Housing Policies

Any student’s personal property remaining in a residence hall room or residence hall space past the final day and time of the Contract or past the date the Office of Housing & Residential Life has confirmed a student is no longer in occupancy of a residence hall room will be deemed abandoned property. All abandoned items will be removed at the student’s expense and will be sold, destroyed, discarded, maintained for use by the University, or donated to an appropriate charitable organization, depending upon the items and their value.

Only Notre Dame of Maryland University-affiliated offices and registered student organizations may advertise within the residence halls, and all advertising must adhere to the university’s policies and hung with blue tape.

See section 12 of the Notre Dame of Maryland University’s Handbook: “Students over the age of 21 may consume alcohol in their residence hall rooms, but not in public areas of the University, including, but not limited to, hallways, lounges, bathrooms and common areas. In the residence halls, those who are 21 years of age or older may not consume alcohol in the presence of anyone under the age of 21.”

As stated in the Notre Dame of Maryland student handbook Section 11.3: Amnesty Policy Student health and safety are of primary concern at the University. As such, in cases of significant intoxication as a result of alcohol or other substances, the University encourages individuals to seek medical assistance for themselves or others. If medical assistance is sought, the University will not pursue conduct charges against the following individuals for violations of the University’s Alcohol or Drug policy:

• The intoxicated student, and
• Student(s) actively assisting the intoxicated student.

Actively assisting requires that an individual contacts Public Safety or another individual qualified to assess the student’s condition, such as a Residence Life professional or emergency medical services (911) to assess the intoxicated student’s condition.

The following are not covered by the Medical Amnesty Policy:

• Students waiting until the police or other authority arrive before seeking assistance
• Action by police or other law enforcement personnel
• Violations of the Code of Conduct other than the alcohol & drug policy
• Possession with the intent to distribute drugs

Actions by the Office of Community Standards:

• The intoxicated student (and possibly those attending to/assisting the student) will be required to meet with a staff member in the Office of Community Standards who may issue educational requirements that may include, but are not limited to, alcohol/drug education, counseling, and/or substance abuse assessment.
• Serious or repeated incidents will prompt a higher degree of concern/response.
• Failure to complete the education assignments or treatment recommendations will result in disciplinary action.
• The student will be responsible for any costs associated with drug or alcohol education interventions

For reasons of safety, humaneness, and group hygiene, the only pets permitted in the residence halls are fish in aquariums of 10 gallons or less. All roommates must agree to allow the aforementioned pets in their room/suite.The university reserves the right to limit the type and number of fish permitted.

Notre Dame of Maryland University accommodates students who are approved to host emotional support and service animals in the residence halls. Prior to hosting an emotional support or service animal in the residence halls, students must receive written approval from the Office of Accessibility. More information about hosting an emotional support or service animal in the residence halls can be found on the Office of Accessibility webpage.

Communal bathrooms are labeled according to their designated use. Individuals are expected to use the bathroom facility that aligns most closely with their gender identity. All students and their guests are expected to respect the rights of individuals to access and use communal bathroom facilities in a way that affirms their identity.

Students are also expected to maintain communal bathroom facilities in a manner that supports a safe and sanitary living environment for all members of the residence hall community. This includes removing personal belongings after use, properly disposing of trash, and leaving facilities clean for others.

Students assigned to a suite with a private, room-specific bathroom are responsible for the upkeep and cleanliness of the bathroom within their assigned suite.

Bicycles may not be parked in stairwells, breezeways, hallways, or other public areas inside of any campus building, per Baltimore City Fire Code Regulations. Notre Dame of Maryland University is not responsible for lost or stolen bicycles.

Students have the right to sleep and study in their rooms at any time without interference from those around them. Residents are expected to demonstrate courtesy and consideration toward others at all times and, if asked to respect this, are expected to comply immediately. Individuals who disregard requests to respect courtesy or quiet hours shall be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students.

During quiet hours, sound must not be audible beyond the limits of any individual room. During periods of student occupancy, quiet hours shall be in effect in all of the residence halls during the following times:

• Sunday through Thursday – 10:00 pm until 10:00 am
• Friday and Saturday – 12:00 am until 10:00 am

During the Final Experience/Exam period of each semester, quiet hours will be in effect at all times through the final day of the Final Experience/Exam period.

In accordance with the Student Handbook Section 2, Students are prohibited from knowingly or negligently causing or attempting to cause a fire on University Premises.

Students must evacuate when a fire alarm sounds. Failure to comply or causing a false alarm may result in fines, removal from housing, and misdemeanor charges.

