Residential Handbook

Office of Residential Life

Residential Life policies and procedures

Living on campus is a privilege, and students are subject to all Hamline policies and those outlined on this page.

About the Residential Housing Association (RHA)

Residential Housing Association executive board members work with their advisor, the Director of Residential Life, to help provide oversight for all of our on-campus residence halls. Students hired to these positions are representatives of the Office of Residential Life for on-campus students and it is a stipend position. RHA executive board members are responsible for managing a programming budget, distributing funds to residential programming committees (if applicable), and planning large on-campus programs such as Welcome Week Battle of the Halls, Hamline Halloween, Late Night Study Breakfast (fall and spring) and cross-campus All-Hall Events, as well as hosting an End of the Year National Residence Hall Honorary Celebration Event. Talk with your Resident Assistant (RA), Area Coordinator (AC), or Student Area Coordinator (SAC) to find out more and to get involved! Questions? Please email Director Yolanda Hansen at yhansen01@hamline.edu.

Submit an incident

How to share a room and resolve conflict with a roommate

The Office Of Residential Life recognizes that for many students, the move to campus is the first time they are living with someone else, and this can be challenging. It is very important for residents to have an open mind and the willingness to compromise. For any conflict that comes up, our initial response is to refer to the roommate agreement contract, which is given out at the beginning of the school year and should be signed by all residents of a room as soon as possible. The contract is used to ensure that each roommate is given the opportunity to discuss their boundaries and preferences, and that this conversation is documented.

For issues that are not resolved with the contract, we encourage residents to discuss the situation in a mediated and respectful manner, rather than just moving to a new room. Learning to resolve difficulties through communication is an important part of the educational process in college, and all students will be expected to participate in this critical step before further measures (such as a room change) are taken.

Roommate conflict policy

Residential Life follows the following guidelines in dealing with all roommate conflicts brought to the attention of a staff member.

Residents are encouraged to talk to one another openly about the concerns.
If the problems persist, residents will be asked to schedule a meeting with their Resident Assistant (RA) or Pro-Staff Supervisor of the hall, to discuss the issues and review the Roommate Agreement.
If not already completed at the beginning of the semester, a Roommate Agreement Contract is set up with expectations in place that all roommates agree to follow by signing the form.
Only after all the previous steps are completed, if the situation remains unsolved, the students are asked if one would like to move to a different room.
We do not side with one roommate or the other and make one person leave the space.
If neither student agrees to move, then the student who first violated the Roommate Agreement Contract is required to move.

Additional contract expectations

Residential Life policies are established to help create and maintain a healthy living community. These policies are in addition to the Hamline University Judicial Code provided on Hamline's policy page and are applicable to all residence hall, apartment, and house residents and their guests. Students who elect to live in Hamline University student housing will be held accountable for the following policies.

Students must follow all check-out timelines provided by the Office of Residential Life. Closing details can be found in the housing contract. All residents are responsible for providing their own cleaning supplies, and are expected to leave the room in a clean and orderly manner. All drawers, cabinets, dressers, etc. need to be able to be opened and not blocked at the time of checkout. Fines will apply for improper checkouts, rooms not reset the correct way and / or failure to clean the room.
The student shall maintain the housing unit in a clean and orderly condition and shall not obstruct any of the walkways, hallways, or surrounding premises and shall not place any signs or advertising matter in the windows.

