Residential Campus

• Residence halls are private dwellings and should be used solely as a residence. Access to residence halls is restricted to all residential students except for the hours of 2:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. when residence hall access is restricted to residents assigned to that building. At times, others may be granted access for academic purposes or other approved legitimate purposes.
• Residents should keep their room doors closed and locked whenever they are not present in the room or are sleeping.
• Residents are permitted to host guests in their residence hall in accordance with the guest policy.
• Residents and guests are expected to enter and exit residence halls through the main entrance door.
• Exterior doors to residence halls are locked at all times and may be accessed through the OneCard system.
• Exterior doors should never be propped open or disabled for any reason. Emergency doors should only be used in the event of an emergency.
• Accessing residence hall roofs, balconies - excluding the Dickinson House balconies attached to rooms, and ledges is prohibited.
• The maximum occupancy of any room, suite or apartment is the number of assigned residents plus no more than 1 individual per number of assigned residents.
• See the following policies College Staff Access to Rooms, Emergency Entries, and Searches by Law Enforcement Officials, Statement on Privacy and Room Inspections for additional information on room access. 

Residents and their guests must adhere to the alcohol policies outlined in the Student Handbook. In addition to the alcohol policies listed in the Student Handbook the following applies within the residence halls: 

• Residents 21 years or older may possess, store, and consume alcohol only within their shared room, suite, or apartment if their roommate(s) is 21 years of age or older.
• Alcohol is not permitted on substance-free floors.
• Open containers of alcohol are not permitted in public areas such as lounges, hallways, TV rooms, stairwells, kitchens or bathrooms, unless they are participating in a sanctioned College event.
• Playing or simulating drinking games or participating in other activities that involve the rapid and/ or excessive consumption of alcohol is not permitted.
• Possession of alcoholic containers for decorative purposes is not permitted.
• Please review the full Alcohol policy and Amnesty Policy under key policies in the Student Handbook. 

• Residents and guests are not permitted to have animals or pets in the residence halls except as permitted by the Animals on Campus, Emotional Support Animals and Service Animal Policies. Students approved for an emotional support animal must follow the guidelines that are provided in the animal contract that will be signed with Disability Services.
• Residents are allowed to have fish if they can humanely and safely live in one (1) 5-gallon tank or smaller. Each resident is allowed one 5-gallon tank and are responsible for the well-being of their pets throughout the academic year and break periods.
• Aquarium lights and filters are allowed and must meet Mount Holyoke College's Fire and Life Safety Protocols.

• Residents are expected to keep their room clean and regularly remove any trash and/or recyclables from rooms, suites, or apartments and put them in designated areas.
• Leftover food, food waste, and food containers should be disposed of in the room trash and removed to a designated area on a daily basis.
• Leaving personal trash in hallways, common areas, and bathrooms is not permitted. 

College staff (including but not limited to Public Safety and Service, the professional staff on call, Residential Life, Facilities Management and LITS personnel) may enter a student’s room to perform services and maintenance or respond to an emergency. Professional Residential Life staff may enter a student’s room in case of health and safety concerns.

Occasionally, rooms may have to be entered in a student’s absence to carry out non-requested services or maintenance, or the restoration of heat, water or electricity. In these circumstances, the College will endeavor to leave behind notice of the entry and its time and purpose.

All student rooms will be regularly inspected during vacations and other scheduled times throughout the year by College Residential Life, custodial, housekeeping or maintenance personnel to inspect for fire, health or safety hazards, liberate confined pets, or to ascertain damage to College property.

The College reserves the right to escort insurance inspectors, engineers and other officials through the residence halls and to conduct surveys of selected buildings or rooms for the purpose of facilities management needs. Advance notice of these inspections will be given whenever possible.

The College reserves the right to enter a student’s room when necessary for the furtherance of College business, which includes, but is not limited to: inspection for compliance with fire, health and safety regulations, inspection and inventory of College property, maintenance of security, the furtherance of security investigation, and necessary building maintenance.

Mount Holyoke College students have the opportunity to host small, community-friendly events in the Common Spaces of Residence Halls, such as hall bonding activities, holiday gatherings, game nights, TV & sports viewing that won’t be comfortable or as much fun in the cramped space of a residence hall room.

