents' room after the hours listed above. Residents should sign in their guests/visitors in accordance with their residence halls specific policies.

1.3 Cohabitation or continual residing of two or more students or guests who are not roommates is prohibited. Residents must notify their roommates at least 24 hours in advance of an overnight guest. An overnight guest cannot stay more than 72 hours.

1.4 Noise: Creating excessive noise in a residence hall and/or not upholding 24 hour courtesy hours is prohibited.

1.5 Instruments and/or Speakers: Use of amplified instruments in a residence hall room is prohibited. Placement of sound equipment or speakers in windows and common areas of the residence hall without the express permission of HRC staff is prohibited.

1.6 Playing in hallways: Playing of sports games in hallways or on balconies, including but not limited to basketball, bicycle riding, Frisbee, skate boarding, football throwing, running, Nerf activities, squirt gun/water fights is prohibited.

1.7 Gambling in or adjacent to a residence hall is prohibited.

1.8 Business: Running a business from your residence hall is prohibited.

1.9 Raffles or Pools: Sponsoring raffles or pools in a residence hall is prohibited.

1.10 Loitering is NOT allowed in front of any residence hall entrance or exit and can pose as a fire/safety hazard.

II. HRC Facility Issues

You are responsible for promoting a clean and well-maintained living environment. It is expected that students will not damage or vandalize University property or remove property from its designated location in the residence halls. You are responsible for promoting and maintaining a safe and secure environment in the residence halls. It is expected that you will not prop open doors or allow unescorted guests into the residence halls and adhere to fire safety guidelines.

2.1 Solicitation Policy: Solicitation is prohibited within the residence hall lobbies, common areas, or door-to-door. Distributing printed materials in the residence hall is prohibited. Items must be approved by the Director of Housing and Residential Communities. Community bulletin boards are provided in most communities for items to be posted. Items posted are subject to be taken down at the Community Director's discretion. If one is interested in posting throughout the building, you must receive written approval from the Director of Housing and Residential Communities. If a Community Bulletin Board is not available in your community, please speak with the Community Director of that area for suggestions on where you are allowed to post.

2.2 Furniture: Removal of any residence hall furniture from its original location is prohibited.

2.3 Damage or vandalism to university owned furniture or property is prohibited.

2.4 Theft or removal of university owned furniture or property is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to residence hall common area furniture.

2.5 Installations of air conditioners, ceiling fans, wall shelves, or hanging lamps, or other non-approved items in a residence hall room is prohibited.

2.6 Painting Rooms of a residence hall without prior approval is prohibited.

2.7 Hanging Items such as flags, banners, or signs out of or obstructing residence hall windows is prohibited.

2.8 Trash Regulations: Failure to remove trash and/or recycling to designated trash container(s) is prohibited.

2.9 Posting materials on outside of room door, in hallway, or public/common spaces with the intent to harm or incite others is prohibited.

2.10 Lofted Beds: Construction of a loft or use of unapproved lofting materials in a residence hall is prohibited.

2.11 Storing Vehicles: Parking or storing a bike, motorcycle, or moped in an unauthorized area, including but not limited to stairwells, hallways, lounges, balconies, trees, plants, public seating fixtures, sign posts, or electrical fixtures is prohibited.

2.12 Pets: Possession of pets, except for freshwater fish in a tank that is 10 gallons or less and service animals for persons with a disability that have registered with the Office of Disability Services, is prohibited.

2.13 Trespassing: Attempting to gain access or trespassing in a residence hall is prohibited.

2.14 Unauthorized room change: Moving to a residence hall room without written approval from an HRC administrator is prohibited.

2.15 Postings: Posting materials on bulletin boards or other common spaces, with the exception of the community bulletin board, without approval is prohibited. University-sponsored and University-affiliated groups may submit materials directly to Housing and Residential Communities in Burke Hall. Groups and individuals are not permitted to post materials directly to residence hall bulletin boards; instead, only Housing and Residential Communities staff is authorized to post materials. Materials from non-affiliated groups are not allowed to be posted in the residence halls. Announcements (meetings, birthdays, etc.) using any media (chalk, paint, etc.) on residence hall property are prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to walls and sidewalks. Individuals will be charged accordingly for any damages/clean-up costs incurred as a result of improper posting. Violators will be tracked by Housing and Residential Communities and posting privileges may be revoked.