No partitions or other alterations or additions shall be made to the housing unit unless the prior written consent of Hamline University is obtained. This shall include, but not be limited to the following:
- Addition or changing of any locks
- Removal of window screens
- Altering or tampering with the heating or lighting fixtures
- Removal of spring-loaded door closures
- Tampering with window safety features
- Removal or painting of any surface
- Installation of any television or radio antenna
- Addition of electrical or telephone wiring
- Any other similar changes or additions
Nails, screws, and adhesives which may cause damage shall not be inserted into or used on the structure of the housing unit for any reason. Fines will be assessed during the end of the year checkout procedure and billed to the student's account.
Whenever a vacancy occurs in a double, triple, quad, apartment, or house, the Office of Residential Life may assign another student to that space at any time. Your name, phone number, Hamline email address, and room number will be provided to students as an available place/person to move in with or you may be assigned a new roommate. Every attempt will be made to notify the current residents within twenty-four hours notice.
The housing and meal plan contract is for the full academic year. Even if you choose to never sleep in your room, you are still responsible for the cost of the room which can be broken down into a daily occupancy rate. In the event of a major change in circumstances (i.e. withdrawal from the university, leave of absence, marriage, etc.), students may submit a Contract Release Request to the Office of Residential Life.

IMPORTANT: A student whose contract release request is approved will be billed a prorated amount for the number of days and sleeping nights that have passed in a semester prior to the receipt and/or approval of a contract release.

For example, if on January 31, we receive a contract release request from a student who wants to be released from their binding contract for the rest of the Spring Semester due to withdrawal from the institution, the resident will be charged a daily housing rate for each room occupancy sleeping night from January 1 to January 30. (i.e. 30 days x $25 / per day = $750.00 balance owed) and will be released from their contract without any additional financial penalty for the rest of the Spring Semester costs.
An electronic room condition form must be completed upon check-in. This form will be used to determine damages that have occurred during a resident's use of the room. Residents are encouraged to examine their room or apartment and note any damages upon check-in to avoid unnecessary charges at the time of check-out.

MANDATORY ROOM CHECKOUT PRESENCE: At the end of the academic year (or any time a resident is completely checking out of their residence hall room), the resident of student housing must be present for their check-out and their side of the room must be 100% cleaned and empty. Unless there are exigent circumstances that are communicated to and approved by the Office of Residential Life (that can be confirmed and substantiated), all residents must be present and accountable for their chosen room checkout time.
- Residents cannot leave with their key and mail it back.
- Residents cannot leave their key on their desk and ask their roommate to do their room check-out.
- Residents cannot give their room key to the Office of Residential Life and leave without doing a proper check-out.
- If a resident is not present for their mandated room check out time, there will be a $300 Room Checkout No Show Fee.
Check out includes:
- Scheduling an appointment with your Resident Assistant (RA) at least 48 hours in advance of your check-out time.
- Cleaning your room or apartment.
- Moving all possessions out of your room or apartment.
- Reviewing the room condition form and signing it.
- Returning keys directly to your Resident Assistant (RA) or the team member doing your check out.
- Following other hall-specific check out procedures as posted.
Students will be personally responsible for any and all damage to the housing unit that they occupied or any Hamline University property therein, reasonable wear and tear excepted. Students also will be personally responsible for any and all damage to other housing units resulting from the intentional or negligent act of the student, any member of their family, any guest of the student, or any approved Emotional Support Animal or Service Animal.

Loss of property or damage to common areas may be assessed to occupants of the floor or surrounding area. The student shall pay on request the amount of any cost, expense, or loss resulting from any such damage.
In an effort to conserve energy, the Office of Residential Life asks you to turn off lights and electrical equipment (television, stereo, computer, etc.) whenever you leave your room. Natural resources may be conserved by keeping your showers under 10 minutes in length and by turning off the water while brushing your teeth. Conserving energy and water benefits the environment and saves you money in housing costs!
Student housing units have varying design and construction. Hamline reserves the right to impose reasonable requirements with respect to the use or storage of heavy items in the housing units. Waterbeds and other items imposing unreasonable stress are not permitted.
Furniture that is supplied by Hamline University will be maintained in the proper location. Students may rearrange the furniture within the housing unit but may not disassemble it, exchange it with other students, or move it to other locations. Furnishings shall not block windows, doors, or heating units.