• Spaces are reservable through the Campus Space Request Form by individuals or student orgs for meetings, rehearsals, study groups, etc, but they are not intended for weekly/regular reservations so that the space remains available to more varied usage.
• Common Space event reservations cannot be approved during quiet hours
• At least one of the two hosts must be a resident of the hall in which the event is being held.

For the entire common room reservation guidelines, please see the Common Space Reservations Section. 

Please note that Living Learning Community lounge spaces are not reservable spaces.

Misuse, vandalism, or removal of any component of the elevators is not permitted. 

The usual rights of privacy and guarantees against trespass may be suspended in the course of disturbances of the peace, domestic violence, serious criminal incidents, fire alarms, and fires, floods or similar disasters.

Fire officials may enter a student’s room without permission to search for, or to confirm the presence of, a fire or related dangers. Any person, including law enforcement officials, may enter a student’s room without permission to search for, rescue, evacuate or treat fire or disaster victims, or to otherwise save lives or property from destruction.

In the course of assisting at a fire, disturbance or disaster, police officers may lawfully seize any evidence of a crime they observe in plain view for purposes of prosecution. Being lawfully on the premises, they do not need to obtain a warrant to authorize the seizure. However, a police officer who seeks to enter a student’s room solely to investigate such a report is under legal obligation to obtain consent or a judicial warrant.

Fire officials are responsible for reporting any evidence of a crime they have observed to law enforcement officials.

Residence halls are equipped with fire safety equipment, which includes smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual fire alarm pull stations, fire alarm control panels, sprinklers, and pipes. Residents are expected to comply with the College Fire and Safety Protocols and Fire Safety policy.

• When a fire alarm has sounded, residents and guests are required to evacuate and follow emergency response personnel directives.
• Residents and guests are prohibited from covering, tampering with, obstructing, or hanging items on any fire safety device or component (e.g., sprinkler heads, smoke detectors, pipes, etc.)
  • Pulling a manual section when there is no safety concern is concerned tampering with a fire safety device.
• To maintain the safety of the residence halls, certain items are not permitted. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to
  • Candles and incense, lit or unlit. Smudging is also not permitted in residence halls.
  • Deep/air fryers, open-flame appliances, heating elements, toaster ovens, grills, and hot plates. Residents may have a microwave up to 700 watts and 0.7 cubic ft, and a small refrigerator 3.0 cubic ft. or less with a ground adapter plug. Allowable appliances must have automatic shut-off.
• Explosive materials, gas-powered equipment, noxious chemicals, gasoline, and other flammable liquids.
• Halogen lamps, lava lamps, octopus/spider lamps (i.e., lamps with multiple plastic shade/covers)
• Lithium-ion battery-powered personal transport devices (e.g. battery operated devices, electric or motorized bicycles, hoverboards, scooters, segway vehicles,and skateboards)
• Natural trees, wreaths, corn stalks, hay or other live decorations
• Pyrotechnic devices and smoke/fog machines
• Space heaters (unless issued by Facilities Management) 

• College-issued furnishings must remain in the room, suite, or apartment. Beds cannot be lofted.
• Common area and lounge furnishings must remain in their original and designated spaces.
• Residents are required to pay for any repair costs associated with missing or damaged furniture.
• Any accommodation request must be approved through the Office of Disability Services before the removal of the furniture.

• Students are responsible for the proper maintenance of the Golden Pears (kitchens) and associated areas of the residence halls.
• Countertops, cupboards, cutting surfaces, dishwashers, floors, ovens, refrigerators, sinks, and stoves must be cleaned at least daily to lessen the risk of food-borne illnesses, and to discourage unwanted bugs and rodents.
• Failure to keep the kitchen area in proper sanitary condition could result in closing the Golden Pear.
• Food in a communal kitchen should be labeled and is not for communal use unless noted. Using/Removing food from a Golden Pear will be considered theft.
• Students with documentable need to be living in proximity to a Golden Pear kitchen should contact Disability Services to request proximity housing and will retain access to the Golden Pear in case of closure. 

