Residential Life Handbook

The Residential Life Handbook, produced each year by the Office of Residential Life at Skidmore College, presents the policies and procedures concerning residential living. Each student is responsible for becoming familiar with all of the information contained in this handbook.

The Residential Life Handbook is subject to errors and omissions and may be modified as necessary throughout the academic year. Skidmore College reserves the right to add, delete, revise, or change the information, including all policies and procedures, set forth in the Residential Life Handbook. All students are encouraged to review the Residential Life Handbook at the start of each academic year and as necessary throughout the academic year.

Policies

General policies

Access by the College to student rooms

The College affirms the right of the student to privacy, but the College has a legal right and obligation to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of its residents and their property, and to prevent the use of College buildings for illegal purposes. Therefore, the College reserves the right to enter student rooms without notice and unaccompanied by the student. This right is extended to law enforcement when warranted.

Bicycles

All bicycles must be registered with Campus Safety. Bicycles must be kept in spaces designated for that purpose. Bicycles found in areas not designated below will be removed. Students must remove bicycles from campus when they depart. Those left behind will be considered abandoned and donated to local charities. Please note that storage and charging of all lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles including, but not limited to, e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-skateboards in residential spaces is prohibited. Designated spaces for bicycle storage include:

• Bike Storage Room (Wait Sub-Basement)
• Bike racks in the basements of South Quad residence halls
• Outdoor bike racks (August-November and April-May only)
• Within on-campus apartments (cannot block egress)

Housing agreement

Students who select housing through our housing selection process are selecting for the full academic year. By finalizing housing selection, students commit to remaining on campus for the academic year. Limited exceptions to this contract include leaves of absence, study abroad, withdrawals, or changes in circumstance which allow for an off-campus appeal. Please view the Housing procedures section for more information.

All students who do not select housing are assigned a space in the residence halls or apartments. Students in double or triple rooms are assigned a space in the room, not the room as a whole. Consequently, the College reserves the right to use unoccupied spaces in a room and/or to relocate and move students should the need arise. The College reserves the right to determine the number of occupants in a room. If a vacancy occurs in a room or apartment, the remaining student(s) in the room or apartment may receive a new occupant to fill the existing vacancy, and students will be notified after a placement is made. The Office of Residential Life also reserves the right to consolidate students as needed as vacancies arise before and during the academic year.

When changes need to be made in a student housing assignment due to an unforeseen circumstance (i.e., fire, water damage, or other maintenance issue), Residential Life, at its discretion, may modify and/or change a housing assignment. When able, the new assignment should be similar, but does not have to meet any threshold of a previous housing arrangement. An exception would be made for students with housing accommodations.

Loss of personal property

Skidmore College will not be liable for losses to personal property, unless due to the gross negligence of the College. Personal property left in rooms or apartments over vacation periods is done so at the owner’s risk. Storage spaces are not available on campus.

Personal belongings abandoned in common areas are left at the risk of the resident and may be removed or discarded. Any property left in student rooms after a move-out period, such as the end of the year or other situation where a student leaves Skidmore housing, may be removed or discarded during the cleaning of the room. Skidmore College will not be liable for the loss of items under these circumstances.

Students separating from the College (taking a leave, withdrawing, etc.) while classes are in session should remove their belongings within 24 hours. The Office of Residential Life will reach out to residents to ensure their items have been removed. After receiving word from the student that they have moved out, the Office of Residential Life will request that the room be cleaned for a new resident. If the student does not respond to outreach within one business day, a Resident Assistant or Area Coordinator will be asked to inspect the room. If the student has removed all belongings from the room, the student’s housing contract will be canceled as of the date their leave/withdrawal was approved. If belongings remain in the room, the Office of Residential Life will make one additional attempt to contact the student via email and by phone. If there is no response within two business days, items remaining in the room will be disposed of. Skidmore College will not be liable for the loss of items.

Behavioral policies

Guest policy

Any person visiting a residence hall room who is not the occupant of that room is considered a guest. This includes current students and those not registered as a student.