In addition, furniture shall not be taken from lounges or other common areas and placed in a student's private area of residence or moved to any other location. There may be a fine charged for locating and returning public area residence hall property found in student rooms. This fine may also be assessed for the removal of window screens.
In order to comply with fire and safety regulations, charcoal and gas grills are prohibited in and outside of the residence halls, houses, and apartments.
When a student moves in, they are issued keys for that room. A student's ID will give them access into the building. Students are asked to lock their door at all times for their own safety and not to admit anyone to the building who is not their guest. Keys and IDs are the property of Hamline University and are loaned to students for their use during their stay on campus. It is illegal to duplicate a Hamline University key.

The loss of a key jeopardizes the security of the individual resident and their roommate(s). Report lost keys to a Residential Life staff member and lost student ID cards to Hamline Public Safety at 651-523-2100.
Kitchenettes are provided in each hall for use by residents. All equipment and appliances should be used with care and fully cleaned for the next person's use. Failure to use kitchen equipment as described may result in loss of kitchen access and/or fine.
Residents of houses (Hamline Unidos, Hmong and Black Student Collective) are responsible for keeping their yard and porch in a clean and respectable condition. This includes using the university provided shovels to keep ice and snow from building up on stairwells and sidewalks.
Bed-lofting structures are not permitted in the residence halls, apartments, or houses.

Lofting beds using Hamline-provided furniture (dressers, bookcases, wardrobes, etc.) is not recommended by Residential Life and is done at a student's own risk. At the time of official move-out or sudden departure, if you do not reset the furniture to its original move-in / non-lofted placement, you will be charged a $500 room reset fee.
All of our mattresses on campus are extra long twin.
Each residence hall room is supplied with a MicroFridge (cost included in housing and meal plans). It is the responsibility of each student to keep the MicroFridge clean. Apartment and house residents may supply their own microwaves.
Motorbikes, motorcycles, or any devices using combustible fuels create fire hazards and are not allowed in the residence halls, apartments, or houses. Items of this type will be removed at the owner's expense.
All materials posted must follow the Residential Life Posting Policy and all materials must be dated and delivered to the Residential Life Office. Residential Life staff members will then post the materials on hall bulletin boards.

Announcements may not be posted on doors, windows, or walls of the halls without prior approval. Permission to post large banners must be obtained from the Student Area Coordinator or Area Coordinator prior to posting. Materials posted improperly will be removed.

Residence Hall door decorations are restricted to 25% of the door facing the hallway and the room number and peephole must remain visible.

Political affiliation

Political signs may not be displayed in residence hall public areas including residence hall windows, bathrooms, lounges, stairwells, building interiors, building exteriors, hallway-facing dorm room doors or hallways / corridors. Hamline University cannot endorse a political party or any political candidate, so political signs may not be visible to those passing through campus or in the hallways of residential buildings.
We currently have only one female identifying quiet floor. Located on the first floor of Drew Hall, the quiet floor provides a living option for students who prefer to live, sleep, and study in a quieter environment. In addition to regular campus-wide quiet hours, the quiet floor may choose longer and/or more restrictive quiet hours.
All recreational equipment (bikes, weights, etc.) must be stored in residents' rooms or a bike room. Bikes or other equipment are not to be stored in stairwells or lounges. Hamline University is not responsible for items lost, damaged or stolen from storage areas. Bike room keys are available for check out in the Residential Life Office.
Each resident shall observe and respect the rights of other students occupying student housing. This shall include avoiding excessive noise and observing reasonable hours of quiet for sleep and study.
No room changes are allowed before census day (the twelfth day of classes in fall and spring semesters). Student Area Coordinators and Area Coordinators must approve all room changes. If you have a concern with your roommate, you may contact your Resident Assistant (RA), Student Area Coordinator, or Area Coordinator.
Smoking is not allowed anywhere on Hamline University’s campus. This includes cigarettes, marijuana, e-cigarettes, vapes, etc.
Facilities Services are responsible for snow removal for the general campus and the city sidewalks, except for the on-campus houses (Hamline Unidos, Hmong and Black Student Collective). These students are responsible for keeping their sidewalks and steps free of ice and snow build up with the provided materials in each house.
Door-to-door political campaigning by non-Hamline groups is allowed during voting seasons in residence halls or houses - WITH PERMISSION FROM THE OFFICE OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE AND AN ESCORT. Residential Life will have signs available in West Hall that students can pick up and place on their doors that will say “No Campaigning.” Contact Hamline Public Safety at 651-523-2100 to report any other non-approved solicitors.

