Policies and Procedures

Our Policies and Procedures are outlined in our Residents' Handbook.  Click here to view a PDF version of the handbook.

Community Creed (back to top of page)

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is a community of scholars dedicated to personal and academic excellence and growth.

In joining this learning community, I commit to a code of civilized behavior.

I will practice personal and academic integrity;

I will respect the dignity of all persons, including myself;

I will respect the rights of others;

I will not condone bigotry;

I will strive for the openness to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions;

I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for conditions which support their work and development.

Allegiance to these ideals requires me to refrain from behaviors which threaten the freedom and respect every individual deserves.

Furnishings (back to top of page)

Each residence hall room is furnished with beds, desks, chairs, chest of drawers, blinds, MicroFridges ®, and closet space. Residents furnish their own linens and other personal items. It is the responsibility of the students to maintain their living areas. Students are accountable for all University property in their rooms. Upon assuming occupancy of a room, residents must complete a Room Condition Report detailing the state of the room and its furnishings. Be very attentive to the items listed and thorough in your inspection. Damages or missing items noted at the end of your occupancy that are not listed on the Room Condition Report will be billed to your student account. Room furniture may not be removed from its original residence hall room without the permission of the Director of Housing Operations. Room furniture should never be left in study areas or halls, and furniture from common areas should never be taken to individual rooms.

We encourage you to personalize your room in a way that makes it your home; however, there are some modifications we cannot allow because of fire codes and other regulations. You will be charged for the following changes to your room:

• removal of door closures,

• disassembly of furniture,

• removal of closet doors,

• hanging anything from sprinkler heads, lights, or doorways (such as fabric, beads or strings of electric lights)

• defacing furniture.

Students may not paint hallways or rooms. A charge will be assessed and the room restored to the proper condition upon initial notification of a policy violation.

Decorations  (back to top of page)

While there is the opportunity for students to express individuality in decorating their rooms, the following guidelines are to be followed in the interest of preventing fires and protecting the facilities, residents and their possessions.  

1. The use of candles and incense are extremely dangerous and is therefore prohibited. One of the primary causes of residence hall fires is the burning of candles or incense. This prohibition also applies to the use or possession of hookah pipes.

2. Highly flammable materials, such as hay, straw, Spanish moss, cloth ceiling coverings, etc., are also prohibited.

3. No items may be attached to, hanging from, wrapped around or obstructing light fixtures, doorways or sprinkler heads. Strings of electric lights and tube lights are also prohibited.

4. You are responsible and will be billed for any decorations which stain, alter or otherwise damage your room. This includes nail holes, tape marks and stickers on walls, ceilings, floors and doors.

5. Students may not paint rooms, hallways, bathrooms, or any part of residence hall areas.

Liability and Renter's Insurance  (back to top of page)

The University does not assume liability for the loss, damage, or theft of personal property, or damages resulting from negligence of occupants of the building. Residents wishing to protect themselves from the possibility of such losses should cover their belongings with the appropriate insurance. It is to the student’s advantage to contact his or her insurance company and obtain renter’s insurance. In some cases, students may find they are covered under the terms of an existing homeowner’s policy by their parents.

Special Living Units (back to top of page)

Residential Education and Housing Operations are committed to providing a residence hall environment that responds to the varied needs and interests of the students and the university. Several living options have been provided for the current school year and others are being planned for the future.

Quiet Floors

Certain floors in Founders, Mills, South Ridge, West Ridge and Governors Hall have been designated quiet floors to provide students with the environment they need for academic achievement. Other quiet halls may be assigned as needed. Quiet hours are observed at all times on these floors with the exception of Monday through Thursday from 4–7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from noon-midnight. These quiet hours are strictly enforced. Courtesy hours are 24 hours per day (see Noise Policy). Students who do not request a specific room, may be assigned to a quiet floor space. Only Residential Education or Housing Operations staffs have the authority to designate halls as quiet and non-quiet.