Guests are limited to a stay of three nights per month and must be a legal adult (18+ years of age). Guests must be escorted by their hosts at all times. Guests may not enter buildings or rooms without their hosts and will not be given access without the host being present.

Students are responsible for their guest’s behaviors and actions. All guests are expected to abide by all College policies and procedures. Guests found to be violating College policy may be asked to leave campus and could be banned from returning for a specified amount of time. The host of a guest who violated College policy may be brought through the student conduct system and be held responsible for conduct violations, including damages, if they have occurred.

Guests may only be present in shared living spaces (i.e., double or triple rooms, common areas in an apartment) with the approval of all residents in the space.

Failure to obtain the approval of all residents in the space will result in a referral to the student conduct process for failure to comply with the guest policy.

Students who wish to report a violation of the guest policy may contact staff in the Office of Residential Life or complete an incident report form found on the Student Handbook webpage. The retaliation policy prohibits any intimidation, harassment, discrimination, or other adverse action against an individual as a result of that individual participating in, or cooperating with, College processes, including without limitation student disciplinary processes.

Room usage

A student’s residence hall or apartment room contract may not be transferred or assigned to another person. Spaces may not be sold, loaned, or sublet. The student does not have the right to use their room for any commercial purpose or profit whatsoever. Prohibited commercial purpose or profit includes, but is not limited to, babysitting, rental of space, manufacturing, and distribution of items for sale other than those connected to academics.

Solicitations

Sales and solicitations in on-campus housing are strictly prohibited unless authorization has been granted by the Assistant Vice President for the Residential Experience or designee.

Residential policies

Furnishings

All residence hall rooms and apartments are equipped with essential furniture and, in apartment kitchens, essential appliances. The installation or addition of any non-Skidmore furnishings must be approved by the Office of Residential Life and Facilities Services. Ceiling fans and air conditioner units are prohibited. Any modification to supplied furniture is prohibited (i.e., lofts, bed risers, mattress extenders, head/foot boards, etc.).

All furniture provided by the College must remain within the room unless otherwise removed by the College under limited circumstances, such as detripling or accommodations. Students may not remove triple furniture themselves.

Noise policy

Residents are under a continuous (24/7) obligation, known as Courtesy Hours, to be considerate of other students regarding noise levels and comply with reasonable requests to lower noise volume.

Quiet Hours in all residential spaces are from 9 p.m.-9 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning, and 1 a.m.-10 a.m. Friday night through Sunday morning.

Inconsiderate behavior, excessive noise, hosting bands or DJs, possession and/or use of subwoofers, surround sound systems, and the playing of any musical instruments within residential spaces is prohibited.

Students found to have repeat violations of any parts of this policy are subject to disciplinary action through Student Conduct.

Pets

No animals kept as pets are permitted in residential spaces for any length of time. This includes family pets visiting for the day, etc. Emotional Support Animals must be approved through the accommodations process. Service Animals are always permitted. Exception: Students are permitted to have fish in a 10-gallon or smaller tank.

When pet violations are found, the Office of Residential Life follows up with involved student(s) regarding the violation. If still present, the student will be asked to remove the animal within 24 hours.

Any follow-up regarding pets will include unannounced inspections of the violating student’s living space to ensure the animal has been removed.

Students found in violation of this policy will be responsible for any cleaning charges related to the presence of the pet. Cleaning charges will be decided by Facilities Services and are non-negotiable. Repeated or persistent violations of this policy may result in removal from housing.

Emotional Support Animals

Skidmore College permits approved Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) within its residential spaces. An ESA is an animal that serves the purpose of being a disability accommodation that is recommended by a healthcare or mental health professional to provide support to persons with disabilities with a related need for such support. For the full definition of an ESA, please contact the Director of Accessibility Services in The Learning Commons.

ESAs must be approved through the accommodations process. Approval must occur before the animal may be brought to campus. Students who bring animals to campus prior to receiving approval will be held accountable under the standard pet policy.