• Student rooms serve multiple purposes and the Office of Residential Life encourages roommates to discuss rest, academic, and social expectations within their room. As a residential college, rest and study have priority over entertainment. This is a priority that occupants sharing a room must honor. This policy on guests applies to all residential students and is in effect for the fall and spring semester. No guests are permitted during winter break and Intersession. Summer break has a separate policy.
• The College considers a guest of campus to be anyone who is not an actively registered Mount Holyoke student. A guest in a residential context is defined as any individual who is not assigned to the residential hall or an assigned occupant in the residence hall room, Residents are expected to register Off-Campus Mount Holyoke College students and non-Mount Holyoke College guests. Residents should only register individuals whom they know and are hosting. The College reserves the right to modify the guest policy at any time, and residents will be notified of any modifications.
• Residents (hosts) are permitted to host up to one (1) guest in their residence hall at one time. Guests must be at least 16 years of age, possess a valid ID and be registered before arrival.
• Overnight guests are limited to one (1) guest per resident (host) at any time. Guests may stay no longer than five (5) consecutive nights within any 14-day period, regardless of which resident is hosting. This means a guest may not extend their stay by rotating between different hosts. After reaching the five-night limit, a guest must wait at least 14 days before staying overnight again with any resident. All overnight guests must be accommodated in the host’s room and must not displace other residents.
• Hosts should check with their roommates before inviting guests and are encouraged to engage in conversations about guests. Roommates have the right to refuse their roommate’s guest(s) or to ask the guest(s) to leave if the guest is being disruptive
• Keep in mind the horizontal/vertical rule: Guests can move around their host’s floor (horizontally) unescorted, but when they are traveling to a different floor, they must be escorted by their host.
• Guests must use bathroom facilities designated for their use by “anyone can use this restroom” signs.
• The host is responsible for their guest’s behavior, and guests are never to be left unattended in community spaces such as common areas.
• If a guest engages in behavior that does not meet College behavioral expectations, both the host and guest (if a student of the College) may be held accountable under the Code of Conduct in the Student Handbook.
• If a guest engages in concerning behavior or refuses to leave, residential life staff, Professional Staff on Call or Public Safety & Service may be contacted.
• Student Organizations should refer to the hosting guidelines in the RSO Handbook. 

• Hallways must always be clear in case of fire.
• Any items left in the hallway are considered abandoned.
• Items not promptly removed may be taken and disposed of without notice.
• Examples of prohibited items in the hallway include, but are not limited to: bicycles, boots, shoes, boxes, trash, suitcases, clothing, umbrellas, beds, furniture, doormats, and decorations. 

• Each resident is assigned a key for accessing their room. Lending or duplicating keys and OneCards issued by Mount Holyoke College is prohibited.
• In Safford and Creighton halls, a resident’s OneCard is their key.
• Residents are expected to report a lost/stolen key immediately to the Office of Residential Life.
  • The Office of Residential Life will order a new key during business hours and inform students via email when the new keys may be picked up Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.– 5 p.m., at the Division of Student Life suite in 205 Blanchard Hall. Students will be billed for the new key through their student bill. Students must show an identification card when picking up a new key.
  • If a student who has lost their keys suspects that an individual unassociated with the College has them, the student is expected to have the lock of their room changed. This type of incident should be reported to Public Safety and Service.
• All Mount Holyoke students must visibly carry their OneCard at all times and provide it to college personnel (e.g. area coordinator, public safety officer, residential life student staff, etc.) upon request.
• If your One Card is lost or stolen, please report it to Public Safety and Service and/or the Technology Help Desk immediately. Please visit the OneCard Services page for more information about OneCard. Students are not allowed to loan their OneCard to visitors or other students.

•  If a student loses their key, they should report it to the Office of Residential Life (res-life@mtholyoke.edu), which will work with the Department of Facilities Management to change the lock core
• This cost for replacement keys and the recore appears on the student’s bill. Replacement costs:
  • Room Key $25
  • Re-core change $75

When a medical leave is approved, the student will be allowed up to three days to remove belongings and vacate the residence halls. If additional time is needed, the student should speak with the Assistant Vice President of Student Engagement & Executive Director of Residential Life or designee to request extended time to move out. Extending time in the residence halls may affect the amount of any refund due, if applicable, or result in a late stay charge.

Residents must keep noise at an acceptable and courteous level at all hours of the day. 

