Academic Calendar – Fall 2012 - Dakota State University

Residence Life
18
(3) This amount must be paid to the floor Resident Assistant by a date posted along with the cost information.
(4) The names of those residents not having paid by the deadline will be turned over to the Residence Life Office and a ten dollar
service charge will be added to the amount.
Quiet Hours
No individual or group will be permitted to interfere with the right of any resident to use his/her room for study and sleep. Quiet
Hours are those periods of time when the residence hall should be quiet enough not to hinder either study or sleep. During these periods,
residents wishing to engage in activities which result in any degree of noise or disruption are expected to leave the hall in deference to
those wishing to study or sleep. Quiet Hours for each residence hall are in effect from 10:00 pm - 10:00 am daily. Any hall or floor wishing
to extend Quiet Hours may do so by a majority vote of the residents.
Residence Hall Government
Each residence hall has a hall council elected by the members of the hall to serve in the capacity as set forth by the hall constitution.
These hall officers consider and recommend to their membership such policies and procedures as may be deemed necessary to supplement
existing University regulations. All policies and procedures passed by a hall council are subject to approval by the Resident Director,
who serves as advisor to the council, and the Director of Residence Life. Hall officers and committees are also involved in the planning
of hall educational, social, and recreational activities.
Residence Staff
Each residence hall has a Resident Director who is a member of the Student Services staff and who is responsible for establishing
and maintaining an atmosphere within the hall which promotes student learning and personal growth. Assisting each Director are four
Resident Assistants (RA’s) who are both students and members of the Student Services staff. Normally, one RA is assigned to each floor/
wing within a hall. You are encouraged to seek out your RA when you need information or assistance.
Residence staff members are expected to act as initiators of responsible group living patterns. They will ensure that residents understand
hall regulations and their necessity for achieving harmonious and productive group living and will assist hall government and residents
to confront issues and to take advantage of opportunities. Your full cooperation with your residence staff is expected by the University.
A “Duty RA” is on duty every day of the week and expected to be physically in the hall Monday through Thursday from 7:00 p.m.
to 7:00 a.m. and from 7:00 p.m. Friday to 7:00 a.m. Monday in each hall. The name, room number and phone number of the daily RA is
posted in the hall lobby. Resident Directors will announce their “office hours” at the outset of each semester.
Room Assignment
Room assignments are made by Residence Life staff. The University will not discriminate in room assignment on the basis of race,
color, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability. Continuing students indicate their room preference for the following term in the
latter part of each semester. Following the close of this process, remaining rooms are assigned according to the date each housing contract
and Room Deposit are received by the Departmenf of Residence Life. Whenever possible, mutual requests for roommates will be
honored, as will other special requests.
Room changes within a residence hall during the semester may be made only upon approval of the Department of Residence Life.
There must be sufficient justification to warrant the change. Persons wishing to change halls must obtain approval from the Residence
Life Office. No room changes are permitted during the first two weeks of the fall semester.
Single occupancy of a two-person room is permitted if sufficient space is available in the residence hall and the student is willing
to pay the single occupancy fee. Priority for a single occupancy room is offered first to students on a waitlist from the previous housing
selection process; then based upon total number of credit hours completed. If a student living in a two-person room loses his/her roommate
during the course of the semester, that student must immediately accept one of the following options: 1) request single occupancy
for the remainder of the semester (on a prorated basis) or 2) be willing to receive a new roommate or move to another room (joining
another student) at any time.
The University reserves the right to move a student to another room or hall if such action is in the best interest of the student or,
in cases of extreme or repeated misbehavior, to remove a student from his or her hall for the remainder of a semester without refund of
room charge.
Room Entry/Search Policy
Student’s individual residence hall rooms constitute private places to which the general public does not have an unrestricted right of
access. The rights of students to be secure in their person, living quarters, papers and possessions against unreasonable entry, search, or
seizure is assured. Institutions are delegated authority by the Board of Regents to establish reasonable administrative entry, search and
seizure procedures necessary for the enforcement of institutional regulations, to protect and maintain institutional property and to aid in
the basic responsibility of the University regarding discipline and maintenance of an educational atmosphere.
Periodic inspections of residence rooms by Residence Life staff are made to determine general room condition and maintenance.
These inspections will normally be made by the Resident Director accompanied by the Resident Assistant, with at least twenty-four
hour advance posted notice being given occupants. Reasonable efforts will be made by the Director to arrange the inspections at times
convenient to the majority of residents. The staff is, however, authorized to enter a room during these inspections even if the occupants
are not present. These inspections do not include the opening of drawers, refrigerators, or any other actions which constitute search,