Students with approved ESAs will sign a contract regarding their responsibilities. Failure to abide by the terms of the agreement may lead to Failure to Comply charges through the Conduct process, which may result in various sanctions, including removal from on-campus housing.

Students with an approved ESA will not be charged any fee for keeping the animal, though the student will be responsible for the cost of repair of any damages that result from the presence of the animal. Students with approved ESAs are required to place removable covers on any soft seating in their residence hall or apartment spaces.

Fire safety policies

All residents are responsible for adhering to the Skidmore College Fire Safety Policy and New York state law. Students are responsible for completing an online fire safety course during the academic year, as well as participating in all fire drills for which they are present.

All residential spaces are subject to periodic fire and safety inspections, and students are expected to cooperate in removing any found violations. The College may require personal furniture or furnishings to be removed from any residence when it determines the situation to be a fire, safety, or health hazard.

Residential spaces are also subject to annual inspections by the New York State Fire Marshal. Annual inspections include three scheduled inspections of living spaces. When possible, inspections will be announced in the form of a time window.

During the course of the New York State Fire Marshal’s inspections, if a student is found responsible after all three visits, the Fire Marshal may levy a fine. Fines levied by the Fire Marshal are non-negotiable and may not be appealed.

Staff members in the Office of Residential Life will conduct intermittent reinspections of spaces found to have violations during New York State Fire Marshal inspections. Students may not deny entry to Residential Life professional or student staff conducting inspections.

Wood-burning firepits are not permitted within 25 feet of residential buildings. Prior to any use, students must contact Campus Safety. Gas firepits or uncontained bonfires are not permitted. Residential Life may restrict the use of such devices during a New York state burn ban notification period.

Cleanliness and upkeep of living space (low-level violations)

1. Students are expected to maintain their living spaces in clean and orderly condition. Garbage and recyclables are expected to be removed from living spaces regularly.
2. Students are responsible for maintaining the apartment’s cleanliness and condition of College furniture and ensuring that the refrigerator, stove, and similar equipment are kept in a clean and safe condition. If an apartment is found to be unsafe and/or unsanitary, the College will charge students for the cost of cleaning, repair, and/or replacement.
3. Any item, or items, which blocks a clear path of egress from the living space and/or prevents doors from fully opening is prohibited.
4. Students residing in the apartments are expected to keep their kitchen and appliances clean and free of grease and debris.
5. Students in the apartments are expected to keep the area around breaker boxes and mechanical rooms clear and accessible. Both must be accessible without moving any personal items.

Emergency response and fire safety equipment

1. Building evacuation is required when a fire alarm sounds, unless previous notice was provided that the alarm is being tested and evacuation is unnecessary. (mid-level)
2. Damage, misuse, or theft of fire alarm systems and firefighting equipment is a violation of the law and is prohibited. (high-level)
3. Students are prohibited from covering, or attaching anything to, fire safety equipment in their residence, including sprinklers, smoke detectors, heat detectors, etc. (mid-level)
4. Students must maintain a minimum of 18 inches of clearance around any sprinkler heads. (low-level)

