Guide to Day-to-Day Living in the Dorms

Air Conditioners

Air conditioners may be installed for medical reasons only, but are not permitted at all in Burton-Judson, Max Palevsky Residential Commons, South Campus Residence Hall, Stony Island or New Graduate Residence Hall. Permission to install an air conditioner has to be obtained in advance from the Office of Undergraduate Student Housing, with requests accompanied by a physician's statement verifying the need for one. If you receive approval to have an air conditioner, you will be provided with information on the maximum size of the air conditioner unit that you may have, along with direction about how to have the unit installed. The maintenance staff of the residence halls will install the air conditioner that you provide. There is a minimum, annual fee of $35.00 for installation and utility costs of students' air conditioners. 

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Air Conditioning

Max Palevsky, South Campus, Stony Island and New Graduate Residence Hall have air conditioning in addition to heat. The buildings can only operate one system or the other, they can not be run concurrently. It will not be a regular practice to transition back and forth in the event of a brief warm period late in fall or early in spring. In general, residents of these buildings should not expect air-conditioning beyond October 1 or before May 15. As a result, requests for housing in a building with air conditioning are not considered as the air conditioning in these buildings is not turned on for most of the academic year. If a College student applying for housing believes they need air conditioning for a medical condition, they should request housing in a building other than Burton-Judson, Max Palevsky, Stony Island or South Campus so that they may request permission, with documentation from their treating physician, to install a window air conditioner (see above).

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Bicycle Storage

  • You are not allowed to store bicycles in your own room/apartment.
  • Indoor, limited, bicycle storage is available in every residence hall. In order to use the bicycle storage facilities, you must register your bike at the front desk of your hall. All bicycles left in storage during residence hall closings must display ownership tags.
  • Bikes which are left outside or around the building after the halls close and are not registered or tagged will be considered abandoned and will be removed.
  • Bicycles which are locked to trees, handrails, fencing, or other inappropriate areas, will be cut off and removed.
  • We STRONGLY encourage students to register their bicycles with the University Police (UCPD) in case of theft.

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Cable TV

The University has migrated to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), ie. television over the internet. This kind of program viewing requires a computer and a hard-wired connection to the Ethernet in one's bedroom; a TV set is not used. IPTV is system-wide as of the Autumn of 2008, however all but three residence halls do have the capability of conventional cable TV - students subscribe for it directly with the local provider, Comcast. The three buildings that do not have conventional cable TV capability are the Broadview, Pierce Tower and South Campus Residence Hall.

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Change

Desk Clerks can not make change, they do not have cash on hand to do so. There are cash value centers in Burton-Judson, Broadview, Max Palevsky Central, Pierce, and South Campus, which allow House System residents to place money on their Chicago Cards for use in the laundry machines.  Residents of the House System should not use the cash value center in the Reynold's Club as that machine is only for graduate student housing laundry machines. 

Vending machines in the residence halls only take cash. 

To put printing value on one's Chicago card, students may do so online at http://printing.uchicago.edu, or at the Regenstein Library.

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Charge List

  • Lost Key [any] $25.00
  • Lost University ID Card [UCID]* varies by instance at ID & Privileges Office
  • Improper room change $25.00
  • Late check-out $25.00/hour
  • Damage in/to room: Minimum charge of $25.00 will be billed;
    Any and all actual labor (union rate) and material cost for repairs will be billed to student; only rarely are punitive fees added.
  • Lost/damaged analog phone $50.00
  • Lost/damaged data phone (South Campus East and South Campus West) $270
  • Cleaning labor $25.00 minimum (including trash removal)
  • Painting Room $100.00 minimum per wall
  • Smoke Detector $90.00

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Cleaning Equipment

The University supplies vacuums in every residence hall which students may check out from the front desk. Contact the Desk Clerk or your Resident Head with any questions.  Students in rooms/apartments with private bathrooms are asked to not use chemical drain openers to unclog drains.  Please submit a work order in HouseNet:  http://housenet.uchicago.edu

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Computing Facilities

  • All undergraduate residence halls have a range of computer equipment exclusively for residents' use, including Canon printers/copiers, and computers in each hall.  Computers include the Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • To put printing value on one's Chicago card, students may do so online at http://printing.uchicago.edu, or at the Regenstein Library.  Black and white printing costs $0.10/page, color printing is $0.15/page.
  • Each residence hall (except New Grad) has Residential Computing staff (RCAs or DCAs) to assist you. RCAs and DCAs are students who can introduce residents to computing at the University and help users solve their computer-related problems. For computing assistance in your residence hall, please submit a work order in HouseNet (http://housenet.uchicago.edu).
  • For problems using the Canon printer/copier in each residence hall, please email canon@lists.uchicago.edu.

