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Community Policies & Expectations

Bulletin Boards & Posting

Residents who wish to post something on the boards within the halls should contact the Hall/Complex Director for approval. Items posted without approval will be removed. 

For posting policies anywhere else on campus, please consult the Office of Student Involvement, 2nd floor Student Union, located inside the Student Involvement Center.

 

Computers

Residential Life fully supports University computing policies and will report violations to the Information Technology department.  It is each student's responsibility to review and follow all Northwest computing policies.

Cooking

Due to sanitation, health, and safety; general cooking and food preparation in the residence halls is permitted only in designated areas. (see Cooking Areas below) Residents are, however, permitted to have and use popcorn poppers, coffee makers, and microwaves in their rooms. (see Student Belongings for specifications)

Dishes and other personal items left in any common area outside the room/suite/apartment will be considered and treated as abandoned property. (see Abandoned Property in the Student Belongings section)

Cooking Areas

For your convenience, kitchenettes are available in all residence halls, the Station, and FVA Community Building. Pots, pans and other cooking utensils are available from the front desk and will vary from hall to hall. Residents are responsible for cleaning up after themselves. 

Guest Policy

Guests are a privilege for residents living in on-campus housing. Any person(s) who is not a contractual occupant of the specific living area is considered a guest, this includes all non-students, students who live off campus, or students who live in different on-campus building or floor. Each hall allows 24-hour visitation and requires that each and every guest be escorted at all times. An escorted guest is in the physical presence of their resident-host from the time they enter the building until they leave the building. In order to provide a secure environment protecting our communities, the following protocols and procedures are established pertaining to all residents in respect to hosting guests:

  • Guests must be escorted by the resident host at all times. Only a resident of the community can serve as the host. For example, a guest may be escorted in the first-floor lounge or in a communal rec-room/lounge by any resident of that building, however to be in the residential area of the second floor, that guest must be escorted by a member of the second floor community.
  • Unescorted, non-student guests will be required to leave the building and may be given a trespass warning. Unescorted student guests will face disciplinary action through the Student Conduct Process.
  • Guests must abide by all policies of the residence halls and floors, with guests and hosts mutually responsible for the conduct of the guest. Guests not observing University or Residential Life policies may be escorted from the building and restricted from further future access. Residents may be subject to disciplinary action for the inappropriate behavior of their guest(s).
  • A resident may host a guest in their residence room/unit only with prior expressed consent of all roommates.
  • Overnight guests may not stay more than five nights in a 30-day period, per guest.

Keys & Lockouts

Keys & Fobs

Room keys, mailbox keys, and fobs for residence hall, apartment, and bathroom entry (where required) are issued to each resident upon arrival. Should a key or fob be lost, the resident will be charged a replacement fee to cover the cost of key and core replacement. Broken keys will also result in a charge, but only to replace the key as long as both pieces of the missing key is returned.   Missing keys should be reported to your RA/SA immediately. Residents failing to return their keys and fob at the time of check-out will be charged the replacement fee.

Lockouts

Residents are encouraged to carry their room keys with them at all times. Residents who are locked out should go to the front desk to obtain a lockout key. When the desk is closed, residents should contact an RA/SA. The first three lockouts are free. After three lockouts there is a lockout fee.  Fees increase for seven lockouts or more.  Residents will be required to show personal identification before being allowed entry into an apartment. Excessive lockouts may result in disciplinary action. Guests will not be allowed to gain access into a room or apartment.

Duplication of University keys is prohibited.  Possession of University keys other than those assigned is not permitted.

Due to fire safety, no additional locks should be attached to any door.

Outdoor Activities

For safety reasons, students are not allowed to play outdoor sports (football, toss Frisbees, throw snowballs, have water fights, throw water balloons, use skateboards, rollerblades, etc.,) inside or in close proximity to the residence halls or apartments. Residents should seek an open space away from the building for such activities. 

Outdoor Water Faucets

Water faucets are located on the exterior of each apartment building and residence hall. Washing vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, or using these water hookups for any purpose is strictly prohibited.

Parking: Residence Halls

Residential Life fully supports University parking policies enforced by University Police. It is each student's responsibility to review and follow all Northwest parking policies. For complete information, visit Parking at Northwest.

Parking: Forest Village Apartments - Pass Included with Rent!

The Forest Village parking permit is included in your rent. The permit is only good for the FVA parking lot (#32 on the campus parking map View PDF); it is not valid in any other lot on campus. Parking at Forest Village Apartments is restricted 24/7 for residents displaying a valid FVA permit only, except for specially designated areas on the East side of the parking lot.

Permits are given to the residents in a 1:1 ratio, meaning each resident has one space to use. The FVA permit is only valid in the FVA parking lot, however if a resident would like to use parking on campus other than in the FVA lot, they may purchase a residential parking pass or a motorcycle/scooter parking pass at the market rate.

Please start by registering your car online via the Bearcat Login page. For complete details on purchasing a parking permit, including costs and how to obtain the permit(s), visit Parking at Northwest.