Prohibited behaviors and items within residential spaces

1. Smoking inside of all buildings and residences on campus is prohibited. (mid-level)
   1. Ashtrays within all residential spaces are prohibited.
2. The intentional burning of any item or substance regardless of design is prohibited. (high-level)
   1. Possession of highly combustible items such as firecrackers, gasoline, propane tanks, etc. is prohibited. (high-level)
   2. Possession of candles, incense, burning sage, etc. is prohibited. (low-level)
   3. Presence of unattended lit candles and incense. (mid-level)
3. Cooking and use of appliances:
   1. Food preparation is permitted in apartment kitchens only. The cooking of food and the use of electrical appliances for the purpose of cooking is prohibited in student rooms. (mid-level)
      1. Single-serve (Keurig or similar) style coffee makers are permitted for use in student rooms.
      2. Electrical appliances with exposed heating elements/surfaces, such as toaster ovens, microwaves, rice cookers, electric skillets, etc. are prohibited in student rooms.
   2. Students are expected to be present and attentive while cooking. When cooking, students are prohibited from leaving items on the stovetop or in the oven unattended, and must be in, or within view of, the kitchen at all times. (mid-level)
   3. Ranges are for cooking use only. Items are prohibited from being stored in ovens or on stovetops. Ovens are prohibited from being used as an apartment heating source. (mid-level)
   4. Non-College-provided space heaters are prohibited in all residential spaces. (mid-level)
4. Wall décor (low-level):
   1. Wall décor in all residence hall or apartment spaces must not cover an excessive amount of each individual wall (>10%).
   2. Tapestries, curtains, and other cloth wall or window hangings are prohibited.
   3. No more than two strings of lighting can be connected together as one.
   4. Décor cannot attach to ceilings or connect one non-adjacent wall to another.
5. Covering light or other heat-emitting devices with items not intended to be used as a cover (i.e., cloth over light) is prohibited. (low-level)
   1. Possession of halogen lamps is prohibited.
6. The partition or division of residence hall or apartment space, including tapestries or curtains separating the window seat area and the closet space from the rest of the room, is prohibited. No personally supplied curtains or tapestries are allowed in residence hall or apartment spaces. Tapestries, flags, or other fabric are also prohibited from being hung on walls. (low-level)
7. Altering College-owned furniture/structures (low-level)
   1. Bed risers, cinderblocks, bed extenders, head/foot boards, or anything used to loft or alter furniture is prohibited.
   2. Bed tents and other suspended covers of sleeping locations are prohibited.
   3. Altering College-owned furniture in any way that causes damage or changes its purpose is prohibited.
   4. Altering College-owned structures in any way is prohibited.
8. Electric usage (low-level):
   1. Electrical cords must be fully intact. The possession and/or use of electrical cords with exposed wiring or otherwise damaged sheath covering is prohibited.
   2. Students wishing to expand available outlets and/or use solutions to make them more accessible in their living space must use surge protectors that are UL 489 and/or 1449 certified and also contain an on/off circuit breaker switch.
   3. Multi-outlet plug adaptors, extension cords, and any solutions not meeting these standards are prohibited.
   4. High-draw electrical devices including, but not limited to, coffee makers, cooking devices (used and kept only in apartment kitchens), refrigerators, humidifiers, and College-provided space heaters must be plugged directly into the wall outlet.
   5. Plugging power strips and/or surge protectors into one another in a chain is prohibited.
   6. Electrical wires may not be run underneath rugs or run on the ground across doorways.
9. Space heater usage (mid-level):
   1. The use and possession of space heaters is prohibited unless a space heater is provided by the College as a temporary fix for a heating issue/outage. If a space heater is provided by the College, students are expected to abide by the following regulations:
   2. Space heaters are to be unplugged and stored when not in use and/or no one is present in the room that the space heater is being used in.
   3. Space heaters must be kept a minimum of 3 feet from any combustibles including, but not limited to, papers, clothing, and rugs.
   4. Space heaters must be kept on the floor and out of high-traffic areas and doorways where they may pose a tripping hazard and/or may be knocked over.
10. Humidifiers (low-level):
    1. Humidifiers are only to be operated during sleep and used when the resident(s) of the room is/are present. Humidifiers are to be unplugged when they are not in use.
    2. Humidifiers must not be placed adjacent to where the smoke detector is mounted or otherwise near the smoke detector and must be placed a minimum of 4 to 5 inches from any electrical outlet.
    3. Humidifiers must be cool-mist type; evaporative wick (cool mist) or ultrasonic. Warm-mist and vaporizer-type humidifiers, which provide a warm mist through a boiling process, are prohibited.
       1. Warm-mist and vaporizer-type humidifiers are only permitted for medical reasons with prior approval through the housing accommodations process.
    4. Humidifiers must be of appropriate size for the space in which they are to be used. Humidifiers may be for the following sizes dependent on the type of room:
       1. Single rooms and apartment bedrooms – Maximum of 150 square feet of coverage area.
       2. Double/triple occupancy rooms – Maximum of 250 square feet of coverage area. Alternatively, humidifiers with built-in humidistat shutoff may be used with humidity levels set to a maximum of 50%.