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Damages

  • Residents are responsible for damages, missing furniture and additional cleaning in their rooms upon moving out and checking out of their room. Residents have to be certain to return the Room Condition Report given to them when they register at the Hall upon moving in; they will not receive their mailbox combination or mailbox key until they have turned the Room Condition Report in to the front desk.
  • If more than one person is assigned to the room, charges will be split equally among the residents unless particular individuals take full responsibility for the condition. Charges will be based upon the cost to replace or repair any item. Residents should be sure to fill out a Room Condition Report immediately upon moving in to insure that they will not be charged for damages existing prior to their arrival.
  • Damages that occur in the common spaces of a particular House will be charged to that House. A bill will be given to the Resident Head(s) who will discuss the problem with the residents and insure prompt payment. In residence halls with more than one House, damages in common spaces are the responsibility of all residents. A bill for such damages will be given to the hall council for payment.
  • University property may not be removed from common areas. There is a minimum charge of $25.00 for the misuse of hall furniture. In addition, student room furniture cannot be relocated without prior permission from the Facility Manager.
  • Upon check out, all residents are responsible for returning the room furniture to the same condition and layout as was found upon moving in. Beds that were not bunked at check-in must be unbunked and individually adjustable beds must be set no higher than midpoint. Charges will be assessed to rearrange the furniture or to adjust bed heights.
  • Students have to leave their room "broom clean" upon checking out - including the removal of all trash.  Failure to leave their room clean and clear of trash will result in fines.

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Fire Safety Information

  • At the start of the academic year every student receives a customized fire safety and evacuation memo for their particular residence hall in their mailbox. Each student should carefully review the memo and become familiar with the locations of the fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers and fire exits in the residence hall.
  • Every year fire drills are conducted to assist students in learning what the fire alarms sound like, to learn how to safely evacuate, and to help them to understand where they are expected to congregate outside.
  • It is expected that students will evacuate any time they hear a fire alarm.
  • Do not cover, block or tamper with sprinkler heads, smoke detectors or any other fire safety device.
  • If you discover a fire, immediately pull the nearest fire alarm pull station. The Chicago Fire Department will respond immediately to all alarms.
  • When a fire alarm sounds in the building, all occupants of the building are required to evacuate the building in a swift but orderly manner.
  • If you are in your room when an alarm sounds, feel the door to the corridor before opening it. If the door is hot, keep it closed. Cover or stuff clothing in the cracks around the door. Take no unnecessary chances to get out of your room. Unless you are in immediate danger, you may be safer where you are. Hang a sheet out of your window to alert the Fire Department to your location.
  • If your room door is cool, open it slightly. If the hall appears safe, leave by one of the fire stairwells. If possible, close the windows and door to your room when you leave. Do not lock your door. Turn the room lights on. Knock loudly on the room doors next to yours to alert your neighbors.
  • Never use the elevator when evacuating the building.
  • Students should proceed down the stairwells in as orderly a manner as possible. Keep calm.
  • If you are in the basement, follow hallway to the nearest exit sign, go up one flight of stairs to exit on first floor.
  • If you must leave in heavy smoke, stay as close to the floor as possible. A wet cloth over your face may aid breathing.
  • The fire department will notify when it is safe to re-enter the building.

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Furniture

All rooms are furnished with the following: bed, dresser, desk, chair, telephone, book shelving, and window treatments. Your room is furnished and you should not bring large furniture to campus. All University supplied furniture must remain in your room. In most buildings beds may be bunked. Submit a work order in HouseNet (http://housenet.uchicago.edu) if you would like your beds bunked. At busy times of the academic year it may take up to five (5) work-days for this work order to be completed. For student and fire safety reasons, loft kits and the lofting of beds is not permitted. Waterbeds are not allowed.

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Guest Rooms

We do not have guest rooms available to reserve in the House System.  However, International House is located on campus and provides short-term housing for affiliated guests.  See their website for more information:  http://ihouse.uchicago.edu/residency/residency_short.shtml  

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Hallways

Fire Code Regulations prohibit leaving luggage, furniture, bicycles, and other items in the corridors (including basement corridors) AT ANY TIME.