Single-Sex/Co-ed Housing

Founders, Mills, South Ridge, West Ridge and Governors Hall offer a choice of living on a single-sex or co-ed floor. Governors Village offers single-sex buildings. A room or suite can only be occupied by the same sex. No cohabitation is allowed in the residence halls. Currently, we are unable to offer married-student housing.

Wellness Community

South Ridge offers convenient, comfortable accommodations in a wellness environment. This means that students choose to refrain from the use of any substances such as tobacco products and alcoholic beverages anywhere in these areas, including their own rooms. This is not a room-to-room option. All residence halls are smoke-free except for designated floors in Founders, Mills and Governors Village.

Laundry/Vending   (back to top of page)

Washers, dryers and snack machines are available for resident students in all residence halls. Refunds for malfunctioning laundry machines are available at the Founders Hall Housing Operations Office, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the event of a vending machine malfunction, contact the Bookstore for a refund. There are change machines available in Governors Village (Vance Lobby), Founders, Mills and West Ridge. In the event of a change machine malfunction, please contact resmaint@unca.edu  as soon as possible.

Disability Services   (back to top of page)

It is the policy of UNC Asheville that no qualified person may be discriminated against on the basis of her or his disability.  Consistent with Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, UNC Asheville provides accommodations which work toward ensuring equal access for students with disabilities. Campus architectural and program barriers have been steadily removed since 1973. If a student still encounters a problem, he or she should contact the Office of Advising and Learning Support. Scott, Mills, Founders, West Ridge, South Ridge and Governors Hall have been equipped to accommodate students with mobility impairments. Accessible parking spaces throughout the campus are designated “blue zones.” The following buildings have elevators: Lipinsky, Owen, Carmichael, Karpen, New Hall, Rhoades, Robinson, Zageir, Ramsey Library, the Dining Hall, and also Mills, West Ridge, South Ridge, Founders and Governors Hall.

Contact the Office of Advising and Learning Support at 232-5050 for information about accommodations for students with disabilities.

Elevators   (back to top of page)

The elevators are the primary source of transportation in some buildings. Treat this equipment with respect and care. Damage to elevators may be billed to all residents as common-area damage if responsible parties are not identified. Misuse of elevator emergency apparatus is prohibited.

Staff reserve the right to disable elevators in the residence halls for any period of time other than check-in and check-out.

Computer Labs    (back to top of page)

Computer labs are located in Founders, West Ridge and South Ridge, Mills and Governors Hall. Computer labs are available 24 hours a day for use by resident students only.

Food and drink are not allowed in the labs. Students found in constant violation of this policy may force labs to be closed for periods of time. Lab hours may be restricted based on treatment of labs and equipment. Students must supply their own paper for lab printers.

ResNet Services  (back to top of page)

The University of North Carolina at Asheville provides residents with fast, free Internet connections. We feel that using the Internet is an important part of each student’s education, and all students are encouraged to take advantage of the free Internet connections in their rooms. This service is a cooperative effort provided by the Office of Residential Education and UNC Asheville Information Technology Services (ITS). Beyond the acceptable-use policies for ResNet stated below, all students are reminded that they are also expected to adhere to the acceptable-use policies set by ITS. These policies can be found online at: http://www.unca.edu/compcenter/policies

Terms of Acceptable Use

In general, we have two overriding rules for using the network:

1.        Your activities must be legal.

• No hacking. If you are not authorized to access a computer, do not attempt to do so. In some cases, hacking is a federal offense and will not be tolerated at UNC Asheville. Hacking is not limited to computers to which you gain full access; it also includes unsuccessful attempts to gain control.

• All copyright laws must be obeyed. No uploading or downloading of copyright-protected files that you do not own or have permission to use. A few file formats that sometimes contain questionable material include .mov, .mp3 and .avi.

• The UNC Asheville ResNet network cannot be used for commercial or business activities. Servers providing external services or bandwidth-intensive services are prohibited.

• No domain names are permitted to be run from computers residing on or connected through the campus.