Violations of the Fire Safety Policy

All violations of the Fire Safety Policy carry a response from the College with possible sanctions. Skidmore College does not impose fines as part of the Fire Safety Policy; however, the City of Saratoga Springs and/or the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control may assign fines to the College due to violations. If this occurs, students will be responsible for the cost of the fine if it results from negligent behavior. Please note that restitution for damages is not a fine and may be imposed by the College, when necessary. Please refer to the Student Handbook for sanctioning information based on violation level.

Housing procedures

On-campus housing

On-campus housing requirements

Skidmore guarantees all full-time students the opportunity to live on campus for each year they are enrolled. First-year and sophomore students are required to live on campus. Junior and senior students are eligible to apply to live off campus. Residence halls are available for all class levels. Only juniors and seniors are eligible for an on-campus apartment space. Further requirements for living on campus are listed below:

• Board plan requirement
  • An Unlimited Meal Plan is required for all students living in residence halls. Those in the apartments have no board requirement, but may choose to purchase one.
• Full-time status
  • Students living on campus must maintain a minimum of 12 credit hours. Exceptions may be granted for the following reasons:
    • Approval for a reduced course load
    • Graduating seniors in their final semester
• Housing guarantee
  • Skidmore College guarantees on-campus housing to all full-time students who have completed the housing selection process or are incoming first-year students. Rising juniors and seniors who fail to complete the housing selection process will forfeit this guarantee. The housing guarantee does not guarantee any particular housing type.
  • Skidmore College reserves the right to revoke the housing guarantee at any time, including as part of a conduct sanction.
• Housing agreement
  • After selecting on-campus housing for the academic year, students are required to remain in their housing and will not be released from their housing agreement, nor will they be released from any room and board charges. Exceptions to this agreement can be found below.

Exceptions to the on-campus housing requirements

Any students looking to apply for exceptions to the on-campus housing requirement must do so in writing to Residential Life (reslife@skidmore.edu). Students looking to go off campus for their junior or senior year are not required to appeal, but must complete the regular housing selection process to select the off-campus option.

Outlined below are reasons for exemption to the on-campus housing requirement:

• 22 years of age or older by September 1 of the academic year during which off-campus housing is requested
• Marital status – married students
• Family residence – family lives within 30 miles of campus
• Children – students with children
• Significant changes to financial circumstances – in consultation with the Financial Aid Office
• Accommodations – in consultation with the Director of Accessibility Services
• Change in status – students taking a leave, withdrawing, studying abroad, or moving to part-time status

In order to request an exception to the on-campus housing requirement, students must file an appeal in writing with the Office of Residential Life. Appeals will be reviewed by the Office of Residential Life and responses will be provided within five business days of receipt. Appeal letters must address the following:

• Reason for appeal
  • Must be a reason listed above.
• Explanation of why exception is necessary
  • Why standard protocol is not appropriate in this case
  • How the student would benefit from exception
  • Impact if the exception is not granted
  • If the appeal is occurring after housing selection and/or start of the academic year – how the situation has changed since selecting housing
  • For first-year and transfer students placed by Residential Life – how the situation has changed since moving in

Living off campus

Students approved to reside off campus must provide the Office of Residential Life with the information outlined below through the Residential Life Housing Portal. Students who fail to provide this information prior to the start of classes may be charged with Failure to Comply through the Student Conduct process.

• Off-campus address
• Landlord contact information
  • Must minimally include the name of the landlord and a contact phone number.

Students interested in moving back to campus may apply to do so by requesting to be placed on a housing waitlist. Students on this waitlist will be housed on a space-available basis only after students residing on campus on the room change list have been accommodated.