• Courtesy Hours are in effect at all times; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During all hours of the day, residents are expected to be considerate of other residents’ individual needs. In order to do so, please adhere to the following
  • Devices such as speakers, televisions, computers, amplifiers, or musical instruments should be maintained at a volume that does not impact others.
• Quiet Hours are times when noise must not be audible beyond resident’s rooms, suites, apartments or common areas. Quiet hours are designated as:
  • Sunday - Thursday: 10 p.m.–8 a.m. from Sunday night to Friday morning.
  • Friday -Saturday: 2 a.m.–10 a.m.
• Quiet Floors are all the floors in Safford Hall, 4th Floor of Buckland Hall, and the 4th & 5th floors of 1837 Hall. These spaces have 24-hour quiet hours.
  • Sunday - Saturday Quiet Hours from 8 am-10 pm.
  • Sunday-Saturday, Silent hours from 10 pm-8 am.
• 24-Hour Quiet hours are in effect during reading day(s) and final exam periods.
• Addressing Noise Concerns - Residents are encouraged to address noise concerns with their peers and to respond positively to requests to reduce or minimize noise. Noise concerns may be reported to Residential Life Staff (Resident Advisors, Residential Fellows, Area Coordinators) and/or the Professional Staff on Call. Silencing or overtaking another students bluetooth device is not an effect noise management strategy and will result in displinary sanctions. 

If a student receives permission to live off-campus, the student will be required to complete an acceptance form and agree to all the terms outlined in the form.

Students can apply to live off campus, in mid-February for the next academic year.

To be approved to live off campus, students must acknowledge the following:

• Living off-campus is a privilege and not a right.
• Permission to live off-campus can be revoked by the Office of Residential Life or the Division of Student Life at any time.
• If permission is revoked students will be assigned on-campus housing over the summer.
• The College will not be held responsible for any financial commitments or losses related to a student’s off-campus rental.
• The student will abide by all applicable laws (local, state, and federal), especially those regarding noise and alcohol, and by College policy, including the Mount Holyoke College Honor Code and Conduct of Code, which holds students accountable for their behavior on and off College premises.
• By choosing to live off-campus, it is understood that Mount Holyoke Public Safety and Service, or other campus officials, will not respond to off-campus residences. In the case of an emergency, students must call 911.
• In choosing to live off-campus, the student acknowledges that the College has no responsibility for the condition or safety of their off-campus dwelling or for any other conditions or events occurring at their off-campus dwelling. The student explicitly assumes any and all risks associated with living off-campus.

As a prerequisite to living off-campus, a student must do the following:

• Complete the acceptance form and agree to the terms outlined in the therein.
• Provide the Office of Residential Life with their complete mailing address of their off-campus residence and cell phone number.

Pursuant to the Mount Holyoke College Student Handbook and Student Conduct Code, students are responsible for their behavior on and off-campus. The College’s strong relationship with the town and its neighbors is vitally important. When off-campus activities cause a disruption to neighbors and this is brought to the attention of the Division of Student Life, the College will hold students accountable.

A student who chooses to live off-campus gives up the benefit of having Mount Holyoke Public Safety and Service, or other campus officials, respond to their residence. This applies in both emergency and non-emergency situations. 

In the case of a fire, medical, or other emergency, students living off-campus should call 911. This applies to off-campus students that require a wellness check for an alcohol or drug-related situation. Mount Holyoke Public Safety and Service is not authorized to respond to off-campus locations unless requested to do so by the local Police Department and, in such situations, responds only for informational purposes. 

In non-emergency situations, including for non-emergency illness or injury, students living off-campus are responsible for their own transportation to available medical care.

• The College, via the Office of Residential Life, may assign any vacant space in College-owned housing at any time.
• The College may reassign students to different rooms or residence halls as needed.
• A new roommate may be assigned to any open housing space at any time.
• The College reserves the right to make housing relocations or changes when deemed necessary.

• Residents are not allowed to move into a new room assignment or change rooms with another student without the express permission of the Office of Residential Life.
• For more information on room changes, visit the Room Change Webpage.

For questions about changing rooms, students should contact the Office of Residential Life.