• No viruses, trojans or remotely controlled programs are permitted unless you have received authorization by the administrator, owner or designated representative of every computer you wish to access.

• Adhere to all federal, state and local laws. Some of these laws can be viewed online at http://www.unca.edu/resnet/netlaw.html

2.        You must not cause the network to be congested or become unavailable to other students.

• The only authorized wireless access points are those provided and managed by UNC Asheville ITS. Currently there are no ITS wireless access points supporting the ResNet environment. Rogue (unauthorized) wireless access points and routers are subject to disconnection by ITS staff.

• Use caution when running Napster, Imesh or IRC-related programs. These programs can consume an enormous amount of bandwidth due to the large file sizes associated with audio and video files.

Free Personal Computer Support

The ResNet Service Center is staffed by Information Technology Services employees who provide complimentary support services for resident students. The staff helps students keep their computers virus and spyware/adware free. Students may drop off their machines for service at the ResNet Service Center, 120 Lipinsky Hall, Monday–Friday, 1–5 p.m. If your computer is running slow or you suspect a virus, come by the ResNet Service Center or call the ITS HelpDesk at 251-6445 to request that someone contact you to make an appointment with the ResNet Service Center..

To learn more about ResNet services or to request help online, go to http://www.unca.edu/resnet or contact Information Technology Services at 232-5142.

Parking  (back to top of page)

All vehicles parked on campus must display a valid UNC Asheville parking decal or permit. Parking is managed strictly, yet with an understanding of circumstances.  Students may park a vehicle on campus only if it is properly registered with Campus Police and properly displays a valid UNC Asheville parking decal or permit.  Permits should be hung from the rearview mirror or placed on the dashboard of the vehicle so that all information is clearly visible. Resident students must park in lots designated as “Residential Student Parking” or in lots designated for overflow parking at all times, including evenings, weekends and holidays. Handicapped parking spaces are for the disabled only. Parking in these areas, even for loading or unloading is prohibited. A copy of the UNC Asheville Traffic and Parking Regulations is available from the Campus Police office in Vance Hall. Traffic and parking regulations are enforced 365 days a year.

Have other transportation questions?  Go to the transportation site at:  http://www.unca.edu/transportation/

Storage  (back to top of page)

The University does not have facilities to store student property. Please make necessary arrangements to remove all your belongings when you move out of campus housing. Personal property must not be left in rooms over the summer. A listing of local storage facilities is available in the office.

Kitchens  (back to top of page)

There are full-service kitchens in South Ridge, West Ridge, Mills Hall, and Governors Hall available for resident students to use. Students provide their own dishes, supplies, and utensils.  Kitchens can have limitations applied to them due to misuse or sanitation issues.

Resident's "Bill of Rights"  (back to top of page)

When living in a community environment, each UNC Asheville resident possesses certain individual rights and responsibilities which must be held in high regard. The following “Bill of Rights” is intended to define the minimum a resident student can expect.

Primary Rights

Primary rights of the resident include:

• The right to read and study free from undue interference in one’s room. One of the basic purposes of the University is the dissemination and application of knowledge. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of this right.

• The right to sleep, the right to one’s personal belongings, the right to free access to one’s room and suite facilities during the period that the residence halls are open, and the right to a clean environment in which to live.

• Optimum physical conditions are essential, as they support, reinforce and provide positive conditions in which to learn and live.

• The right to redress of grievances: If the academic and residence hall communities are to function in the most educationally profitable manner, the right to initiate actions and referrals for impartial and fair adjudication of grievances is held paramount. In exercising this right, the student further holds the right to be free from fear or intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm, and without the imposition of sanctions apart from the due process.

Subordinate Rights

Subordinate rights of the resident are those which should be protected, unless they infringe on the reasonable exercise of the primary rights defined above. These subordinate rights include:

• The right to personal privacy: All persons should have freedom from interference with their personal activities, and should be able to maintain privacy for non-academic reasons.