Accommodations process

One of the exceptions outlined above is accommodations. For students who may require special consideration in their housing process, an accommodations process exists. Accommodations go through The Learning Commons and the Director of Accessibility Services. All students wishing to apply for accommodations must do so by contacting the Director of Accessibility Services.

Opening and closing

Start-of-semester arrival

Students are expected to arrive on their scheduled day and time. Arrival dates for each academic semester are listed on the academic calendar published by the Office of the Registrar, which is listed on the Skidmore College website at Registrar dates and deadlines.

Students are not permitted to arrive prior to their scheduled day and time without prior approval from the Office of Residential Life. Approval is only granted to students with business on the campus (student employment, leadership positions, orientation, and academic work). Extenuating circumstances are also considered on a case-by-case basis. Approval is not guaranteed and does not apply equally to all occupants of a room or apartment.

Students who arrive prior to their scheduled date and time without prior approval will not be given access unless they accept an additional housing charge of $250 per day. Students found in their housing assignment without any attempt at approval will be asked to leave, may be charged at a rate of $250 per day, and may face student conduct charges.

Break closing

Students are expected to leave no later than 10 a.m. on the date of each break closing, unless approved for a late stay.

Break housing

Students residing in on-campus housing will have the ability to register to stay for any portion of any of the breaks listed above. An email explaining the break housing registration process will be sent to students at least one week prior to closing. Students must complete this registration in order to be eligible to stay.

Students who are residing on campus for the fall semester, but do not have an assignment for the spring semester due to plans to study abroad or take a leave, will not be eligible to remain on campus for any portion of the winter break period.

End-of-year closing

First-year, sophomore, and junior students are expected to depart campus 24 hours after their last final or by 10 a.m. on the first Saturday after Finals Week. Students who do not depart by their assigned date without prior approval may be charged $250 per day for their late departure.

Improper checkout

Students who do not complete a checkout of their assigned space at move-out, either through their Housing Portal or with the Office of Residential Life, within 24 hours of their departure are subject to a $250 Improper Checkout fee. This would also cover instances where students leave belongings in their room without the approval of the Office of Residential Life prior to their departure from campus. Students who leave belongings would also be responsible for any charges incurred to remove these items from the residential space.

Senior Week

Skidmore College maintains academic year housing operations for one week past the initial end-of-year closing for Senior Week. Senior Week housing is only available to students who reside on campus at the close of the semester and are:

• A graduating senior
• Sponsored by a campus office or department

Senior students living in Wait Hall or in any building where the Facilities department has a project beginning during Senior Week will be relocated to temporary housing.

Senior Week sponsorship

All non-senior students who wish to stay on campus during Senior Week must be sponsored. Sponsorship submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. on the last Friday before finals week. Late submissions will not be accepted. Sponsorship can come from the following sources:

• Campus office, department, or faculty – requests must come directly from the sponsoring party, not the student.

Students seeking sponsorship may not be eligible for the following reasons:

• Residence hall – students living in Wait Hall will be asked to relocate.
• At times, Facilities Services will be required to complete large-scale maintenance projects in a building at the conclusion of the academic year. In some cases, this may require that the building be vacated, and students will be asked to relocate to a different residence for Senior Week. The Office of Residential Life will notify students of this information as soon as possible during the spring semester.

Senior Week departure

All students staying for Senior Week are expected to depart campus by 10 a.m. on the Sunday after Commencement.

Room conditions, inspections, and damage

End-of-year charges

Damage billing occurs at the end of the year. During this process, students are charged for any damages that occurred to their living space or common areas. Failure to meet cleaning expectations may also result in damage billing. Spaces are inspected by Office of Residential Life and Facilities Services staff to determine cleanliness and damages. Students will be held responsible for the costs associated with the repair or excessive cleaning of their space. These charges will appear on the student’s bill and are non-negotiable.

