Knox College Community Living Standards - Knox College Student Handbook

Students are expected to familiarize themselves and comply with 2024-25 Housing Agreement and all policies outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. You must be a Knox College student to live on campus. The following additional policies apply specifically to life in student housing:

- Per the Housing Agreement, to be eligible to live in College Housing, you must be enrolled in at least 2.5 units in any given term as determined by the Registrar’s Office, be in good financial standing, and without enrollment holds.
- Bicycles, skateboards, skates, scooters, hoverboards and similar items may not be ridden inside the residence halls or apartments, may not be parked in walkways, stairwells, entrances, or other areas that may present a fire hazard or obstruct the flow of traffic, and may also not be secured to exposed pipes. Additionally, hoverboards can not be stored in campus housing. Bicycles, scooters, etc. left on campus grounds or not in approved bike storage locations over College breaks may be removed by the College. Students should contact the Campus Life Office to store their bike, scooter, etc.
- The following items are permitted in college housing:
  
  Computers
  Televisions
  Electronic devices for entertainment such as stereos, game systems, and speakers
  Single-serve coffee makers
  Microwaves rated less than 900 watts
  Small refrigerators (4.1 cubic feet or smaller capacity)
  
  The following appliances are not permitted in college housing. These unauthorized items may be confiscated by College staff and may be returned once a student has an appropriate alternative location in which to store the item:
  
  Any appliance requiring 220 volts or 900 watts or higher
  Air Fryers
  Hot plates
  Toasters/toaster ovens
  Any appliance with any exposed heating element
  Air conditioners (unless endorsed through the process by the Disability Support Services office)
  Space heaters
  Halogen lamps
  
  Students are strongly encouraged to avoid the use of extension cords and to instead use power strips whenever possible.
- A “guest” is defined as any individual who is not assigned to a specific room. Students are permitted to have guests for short periods of time with the permission of their roommates under the following conditions:
  
  1. The guest is mutually agreed upon by roommate(s).
  2. The student assumes responsibility for their guest and informs them of all relevant college and housing policies.
  3. Guests must be accompanied by the hosting student(s) at all times.
  4. The maximum number of guests allowed in a student’s room at any time is one guest per resident.
  5. Guests must leave the building at the request of Resident Assistants, Student Development staff, Campus Safety, or other College personnel.
  6. Overnight guests are permitted to stay no more than 3 consecutive nights in a 30 day period.
- Handling of one’s keys responsibly is important to maintaining the safety of the residential community. With that in mind:
  
  Students are not to loan their keys to others at any time.
  No keys may be duplicated.
  Tampering with any lock is strictly prohibited.
  Keys are the property of the College and must be returned when a resident checks out of a residence hall or at the request of College officials. If keys are not returned at the specified time, a student may be charged a fee.
  Students are responsible for immediately reporting lost or stolen keys to the Campus Safety Office so that appropriate steps can be taken to prevent illegal access. Students may be charged a lock and key replacement fee.
  Students are not permitted to install their own security or alarm systems in their residences.
- Quiet hours are a shared responsibility. Students should respect the rights of their roommate(s) and their suitemates to have an environment conducive to study. Therefore, 24-hour courtesy hours are in effect. In addition, each living unit creates and enforces its own policy regarding quiet hours, although the Division of Student Development has pre-designated Williston Hall as a 24-hour quiet area. Throughout final exam periods, including Reading Days, quiet hours are in effect for all residential living areas 24 hours/day. Music and other activities like gaming systems and TVs should be kept at a level that will not disturb roommates, suitemates, or neighbors. It is the responsibility of each student to let other students know when activities are causing an annoyance. If the problem cannot be resolved, Resident Assistants, Campus Life Staff or Campus Safety may be contacted for assistance. Excessive noise no matter the time or agreements is not permitted.
- Residents are encouraged to make their room their own, must abide by posting and window policies and fire safety code regulations, and must keep the following in mind:
  
  Structural alterations to rooms are not permitted.
  Damage to wall surfaces can be prevented. Hang pictures from the moldings. Tacks, nails, pins, and scotch tape or glue may damage the walls, doors, or woodwork. Poster tack and other adhesives that are designed to be easily removed do not hurt the walls and will hold most of your decorations. Students may be charged a repair fee for damaged walls/paint. Nothing may be hung from or attached to exposed pipes, including sprinkler lines.
  Painting of walls, furniture, or any other surface is not permitted.
  No College furniture may be removed from the room, suite areas, or public spaces to which it is assigned. Students may be charged a fee for removing any furniture from its assigned place.
  Upholstered furniture brought into College housing must be made of fire retardant fabrics. This automatically eliminates vinyl furniture such as bean bag chairs. Waterbeds are also not permitted.
  Students will be charged the cost of repairing any damages beyond reasonable wear and tear. Damage to common areas will be divided among residents responsible for that area.
- Limited storage is available in various locations on campus, and approved locations are labeled with a Storage Location sign. All approved storage locations are located in areas that are locked to keep the stored items secure. Storage should be used for break periods only. Contact the Campus Life Office if you have a storage request. The Galesburg Fire Department prohibits the storage of furniture and carpet. This applies to self-made furniture and furniture which can be disassembled. If left, these items will be discarded. The College cannot assume responsibility for items stored on campus. Personal property may not be stored or left in a student room over the summer or once a student has vacated the space for any reason. Any items left in student rooms or in locations on campus other than approved storage rooms may be donated or discarded. Additional details about storage are outlined in the Storage FAQ.
- Residents are responsible for keeping their rooms and community areas clean and free from litter, including loose trash and food items. Trash must be disposed of in either approved cans labeled "landfill", green dumpsters, or taken to the curb on designated times. Recycling can be collected in bedrooms only (not in common rooms). Recycling must be deposited in either the blue roll cart bins located at the building entrance or blue dumpsters. Building specific information will be provided at the beginning of each term. Residents who leave trash or loose items after moving out of their assigned room may be charged an excessive cleaning fee.
- Only residents assigned to the building, their escorted guests, and authorized staff members are allowed in campus housing. Students should not grant access to individuals who do not live in the housing unit or who they do not know. For safety reasons, students should refrain from propping exterior doors and should keep their personal room and suite/apartment doors locked.
- Windows must be clear of any signage or decoration. Nothing is allowed to cover or
  hang from the ceilings, obstruct passageways, cover windows, or fire safety equipment.
  Campus Life reserves the right to have students remove items from display in the
  windows and hanging banners, flags, etc.
  
  Tampering with or removing window screens is prohibited, as is climbing in or out of windows.