Subject to NDMU policy, and federal, state, local laws and regulations, Student may generally have visitors in Student’s assigned room.  Student is responsible for the visitors and the conduct of the visitors.  The visitors must comply with all NDMU policies and federal, state and local laws and regulations.  Visitors in violation of law may be subject to arrest or, in case the visitor is another student, administrative and/or disciplinary action.  In addition, students may be required to vacate the room, residential facility, or campus and may be barred from re-entry at the discretion of NDMU.  Visitors must not interfere with sleep or study by roommates, suitemates, and neighbors and must be considerate of the rights and feelings of others, including respecting the privacy of roommates and suitemates.  Private and/or intimate behavior may make others uncomfortable and is not acceptable in group living situations.

Residents are required to submit proof of immunizations and obtain health insurance before moving into the residence halls. Follow the links below for more information.

HEALTH INSURANCE

IMMUNIZATIONS

Laundry rooms with washing and drying machines are provided in each residence hall. Laundry rooms are available for use by all students assigned to the residence hall, and students are permitted to use such spaces and the resources provided in a manner that allows all residents assigned to the residence hall to use the provided resources appropriately.

Students are responsible for their personal property while using laundry rooms and shall remove any personal property from washing and drying machines promptly. Any items left unattended overnight in a laundry room shall be considered abandoned property.

Individuals shall not remove items from a laundry room or other common space within the residence halls that are not their personal property. NDMU is not responsible for any personal items removed from a laundry room without a student’s knowledge or consent.

Items left on laundry room folding tables will be discarded weekly on Sundays.

Students may access their assigned residence hall using their university-issued ID Swipe. ID Swipe access to residence hall facilities is maintained by the Informational Technology Department in collaboration with the Office of Housing & Residence Life. The issued ID Card may not be transferred or loaned to another individual and may not be duplicated.

Prohibited Items

Included but not limited to: ​

• Illegal drugs, marijuana, and drug-related paraphernalia (e.g. bong, pipe, hookah)
• Beer pong tables, funnels and tubing, common source containers (e.g. kegs), and other alcohol paraphernalia
• Firearms, fireworks, explosives, weapons
• Hot plates
• Appliances with exposed heat elements like toasters, grills, slow cookers, rice cookers, air fryers, etc.
• Halogen lamps or medusa lamps
• Electric Blankets
• Personal routers
• Hover boards
• Microwaves greater than 1100w
• Grills
• Space heaters
• Cinder blocks
• Incense, candles, oil-lamps (lit or unlit)
• Wall mounted televisions
• Refrigerators greater than 118 volts, 60 Hz, and do not draw more than 1.5 amps or 180 watts
• Dangerous chemicals
• Non-University supplied lofts
• Bed risers
• Portable air conditioners or non-University issued window air conditioning units
• Personal mattress
• Weapons and items that mimic weapons (nerf guns)
• Pets* (other than small, non-carnivorous fish)

*Contact our Director of Accessibility & Inclusion to inquire about emotional support animals and/or service animals.

The university is not responsible for the loss of or damage to students’ personal property.

Students are urged to:

• Purchase surge protectors to guard against occasional electrical surges.
• Record the serial numbers of valuable personal items.
• Secure appropriate insurance.

As a precaution, students are also encouraged to take valuable belongings home during breaks. Residents are urged to confirm existing coverage under the homeowner’s policy of their parents or guardians and, if not covered, to secure individual property insurance.

NDMU and members of its staff, particularly public safety, facilities, housekeeping and residence life representatives reserve the right to enter any assigned room without prior notice in the event of a possible danger to the health, safety, and/or welfare of Student or the NDMU campus or community or to complete necessary maintenance.  Entry will be permitted without notice if there are any threats made on social media websites and applications.

In accordance with a student’s Housing Contract, any changes to a student’s residence hall room assignment must be approved by the Office of Housing & Residence Life. Any student who takes occupancy of a residence hall room other than their assigned residence hall room without the approval of the Office of Housing & Residence Life may be subject to a $150 improper room fee, may be required to vacate the residence hall room that the student has occupied, and may be expected to take occupancy of the student’s assigned residence hall room.

Students are encouraged to decorate their assigned residence hall room in a manner that creates a safe and comfortable environment. Students are also responsible for decorating their residence hall room in a manner that maintains the safety and security of residence hall spaces, does not cause any damage to the residence halls, and ensures the functionality of residence hall property and utilities. As a result, students should be aware of the following when decorating their residence hall room:

• No decorations or other items may be hung from the ceiling because they may interfere with the room’s smoke alarm system.
• No decorations or other items may be hung from the room’s sprinkler head, including a hanger, clothing, or decorations. Doing so could activate the sprinkler and cause flooding.
• Electrical wiring must not be disturbed, including wiring leading to fire safety equipment. Installation or alteration of electrical equipment is to be done only by Facilities Management Services personnel or university-approved contractors.
• All electrical lighting fixtures must be UL approved.

Within one week of having moved into their assigned residence hall room, students will have the opportunity to update the room’s Room Condition Report (RCR) for their assigned room. Students are strongly encouraged to review and update their assigned room’s RCR to protect themselves from being assessed charges for prior conditions. By not going through this process, students waive the right to appeal damage charges at the end of each semester.

