Residence Hall Policies

Air Conditioning
All university housing units are air-conditioned.  Some have temperature controls within the unit and a computer centrally controls others.  In housing units with individual temperature controls, no air-conditioning unit may be set to a temperature lower than seventy degrees Fahrenheit and all units must remain set on Auto.  Doors and windows must remain closed while air-conditioning is on.  Vents may not be blocked.  The university is not responsible for damages caused to students' belongings due to the improper use of the air-conditioning unit and/or doors/windows being left open while the air-conditioning is in use.

Back to Top

Alcohol & Other Drugs
All resident students are expected to abide by the university's Student Code of Conduct and the Alcohol & Other Drugs Policy. 

Alcohol consumption and/or possession of alcoholic beverages in public areas, such as hallways, lounges, balconies or courtyards, is strictly prohibited.  Beer kegs, party balls and/or large containers of alcohol are strictly prohibited.  Alcoholic beverages may not be served, sold or given to any minor in any housing unit or on university property.  Pyramids or displays of empty beverage containers, alcohol-related paraphernalia (including, but not limited to, funnels, tubes, kegerators and keg taps,) alcohol-related signs/posters and/or alcohol-related advertising, logos or promotion are prohibited in all university housing units.  Possession and/or display of drug paraphernalia (including, but not limited to, hookahs, water pipes and bongs) and/or drug-related signs/posters and/or drug-related artwork, advertising or promotion are prohibited in all university housing units.  In those areas with common-area kitchens (Mottram-Doss, houses, and apartments), alcohol may be kept in the common-area only if all residents in the suite/apartment are over 21.  Students residing in these accommodations who are of legal drinking age may keep alcohol within their rooms in accordance with university and residence hall policies.

Back to Top

Appliances
Unauthorized electrical equipment, such as, but not limited to, space heaters, toaster ovens, electric frying pans, hot plates, and ceiling fans are prohibited.  Cooking is not permitted in student rooms.  Barbecuing is not allowed inside residence halls or on porches; residents may utilize stationary barbecue grills provided around the residence halls if they wish to cook-out.   The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to remove any unauthorized or potentially dangerous electrical equipment.  Personal refrigerators are permitted but must have a UL label and use no more than 1.5 amps of electricity.  Microwaves are permitted but must be no more than 800 watts.  In Weber Hall and Dalton-Dunspaugh Houses, only one refrigerator and one microwave per room is permitted.  Residents may not plug appliances directly into electrical outlets; surge protectors must be used.

Back to Top

Automobiles
Automobiles must be registered with the Department of Public Safety and must display an official parking decal.  Resident students may park only in areas designated for resident student parking.  Students who receive an excessive amount of parking and/or university traffic violations may be prohibited from parking in resident student parking and/or on-campus at all.

Back to Top

Bicycles/Skates
The use of skates, roller blades, skateboards, electric scooters and/or bicycles inside the residence halls and all university buildings, including open-air hallways and porticos, is prohibited.  Students are allowed to keep bicycles in their rooms as long as they are stored properly and do not block exits.

Back to Top

Deliveries
Any resident requesting any type of delivery, including food, is responsible for meeting the delivery person at the entrance of his/her residence hall at the time of delivery.  Desk Assistants will not accept deliveries of any type on behalf of any student.

Back to Top

Dining Hall
Barry University resident-student meal plans are designed with the needs and diversity of the resident student population in mind.  Each semester, upon checking into the residence halls, resident students must choose a meal plan from several options.  Please refer to Dining Services, listed previously in this Handbook, for detailed descriptions of the meal plans available to resident students.

You cannot change your meal plan once you have submitted your choice at the beginning of each semester.  Meal plan weeks begin with breakfast on Fridays and end after dinner on Thursdays.  Unused meals do not carry over from week to week.  Unused “dining dollars” do not carry over from semester to semester.

Identification
Students are required to present their valid university I.D. cards when entering the Dining Hall.  Meal plans and I.D. cards are for the personal use of each student only.  No one else may use your I.D. card to enter the Dining Hall to eat.  Students who attempt to enter the Dining Hall without I.D., or who are found attempting to use another student’s I.D. may face disciplinary action.

Courtesy
Students are expected to be courteous to fellow patrons and Dining Services personnel.

Self-Busing
All Dining Hall patrons – students, guests, faculty and staff – are required to clear their table and deposit trays, plates, cups and utensils in the proper location before leaving the Dining Hall.

