Residential Life at SAGU
Student Housing Regulations
Southwestern fosters a community life on its campus that will properly reflect a Christian attitude. Cooperation, respect for the rights of others, respect for property, respect for authority, cleanliness and good personal habits are factors that are important in residence hall life. Violations of these standards could result in a fine or further disciplinary action.
Each room in the residence halls is equipped with a microfridge unit (refrigerator/ freezer/microwave), a telephone and phone number, and computer network access. The Regents Residents Hall has a furnished kitchen including refrigerator, stove and oven, instead of a micro fridge. Each Residence Hall has laundry facilities that are free for student use.
An on-campus student is any student living in a residence hall. All students under 23 years of age are expected to live in one of the Residence Halls. All students who are 23 years of age or older must be approved by the Dean of Students to reside in a residence hall.
1. Room Reservation
All new students and incoming transfer students are charged a $150 non-refundable room fee. Each semester, returning students wishing to reserve a room will pay in advance a non-refundable reservation fee of $50. These reservations are taken during the last months of each semester. After the first three weeks of this reservation period, all remaining rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. This $50 fee will be credited to the student’s account at the close of late registration upon proof of dormitory occupancy. Room selection is only guaranteed until the close of the first day of registration.
However, if the returning student pre-registers for the following semester classes, the $50 fee is waived, simply by showing the course schedule from the Registrar’s Office to your dorm pastor or the Student Life secretary.
2. Room Usage
The room will be taken care of by its occupants. Decorations and pictures may be hung after receiving approval from dorm pastor. Nails or the equivalent should not be driven into the walls, closets, or furniture. Tape with hooks should be used to hang pictures. Curtains should be hung under the direction of the Residence Hall Supervisor. DO NOT glue mirrors or cork to the walls. Fines will be levied if permission and approval is not sought and the student may be required to have the room repainted in an appropriate fashion at their own expense. A $1 fee will be assessed for reentry of students dorm room.
3. Room Furniture
Every student is provided with a dresser or chest of drawers, desk, chair, and a bed. Students are expected to take care of University furniture. When assuming occupancy, the student becomes responsible for the room furniture. Students will be charged for defacing or destruction of room furniture. FURNITURE MUST NOT BE MOVED FROM ONE ROOM TO ANOTHER OR ONE DORMITORY TO ANOTHER OR TAKEN APART WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE DORM PASTOR.
Dorm residents are permitted to personalize their rooms with their own furnishings. However, residents are encouraged to remember rooms are limited in size and roommates share an equal right to personalize their room.
4. Room/School Property
Students will be charged for the repair of any damage done to school property. The Director of Maintenance will assess the damage and make recommendation to the Dean of Students. Student Life will notify the student in writing and inform the Accounting Office, who will add the charges to the student’s school bill.
5. Room Cleanliness
A direct relationship exists between the way rooms are maintained and student attitudes. Each student is responsible for the daily care and cleaning of the room. A planned room inspection occurs once a week. Unannounced room checks will be made periodically to insure that rooms are kept neat and clean.
6. Loss of Personal Property
For one’s own protection, rooms should be locked at all times when not occupied. The university is not responsible for the loss of personal belongings of students in any building. Students may check with the Office of Information and Security for any lost items.
SAGU assumes no responsibility for any loss of or damage to personal items, supplies, clothing, personal furniture, carpets, etc. due to fire, theft, inclement weather or otherwise. Students desiring to protect personal property should contact their insurance carrier to purchase “renters type” insurance. The business office may be contacted for a referral to an insurance carrier if needed.
7. Residential Hall Lobby
Furniture is not to be rearranged in residence hall lobbies without permission from the dorm pastor. Students are required to observe the lobby regulations each dorm pastor establishes for his/her lobby. Students are to treat the lobby furnishings with respect, and will be charged for any damage to lobby furnishings. Lobbies are considered “closed” during all chapel services and regular times for Sunday and Wednesday church services.
Residence Hall lobbies will close during the following times for worship services:
Sunday Morning: 9:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Sunday Evening: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday Evening: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
8. Curfew
Beginning last day of registration, SAGU follows this schedule:
Sunday-Thursday 12:00 Midnight
Friday and Saturday 1:00 a.m.
**Each night the gymnasium and volleyball pit will close no later than 12 hour before curfew, and/or earlier as posted.
Since the security of SAGU is a matter of utmost importance, residence hall entrances are locked promptly at curfew. Students are expected to be in their residence hall by curfew. All students arriving after curfew will report with their I.D. card to the Security Station. After logging in, the student(s)will then be escorted to their respective dorm and given entry. No persons will be given entry to the dorms after curfew who are not residents of the dorm of entry. Students within the dorms are not authorized to give other students late entry. Reports of late entry will be forwarded to the Dean of Students. Failure to comply with proper procedure will result in disciplinary action.