Students are responsible for any damages or unsanitary conditions caused by the assigned occupants of their residence hall room. Unless an individual student claims responsibility for any damages or additional cleaning required for the room after the student(s) have vacated the room, any necessary damage/cleaning fees may be split equally among the assigned students of the room.

Rooms and public areas of the house should be left in the condition they were found. After a student vacates their assigned residence hall room, the Office of Housing & Residence Life and/or the university’s facility department inspects residence hall areas and, if necessary, generate a list of damages and cost estimates. Each proposed charge is compared to the most recent RCR for the room, which noted any pre-existing damage. Items not noted on the RCR will be charged to the student(s).

All halls are furnished with the necessities. Additional furniture may be used to decorate the rooms. However, disassembly or removal of university furniture is not permitted. Waterbeds or water chairs are also not permitted because of their excessive weight and potential for damage to university and personal property. Due to fire hazards, no personal loft construction or overstuffed furnishings are permitted.

At check-in, each student shall be issued one key to their assigned residence hall room. The issued residence hall room key may not be transferred or loaned to another individual and may not be duplicated. The issued residence hall room key must be returned to the Office of Housing & Residence Life when the student vacates their assigned residence hall room, including when a student withdraws from the university, is approved to reside off campus, or at the conclusion of the housing contract period.

Residents should notify the Office of Housing & Residence Life immediately if their keys are lost or broken. For safety reasons, a lock change is required unless a broken or bent key is returned to Residential Life. The charge for lost keys or keys not returned (including lock change when necessary) is $150, and the replacement of bent or broken keys (with the return of the key) is $50.

Students shall maintain the condition of their residence hall room in a manner that facilitates a safe and sanitary living environment for all students in the residence hall community. Students shall be required to resolve any room conditions that may compromise the health or safety of residence hall students in a timely manner as communicated by the Office of Housing & Residence Life or other authorized campus offices. If a student is unable or unwilling to resolve such conditions, the university may provide services to resolve such conditions at the student’s expense.

All personal trash from a resident’s room must be taken to and discarded in the trash room located on each floor of the residence hall. Room trash should not be discarded in common area receptacles or left in public or common spaces (such as hallways, stairwells, lounges, etc.). Students found responsible for leaving trash in areas other than the designated trash room may have additional cleaning fees charged to their student account. If an individual student cannot be identified as the source, the entire residence hall community may be held responsible for such cleaning fees.

Soon after move-in, all the residents in a residence hall room, suite, or apartment will be required to complete a roommate agreement. The roommate agreement is a document that helps all students in a room to discuss their living preferences, including sleep schedules, sharing of personal property, guest visitation, and more. Residents are strongly encouraged to take the time to talk through all the areas of the roommate agreement in depth and come to a consensus regarding all the residents’ living preferences.

When a conflict arises among roommates, theOffice of Housing & Residence Life staff will use the roommate agreement to assist the residents in resolving the conflict. If necessary, the roommate agreement may be edited or amended at any time to reflect all residents’ needs and interests.

Students who demonstrate an unwillingness to act in good faith compliance with a roommate agreement or whose actions create conditions that prohibit another student from occupying an assigned residence hall space may be referred to the Office of the Dean of Students and may be removed or re-assigned from the room.

Smoking and tobacco use are not permitted in the Residence Halls or within 40 feet of any building on campus. The use of canabis is prohibited anywhere on campus.

Students who sell merchandise, distribute goods, or advertise on campus, either in person or online, are prohibited from using university facilities or services, including residence hall rooms, public spaces on campus, campus telephone numbers, computing and/or network services, or university postal facilities, for the purpose of such activities. The purpose of this policy is to minimize disruption to residential and academic life and to preserve the non-profit status of the university. This policy does not apply to approved fund-raising activities by student groups.

Door-to-door solicitation is prohibited in the residence halls, including (but not limited to) selling or distributing merchandise, soliciting survey responses, and political campaigning. The Office of Public Safety should be contacted when a solicitor is observed in the residence halls.

Vandalism is the willful or malicious destruction and/or defacement of property. Although the financial burden of vandalism affects individual students, hall-mates, and the institution as a whole, deliberate damage of NDMU property impacts campus life far beyond monetary losses. Vandalism adds avoidable work for Facilities and Housekeeping employees, affects campus beauty, and causes serious safety concerns.

If you witness vandalism, report the persons to the Office of Public Safety immediately. You can choose to remain anonymous.

When damage is discovered in common areas, the Office of Housing & Residence Life will notify students responsible for those areas of the need to assess charges for repairs and labor. This notification will include instructions on how to report information about the individual(s) responsible.

If responsibility can be determined, charges will be assessed to the responsible individual(s). When an individual(s) responsible cannot be identified, the entire community population may be held responsible for restitution.

The use and possession of weapons or items that mimic weapons are prohibited in the Residence Halls.