• The privilege to host guests: All students should have the opportunity to maintain personal contacts and friendships with others to fulfill their needs for socialization. Guests are to respect the above-stated rights of the host’s roommates and of other residents. Overnight guests must be registered with the Office of Residential Education.

A resident’s housing contract is renewable each year, at the discretion of the Office of Residential Education. Staff reserve the right to refuse housing to any resident who becomes delinquent in housing payments or who has demonstrated an unwillingness or continual inability to abide by community rules, regulations and policies within the residence hall system.

Note: In order to honor roommate requests for first-year students, the requests must be mutual and in writing (on the housing application, the roommate questionnaire or a note to the office) from both students. We will attempt to honor requests received by May 15.

Occupancy   (back to top of page)

For the purposes of this policy, occupancy begins when the student accepts his or her room key and terminates when he/she turns in the key according to proper check-out or room change procedures. During occupancy, the student accepts responsibility for the assigned room. For this reason, it is important that the necessary procedures be adhered to in effecting any changes. It is understood by the resident and the university that he or she shall use the assigned room or apartment for no other purpose than as living quarters for himself/ herself.

Check-in/Check-out

Residents must check in prior to moving into their rooms. At this time they will receive their room keys and Room Condition Reports. A Room Condition Report will be filled out by each resident during check-in. Residents will be held responsible at check-out for all damages not listed on the Room Condition Report.

Note: If a resident has not checked in by 12 noon of the first day of any semester’s classes and has not notified the office, the room assignment may be cancelled.

Students will be required to check out of their rooms at the end of the year and/or at any time they vacate the room (i.e., room change or withdrawal). Failure to check out will result in an improper check-out fee in addition to any charges for damage or failure to return keys. Students who are entitled to a refund of all or part of their housing deposit will have that amount credited to their student accounts. If there are outstanding charges on a student’s account, the Business Office will apply the credit toward those charges. A check for the balance will be issued and mailed to the student’s permanent address in four to six weeks.

Room Changes

1. Freeze Period: Room changes will not be permitted until two weeks after the check-in period unless they facilitate room assignments, which will be determined by the appropriate housing staff. The purpose of this freeze period is (1) to allow time to locate unexpected vacancies so that students on the waiting list may be notified that housing is available, and (2) to provide a period in which the residence hall population may stabilize.

2. Change Period: Students will be notified when the freeze period is over and when room changes can be requested. At this time, two days will be set aside for students to move if they have obtained approval. Room changes will not routinely be approved after this time. Unauthorized room changes will result in a fee to each resident involved, and those residents may be required to return to their original room  assignments.

Vacating the Residence Halls

All students are required to leave the residence halls during each break period (except fall break) and at the end of each semester within 24 hours after their last examination, or no later than the day after all university exams are completed. For specific times and dates, please see the closing schedule publicized each semester. Exceptions to this policy will be made only under extreme circumstances and must be approved by the Dean of Students.

Enrollment Status   (back to top of page)

In order to live in University housing, a student must be enrolled as a full-time student (12 credit hours or more) during each semester. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Dean of Students. Any student intending to drop below 12 credit hours must meet with the Dean of Students, who will review the circumstances and outline the risks and consequences of taking this action.

Residential Students with 9 to 11 Credit Hours

Residential students who request to drop to 9 to 11 credit hours or are not performing satisfactorily in 9 to 11 credit hours are required to meet with the Dean of Students to explain the reason(s) for failure to maintain full-time active enrollment and to determine the need for on and/or off-campus support services. Based on review of the appropriate documentation and the outcome of the meeting, at the Dean of Students’ discretion (may involve consultation with other professional staff and administrators) a residential student may be asked to leave the residence halls or allowed to complete a 9 to 11 Hour Agreement for special circumstances. The 9 to 11 Hour Agreement may be found here (PDF document).