2.16 Blocking Egress: Hanging beads, tapestries, flags, banners, sheets, or other items in a manner that blocks egress from the inside of a residence hall room is prohibited.

2.17 Evacuation Procedures: In the event of a fire alarm or fire drill, all residents must evacuate the building, completely and immediately. Residents must remain outside in the designated gathering area until the "all clear" signal has been given by University Police or Tuscaloosa Fire Department. Interference with or non-adherence to emergency evacuation procedures in a residence hall is prohibited. Balconies, hallways, and stairwells must have a clear passage at all times.

2.18 False Fire Alarms: Starting a fire, pulling a fire alarm without due cause, tampering with smoke detectors, falsely reporting a fire emergency to police or fire department, and the unauthorized use or damage done to any emergency or safety equipment, are all prohibited. These are considered serious violations because of the risk they pose to the residence hall community.

2.19 Fire Safety Equipment: Tampering with pull stations, smoke or heat detectors, fire extinguishers, sprinkler heads, or other life safety equipment is prohibited.

2.20 Occupancy Regulations: Having more than three times the designed occupancy in a residence hall room is prohibited.

2.21 Key Use: Delivering, surrendering, or otherwise relinquishing possession of room or outside keys including action cards and any device that gives access to the exterior of buildings to anyone other than a University Official or permitting the keys to be duplicated or modified is prohibited.

2.22 Lost Keys: Failure to report lost or stolen keys is prohibited.

2.23 Excessive Lockouts: Repeated lockouts due to not reporting a lost key or choosing not to carry key on self is prohibited.

2.24 Throwing Objects: Throwing or shooting of objects from windows or balconies is prohibited.

2.25 Hanging from Windows and/or Climbing: Hanging outside of or climbing from windows or balconies is prohibited. Climbing on or repelling from exterior of buildings is prohibited.

2.26 Window Screens: Intentionally removing screens from windows is prohibited.

2.27 Appliances and Fire Hazards: Use of non-approved appliances in a residence hall room is prohibited. Examples include but are not limited to personal air conditioner, space heater, ceiling fan, and fog/smoke machine. Posting flammable materials (such as posters, art canvas, T-shirts, flyers, flags, blankets, etc.) covering more than one third of total surface of the outside of a residence hall room door is prohibited. It is also prohibited to keep any item, including room decorations that may pose a fire hazard in a residence hall room. These items include, but are not limited to, any open flame source or flammable liquid. Examples include oil lamps, candles, hookah pipes, incense, gasoline, natural cut trees, branches, or greens, and halogen lamps and bulbs, deep fat fryer, electric griddle, electric grill, electric hamburger cooker (George Forman grills), electric waffle iron, electric wok, hot oil popcorn popper, hot plate, indoor grill or boiler, toaster oven, crock pots or any cooking tool that does not have an automatic shut off feature. Anytime a student is cooking or heating food, they must stay with it to avoid a fire situation.

2.28 Prohibited items: Possession of items that endanger the health and safety of the community is prohibited.

2.29 Illegal use of emergency exits: Emergency exits are to be used during emergency evacuations. Any misuse of emergency exits is prohibited.

III. Civility

You are responsible for respecting the rights of all others in the residence hall community, and to act with civility at all times. Fighting, threats, and intimidation of any person for any reason will not be tolerated. You are responsible for developing and maintaining an atmosphere that promotes social awareness, social appreciation and acceptance of those who may be different from you.

3.1 Failure to Comply: Residents must comply with any lawful order or reasonable request of a clearly identifiable University Official acting in the performance of his or her duties in the enforcement of University policy. Residents must present their Action Card upon request of a University Official. A staff member or resident has the right at any time to request that the noise level be decreased. These requests are expected to be honored.

3.2 Furnishing False Information: Residents must disclose, to the best of their knowledge, full and truthful information to University Officials. Residents shall not withhold or present false information with the intent to deceive, including but not limited to: names, dates and times, location or number of residents or guests, location, consumption, or possession of illegal, prohibited, or controlled substances, Campus Wide Identification (CWID) cards or numbers, telephone numbers, addresses, emergency contacts, or allergies to medicine.

