Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide necessary information to hall residents on basic housekeeping and maintenance issues for each residence hall.
Scope
This policy applies to all Day Campus students residing in a residence hall at Columbia College.
Policy
A trained staff of custodians and maintenance personnel are employed by the college to maintain and clean the residence halls for the student’s convenience and comfort. However, no amount of cleaning will be adequate unless students do their part to keep the hall livable. Student cooperation in support of the facility is greatly appreciated. Requests for maintenance should be submitted to the Resident Assistant, Head Resident, and/or the Area Coordinator.
The hall custodians clean the lounges, hallways, stairwells, bathrooms and other public areas of a residence hall. Students are responsible for cleaning their room. Students must do their part to keep the building neat and clean. Charges will be assessed to students for excessive trash in lounges and floor sections, common area damage.
Cleaning Supplies
Vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners and brooms are available in each hall for check-out. Contact a staff member during duty hours to use these items. Students are responsible for these items when they check out the items. These items must be returned immediately upon completion of use or within 24 hours. Students are required to keep their floors clean at all times. At minimum, Residential Life Staff will be checking that floors are cleaned prior to hall closings for scheduled breaks. Any carpet squares needing to be replaced due to damage will be done at the expense of the student(s) occupying that room.
Work Orders
Work orders for general issues in residence hall room can be sent using the “Res Life Work Order” form. Refer to signs posted in the residence halls for further information. Examples of issues that can be submitted through this form: light bulbs, closet doors off track, sticking dresser drawers, etc. Be as thorough as possible to expedite the process. If these issues are not fixed within 48 hours, students should contact their Area Coordinator.
For any emergency situations (water, electrical issues, no heat in winter, etc.) students should immediately contact the Resident Assistant or the staff member on call.
Damages
Damages, intentional or unintentional, that occur during the school year will be the responsibility of the residents of the room/suite. Residents are responsible for damages to college property that may be caused by them or by their guests.
In the event of damages to a common area, including but not limited to furniture, fixtures, doors, walls and windows, Residential Life reserves the right to assess all residents for reasonable damage charges if the responsible person(s) cannot be identified.
Cougar Village Kitchens and Bathrooms
All Cougar Village apartments are equipped with a refrigerator, stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher, and garbage disposal. Apartment residents are responsible for the upkeep of their kitchen and bathroom areas and must abide by the following policies:
- Dishwasher – Use only dishwasher detergent, do not use regular dish soap.
- Garbage Disposal - This is not a trash can and the small amount of food leftover from washing dishes should be the only thing ever to enter the garbage disposal. If maintenance removes items from the drain that a student could have prevented based on the previous guidelines, disciplinary action will be taken and may include a plumbing fee.
- Trash - It is the student’s responsibility to remove trash from the apartments and into the dumpster. Remove all apartment trash regularly! Do not let trash sit in the apartment and overflow as this is a health hazard and attracts insects. Please keep apartments clean at all times. The Resident Assistant in Apartment 101 has a vacuum cleaner that can be checked out for use in Cougar Village.
- Toilets - Students are responsible for plunging their own toilets when they get clogged. Maintenance is available to teach residents how this is done only once. Residential Life staff should be alerted if the problem persists and maintenance will be notified. If foreign objects not originally intended to be flushed are found, disciplinary action will be taken and may include a plumbing fee.