Conduct code and disciplinary process

The office of Residential Life at Hamline University works towards creating an environment that fosters academics and personal growth.

Read about our policies and procedures on our Hamline's policy page.

The purpose of the Residential Life conduct process is to protect the rights of all residents and to ensure that Residential Life and university policies are followed. Upholding policies in university housing and on campus should be viewed as the responsibility of the entire community.

Initial violations of Residential Life or university policies for students in residence will be dealt with directly by the Student Area Coordinator or Area Coordinator. All concerns and reports should be directed to your Area Coordinator or Student Area Coordinator. The disciplinary process involves a series of steps and sanctions that relate directly to the severity of the violation(s) and to the number of times violations have been reported.

Sanction System:
- First violation: Warning
- Second violation: Community service
- Third violation: Probation
- Fourth violation: Eviction
(Note: all situations are case-by-case)

When the infraction is more serious, students may receive more sanctions than those listed or may "skip steps" in the process (i.e. go immediately to eviction) at the discretion of the judicial hearing officer or board. When a student is evicted from on-campus housing, the student is prohibited from entering any university residence for a period of time, typically two years.

Appeals to decisions made by an Area Coordinator or Student Area Coordinator must be submitted to the Director of Residential Life or the Associate Dean of Students within five days of the sanction. Decisions made by the Associate Dean of Students, Dean of Students, or Judicial Hearing Board are final.

Sanctions continue throughout a student's four years at Hamline. Students who live off-campus and are on Residential Life Probation will not be allowed to visit the residence halls, apartments, or Hamline houses. When a student is placed on probation, a letter may or may not be sent to their parents or guardians (situation dependent). When a student is evicted, there is no refund for remaining housing and meal plan charges.

Policy violations that may lead to "residential probation" will be adjudicated by the Area Coordinator/Student Area Coordinator or the Director of Residential Life or the Associate Dean of Students. Parents may be/will be notified of a student's policy violations at the point that the student is placed on residential probation.

Appeals of decisions reached by the Area Coordinator/Student Area Coordinator must be made to the Director of Residential Life or the Associate Dean of Students within five days of the sanction. Decisions made by the Associate Dean of Students, Dean of Students, or Judicial Hearing Board are final.

Policy violations that may lead to "residence hall eviction" for a student are automatically referred to the Associate Dean of Students and may be heard by a conduct board. Appeals of decisions reached by the Associate Dean of Students or a conduct board must be made within five days of the sanction to the Associate Dean of Students. Decisions made by the Associate Dean of Students are final.

If an individual does not abide by and/or fulfill designated sanctions or are involved in subsequent policy violations will be subject to further conduct action.
If a ResLife Staff Member has to log a noise violation for the same room twice in the same night, all residents of the room (if participating in the noise violation) will be charged a $75 non-compliance fine. You are responsible for your guests and for being courteous to those residents who live nearby and below you.

General Non-Compliance: This $75 non-compliance fine also applies to all blatant acts of non-compliance such as yelling, screaming, being combative, and / or doing the exact opposite of what a ResLife or Hamline Public Safety team member asks you to do or not do.
First-time alcohol and drug policy violations with decisions of responsibility for the violation will result in a combined sanction of monetary value of $150. Additional violations will result in doubling the prior sanction.