Residents may decorate and personalize their rooms while adhering to the following: 

• Personal belongings must not be stored outside of the room, suite, or apartment.
• Painting and permanent additions and alterations of the interior and exterior of rooms, apartments, and suites are prohibited.
• Decorations must be fire/flame-proof or fire-resistant
• Items must not be suspended from light fixtures, pipes, sprinkler heads, or fire equipment.
• Tapestries, pictures, posters and other decorations may be hung on the walls and doors with removable adhesive strips or painters' tape. Avoid using nails, screws, and other tape as they may damage walls. Nothing may be mounted to the walls, floors or ceilings.
• Applying wallpaper, contact paper, borders, stickers, adhesives, painting, and/or drawing on walls, doors, windows, shades, or furnishings, and any College-owned surface is not permitted.
• Decorative lights may be used if they are UL-approved. Lights should remain unplugged when not in use and you are not in the room as well as during break periods.
• The following items are not permitted in the residence halls:
  • Air conditioners: window or standing units (unless issued by Facilities Management)
  • Refrigerators larger than 3.0 cubic ft and microwaves more than 700 watts and 0.7 cubic ft.
  • Weapons ( as outlined in the Code of Conduct)

Nothing in the legal relationship between the College and the student gives the College authority to consent on students’ behalf to the search of a student’s room, vehicle or other possessions by law enforcement officials.

The College will advise law enforcement officials that they must obtain the student’s permission or a judicial search warrant for permission to search a student’s room, vehicle or other possessions.

(Note: Law enforcement search warrants must be based on probable cause to believe a crime has been committed and that evidence of that crime is in the place to be searched. Law enforcement officials do not have to have reason to believe that the occupants of a particular room, or the possessors of a vehicle or trunk, have committed the crime under investigation.)

Law enforcement officials who have a valid search warrant are required to show it to the occupant of the room if the occupant is present. Law enforcement authorities have the authority to use whatever physical force is necessary to execute the warrant. Questions about the validity of the search warrant should be reserved for the courts.

In exigent circumstances (such as an immediate situation where there is insufficient time to obtain a search warrant and where evidence would be destroyed by the delay), particularly with motor vehicles, law enforcement officers operating on probable cause may not need a search warrant.

The Public Safety and Service department is responsible for the coordination of all searches and seizures by public officials and outside law enforcement on the Mount Holyoke College campus.

 

Students may incur legal liabilities as a result of actions taken by their roommate(s). Roommates who tolerate the commission or evidence of a crime (including illegal drugs) in their rooms open themselves to the possibility that all of their private possessions in that room may be searched pursuant to a warrant, even though they are not suspects, and that they may be prosecuted for any stolen goods or prohibited substances found therein. Roommates may authorize law enforcement officers, official inspectors or anyone else to enter rooms shared in common and a successful prosecution may follow from the observation of the evidence of a crime in plain view. However, a roommate may not waive another student’s right to the privacy of a desk, bureau, closet, trunk or other presumptively private container not shared in common. A judicial warrant is required to search closed containers.

• Mount Holyoke College is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus.
• No smoking may take place in any space in College housing. This includes but is not limited to student rooms, lounge spaces, bathrooms, balconies, porches, and fire escapes.
• Students caught smoking in the residence halls will be assessed a minimum fee of $50.

Solicitation refers to the planned and in-person sharing of information with, and/or requesting information from, students living in residence halls. Residents and recognized student groups and clubs are permitted to solicit information in residence halls for non-commercial purposes. They may post information in authorized spaces within the residence halls in accordance to the MHC Poster Policy for Residence Halls.

• Posting of Information - Postings are limited to College and College community events only.
  • Residence hall staff will routinely remove postings that are not stamped, postings with out-of-date information and materials not pertaining to the College, and/or materials that cover other postings.
  • To support recognized student organizations and College departments, Residential Life will centrally in Blanchard 205 accept postings (that adhere to the MHC Poster Policy for Residence Halls) for distribution to residence halls and posting by Residential Life staff. 

Commercial solicitation by individuals or organizations for personal or commercial gain is not permitted. Commercial solicitation includes, but is not limited to, requests for payment or pledges of payment for goods, services, charities, or other financial contributions. 
 