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HouseNet

HouseNet is the web-based system that House System residents use to submit work orders for issues in their rooms or common areas and to request assistance with setting up their computer.  HouseNet is also the system that manages the receipt and pick-up of packages that residents receive.  Students use their CNet ID and password to log into HouseNet.  Link: http://housenet.uchicago.edu

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Kitchen Facilities

  • All of the residence halls have community kitchens or small kitchenettes that are available for student use. In some halls, membership fees or requirements of membership exist.
  • Residents are fully responsible for keeping the facilities clean. The housekeeping staff will not clean stoves or clean and defrost refrigerators.
  • Cooking is permitted only in rooms and apartments with kitchens at Blackstone, Stony Island, and South Campus Residence Hall. Cooking is not permitted in any other student room.

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Laundry Facilities

  • Coin and card-operated washers and dryers are located in each residence hall.
  • Costs are $1.00/load for washing and $1.00/load for drying.
  • If a machine does not function properly, please submit a work order.  Work orders for laundry equipment problems should be directed to: http://laundryview.com/lvs.php.
  • If you lose money in a laundry machine, card or cash value, please notify the front desk.
  • There are cash value centers in Burton-Judson, Broadview, Max Palevsky Central, Pierce, and South Campus, which allow House System residents to place money on their Chicago Cards for use in the laundry  machines (but not for the Canon print/copy machines - see Computing Facilities).
  • Residents of the House System should not use the cash value center in the Reynold's Club as that machine is only for graduate student housing laundry machines.

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Mail

  • U.S. Mail is delivered to the residence halls once each day, Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. Faculty Exchange (inter-department mail) makes one pick-up and delivery per day, Monday through Friday, at all halls except Stony Island (US. Mail must be used for this building).
  • All U. S. and Faculty Exchange mail must be addressed to you personally. Only pre-approved official University announcements, publications, and mailings will be placed in student mailboxes. Leaflets and announcements distributed by student organizations will not be placed in student mailboxes unless they are addressed by name and room number. Desk Clerks will not accept packages C.O.D.
  • During the summer recess, the residence halls will forward first class mail only - for up to six months. In order to receive forwarded first class mail. you have to leave a forwarding address at the front desk of your building at the time that you check-out of the building.
  • Forwarding mail requests by students in Stony Island should be submitted directly to one of the local post offices.
  • All first class mail for which no forwarding address is available will be returned to sender. Second and third class mail will not be forwarded during the summer. If residents wish to receive magazines and other second and third class mail over the summer, they have to notify the senders of their new address four to six weeks in advance, as such mail is not forwarded.
  • If residents experience a problem with their mail - it's missing or damaged - they should submit a work order in HouseNet and report the issue to their RH.

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Maintenance Checks

General maintenance checks of residence hall rooms are made each quarter. These checks are made by Residence Halls and Commons (RH&C) staff for the purpose of determining the condition of walls, ceilings, floors, smoke alarms, furnishings, window locks, screens, etc. These checks are typically done during the interim break periods. If there are plans to do them at another time, a schedule will be posted in advance of inspections.

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Motorcycles

Fire code regulations prohibit the storage of motorcycles or other gas or fuel-powered vehicles in residential buildings at any time.

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Music Practice Rooms

Most residence halls have at least one music practice room.  Blackstone and Stony Island do not have a music practice room.  All the residence halls, except for Stony Island, have at least one piano available for resident use - either in a music practice room or in a common area.

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Not Permitted in the Residence Halls

For safety and sanitary reasons, the following items are not allowed in the House System: electric coffee makers, electric grills (e.g. George Foreman grills), halogen floor lamps, hot plates, loft kits/lofting of bed materials, microwaves (unless part of a Microfridge unit), toasters and toaster ovens, refrigerators over 4.0 cubic feet, portable heating systems, weapons (including paintball guns, decorative weapons/swords, and athletic weapons such as a fencing sword or bow and arrow), air conditioner (unless advance permission is granted for medical reasons, see Air Conditioners).  Amplified musical instruments may not be played in student rooms.