Services and amenities

All first and second year students living on campus are required to have the All Access Meal Plan. Upperclassmen living in the residence halls have the option to change to a smaller dining plan, the 110-block plan, while upperclassmen in the apartments or student houses have the option of not having a meal plan at all due to their kitchen spaces. If you have any questions or concerns about your meal plan, please contact Dining Services at 651-523-2381. Dining hours may be viewed at https://hamline.sodexomyway.com/en-us/.
Dorm rooms and apartments come with basic accommodations for each student. Room furnishings include:
- Desk
- Desk chair
- Window coverings
- Extra long twin sized bed
- Dresser
- Closet space (wardrobe)
In some configurations, some of these items may be shared between roommates. Furniture may not be moved from student rooms. Even if a student is occupying a double room alone, furnishings for a second student may not be moved from the room.

You will need to provide the following items:
- Pillow
- Blanket
- Linens
- Desk lamp
- Wastebasket
- Recycle bin (some, but not all, rooms have recycling bins)
Furniture placed in lounges and public areas is for the use of all residents. In order to be fair to all, you are asked not to move lounge furniture. There will be a financial penalty to any student who is found with lounge furniture in their room.
The custodians in your hall do a great deal to make your hall a more comfortable place to live. The clean appearance of hallways, restrooms, and lounges is due to their efforts. Custodians are not expected to clean unnecessary messes made by residents. Your cooperation in caring for the facilities will create a pleasant atmosphere. Vacuum cleaners are typically placed on every floor, or you can contact your Resident Assistant (RA) to help locate one for you. Residents of the apartments and houses are responsible for all cleaning in their living space.
Your residence hall room or apartment bedroom is wired to support internet access through an Ethernet connection and wireless connectivity that will allow you to send and receive e-mail messages and use an internet browser.

For more information about system requirements, purchasing or installing network cards, which require a patch cable to use, network policies, or troubleshooting, please contact the Central Service Desk at 651-523-2220 or csd@hamline.edu.

What to do...

In case of emergency, call Hamline Public Safety at 651-.523-.2100 for ambulance, police, or fire department response. HPS can give more accurate, on-campus directions to paramedics and police. For non life threatening emergencies, contact the Resident Assistant (RA) on duty.
Students' rooms may be cold because the heat source in the room is blocked. Before reporting a heating problem, please do the following:
- Make sure that there is not anything in front of the radiator or blocking the flow of air around the radiator.
- Move everything away from the radiator. Heat depends on airflow from underneath and around the radiator
- Make sure your valve is open and working
- If your room is too hot, adjust the heat regulation valve on your radiator
- Do not open your window for the sake of regulating the heat in your room. By doing so, other rooms get too hot and energy is wasted
If you continue to have heating problems, please submit a service request through Facilities Services.
All residents and their guests are expected to respond appropriately and immediately whenever a fire alarm is sounded. Building evacuation procedural guidelines are:
- Grab your room key and student I.D. card.
- Wear shoes, coat, gloves, hat, etc. (especially during the winter).
- If you have an approved Emotional Support Animal (ESA), bring with you as well.
- Leave the lights on in the room.
- Close and lock the door.
- Walk quickly to the outside of the building and gather in the designated fire evacuation location for your residence hall (posted inside each residential hall).
- Remain outside until confirmation is given to return to the building by the Fire Department, Hamline Public Safety, or a Residential Life Staff member.
- FIRE DRILLS ONLY: ESA Owners will receive an email with the date and time of the fire drill in order to allow them time to remove their ESAs from the residence.
- Failure to evacuate the building when an alarm is sounded will result in disciplinary action.
If you are locked out of your room or house, contact Hamline Public Safety at 651-523-2100. There is a $25 fee to have an officer unlock your room or house. Students should carry their room / house key at all times and regularly lock their doors. If university staff need to enter your room or house, they are required to lock it behind them, even if you left it unlocked.
Hamline University will be responsible for all maintenance and repair of the housing unit, and its furniture and equipment. The student shall not attempt to perform such maintenance or repairs, but shall notify their RA of the need for maintenance or repairs.