Grace times are as follows:
Freshmen 60 minutes per semester
Sophomores 75 minutes per semester
Juniors 90 minutes per semester
Seniors 105 minutes per semester
Exceeding grace time will result in the following fines:
1-20 minutes $5
21-40 minutes $10
41-60 minutes $20
over 60 minutes $40 +automatic visit with the Dean of Men and/or Dean of Women for further disciplinary action
9. Late Permission
If a student needs to be out of the Residence Hall after curfew, written permission needs to be received from the Dorm Pastor. Since attendance at hall fellowships is required, the Dorm Pastor must approve permission for absence.
10. Working Students
If a student needs to be out of the Residence Hall after curfew due to employment, that student must file with the Dorm Pastor a “Work Card” indicating the place of employment and the hours scheduled for work.
11. Overnight Visit/Weekend Off-Campus
All resident hall students must sign out to stay off-campus during a school term, even breaks and holidays. This can be done by filling out an individually assigned Overnight Sign Out card at the front desk of your residence lobby. Failure to comply with this is an infraction. NOTE: As a courtesy, every student should inform their Resident Assistant anytime they will be off campus overnight.
Before a student can take a single person of the opposite sex home, that student’s parent(s) must contact the Dorm Pastor by 5 p.m. Thursday and issue an invitation for them to visit their home. The parents must be present during the requested visit. Any exception to these guidelines must be made by the Dean of Students.
12. Single Student Visits in Residences of Opposite Sex
Single students are not permitted in the residences of single students of the opposite sex. Students who are found to have been in the residence of a member of the opposite sex may be terminated from enrollment at Southwestern. This applies to all students whether they reside on or off campus. (See the Dean of Students for special permission to visit in the residence of single students of the opposite sex.)
13. Students in Room of a Member of the Opposite Sex
Students who are found to have been in the room of a member of the opposite sex may be terminated from enrollment at Southwestern. Permission may be obtained from the Dorm Pastor for special circumstances.
14. Room Guests
a. Guests who are not part of the specific Dorm community are expected to leave the Resident Hall at curfew unless the Dorm Pastor has received and approved a written request for them to stay in the Residence Hall.
b. If the overnight guest of an on-campus student is an off-campus student, family member, a personal friend from out of town, or an alumnus of Southwestern, the student must obtain written approval from the Dorm Pastor for his/her guest(s). The guest(s) may stay a limit of three (3) nights without charge maximum (one visit per month maximum). If the guest(s) stay longer than three (3) nights, approval must be given and the student or guest must pay $15 per night to the Dorm Pastor. During the summer session all room guests pay the $15 overnight fee.
c. If the guest of an on-campus student is not approved by the Dorm Pastor, the student is charged for the nights the guest has stayed in the resident hall and the guest may be required to leave.
15. Quiet Hours
Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m. in each of the Residence Halls. Quiet hours shall be strictly observed to insure each student opportunity for privacy, rest, study, and spiritual renewal. Therefore, the following guidelines will be enforced.
a. Students must learn to live in mutual respect. SAGU is an institution of higher learning and students should respect one another’s need for study and appropriate sleep.
b. Stereos, cassettes, compact discs, musical instruments, and radios may be used but the noise level must not be heard outside the room during quiet hour. Drums are strictly prohibited from being played in the dorms.
16. TV, Video Viewing, and Video or Computer Gaming
Students must learn the value of budgeting time. All videos and computer games must be approved for use by students’ respective dorm pastors in advance. No X, NC-17, or R rated videos or computer games are permitted on campus. The Dorm Pastors may impound any equipment that is used in a fashion that offends SAGU policies.
17. Prohibited Items
Toasters, electric skillets, popcorn poppers, George Foreman Tabletop grills, or rice cooker, woks and any other cooking appliances are not permitted. Coffee makers will be allowed. Violation of this safety policy will result in the impundment of the appliance.
18. Fireworks or Firearms Prohibited
All firearms, weapons of any kind (including but not limited to paint guns, slingshots, and archery equipment), and fireworks must be turned in to the Dorm Pastor or will be confiscated.
19. Secure Doors, Windows, Alarms, Thermostats, & Electrical Panels
Unauthorized use of windows, exits and secured doors in non-emergency situations is not permitted. Setting off or tampering with security alarms, thermostats, and electrical panels is strictly forbidden. Talking, whistling, gesturing, or yelling out of windows is prohibited at all times, in all buildings. Students are not permitted to remove windows, screens, or doors. Nothing should be thrown from the windows.Those violating this guideline may be required to appear before the Student Conduct Committee.
