Housing Rules and Regulations – LR 511.1

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University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: Housing Rules and Regulations
Policy Number: LR 511.1
Effective Date: April 1, 2010
Revised Dates: April 1, 2010
Most Recent Review Date: April 1, 2010

Policy

For the purposes of these regulations, a resident shall mean any student assigned to University housing by the director of housing or other designated university official. In the case of a married student living in university housing, “resident” shall include the spouse and children of the registered student.

Resident students are governed by the provisions of the Housing Guide, the Student Handbook, Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Behavior, and the housing lease/agreement. Violation of housing rules, university policies, and federal, state, and local laws are considered violations of the housing lease/agreement and may result in cancellation of the agreement and removal from residence.

Alcoholic Beverages in Student Housing

Possession and use of intoxicants is prohibited in public areas of university housing space. Persons of legal age, as defined by state law regarding alcoholic beverages, may possess and consume such beverages in the privacy of assigned student rooms when no minors are present.

Irresponsible behavior while under the influence of intoxicants is not condoned and disciplinary action will be the responsibility of the Office of Student Housing, Office of the Dean of Students, or the Behavioral Standards Committee.

Missing Person Notification Policy and Procedures

Missing Person
Individuals who believe a student resident is missing should contact student housing personnel to file an incident report which will initiate a student housing investigation. If the missing resident is not yet 18 years old, the custodial parent or guardian will be contacted by the university within 24 hours of notification. UA Little Rock will initiate official notification procedures for any resident who is determined to be missing for more than 24 hours.

  1. Designated Contact. All residents have the option to designate a person to be contacted by UA Little Rock should the resident be determined to be missing for more than 24 hours. A Confidential Contact Information Card is available from the Housing Office, East Hall Reception Desk, Hall Managers, or the UA Little Rock Housing website (https://ualr.edu/housing). All residents are encouraged to complete and submit a confidential contact information card.
  2. Law Enforcement Notification. If a resident chooses not to designate a contact and/or is not yet 18 years of age, the Dean of Students will notify the Director of the Department of Public Safety (campus law enforcement) when a resident has been determined to be missing for more than 24 hours.

Missing Person Notification Procedures

Events that could cause a person to be considered missing include contact from a concerned individual, including university officials, about an individual’s absence or lack of contact that is contrary to his/her normal behavior and/or if unusual circumstances may have caused the absence.

When a housing staff member becomes aware of a potential missing resident, an incident report is initiated that begins the missing person protocol. The 24-hour period begins at the time the report is generated, and housing staff will follow the missing person procedures to report and investigate the missing person.

Resident Assistant Role

  1. Gather information from the reporting source: name and contact information of the source, relationship to the missing person; name, age, description, campus address and contact information of the missing person; last seen date/time/ location; reason for the concern; any other information that may be helpful. Record all this information on the Incident Report. Record “Missing Person” on the “other” category of the Incident Report.
  2. Immediately notify the Hall Manager of the missing person report.
  3. Perform routine checks within the hall community:
    • Check with roommates to see when the missing person was last there.
    • Try to call, email, or text message the person.
    • Check with their friends to ask when they last communicated with the person.
    • If possible, check social network sites for useful information.
    • Continually update the Hall Manager with new information, including finding the missing student.

Hall Manager Role

  1. Gather as much information as possible from the Resident Assistant and the source of the initial report such as reasons why they believe the resident is missing, and what actions have been taken to try and locate the person.
  2. Continue the investigation by:
    • Checking the student’s room.
    • Interviewing roommates, and asking them to watch for the student.
    • Leaving a note on the student’s door to contact you as soon as they return.
    • Instructing the Lobby Manager to watch for the student to enter the building.
    • Update the incident report with any new information.
  3. Notify the Director of Housing if the missing resident has not been found within twelve hours.

Director of Housing Role

  1. Review the Incident Report and gather information from the Hall Manager.
  2. Inspect the missing person’s housing file for verification of vital information such as age, contact information, and ID number.
  3. Check the person’s mailbox to determine if they have been picking up their mail.
  4. If the person registered a vehicle, check the housing parking lots for their car.
  5. Check Banner for ID photo, registration verification, and class schedule.
  6. Consult with the Office of the Dean of Students.
  7. Contact the Office of Records and Registration to determine attendance.
  8. Contact Computing Services to investigate when/where the person may have used their ID or logged onto the University network.
  9. Continue to check in with roommates, hall staff and others for updates or additional information.

All housing investigating procedures should be completed by 24 hours after first notification of the missing student. If the resident has not been located, the designated contact, custodial parent, or guardian, and the Director of Public Safety (campus law enforcement) will be notified by the Dean of Students.

Circumstances to notify Public Safety without following the Missing Student Procedures include:

  1. Suspected foul play or danger including expressed suicidal ideology.
  2. Known medical condition that could cause a life threatening situation.
  3. Natural disaster or other force of nature in which the student may have been involved.
  4. The missing student has no designated contact on file.

Guest Regulations

Guests are defined as individuals who are not contractual occupants of the specific residence hall suite, student apartment, or house in question. Each guest must have a host present while the guest is visiting. Guests without hosts may be asked by University officials to vacate the premises. Guests must abide by all policies outlined in University publications. Hosts are responsible for informing guests of these policies. Guests and hosts are mutually responsible for the conduct of the guest; however, hosts are ultimately accountable for the behavior of their guests. The length of stay for any overnight guest may not exceed three (3) consecutive nights, or five (5) nights in any thirty (30) day period. “Night” begins at the end of established visitation hours. All overnight guests in the residence hall must be registered at the reception desk.

Visitation Hours

In the residence hall, non-residents may visit residents between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. through 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. All non-residents will be required to sign in and leave a photo ID at the reception desk for security purposes while in the building. Visitors may be asked to leave the premises if, in the judgment of staff, the presence of the visitor(s) is contributing to a disruption of the residential environment. All nonresidents must leave the building by the end of the established visiting hours unless properly checked in as an overnight guest of a resident of the same gender. All resident students, including those of the residence hall, campus apartments, and houses are subject to the visitation guidelines specified in their particular housing agreement.

Room Entry

The university respects students’ rights to privacy within their living space and will strive to protect this privacy. University officials may enter a student’s room without the consent of the student for the following reasons:

  1. To provide room maintenance inspections, repair service or safety inspections. Reasonable efforts will be made to give notice prior to the inspection when possible.
  2. When there are reasonable grounds to suspect that university regulations or state or federal laws are being violated.
  3. For an emergency situation that requires that the room be entered.
  4. If there is a valid search warrant.

Source: UALR Student Handbook 2009
Status: Active
Approved By: Existing Policy
Originator:
Custodian: Housing Office