Room conditions and expectations

The Office of Residential Life inspects all spaces prior to the start of classes in order to determine the starting condition. This condition is reported to the StarRez system and room condition forms are generated for each student living on campus. Students must go into their Residential Life Housing Portal and select the option to review their room condition information. Students should review their space carefully, comment on any issues with that particular space, then accept the condition.

Students are expected to leave their housing space clean and in the same or better condition than they found it. Spaces are expected to be broom clean, free of debris, trash, and all personal belongings. In addition, spaces should be swept/vacuumed and surfaces should be wiped down. In the apartments, kitchen sinks and refrigerators should be cleaned and emptied of personal belongings, as well as showers, sinks, and toilets. All College-owned furniture must be present in the room, unless it was removed by Facilities Services.

At student move-out, the Office of Residential Life will inspect student spaces. Damages in the space will be noted and may result in charges. It is important that issues are correctly reported at the beginning of the year to avoid unwarranted charges. Common damages include holes in the walls, broken or missing furniture, stains on the carpet, etc. Any items left behind are considered abandoned. Residential Life, its staff, and Skidmore College are not responsible for lost or abandoned items.

Students are responsible for reporting any and all health, safety, or maintenance issues (i.e., pest infestations, flooding, power outages, heat outages, etc.) to Residential Life. It is imperative that these concerns are reported in a timely fashion to expedite repair and minimize resident inconvenience. Failure to comply with remediation guidelines may result in damage charges to your Skidmore account.

In on-campus apartments, health and safety inspections will be conducted periodically during each semester to ensure residents are keeping an acceptable level of cleanliness in their space. These health and safety inspections will be announced in a timely manner during each term and will not be associated with inspections conducted during a break closing period.

Damage billing – shared areas

Charges related to shared areas will be split evenly among all students living within that shared area, unless a responsible party comes forward. The responsible student must take responsibility for the damage in order to remove the shared charges.

Damage billing – appealing charges

Students have the right to appeal any damage charges. Students must submit their appeal through their Skidmore College email to the Office of Residential Life (reslife@skidmore.edu). Students must state what charge(s) they are appealing and why. The reason for appeal must be one of the reasons outlined below. All appeals will be reviewed by a committee of professional staff and will be responded to within 10 business days.

All appeals must be submitted within 30 days of the charges posting to the student’s account. Appeals received after this time will not be accepted or reviewed.

The Office of Residential Life will not accept appeals via phone calls or submitted by parents or family.

The reasons for appealing a damage charge that the Office of Residential Life will accept are:

• Damages were pre-existing
  • The damages were noted on the Room Inspection Form. If the damages were pre-existing and not noted on the Room Inspection Form, it is the student’s responsibility to notify a Residential Life staff member within 10 days of move-in. If there is evidence of pre-existing damage, either through the Room Inspection Form or communication from the student after move-in, the appeal will be considered.
• Another party is responsible
  • If another party is responsible for the damages, the students must notify the Office of Residential Life who the other party is, and the other party must come forward and take responsibility for the damages and charges. The charges will not be reversed until all parties have come forward.

Apartment gathering and guest policy

Students who reside in the Sussman and Northwoods Apartments have the privilege of living in spaces that can accommodate a greater number of students and/or guests. All students in apartments interested in hosting an event that exceeds the individuals who live in the space should adhere to the following recommended guidelines for occupancy:

• 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom apartments – maximum of 15
• 4-bedroom or 5-bedroom apartments – maximum of 20

The host students are responsible for all guests (student and non-student) and their actions. It is mandatory that at all times Skidmore College policies be followed, including but not limited to any trash, damage, noise, or other violations that could occur.

Gatherings, assemblies, or the possession of open containers of alcohol are not permitted in the roadways and fire lanes of the apartments. Roadways and fire lanes are generally identified as areas with pavement. Individual apartment sidewalks leading to the door of an apartment are not considered a roadway or fire lane and, as such, gatherings and open containers are permitted there. The Department of Residential Life, in conjunction with Campus Safety, reserves the right to immediately end any gathering if at any time they feel that it is in the best interest and well-being of the students.