Residence Hall Agreement
The College will provide accommodations in a College Residence Hall for the academic year, including First and Second Semesters, or any remaining parts thereof. The College reserves the right to refuse any application for room in a College Residence Hall. The terms of this agreement are as follows:
1. The Student will pay the College the room and board rate as prescribed by the Board of Trustees for each semester during the term of contract. The initial rates are guaranteed for the academic year. Programs and Services will be provided as outlined in residence hall publications. Changes in these programs and services may occur due to student interest or budgetary considerations. Current rates and arrangements for payment of charges are specified in the Whitman College Catalog.
2. It is understood that the residence halls and adjacent grounds are for the use of full-time student residents and College guests only. Any other use, including commercial enterprises, must be approved in writing by the Residence Life and Housing Office.
3. Nonresident guests are permitted under the following conditions: The student host has permission of roommate(s) to have a guest and is responsible for the conduct of this guest; all guest must comply with College rules and regulations; and overnight guests are limited to no more than two consecutive nights unless an extension is approved by the Resident Director.
4. Dangerous weapons, including firearms, slingshots, blowguns, knives, are not permitted in student rooms. Explosives of any nature, including fireworks, are not permitted in the residence halls.
5. All residence halls are nonsmoking. Halogen lamps, candle and incense use is also not permitted.
6. While cooking is not permitted in the residence hall rooms, small appliances that are Underwriters Laboratory approved, in good repair, and have a thermostatic control may be used. Appliances with exposed heating elements are not permitted.
7. Sales and solicitations are prohibited unless authorized in writing by the Residence Life and Housing Office. Door to door soliciting, distributing, and advertising is prohibited.
8. No pets are allowed in residence halls or adjacent grounds.
9. Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms. Students who vacate rooms without cleaning them are subject to a charge. If a residence hall student consistently fails to maintain an appropriate standard of cleanliness the College may have the room cleaned at the student's expense.
10. The College reserves the right to make reassignments and temporary assignments of accommodations as considered necessary. A resident may be expelled from the halls at the discretion of the College (or put into another section or hall). After all students assigned to temporary accommodations and waiting lists are permanently assigned, those students remaining in a double room without a roommate may be assessed a charge at the discretion of the Residence Life and Housing Office. However, students who move, leaving their roommate in a double room without a roommate, may be assessed the charge as determined by the Residence Life and Housing Office.
11. If practical, the College will not enter a student's room unless accompanied by the Student, his/her authorized representative, or a second authorized College representative. However, the College reserves the right to enter student rooms for the purpose of inspecting the premises when an authorized agent of the College has reasonable belief that: a) an occupant of the room may be physically harmed or endangered; b) damage is being done to College property; c) College policy, as stated in various College publications, is being violated; and d) custodial work, maintenance, and/or repair is necessary.
12. The College is not liable for the loss of, or damage to, student personal goods housed in College facilities unless caused by gross negligence on the part of the College. Residents are encouraged to carry private insurance on their personal possessions.
13. College property, including furnishings, must not be moved from the assigned area within the hall without authorization of the Residence Life and Housing Office. Furniture substitutions can be made only in cases of documented medical need; water-filled furniture is not permitted.
14. Each student is issued a key to his/her door. Loss of this key during residency or failure to return the key at time of checkout will result in charges being assessed. Students can not duplicate keys or tamper with access codes.
15. The student is liable for any damage to College property and agrees to pay for the replacement or restoration of the property; natural disasters or reasonable wear and tear excepted.
16. Students will be liable for damage to public areas in their particular living area under the following conditions: a) that the damage is the responsibility of unidentified persons and b) that there is reason to believe that responsibility for the damage lies among the residents of that particular area.
17. All single undergraduate students who are under 21 years of age at the start of each semester and have not yet lived on campus for four semesters are required to live on campus.
18. Any student not remaining in the residence hall for the Second Semester must have completed all checkout procedures and removed his/her belongings from his/her room before the hall closes for winter break. At the end of Second Semester all students, except graduating seniors, must vacate the residence hall within 24 hours of their last final exam.
19. College housing will be available for students who remain in Walla Walla during the Thanksgiving recess. Students may leave their belongings in their rooms during this period of time.
20. Should the student withdraw from the College for any reason or be evicted from the hall, the student agrees to vacate the residence hall within 48 hours. A shorter vacating time can be required by the Dean of Students if deemed necessary.
21. College rules and regulations, as explained in current College publications, are made part hereof as though fully set forth in this agreement.
22. Any abuse of the telephone service can be grounds for disconnection of that service; local, long distance, and on-campus. Any collect call accepted and billed to a residence hall telephone will be paid for by the residents of that room. If the phone is disconnected, students living in that room will be liable for the reconnection fee at the time of disconnection.
For residents of College interest houses, the term "Interest House" shall be synonymous with "residence hall." Any exception to this agreement must be approved in writing by the Residence Life and Housing Office. The Student agrees that the College may terminate this agreement and take possession of the room at any time for violation of the rules, and regulations, or for reasons of health or safety. It is understood that the Student retains a residence hall assignment for the full academic year, unless released in writing by the Residence Life and Housing Office. Questions about housing policy, procedure, or services should be directed to the Residence Life staff.
STUDENTS LIVING IN RESIDENCE HALLS ARE EXPECTED TO CONFORM TO STANDARDS OF CONDUCT THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES OF WHITMAN COLLEGE. RESPECT AND CONSIDERATION FOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS AND THEIR NEEDS FOR STUDY TIME AND REST MUST RECEIVE PRIORITY OVER OTHER NEEDS. THE RESIDENCE HALL STAFF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE CONDUCIVE TO STUDY, ENJOYMENT, AND LEARNING HOW TO LIVE RESPONSIBLY WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS. EACH STUDENT IS EXPECTED TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS FROM STAFF AND FELLOW STUDENTS CONCERNING BEHAVIOR THAT DOES NOT HONOR THIS PRIORITY.
Whitman College Statement of Nondiscrimination:
Whitman College is deeply committed to the principle of nondiscrimination in all its forms. In its admission, educational, and employment practices, programs, and activities, the College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, pregnancy and parenting status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, sexual orientation, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other applicable federal, state, or local laws.
This commitment encompasses protections for all individuals, including those in protected classes, such as race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin—including actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics or citizenship, or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity (such as individuals who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Israeli, Arab, Palestinian, or from other regions of the world or other religious groups)—age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, caste, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law or College policy.