Residential Students with Less Than 9 Credit Hours

Residential students who drop below 9 credit hours or are not performing satisfactorily in at least 9 hours of course work are not allowed to remain in the residence halls. The Dean of Students, upon review of the daily report and/or other appropriate documentation, will immediately notify Residential Education staff of any student who has dropped below 9 hours or has reason to believe the student is not performing satisfactorily in at least 9 hours of course work. Staff will notify the student immediately to begin making preparations to move out of the residence halls. Upon notification by the staff, the student will have 48 hours (including weekend days) to make arrangements for off-campus housing and remove his or her belongings from the residence hall.

Room Selection   (back to top of page)

Room sign-up and assignments for the following year occur each spring for currently enrolled students. Requests for a special building, room and/or roommate will be honored whenever possible for those students who follow the proper room sign-up procedure, but cannot be guaranteed for all housing assignments. The room selection process is published and distributed beforehand to all residents.

Students will reserve a room for the next academic year by returning a room request form before the room reservation deadline. Cancellation of a room reservation at any time after the form is submitted will automatically generate a room reservation cancellation charge of $500 to the student’s account. This $500 is non-negotiable, so students should consider their plans carefully before reserving a room.

Students who do not request a room assignment during the spring room sign-up will automatically receive a credit for their housing deposits posted to their student accounts after check-out, and their housing contracts will be cancelled at the end of spring semester.

Voluntary and Involuntary Withdrawal from the Residence Halls   (back to top of page)

When a student withdraws from the residence halls, he or she must first cancel his or her housing contract in writing. A residence hall withdrawal request will only be approved if the student has also withdrawn from classes. Withdrawing from the residence halls during the semester will result in a forfeiture of the student’s housing deposit. If you withdraw from all classes, you must check out of the residence hall within 24 hours. Non-enrolled students and students who are enrolled but are not attending classes will be removed from the residence halls. A room and meal plan refund will be assessed using a refund percentage based on the date of withdrawal.

The University reserves the right to suspend a student’s housing contract, temporarily or permanently, if the university determines the student is a threat to self or others or is a detrimental disruption to the residence hall community. A student may be denied on-campus housing or have on-campus housing immediately suspended if the university determines that, to be assured of the student’s safety or well-being, the student may require more care or supervision than the university can provide in a residence hall environment.

As a general rule, no refunds will be given to students whose housing contracts are cancelled due to disciplinary reasons; however, exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Dean of Students.

Room Damages/Maintenance   (back to top of page)

• Residents are responsible for cleaning their own rooms. When a room is vacated, the residents are responsible for returning the room and its contents to the original condition. Failure to clean satisfactorily will result in a charge to the occupants of the room.

• When a student checks into an assigned room, he or she accepts responsibility for its condition and fills out the inventory on the Room Condition Report, which becomes a record for the condition of the room when he or she assumed occupancy. This record is compared to the condition of the room at check-out. To protect yourself, be sure your Room Condition Report is carefully and accurately -completed.  If the room or its furnishings, including the doors and windows, are damaged, the costs will be billed equally to all occupants of the room unless those individuals responsible are identified.  For example, tape marks, stickers, glue, toothpaste, self-adhesive plastic hooks, nails and screws on varnished or painted surfaces are considered damages.  The occupants of a room will be charged for any restorative services (e.g., tape removal, wall washing and/or painting, surface refinishing on room doors, desk and dresser tops, etc.).

• Charges may be assessed depending on the severity of the damage and posted to the student’s account.

Consolidation   (back to top of page)

After the beginning of each semester, the staff will contact those students who are in double occupancy rooms without roommates (due to cancellation or withdrawals). Students may choose one of the following options:

1. If space allows, keep the room as a single by paying a single room rate.

2. Consolidate with another resident who is also without a roommate. With this option, the individuals involved decide who moves.

3. Change rooms with a resident who currently holds double occupancy but is willing to pay the single rate.

4. Stay in the current room and expect a roommate to be assigned during the semester.

Residential Education staff reserve the right to charge a pro-rated room fee if the resident(s) of a room refuse to accommodate a student who is approved to move in. This charge will be assessed to the remaining resident(s).

