Residence Hall
Student Rights and Responsibilities
As a member of UD's residence hall community, you are afforded certain individual rights that your roommate(s) and those living around you should respect. However, these rights carry with them a reciprocal responsibility for you. Your responsibilities ensure that your roommate(s), suite/quad mates, floor mates, and other residents are afforded the same rights regardless of their gender, race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background, beliefs, values or attitudes. When you meet your responsibilities, you will be helping to make the University and residence halls a great place to live and work!
Through the community agreement process, you and other members of your community may choose to add to this list. It is important that these items, the concept of others' rights and responsibilities and the community agreement be discussed throughout the year.
The Residence Life staff does not, nor can it, guarantee you will attain each of these rights at all times. You share the responsibility. You can help ensure that these rights will be honored through thoughtful discussion and open communication with roommates, suite/quad mates, floor mates, and other residents.
Residence Life staff is committed to working with you to create a welcoming and inclusive environment that will allow you to take healthy risks, grow, and participate in enriching and challenging activities. This assumes that you are helping the staff maintain the orderly and safe operations of our residential communities; the choice is yours - you can choose to passively exist or to take full advantage of your living environment by participating in activities, standing up for yourself and others, and speaking up for what you believe has value.
The following is a listing of your "rights" (things to which you are entitled as a student living in one of UD's residence halls) as well as your "responsibilities" (what is expected of you as a member of a residence community). These rights and responsibilities are not legally binding, but they are meant to complement the formal Student Guide to University Policies and Residence Hall Regulations.
- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to a safe and secure residence hall living environment.
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to keep your room door and hall doors locked, and to not prop them open or allow in strangers. You also have a responsibility to uphold all security policies and procedures. Violations of these security policies and procedures put you and others at risk.
- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to a reasonably peaceful and quiet space in which you can sleep and study;
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to observe quiet hours, to keep your music, television, computer and your voice at a reasonable volume in your room and on your floor, and to remind your guests and others that you expect the same of them.
- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to privacy and to the proportionate use of your room, both in terms of space and time, and the right to be free of unwanted guests in your room;
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to let your roommate know of your wishes and preference for hours of sleep, study, and visitation, and to work through any difference you may have in a peaceful manner. You also have a responsibility to make sure your guests do not violate your roommate's rights or interfere with his/her use of your room.
- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to confront another person's behavior when it infringes on your rights;
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to examine your own behavior when confronted by another and to work toward resolving conflicts.
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to comply with all reasonable requests from University personnel; this includes, but is not limited to, presenting your University issued identification card to any Residence Life staff member when requested to so.
- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to the assistance of your Resident Assistant, Hall Director, Complex Coordinator, or other Residence Life staff members when you need help with a problem;
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to notify a staff person of your problem and request assistance in a timely manner and to cooperate with those involved as they work with you as you solve your problem.
- YOU HAVE THE RIGHT to know what is OK and NOT OK behavior in your living environment;
- YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY to read the information provided for you by the University of Delaware. This includes, but is not limited to your Housing Agreement, Dining Contract, Residence Hall Regulations and Student Guide to University Policies. You may report any violation, whether or not you were personally affected by it.
To a significant extent, your success will depend on your ability to understand and balance the rights and responsibilities aspects of your college experience. The University staff does not assume the role of campus parent, and you will seldom be told what to do or what not to do with regard to your personal behavior. The obvious exception, as with society at large, is when individual behavior threatens the health and safety of others or the community or begins to disrupt the legitimate pursuits of others within the residence halls.
These are some of your "rights" and "responsibilities." Think about them, talk about them, and make them a part of what you do during your stay here.
*adapted from Oregon State University Residents' Rights and Responsibilities
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