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Overnight Guests

  • House System guest procedures are based on the premise that residents of the House System ought to be able to have occasional personal guests in the residence halls, when space is available, under reasonable limitations that protect the rights of roommates and the interests of the University community. Anyone who is not a regularly assigned resident of a room is considered a guest. Residents may not host guests overnight in their room without the consent of all assigned residents of the room. Approved guests may not remain for more than three nights in the student rooms without prior approval of the Housing staff.
  • Parents visiting students on campus during the academic year should secure suitable hotel accommodations for overnight visits. Residence Hall rooms are not suitable for visiting parents; this includes apartments which are more spacious but shared with other students. The presence of parents for any extended length of time in a residence hall can be a source of uneasiness and discomfort among student residents. Consequently, no parent may stay overnight in a residence hall.
  • Guest rooms may be available at International House for short-term housing.  See their website:  http://ihouse.uchicago.edu/residency/residency_short.shtml

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Packages

  • Residents may receive packages at every residence hall.  At Stony Island, only USPS packages can be delivered.  Packages that are delivered by other carriers to Stony Island residents are to be addressed to the student, and sent in care of New Graduate Residence Hall, 1307 E. 60th St., Chicago, IL 60637.
  • In order for a package to be properly delivered and a resident notified in a timely manner, all packages to House System residents have to include a student's complete, legal name (no nicknames), and a complete address including their room number.
  • Residents are notified of the arrival of a package via an email sent to their University of Chicago email address.
  • Residents have to claim their own package by going to the front desk/mail room in person and use their CNet ID and password to claim the package in HouseNet at the time that they retrieve their package.
  • Max Palevsky Residential Commons has specific package pick-up hours:  Monday-Saturday, 9:00AM-1:00AM.

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Physical Plant Emergencies

In the event of a physical plant emergency (broken water pipe, electrical short, etc.) contact the front desk of your hall immediately. Stony Island residents contact the New Graduate Residence Hall front desk at 2-4000. Under urgent or emergency circumstances, Residence Halls & Commons (RH&C) staff may find it necessary to enter student rooms without advance notice.

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Recycling

The residence halls participate in a recycling program. Look for receptacles in lounges, common areas, hallways, and/or trash rooms. If you cannot locate recycling stations, contact your Resident Head or Facility Manager. Recycled items include:

  • Newspaper and its fillers
  • High Grade Paper, Use the white bags to recycle: office paper, magazines, junk mail, envelopes, glossy paper and computer paper.
  • Low Grade Paper, Use the blue bags to recycle: phone books, food boxes and brightly colored paper.
  • Glass Bottles and Jars: rinsed, separated by color. Lids should be removed; labels can remain. We do not accept Pyrex or window glass.
  • Food and Beverage Cans: aluminum, steel and bi-metal; rinse, remove labels.
  • Plastic Bottles and Jars (only #1 PETE and #2 HDPE): rinse, flatten, remove lids. Look on bottom of container to be sure it is #1 or #2.
  • Corrugated Cardboard: completely flattened and tied in two directions with strong twine. Do not include waxed cardboard, wood, plastic bags or corrugated with a lot of food or grease on it (e.g. pizza boxes).

If you have other questions about recycling or other environmental concerns see UCRecycle.

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Registration and Keys

With the exception of Stony Island, all residents have to register at the front desk of their hall upon arrival.

  • At Stony Island, all check-in, check-out, and key services are handled at New Graduate Residence Hall ( 1207 E. 60 th St., 773.702.4000). When arriving to move in, Stony Island residents should first visit New Grad to obtain building and room keys. A representative from New Grad will be present in the Stony Island lobby to distribute keys on-site for limited hours on two days only: the first day of Orientation Week for new students only and the first day of upperclass/returning student move-in.  After that date, returning upperclass students will have to pick up their Stony keys at New Graduate Residence Hall
  • Upon registration, you will sign for the keys you will use. In the event of a room change, you must return your old room key(s) to the front desk within 24 hours before obtaining keys to your new room. If a room key is lost the lock must be changed. All keys must be returned to the front desk when you check out or leave the housing system. There is a $25.00 charge for room keys that are lost or not returned at the end of the year. There is a $25.00 per key replacement charge for all non-room keys including entrance keys, plastic keys, mailbox keys, etc.
  • Duplication of residence hall keys is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action.
  • Students using their ChicagoCard ID for access (Max Palevsky, South Campus, Maclean, and Burton-Judson) must have it encoded at the front desk when they check-in or change rooms, and decoded when they depart the building. A lost ID is charged for at the Identity & Privileges Office when a replacement is made; there is no charge for re-encoding a ChicagoCard ID at the Front Desk.
  • If you have locked yourself out you may obtain a temporary key or card at the front desk, which must be returned within one hour. Resident staff will be asked to speak with students who abuse this process by frequently obtaining keys or cards. Additionally, charges may be levied for unreturned keys or cards. For a key or card not returned, the Facility Manager may determine to change the lock, initiating a $25.00 charge.
  • There is a $25.00 improper check-out fee for failing to have your card invalidated at the Front Desk upon moving out, mid-year.
  • There is a $25.00 charge for failure to check out when moving rooms and/or for failing to check out at the end of the year.