Common Areas   (back to top of page)

Common areas (lounges, corridors, recreation areas, etc.) are for the use of everyone in the hall. No individual or group should engage in an activity which inhibits the use of these common areas by other residents unless approved in advance by a Community Director or office staff.

Lounge furniture provided in common areas may not be removed from the area for which it was provided. This furniture is there for the comfort of all residents. If lounge furniture or any displaced university property is found in individual students’ rooms, the occupants can be charged the cost of returning the items. This misappropriation fee may be followed by disciplinary action.

When damages occur in the common areas of the floor or building, where individual responsibility is difficult to determine, students and staff will work together to determine the most probable source of responsibility. Depending on the circumstances, the University may collectively assess groups, suites or entire floors on a prorated basis for common area damage.

Golden Rule for improving your environment: hold others accountable! Don’t be afraid to confront your neighbors and others who hold little respect for your surroundings. If you are uncomfortable with confrontation, let your RA know so he or she can help.

Closing Information   (back to top of page)

Housing Deposit Refunds

You may qualify for a refund of your housing deposit at the end of spring semester if you did not sign up for a room for the upcoming year and follow the check-out procedures listed below. Your housing deposit refund will be credited to your student account and applied toward any outstanding charges. The Business Office will issue a check for the balance, and it will be mailed to your permanent address four to six weeks after the end of the semester.

Leaving the Residence Halls

You must leave the residence halls within 24 hours after your last scheduled exam. Your RA will contact you to find out the time of your last exam. If you need to stay longer, you must make special arrangements in advance with the Dean of Students or the Administrative Assistant.

Forwarding Mail

Your first-class mail will be forwarded to the permanent address you have listed with the Registrar’s Office (unless you are a UNC Asheville summer resident student). If you want your mail forwarded to a different address, it is your responsibility to notify Student Mail Services before you leave for the summer or if you leave campus housing permanently.

Check-Out Procedures

• Your room should be empty of all your belongings and trash before you check out.

• You are responsible for taking down all posters, stickers, and other wall hangings; removing all personal rugs and carpet; cleaning all surfaces; unstacking all beds (bunk beds may remain bunked) and returning furniture to its original position; clearing all personal items from the bathrooms; sweeping rooms and bathrooms; removing all posters and memo boards from the doors.

• For your protection, Room Condition Reports should be filled out completely. Each RCR should be signed and dated by you and your RA. Each category on the RCR should have some comment.

• For those students who do not check out: “IMPROPER CHECK-OUT” is written in place of your signature. There is a charge for improper check-out and an additional charge for failure to return any key.

• Any damages should be settled between residents of the room. If no one takes responsibility, all residents will split the charge(s).

• Please report any maintenance or repairs that need to be done so rooms can be prepared for the next occupants.

• Express check-out forms are provided for your convenience.

Parental Notification Policy   (back to top of page)

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) that was amended in December 1999, it is now permissible for institutions of higher education to notify parents of underage students (under 21) when those students are found responsible for alcohol and other drug-related incidents.

For students who are 21 or over, parents will not be routinely notified of alcohol or drug violations. However, parents/guardians will be contacted if a student is determined to be, or to have been at the time of the incident, a danger to himself/herself, others or property. Parents/Guardians of these students may also be contacted if any incident requires the student to receive emergency assistance or to be transported to the hospital.

Any changes to this policy or individual exceptions to this policy may be made by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or his/her designee.

Smoking Policy   (back to top of page)

Residence halls are smoke-free, except for designated floors in Founders, Mills and Governors Village. In accordance with the University Smoking Policy, no smoking is allowed in any public areas of the residence halls. This includes hallways, elevators, all bathrooms (public and private), lounges, meeting rooms, patios, computer labs, laundry rooms, vending areas and offices. Within designated smokers’ rooms or suites, a student is permitted to smoke only in his or her room.