3.3 Violation of University Policies and Government Laws: Residents must follow all University policies, city, town, and county ordinances, and state and federal laws.

3.4 Intimidation or Harassment: Residents, students, HRC staff, and any other person are to be free from all forms of intimidation and harassment, including, but not limited to: physical, online, sexual, telephone, verbal, non-verbal, and written communications.

3.5 Threats of violence: Residents, other students, HRC staff, and any other person, including oneself, are to be free from all threats of violence, including but not limited to physical, online, sexual, telephone, verbal, non-verbal, and written communications.

3.6 Discriminatory or Inflammatory Language: Residents are to refrain from using discriminatory or inflammatory language, including, but not limited to online, telephone, verbal, non-verbal, or written communications with the intent to harm or incite.

3.7 Inciting or participating in a fight: Residents shall not incite or participate in a physical fight, regardless of reason. Fighting is defined as, but not limited to, inciting a fight through physical, online, sexual, telephone, verbal, non-verbal, or written communications, or fighting through hitting, striking, slapping, kicking, throwing or shooting an object, or contacting or attempting to contact any other person with the intent to harm.

3.8 Stalking: Residents shall not stalk any other person physically, online, by telephone, verbally, non-verbally, in written communications, or any other manner. Stalking is defined as, but not limited to, the intentional, unwanted, repeated contact or attention by the stalker to the victim. Residents must honor other's requests to stop undesired contact.

3.9 Sexual Conduct: Residents are to be free from sexual misconduct, intimidation, harassment, assault, or invasion.

3.10 Fireworks and Weapons: Residents are not permitted to possess or use any weapon, firearm, fireworks, or other explosives.

3.11 Theft: Residents shall not take or possess another's property without permission of owner. This includes, but is not limited to, property of a roommate, resident, any other individual, company, or the University of Alabama. Students are not permitted to remove property from community spaces or other residents' rooms.

IV. Substances

You are responsible for upholding federal, state, and local laws dealing with alcohol, tobacco,(smoking is not permitted in any University building including residence halls) and other drugs. Simply put, Alcohol is not permitted for students less than 21 years of age, and illegal drugs are not permitted by anyone.

4.1 Under Age Usage of Alcohol: Purchase, possession, consumption, or disruptive behavior due to public intoxication of alcohol by a person under the age of 21 is prohibited. No person under the age of 21 can have access to alcohol and no one over the age of 21 is allowed to have alcohol that is accessible to any person under the age of 21. Alcohol paraphernalia (i.e. empty cans and containers) is also prohibited.

4.2 Alcohol in Common Areas: Possession or consumption of alcohol in common area of residence hall, University apartment, or University residence houses is not allowed, including but not limited to lounges, hallways, stairwells, balconies, laundry rooms, bathrooms, or study areas.

4.3 Alcohol Distribution: Sale or distribution of alcohol by a person over 21 years of age to a person under the age of 21 is prohibited. Sale of alcoholic beverages on campus, including indirect sales (i.e. collection of money at a campus gathering to be used to defray the cost of alcoholic beverages provided at the gathering) is prohibited.

4.4 Common Sources of Alcohol: Use of common sources of alcohol, including but not limited to kegs, party balls, and punch bowls is prohibited.

4.5 Tobacco: Possession or use of tobacco products within the residence hall by those under the legal age of 19 is prohibited.

4.6 Smoking Tobacco: in a non-designated area in or adjacent to a residence hall is prohibited.

4.7 Drugs: Possession, delivery, sale, use or manufacture of any illegal drugs or controlled substance is prohibited. This includes Possession, delivery, sale, or use of prescription medication without a prescription or by distribution of medication to an individual other than the individual for whom the medication was prescribed.

4.8 Drug Paraphernalia: Possession of paraphernalia for intended or implied use of controlled substances or paraphernalia possessing illegal drug residue, including but not limited to devices and/or materials used to prepare, use, or cover up the use of drugs is prohibited.