Housing accommodations and policies
With any community that involves shared space and interests, guidelines are important as a foundation for living together in a safe, secure and educational environment. To that end, there are several important documents and resources available to students which govern acceptable behavior within Earlham College’s residential facilities. Students should take time to review these policies to ensure they are meeting community standards.
Along with established community policies, there are established procedures that the Office of Residence Life has put in place to ensure a fair and timely process for all students. Many of the most common processes that students have questions about, or need resources for, are included on this page or on the left navigation. If you have any questions about residence life procedures or policies, please let us know!
RESIDENCE POLICY
Within the broad context of Principles and Practices, the Residence Life program is shaped by a view of residence halls and houses as learning environments. Because of the positive impact an on-campus residential environment has on the learning process and the College curriculum, Earlham College requires all undergraduate students enrolled in nine credits or more and under the age of twenty-three as of the first day of fall semester classes live in on-campus Earlham College housing facilities.
HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS
The Academic Enrichment Center at Earlham College is the office which specializes in and assists students with disabilities and special needs, serving as the 504 Coordinator for all of our students. If you are a student with a recognized disability, you are strongly encouraged to contact the Academic Enrichment Center to begin the documentation and accommodation process for disability. The staff in the Academic Enrichment Center works with offices across campus, including the Office of Residence Life, to arrange accommodations for students with recognized disabilities.
Resources
ROOM CHANGES
The Office of Residence Life recognizes the importance of a safe and secure living space that is conducive to learning and growth. To that end, the Office of Residence Life is committed to providing Earlham College students with the opportunity to change rooms should the need arise.
Below are several standards which guide our residence life staff as we process through room change requests:
- Traditionally-aged first-year students are required to live in Barrett Hall, Bundy Hall or Olvey-Andis Hall with other first-year students. Returning and other non-first year students may not live in Barrett Hall or Bundy Hall.
- Students involved in a roommate dispute may be required to attempt mediation before a room change is approved.
- Students with an approved room change cannot begin a room change until the listed date on the approval form and must have checked out of the old room by the specified date.
- To minimize academic disruption, room changes shall not occur during academic finals week. Exceptions in emergency situations can occur.
Resources
- Complete the online form. To begin the room change process, students should complete the online request form. Once completed, this online form will generate an automated notice to your area director to facilitate the start of the process.
- Make an appointment. Once the student submits his/her online request form, the student’s area director will reach out to the student within the next two business days to schedule an appointment. The student should check their Earlham College email for a note from the area director to coordinate a time to meet.
- Meet with your area director. At the scheduled meeting with the area director, the staff member will discuss with the student the reason for the move request and available options for a potential room change. Area director staff may request that roommate mediation be attempted before any room change if the student is requesting a room change based upon a poor relationship with their roommate. If your area director approves of your room change, they will help you select a space available on-campus and confirm your room change with the Office of Residence Life.
- Pick up your new key. Once the room change has been approved, the student can go to the Office of Residence Life to pick up their new room key at the start of their room change period, which the student and the area director will discuss. Usually, room changes will begin one business day after the room change has been approved. The student will retain their old room key during the room change, so they can secure both of the spaces they are responsible for until the room change is complete.
- Check out of your old room. Once the student has completed moving their belongings, the student should complete a formal check-out with their RA (the RA of the floor from which the student is moving away). This formal check-out should be set up as an appointment ahead of time to ensure staff availability. The student must complete a check-out of his/her old room by the date specified during the room change approval process.
HEATING AND COOLING
If you are having difficulty with the heating or cooling system in your room please follow these instructions before notifying your area director or Maintenance.
- Do not put anything in front of your heater. Your heater requires air movement to work properly. Cold air goes in the bottom of the heater, passes over the convector coils inside the cover and is discharged through the upper register. Therefore, it is very important to keep these openings and registers clear. Don’t push your bed, blankets, laundry, or anything against the heaters. The heat simply will not work if you block the openings.
- Windows that are open or not completely shut are frequently a source of cold rooms. If heat is coming out of your heater and the room is still cold, the window(s) may not be sealed properly. If you need help with drafty windows, call Maintenance.
- When you call about a maintenance problem, make sure to include as many details as possible. Details include your building, floor, room number, and the specific problem. Avoid things like “the heater is not operating properly.” The more information Maintenance has, the faster the problem can be remedied.
- If there is a serious problem that needs to be addressed over the weekend or at night, please contact Public Safety after notifying the area director on duty and your residential assistant.
There is a hand valve in each room that controls heat. The valve handle sticks through the radiator cover. To set your room temperature, turn the handle with very small changes until the room is comfortable. To reduce the heat, turn the handle clockwise. To increase the heat, turn the handle counter-clockwise.
There are control knobs on each radiator within each room. There are arrows on the control knobs that indicate warmer (#5) or cooler (#1). Adjust this knob until your room is comfortable. Most find that a setting of 3 is the best. Some of the knobs are difficult to find, so look around the entire radiator. The windows in Bundy sometimes are difficult to close. Please make sure that the window is shut before calling Maintenance.
Room heat is controlled by flappers or doors inside the heater covers. A knob sticks through each section of the radiator cover. To reduce your heat, turn the handle clockwise. To increase your heat, turn the handle counter-clockwise. To set your room temperature, turn the handle with very small changes, until the room is comfortable.
There is a hand valve in each room that controls the heat. The valve is located under the desk and closest to the center of the building. To reduce your heat, turn the handle clockwise. To increase heat, turn the handle counter-clockwise. To set the room temperature, turn the handle with very small changes, until the room is comfortable.
There is a thermostat in each room that controls the heat. The thermostat is located on the wall at various locations in each room. To adjust the temperature, move the black plastic knob on the bottom of the thermostat. If the thermostat does not have the knob, call Maintenance and request a new thermostat. You might notice a hissing sound when the thermostat is adjusted. This is a normal sound; do not be concerned.
Warren and Wilson are the only two residence halls at Earlham that have central cooling. These buildings have changeover thermostats. That means the thermostats have to change from heating to cooling as the seasons change. If the ventilation unit in the room is providing cold air (in the heating season) or hot air (in the cooling season), turn the thermostat to the opposite stop (all the way to cool or heat). This will allow the control valve to open and allow water to flow. When the sensor detects the water temperature, it will changeover the thermostat to the correct mode. When the correct air temperature (hot or cold) begins to flow out of the vent, you can set the thermostat wherever you want.
More information and resources
The Office of Residence Life works behind the scenes to keep you safe, healthy and fulfilled throughout your journey at Earlham College. Whether you are looking for academic advice, a shoulder to lean on, or opportunities for personal and professional growth, our team is here to support you through it all.