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Repairs

  • You are asked to fill out a work-order request as soon as possible when repairs are needed or if any damage has occurred. Work requests may be submitted online in HouseNet (http://housenet.uchicago.edu).
  • Work orders for laundry equipment problems should be directed to: http://laundryview.com/lvs.php.
  • Under no circumstances should you attempt to make repairs.
  • Residents should not use chemical drain openers to unclog drains.

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Safety

  • Under no circumstances should heat detectors, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, standpipes or fire sprinklers be tampered with. These are life-safety devices intended for emergency situations. You should fill out a work-order request or contact the Resident Head or Desk Clerk if any of the equipment malfunctions or needs repair. Likewise, under no circumstances should automatic door closing devices or window screens be removed. Violation of these policies will result in disciplinary action.
  • Students are not permitted to go out on the roofs or fire escapes, or any area deemed as a "restricted area" of the residence halls and dining commons except in an emergency. Violations of this policy will result in a fine and disciplinary action, including possible expulsion from the House System.
  • Individuals violating these regulations create a safety and security hazard and are subject to disciplinary action including a charge for missing screens and damaged equipment. Suspicious activity should be reported to a resident staff member or the University Police at once.

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Security

  • It is very important that you take steps to insure your personal safety and the security of your property. We urge you to lock your room.
  • Only residents and their signed-in personal guests are permitted to enter the residence halls.
  • To sign-in, guests have to provide a photo ID to the desk clerk upon arriving to visit a resident. Guests must be signed out upon leaving the building.
  • Residents are responsible for their guests at all times.
  • No one should unlock or open an outside door to permit someone who is neither a resident nor guest to enter the building.
  • Security screens and/or window stops are installed on all first floor rooms and on rooms adjacent to fire escapes and porches. These security devices must be in place at all times.

For additional information on campus safety and security, please refer to Common Sense at: commonsense.uchicago.edu.

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Storage (Trunk Room)

  • Trunks, luggage, and boxes, totaling no more than five pieces, may be stored in the trunk rooms of the residence halls. All items must be packed, labeled, and ready for shipment. Trunk room tags are available at the front desks and must be filled out and attached to each item stored. Due to space restrictions, room furniture cannot be stored in any building.
  • Please be careful not to damage stairs and corridors when bringing items to the storage rooms. Porter service is not provided by the University. In most halls, trunk rooms are generally accessible during the hours of 8:00AM to 2:00PM, Monday through Friday. See the Desk Clerk or your Resident Head if you have questions about storage and trunk room hours. Residents of Stony Island have storage bins. Locks are not provided by the University.
  • The University assumes no responsibility for property stored in the storage bins or trunk rooms. You are strongly advised to have property insurance that covers your belongings in the residence hall.
  • CSI insurance agency is a private company not affiliated wtih the University, which provides personal property protection. For information please call 1-888-411-4911 between 9:00AM-5:00PM EST, or see their website at www.collegestudentinsurance.com.

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Telephones

Residents may make local and domestic long-distance phonecalls for no charge.  Making international long-distance calls from your residence hall room phone requires an Authcode (authorization code) or a calling card. Authcodes are assigned through the cMore site. After logging in, go to the Telecommunication Services section where you can order, replace, and manage your account. The University Authcode identifies you as the caller for billing purposes. It is important to protect the confidentiality of your Authcode since you are responsible for all charges incurred by its use. For students, a monthly itemized statement of the phone calls made with your Authcode is available on the cMore site. This statement is not a bill. Your total phone charges will be included in your next tuition and fees bill produced by the Bursar's Office and will be due by the date stated on this bill. Nonpayment of phone service charges will result in academic restrictions.

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Vending Machines

Coin operated vending machines for soda and food items are available in the residence halls. If the machines are empty or not functioning properly, please contact the Residence Halls & Commons (RH&C) Office at 702-2310, or file a workorder in HouseNet.

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