Boxed Meals
In certain situations, meals may be prepared in advance and packed “to go” for students whose individual schedules conflict with scheduled meal times.  Students must meet criteria as stipulated by Dining Services policy in order to be eligible for this service.  Students may see the Manager of Dining Services in order to discuss requests for boxed meals.

Back to Top

Safety
Fire Safety
Providing a safe environment for all resident students is of the utmost importance to the staff of the Office of Residential Life.  Fire emergencies pose a great threat to our community and must be handled with due diligence.  To that end, the Office of Residential Life expects all residents to adhere strictly to the following policies related to fire safety.

Fires
No fires may be started and/or cultivated on university owned property.  This includes, but is not limited to - campfires, bonfires and/or burning trash or other materials.  Residents may utilize stationary barbecue grills provided around the residence halls if they wish to cook-out.  Fireworks may not be kept within any residence hall unit and/or set off anywhere on university property.

Emergency Exits
Unauthorized use of emergency exits will result in disciplinary action and/or a minimum penalty charge of $50.00.  Tampering with emergency exits, including, but not limited to, propping doors open, hindering locks and/or muffling alarms, is a serious offense and will result in disciplinary action.

Fire Alarms and Drills
Residents must cooperate with staff and participate in fire drills and other emergency procedures including exiting the building and/or going to designated shelters in case of a tornado or hurricane.  The setting of false fire alarms and activating fire alarms and/or smoke detectors is prohibited by Florida Statute, Section 806.101, and is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

Fire Safety Equipment
Tampering with fire safety equipment and/or misusing fire safety equipment is prohibited in all residential facilities.  Removing, blocking, or interfering with the use of fire safety equipment, including smoke detectors in student rooms, is a third-degree felony under Florida State law and is prohibited in residential facilities.  Residents found to have tampered with and/or damaged fire equipment, fire alarms, and/or smoke detectors will be responsible for repair and/ or replacement costs.  Additionally, fines and/or sanctions will be imposed according to the magnitude of the violation(s).

Hazardous Items
For health and safety reasons, certain items are prohibited in students’ rooms, including but not limited to:  live Christmas trees, candles, incense, appliances with open coils, and kerosene lamps.  Room dividers, hanging objects or materials that restrict open space are prohibited.  In addition, fireworks, gasoline, and/or other combustible items are not permitted in any university housing unit.  Motorcycles and fuel driven engines are not permitted anywhere inside university housing, open-air hallways, and/or porticos.  Residential Life staff reserves the right to confiscate all prohibited and/or hazardous items.

Back to Top

Furniture
Room Furniture
All resident rooms are equipped with the appropriate numbers of beds, mattresses, desks, chairs, dressers and window coverings.  Residents must bring their own linens and other personal items to make their rooms comfortable for them.            Free standing or movable furniture may be arranged within your room.  Modifications to the built-in furniture are strictly prohibited.  Residents may not substitute, disassemble or provide furnishings for rooms.  Waterbeds and lofts are prohibited.  Residents may not elevate beds from the floor using cinder blocks and/or any means other than bunk bed units provided by the Office of Residential Life.  Students will be fined for removing furniture from residence hall rooms.  If the furniture is not returned to the room, the cost of the missing furniture will be added to the amount of the fine.

Public Area Furniture and Decor
Furniture and decor (e.g. rugs, tables, etc…) have been placed in lounges and public areas throughout the university for the use of the university community and may not be removed from those areas. The Office of Residential Life will impose a $200. fine per piece of furniture and/or décor on any student who removes  pieces from their original locations within a residence hall or other university building.    Additionally, students may be held responsible for repair and/or replacement costs if university owned property is not returned, or returned damaged, as well as facing disciplinary action for attempted theft.

Back to Top

Games/Hall Sports
For safety reasons, hallways, open air hallways, porticos, and outside areas near residence halls are not to be used for playing games that involve kicking or throwing any balls and/or objects and/or the use of water-guns.  Please use the intramural field or areas away from windows to avoid disturbing other residents and/or causing property damage.

Back to Top

Insurance
Health Insurance
Health insurance is required for every resident student.  Proof of private insurance or an indication of your desire for the university health insurance must accompany the Required Health Information Form.  Resident students will be automatically billed for university health insurance unless they show proof of private insurance prior to the beginning of the term.

Property Insurance
Personal property insurance is each resident’s responsibility.  The university is not liable for theft of or damage to personal property.  Students may obtain information about personal property insurance from the Office of Residential Life.