20. Telephone Use
Each room is equipped with a university phone. A phone number is assigned to each phone. Phone features include room to room, campus, and local calling. Long distance is available only with calling cards. All roommates are responsible for unreasonable wear and/or damage to the phone assigned to their room. Retail, off the shelf phones, will not work.
21. Computer Network Access
Computer Network Access is available in your dorm room. There is one line per student. Each Student is to provide their own computer. Additionally, an ethernet network card must be purchased if the student’s computer does not have one (available from Founder’s Bookstore). Configuration CD’s are provided by IT through the Dorm Pastors. These CD’s will configure most machines for network connectivity. Machines running XP Professional will have the least problems connecting to the SAGU network. Macs can be used on the network, but Information Technology does not provide support for them. This will provide each student with Internet access and a personal SAGU e-mail address.
Students are allowed to keep up to 30 Megs of e-mail in their e-mail account, and up to 400 megs of files on their network work drive. Students will receive a warning when they reach 27 Megs of e-mail, and they will lose sending rights when they exceed 30 Megs of email.
Student’s e-mail accounts remain active during all breaks, including the summer break.
SAGU now provides McAfee Anti-viral protection for each student. All other forms of antivirus protection should be removed before running the provided CD to configure your personal dorm machine. Off-campus and SDE students may bring a blank CD to IT to have the McAfee anti-virus software installation files burned onto their CD.
The University has a moral obligation to filter Internet access to uphold our core moral values. We do examine the internet logs on a regular basis. Reports are turned into the Dean of Students for accounts that appear to have willful and repeated attempts to access sites not in harmony with the University’s moral values.
22. Searches
Room searches are discouraged and seldom performed. If a serious need warrants it, the Dorm Pastor may search any or all rooms only with approval from the Dean of Students and as long as the occupant is there at the time of the search. If the occupant cannot be notified the Dorm Pastor shall be accompanied by two witnesses.
23. Meetings and Hall Fellowships
All on-campus students are required to attend all announced meetings and student fellowships. The Dorm Pastor must approve any exception. Failure to attend may result in disciplinary action.
24. Illnesses
Any illness is to be reported immediately to the RA and/or the Dorm Pastor who will inform the Campus Nurse. In a case of immobility the Dorm Pastor will advise Campus Nurse as to the need to visit the student. Students in need of sick trays for their meals should contact the cafeteria via friend, roommate or Resident Assistant that day. The Campus Nurse should be notified and consulted regarding all major health care needs. Daily office hours will be maintained as posted on the Health Services door, in the Student Life office, and in each dorm. The nurse will be available for emergencies on-call through the student’s Dorm Pastor, the Student Life or Student Services offices. Any problems should be reported to either the Dean of Students.
25. Checking Out of the Residence Halls
All students must clear check out with the Dorm Pastor, turn in their keys, and have their rooms inspected for satisfactory condition before leaving school. Rooms must be completely vacated and cleaned out by noon the day the Residence Halls close (see Calendar). The only exceptions will be students who contract to reside on campus for the summer. If rooms are not left clean and in good repair, the student’s account may be fined up to $150 for cleaning and minor repairs. Anything left in the room becomes the property of SAGU and will be discarded. Failure to properly check out of your Residence Hall will result in an additional fine being assessed.
26. Summer Storage
Regrettably, due to space limitations, annual maintenance, and use of the university facilities by many outside groups, summer storage of student possessions is a service which cannot be offered. Student possessions left on campus during the summer will be disposed of. This includes bicycles left on bike racks.
27. Summer Housing
The University offers summer housing. The summer contract is available through the Student Life Office. This contract shares the pertinent information for an agreeable living arrangement for the summer. It also includes cost information.
Note the following procedures:
1) Obtain a contract from the Student Life Office.
2) Read in full and sign, then turn in to the Student Life Office.
3) When the countersigned document is returned to the student, the student is to pay the
summer fee in advance at the cashier’s window.
4) The cashier will validate on the student’s contract that the fee has been paid.
5) The student will take the validation to the Student Life Office for room assignment.
28. Off-Campus Housing
The University’s Board of Regents has an established criterion for its resident program. All undergraduate single students under 23 years of age taking seven (7) or more hours are required to live in the Residence Halls, unless approved for off-campus. Off-campus applications for the upcoming semester are only accepted during the scheduled reservation time. Approved off-campus applications must be renewed annually. Students that reside off-campus are required to abide by SAGU’s Dress Code, as well as all other guidelines contained in the Student Handbook.