Residential Life Handbook

Welcome This Residence Life Handbook is a guide to community living and contains general information concerning daily life in the residence halls. Additional specific information will be posted on housing bulletin boards, in emails to residents, and in specific flyers handed out to residents. You will be accountable for this information and for understanding the contents of this handbook. The residence halls at Dakota College at Bottineau can house up to approximately 200 students. We are happy that you are coming to live with us! Living in a residence hall is quite unlike any other living experience. Residence halls seem somewhat impersonal…until you move in and discover all the new friends and unique opportunities now open to you. It’s the people that make residence hall living so great. At DCB, students are the most important aspect of our college. Residing in one of our residence halls will put you in a living and learning environment where you can benefit through interaction with a diverse community of people. Please respect where you live and remember that you are sharing this space with others. Be mindful of behavior that may disturb others. Respect each other’s privacy, be tolerant of one another, and be courteous when addressing problems. Following these simple rules will help ensure a comfortable and safe living environment. We encourage you to become active residents and informed consumers. If you have any questions concerning policies or procedures, or believe you have an unusual circumstance, please contact the Director of Student Life. DCB will make all reasonable efforts to accommodate requests from our residents. Please retain this handbook . You can refer to throughout the year as an important source of information. You can also help ensure your success as a member of the DCB housing family by knowing and abiding by the handbook regulations. We wish you an enjoyable and memorable stay in our residence halls. Introduction and Philosophy Our Mission is to: 1. Create an atmosphere conducive to learning. 2. Implement and foster programs supporting student learning and provide programs that enhance understanding of cultural, ethnic, physical, racial, sexual orientation, and religious differences. 3. Create and maintain a residence life community in which students take responsibility for comprehending and enriching their environment while respecting the rights and needs of others within the campus community. 4. Provide students with affordable and comfortable on-campus housing accommodations. 5. Provide a disciplinary structure promoting and encouraging student accountability and responsibility. 6. Provide values-based educational programming to raise student awareness of social, emotional, mental, and physical health, substance abuse, and responsible sexual behavior. The residence halls are designed to provide comfortable living quarters for students while they are enrolled in the college as well as promote the personal and social development of students through group living. DCB has established rules and regulations which aim to protect college property, protect individual rights, uphold state and federal law, and provide an atmosphere conducive to study, sleep, security, and relaxation. The Director of Student Life is responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations and for managing the residence halls in an orderly and efficient manner. Housing staff assist the Director of Student Life: Head Residents and Student Resident Assistants (RA’s). Please see the Common Housing Violations and Sanctions Handout for disciplinary guidelines. The unique situations of group living dictate which forms of discipline are appropriate. For this reason, the forms of disciplinary action termed sanctions (disciplinary action and/or monetary fines) will be used most often. However, revocation of residence hall privileges because of repeated or serious misconduct usually is accompanied by formal disciplinary probation. The length of the probation will be determined by the Housing Judicial Officer. The principles of democracy, tolerance, and responsibility apply to DCB’s residential community.