Back to Top

Keys
Upon checking into university housing, each resident will be assigned a room key and, in some halls, an entrance door key.  These keys are the student’s responsibility until checking out of the residence hall facility.  Students may not duplicate any university housing key.  Residents must report each lost or stolen key to the Office of Residential Life immediately; a loan key may be obtained from the Office of Residential Life following the report of a lost or stolen key.  For safety and security reasons, if the original key has not been produced within twenty-four hours, the lock will be changed and $50.00 will be charged to the resident’s account for the cost of the change.  Unauthorized and/or duplicate keys returned to Residential Life staff at check out will be replaced and $50.00 will be charged to the student’s account for each key.  Possession of any unauthorized keys and the giving of keys to unauthorized persons are matters for serious disciplinary action.    

Due to fire safety and other security issues, locks and/or chains may not be added to any door in any university housing unit, including closet doors.  Locks may not be tampered with in any way that may interfere with the locking or unlocking of the door.

Back to Top

Lockouts
Residents are given three lockouts per semester.  After the third lockout, the student will be charged $5.00 per lockout.

Back to Top

Noise/Quiet Hours
In accordance with a Miami-Dade County noise ordinance that prohibits noise after 11:00 p.m., residents agree to respect other residents and neighbors, curbing any excessive noise in or around the residence halls.  If deemed necessary by Residential Life staff, a resident may be asked to remove stereo and/or other audio equipment from the residence halls.  Amplified equipment and electrical instruments are not allowed in any rooms.  Speakers are not allowed in windows.

Quiet hours for all university housing units are in effect from 10:00 p.m. - 10:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 1:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. They are also in effect at any other time as agreed upon by the residents of individual areas. These agreed upon changes to quiet hours must be posted by the Office of Residential Life.  In addition, during final exam week each term, quiet hours are in affect 24 hours a day.     

However, please be considerate of your community at all times.  The rights of students to sleep and/or study in their own rooms will be upheld at all times; twenty-four hour courtesy hours require any resident student to lower his/her noise level when requested.

Back to Top

Pets
Pets, animals or specimens, with the exception of authorized service animals, are prohibited within university housing.  Fish, in containers no larger than 10 gallons, may be kept in residence facilities. The feeding of stray animals in or around any university housing facility is strictly prohibited.  Residents found to be harboring an animal in or around housing facilities will be subject to disciplinary action and/or restitution for extermination fees. Residential Life staff reserves the right to confiscate any pets and/or other animals and to take them to a nearby shelter.

Back to Top

Posting Policy
The Office of Residential Life must approve all signs and/or flyers posted in and/or around university housing facilities.  Only the Office of Residential Life may post information on doors in university housing facilities.  Students are prohibited from posting non-university related signs and/or advertising in any university housing facility.

Back to Top

Property Offenses & Structural Modifications
Students may not engage in theft, malicious destruction, defacement, damage or misuse of university or private property. This also includes the theft and posting (in university housing facilities) of street and traffic signs.  Students may not add satellite dishes or make any other structural modifications to university housing facilities.  If any such addition or modifications are made, the university reserves the right to remove and restore the property at the resident student’s expense.  Students found to be responsible for any of the above offenses may face disciplinary action and/or restitution for the cost of any necessary replacement and/or repair costs.

Back to Top

Railings, Balconies and Roofs
Sitting or standing on balcony railings, climbing on, hanging from, and climbing off balconies, balcony railings and/or roofs are prohibited.  Permission must be obtained from the Office of Residential Life to display objects, signs, or articles from balconies, railings, buildings, or roofs.

Back to Top

Room Personalization
Wall Decorations
Decorations should be mounted with “magic mount” (e.g., sticky tack and poster putty) to avoid marring painted surfaces when tape is removed.  Tape, nails, tacks and screws are prohibited, as they damage the wall surfaces.  The damaging of a surface may result in a room damage charge. Residents may not drill holes or permanently attach any objects to walls, floors, ceilings or doors.  Residents may not attach stickers to doors, walls and/or windows and may not wallpaper or paint any area of university housing facilities. Residents may enhance their rooms, but must return them to their original conditions upon departure.

Holiday Decorations
Live Christmas trees, because they burn easily and rapidly, are prohibited in university housing units. Only UL approved holiday lights may be utilized within the residence halls.    The use of "canned snow is strictly prohibited within university housing facilities..  Nothing may be affixed to front doors with anything other than "magic mount.".

Back to Top

Smoking
All university housing facilities are designated as non-smoking areas. This includes students’ rooms.  In accordance with the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act, Barry University implements this “No Smoking” policy:  No public area or work area controlled by the university will be a smoking area, including, but not limited to, private offices, classrooms, academic buildings, meeting rooms, lobbies, restrooms, stairwells, and break rooms.