Pets, Service Animals & Emotional Support Animals

Pets

No pets are permitted within the residence halls except for fish. Aquariums for fish must not exceed 10 gallons.

Unlike all other facilities, Forest Village Apartments allows for a variety of pets. Click here for complete details.

Service Animals & Emotional Support Animals

A Service Animal is trained to assist with specific activities and/or sense physical or psychological distress for a person with a disability.

An Emotional Support Animal is a living accommodation for a psychological condition as prescribed by a health professional. Please complete an accommodation application to start the process and provide supporting documentation from your health professional at ada@soadonefnet.com. Details of the approval process can also be obtained through the Residential Life Main office 660.562.1214, or through your Resident Director. Unapproved pets or animals are not allowed in any of the residential life facilities due to concerns for the health, safety and sanitation of both the residents of our facilities and the animal itself. In accordance with this practice, any unapproved pet or animal must be removed with 48 hours. Residents not in compliance with these standards will be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to, monetary fines.

With an Emotional Support Animal, there are expectations of cleanliness and any impact on the community in regards to noise, cleanliness, and general animal management. Accommodation approval for an Emotional Support Animal may be rescinded if the animal is not cared-for, if the animal causes damage to a residence, or if the animal has a negative impact on the community.

Policy Changes

In order to change a current policy, a proposal must be submitted in a written form to RHA. A proposal must clearly state the change and explain in detail why the current policy needs to be changed. There should also be several options listed in the proposal. The proposal will be considered based on survey results conducted by RHA, need and cost.

A policy change is not always an easy thing to do; not only does Residential Life need to approve it, but it may also require the approval of the Vice President of Student Affairs, the University President, and then the Board of Regents. It should be known that generally a policy change will take a year to take effect, as it needs to be implemented in the Residential Life Handbook for the following year.  In the event of a mid-year policy update, students will be notified.

Quiet/Courtesy Hours

Quiet hours are maintained to help provide an atmosphere that is conducive to good scholarship and to promote an environment where individuals can learn from the experience of group living. The enforcement of quiet hours is the responsibility of each resident, with assistance from Residential Life staff as needed.  Quiets hours are:

  • Sunday - Thursday: 10PM - 9AM.
  • Friday & Saturday: Midnight - 9AM.

Courtesy hours are in effect throughout the residence halls 24 hours a day. Therefore, noise (i.e., stereos, radio, TVs, musical instruments and voices) must be maintained at levels that will not interfere with the study or sleep of other residents. If you encounter excessive noise, first request that the noise be minimized, if the noise persist, contact your RA or the staff member on duty.

To help promote an intense study period, there will be 23-hour quiet hours in effect during final exams for the entire residential life system. One hour each day may be designated by the individual hall as a "Relief Hour," with final approval by the Hall Director.

Recycling

Northwest Missouri State University is committed to recycling.  All University housing, offices, and public areas are expected to participate. The University community has worked together to promote environmental awareness and there are opportunities for students who share this commitment to serve in leadership positions within the halls to assist students in learning and complying with the program. Receptacles are provided in the main lobbies and near the dumpsters.

Rooftops

Students are not allowed on the roof of any residence hall because of safety and building regulations. 

Scooters

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Solicitation Policy

Door to door solicitation of commercial products or services or recruitment activities within the residence halls and apartments is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, solicitation/sales/recruitment within resident rooms/apartments, common areas (such as floor lounges and lobbies), and entry areas (inside and outside) of the halls.

If the vendor is sponsored by an officially recognized campus organization (Student Senate, Spotlight, ISO, etc.), or a not-for-profit organization approval for a booth or display area may be made by contacting the Residential Life at 660.562.1214. Approval for such projects must be made through this office prior to the event, and all posters/signs advertising the event are subject to the same approval and posting guidelines outlined above. Also refer to University Solicitation policy in your Student Handbook. 

Signs, Pictures & Posters

Residential Life reserves the right to require any display, decoration, image or writing visible from outside the student’s room be removed. Specifically this applies to windows and doors.

Decorations, policy signs, and other postings created or displayed by hall staff in public areas are to remain in public areas. Removing, tampering, damaging, or taking any of these items is a violation of this policy.

Storage

Storage space is not provided outside of the residential unit. Items stored in public locations will be removed and discarded.

No university provided furniture may be removed from the residential unit or stored elsewhere.

Student Conduct

Each resident in the residence halls and apartments is expected to exercise self-discipline and to respect the rights of other residents. Each resident must realize that in a group-living experience, certain rules and policies should be observed by all in order to maintain a safe and educational environment. Each residence hall has the power to institute regulations, according to parameters specifically related to the goals of the Office of Residential Life, as long as these rules do not conflict with the rules of the University.

Those individuals in violation or in the presence of a violation of the policies established by the residence halls, University, or State and/or Federal government will be handled in accordance to the University judicial system. (See the Northwest Missouri State University Student Handbook.) Terms and conditions of the Student Handbook are incorporated herein by reference. Common sense should be used by each resident. Questions concerning appropriate and inappropriate behavior should be addressed to the residence hall staff.