Residential Life and Facilities Management assess the condition of each room at the beginning of the academic year. This assessment indicates the physical state of the room and all of its contents at the time of the student’s arrival. Any missing furniture or change in the state of the room or its facilities beyond reasonable wear will be billed to the student. Students will be charged for the actual labor of a major repair and replacement costs of furniture. A $100 cleaning fee is assessed if any personal belongings or trash is left behind in the residence hall room when students vacate the space. Any painting of student rooms or College furnishings is prohibited. There will be a minimum fee of $400 for any painting in a student room or on College furnishings.

Residential Life staff and Facilities Management staff inspect rooms periodically to ensure compliance with fire safety regulations. Another inspection takes place after students leave. Students will be notified in advance of these inspections.

In addition, South Hadley departments of public health, public safety, and fire may send inspectors to conduct routine inspections of residence halls, including student rooms, bathrooms and common areas, and storage areas. These inspections may result in College sanctions for any student who is responsible for violations of College policy.

Routine inspections are scheduled in advance and generally occur during the College business day (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.). Inspectors will provide a minimum notice of 24 hours. Inspectors are escorted by a Mount Holyoke College employee. To inspect an occupied student room, the inspector must present the appropriate credentials and request permission from an occupant before inspecting.

If permission for a scheduled inspection is denied and the occupant refuses to arrange a convenient time for the inspection, the inspector may obtain a court order permitting entry without the occupant’s permission.

These inspections are limited to the purposes for which they are authorized and should not involve examining any desk, bureau, trunk or other presumptively private container. Closets may be searched for illegal heating devices.

If an inspector should see evidence of a crime in plain view, the inspector has the responsibility to report the observation to law enforcement authorities. At Mount Holyoke College, these reports can be forwarded to Public Safety and Service.

To ensure the health and safety of the community, emergency and/or safety inspections can occur at any time without notice.

 

• Students may not place objects on, or suspend objects from, the railings or balconies or throw objects from balconies.
• The roofs, ledges, fire escapes or balconies accessible only by windows should be used for emergencies only.
• Students are not permitted on the balconies — excluding the Dickinson House balconies — or roofs of Mount Holyoke College buildings, including residence halls.

Students may store a limited number of personal items in designated trunk rooms during the academic year. 

• Each residence hall includes a trunk room intended solely for temporary storage between September (the start of the academic year) and May (the close of residence halls for underclass students).
• Trunk rooms are suitable for small items such as boxes and suitcases.
• The following are not permitted in trunk rooms:
  • Room or lounge furniture
  • Upholstered furniture
  • Bicycles
  • Items stored in open containers
  • Floor lamps
  • Flammable or hazardous materials

These items present fire hazards and will be removed and discarded if found.

• Items stored in trunk rooms are left at the student’s own risk. The College does not provide security or protection for any stored items and is not liable for items that are lost, stolen, damaged, or accidentally discarded. Students are strongly encouraged to explore off-campus storage options.
• Trunk rooms are locked but accessible to any student or staff member affiliated with the College. Many are located in basement areas and are subject to moisture and fluctuations in climate.
• To access a trunk room, contact your Residential Fellow. Trunk rooms will not be unlocked by Public Safety and Service, Facilities Management, or the Office of Residential Life.
• Facilities Management conducts inspections at the end of each semester and will remove abandoned or prohibited items.
• At the end of the spring semester—or in the event of graduation, withdrawal, medical leave, or any extended absence—students must remove their belongings from the trunk room and arrange for off-campus storage or transport them home.

There is absolutely no storage available during the summer months. Students must take their belongings home during the summer months or locate an off-campus storage facility. Any items found in trunk rooms during the summer months will be discarded. 

• Windows and window screens must remain in place at all times.
• Nothing may be posted or hung on the outside of a window, whether affixed to the glass or affixed inside the room. This includes but is not limited to signs, window paints, flags, birdfeeders, etc.
• Throwing, dropping, or hanging anything from windows is prohibited. 

If a window or window screen is missing, loose, or damaged, residents are expected to submit a Service Request.

• Students are expected to refrain from behavior that can damage their residence or the belongings of others, including any College property.
• Students are responsible for the actions of their guests and will be held accountable for any damage they cause.
• Students will be charged for any vandalism they or their guests cause and may face additional disciplinary action.
• If the College cannot determine who caused damage after a reasonable investigation, the repair costs will be divided among all students assigned to the affected room, suite, or residence hall—regardless of whether they were present at the time.