Back to Top

Social Gathering
Social gatherings, parties, and meetings in individual rooms are subject to all municipal, state, and federal laws, as well as university policies. The number of people in a room at any time including residents of the room (unit) must be limited as follows:

Charging an admission fee to or advertising any party or gathering is strictly prohibited.  Residential Life staff reserves the right to disperse a gathering when residents and/or guests are in violation of any university policy, or are causing undue disturbance to the community.

Back to Top

Student Health Services Clearance
Any resident student who is transported to the emergency room from campus must present medical clearance to Student Health Services within twenty-four (24) hours of returning to the residence halls.  Failure to comply may result in removal from housing and/or judicial action.

Back to Top

Trash
In an effort to keep the residence halls clean, comfortable and pest-free, the Office of Residential Life has designated an area for each building's trash disposal.  All resident students are required to deposit trash into designated trash areas for each residence hall.  Students may not deposit trash outside their room doors, in hallways and/or in common area trash cans.  Fines will be imposed on students who fail to adhere to the appropriate disposal of trash.

Back to Top

Vandalism
The Office of Residential Life and the Physical Plant work very hard to keep the residence halls in good repair.  Vandalism of any type, including, but not limited to, graffiti, structural damage and/or breakage of residence hall furniture and fixtures is strictly prohibited and severely sanctioned via the university judicial system.  Students and/or students' guests found responsible for perpetrating vandalism within the residence halls risk immediate termination of student/host housing agreements and/or fines in addition to repair/replacement costs.

Back to Top

Visitation/Overnight Guests
Barry University has open visitation; students may have guest twenty-four hours a day with the consent of the roommate(s).  Rooms are private, but this privacy is conditioned by the nature of living in a Catholic community.  The philosophy of the university, given its Dominican heritage and tradition, dictates that students will adhere to all norms and values associated with Dominican teaching.  Guests may visit resident’s rooms only by invitation.  Students assume full responsibility for their guests’ conduct and their familiarity with the rules and policies of the university.  Guests and visitors are welcome provided they, and their resident host, respect the policies of the university.  A resident may lose his/her visitation privileges if his/her guest(s) is involved in a violation of university policy.

Registering Guests
The Office of Residential Life requires that all guests register with the front desk staff upon entry into a residence hall.  In order to insure adequate security in university housing, both residents and guests must present Barry University or government-issued identification to designated university staff (Resident Assistants, Desk Assistants, etc.) upon request.  Refusal to present identification will result in denial of admittance to the residence halls.

Escort Policy
Residents are required to escort their guests at all times. Upon leaving, the visitor must again be escorted to the appropriate exit.

Overnight Guests
Overnight guests of the same gender as those assigned to the room/suite/apartment are allowed on a limited and infrequent basis.  The guest’s visit should not exceed three consecutive nights in a one month period and are allowed only with the consent of all those assigned to the room/suite/apartment.  Residents must inform their resident assistant when having an overnight guest.   Residents are entirely responsible for the actions of their guests.  Hosting overnight guests of the opposite gender as those assigned to the room/suite/apartment is prohibited.

Cohabitation
Cohabitation, which is defined as overnight visits with a sexual partner, is incompatible with the Catholic character of the university and with the rights of the roommate(s).

Amendments/Suspension of Visitation
The Office of Residential Life reserves the right to amend visitation policy for individual residents or, if need be, an entire community.  In addition, Residential Life staff reserves the right to ask any guest to leave at any time.

Housing a Non-Resident Student
The housing unit is for extended use of currently enrolled students with valid Residence Hall Agreements only.  Resident students with valid Residence Hall Agreements may not allow non-resident students to live in their rooms or sub-let their living units.  Persons found to be living illegally (without a valid Residence Hall Agreement), will be asked to leave and may face further disciplinary action.  Resident students who allow persons to live illegally in any unit of the university housing will face residential life disciplinary action.

Back to Top

Withdrawal/ Termination of Housing Contract
If, for any reason (withdrawal from the university, disciplinary termination, etc…), a resident student's Housing Agreement becomes null and void, the resident will have no more than 48 hours from the time of separation with the Office of Residential Life to remove all personal belongings from the assigned residence hall space.  Failure to vacate the premises within the allotted time will result in a Residential Life lockout.  Other arrangements will then be made with the Office of Residential Life for the student to collect his/her personal belongings.

Back to Top