Request maintenance through the maintenance request online portal. By submitting a service request, a resident gives permission to have repair personnel enter their room. Students will not be notified regarding the date and time of the repair. When entry is sought to make improvements or repairs not requested by the student, except in cases of emergency, notice will be given to the occupant twenty-four hours in advance. Maintenance personnel will enter rooms to make repairs Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Generally these requests are completed within ten working days.
If any item disappears from your room or apartment, report it immediately to a Residential Life staff member and to Hamline Public Safety, 651-523-2100. If you are a victim of a theft that occurs somewhere on campus other than in the residence halls, contact Hamline Public Safety. Students are advised to lock their door at all times. For your protection and the protection of all residents, do not admit anyone to a residence hall that is not your guest. Do not leave items unattended such as your backpacks or book bags.
Hamline University does not carry insurance on personal property belonging to students or university employees. Students are urged, for their own protection, to purchase renter’s insurance on their belongings.
Hamline Public Safety, located in Sorin Commons, provides a 24 hour response to any kind of campus emergency as well as a safety escort service for any student upon request. Security call boxes are located throughout campus, and parking lots and residence hall entrances have CCTV security cameras monitoring the area.

In addition, residence hall staff are a visible and available presence in each residence hall and perform building rounds each night. Hamline Public Safety performs periodic rounds of the entire campus including the residence halls and apartments. Each residential area is locked 24 hours a day.

Despite all safety features and services, the best contributors to a safe campus are personal and community responsibility combined with student awareness of possible threats to safety.

The Office of Residential Life advises each student to:
- Never give your student I.D. card to anyone else to use. This is a safety and security threat to all others in the hall as well as to your own safety and well being.
- Always escort your guests to your room from the lobby or foyer of your residence hall.
- Report lost keys or student ID cards immediately to Residential Life staff.
- Lock the room/apartment door and all first floor windows, even if you are only leaving for a short time.
- Only facilitate access to the building for people who are your personal guests. If someone is authorized to access a building, they will have been issued a key. Never allow a person who is not a known guest of yours into a residential building, onto a residence hall floor, or into your room.
- Report any suspicious person or activity immediately to the Hamline Public Safety by calling 651-523-2100 or by using a call box.
- Walk with a friend at night, or use the security escort service by calling 651-523-2100 or using a call box.
- Refrain from tampering with any safety equipment, including disabling smoke detectors and propping locked doors.
- Report any broken safety/security equipment immediately to Residential Life staff or to Hamline Public Safety. This includes but is not limited to door locks, window latches, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.
By taking advantage of the services offered by Hamline and taking responsibility for the safety of yourself and your community, you contribute to the well-being of the entire campus.

Quick phone reference: In case of emergency, dial 911

Apartments Student Area Coordinator: 651-523-2515
Drew Area Coordinator: 651-523-2087
Manor Student Area Coordinator: 651-523-2950
Osborn Student Area Coordinator: 651-523-2134
Schilling Student Area Coordinator: 651-523-2422
Sorin Area Coordinator: 651-523-2449
Residential Life: 651-523-2061
ResLife Director’s Office: 651-523-2874
These phones are staffed 24/7 by a Resident Assistant (RA), including during holiday breaks.

Drew Duty Phone: 651-325-1472
Manor / Sorin Duty Phone: 651-325-1484
Heights** / Apartments Duty Phone: 651-325-1434
**Peterson, Osborn, Schilling
Hamline University Student Congress (HUSC): 651-523-2455
Hamline Public Safety: 651-523-2100
Anderson Front Desk Information: 651-523-2800

Contact information

Residential Life Office

651-523-2061

1536 Hewitt Avenue, MS-C1903
West Hall, Room 106-A
Saint Paul, MN 55104
United States

reslife@hamline.edu