Residence Life Community Guidelines

Any student at Westmont College can elect to enroll in the meal plan (i.e. board plan). Campus residents are required to participate in the meal plan, with exceptions given to residents in the Global Leadership Center (GLC) and students approved by the Office of Disability Services due to extreme medical dietary restrictions. If you do not live on campus, you may enroll in the meal plan through the Housing Office. The meal plan policy can be found in detail on the Housing Website and more information on dietary accommodations can be found on the Accessibility Resource Office webpage.

The Housing Office seeks to accommodate requests for housing but reserves the sole right to make all room and roommate assignments. This includes the right to make changes after assignments have been confirmed and posted online, and require students to reside on-campus or off-campus. 

Returning students have the opportunity to select rooms and roommates for the upcoming academic year during the spring housing selection process. If you are planning to study away or abroad for the fall semester, you are not a part of the Spring housing selection process, but can start planning with friends to join a room when you return, possibly considering a Flex Triple Housing option to secure preferred housing. New students will be given the opportunity to request roommates or a particular residence hall through their housing form once they confirm they are attending Westmont.

All students must fill out a fall to spring housing form by early November. Students desiring to change rooms for spring semester can communicate their preferences using that form.  Approvals will be communicated late November or early December. 

If you do not have a roommate in your room and do not have a single room accommodation through the Office of Disability Services, Housing reserves the right to assign students in this space at any time during the year. It is your responsibility to secure roommates of your choice, and to fill any vacant spot in your room during the academic year.

Roommate conflicts occur even in the healthiest of roommate relationships. Conflict is normal and should be expected in relationships, especially when two or more people live together and share a common space. Sometimes situations that work at the beginning of the year become more difficult as the year goes on, and conflict is necessary to bring resolution and deeper understanding between roommates. 

Many conflicts can be resolved easily with a mature and respectful conversation between roommates. Other conflicts may be more difficult to resolve and may require assistance through a mediation process. In extreme cases, conflicts may not be able to be resolved, resulting in a room change for one or both roommates. Our goal in Residence Life is to offer support and serve as a resource in this process.

Roommate conflicts are initially handled by the Resident Assistant, who will work to offer mediation and counsel to both students involved. If the conflict becomes more serious or it seems mediation is not working, Resident Directors will then become involved to offer assistance and facilitate a room change if that seems to be the best resolution in the end. 

It is never our desire to force you to live in a room where the climate is fraught with tension and frustration or where conflict cannot be resolved.  We do, however, expect you to make a sincere and collaborative effort to work through the conflict, communicate your concerns clearly, and develop strong conflict management or coping skills in the process. Our residence halls are also very full and at times we may not have the space available to move you to a new or different space, but we will explore every option. Please know attempting to force a roommate out of the room or preventing a roommate from moving into the room will not be tolerated, and could result in a student conduct process.

You might be able to work out an agreement with your roommate for one semester but decide it is best to move rooms at the end of the Fall Semester. This is the preferred method for initiating room changes, as it is the least disruptive to the academic experience for everyone involved. If you desire to move, you may indicate this request during the fall to spring housing process.  You may request to move at the semester out of simple preference--it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to a conflictual situation. Approvals will be communicated in late November or early December. 

Roommate conflicts and room changes are not addressed by the Director of Residence Life or Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing Services unless the hall staff requires assistance in doing so. It is also important to note that the college expects students, not parents, to work through the processes outlined above.

Students residing in a residence hall must check in and check out with the Residence Life staff, there are no exceptions to this policy. 

CHECKING IN

Westmont utilizes Housing Inspections to create an online inventory/assessment of each residence hall room.  These are done before students check in and can be referred to during the check-in process if there are any questions about the room or furniture in the room.  The inspections are designed to protect you as the student, as well as Westmont College property.

Furniture and other items may not be left in the hallways, utility rooms and public areas. Any such items left will be removed by college staff, and you will be held accountable for appropriate replacement costs. 

Students checking in to their residence hall should show up at the designated times for Check-In to complete necessary paperwork, collect their key, and receive important housing information. Failure to do so will result in a $100 improper check-in fee.  If students are unable to show up at these designated times, they must work well in advance to coordinate a different time with the Residence Life Staff based on their availability.

Please note the following important information: Students living in any residence hall room who are unapproved (for example, living with a friend before their designated check-in time) or who are hosting unapproved students will incur this fee, and potentially additional Housing charges.  

CHECKING OUT

Additionally, you are responsible for checking out of your room by making an appointment with your Resident Assistant (RA) before leaving (or in Ocean View apartments, your RD).  You should leave your room in the same condition as you found it, including returning beds to their original configuration. You and your RA will compare the current room condition with Housing Inspection. You will be held responsible for the condition and cleanliness of your room and furnishings and any loss or damage other than normal wear that might occur during your occupancy. In order to avoid a possible $100 improper check-out fine and/or cleaning fees, be sure to follow the proper check-out procedures, which are provided by Residence Life staff before checkout.

The fall semester check-out deadline is 12:00 pm (noon) on the Saturday immediately after finals.  The spring semester check-out deadline is 12:00 pm (noon) on the Friday of finals week. The spring deadline applies to all students not officially involved in graduation ceremonies or authorized to stay by the Housing Office (e.g., for reasons such as Mayterm, athletics, summer residency at Ocean View, or Westmont summer employment). If you are authorized to stay in Westmont housing beyond the Friday of finals week, you have until 12:00 pm (noon) on the Sunday after commencement to check out.  Residence Life does NOT conduct any checkouts on the Saturday of commencement so the entire Westmont community can celebrate with the graduating seniors.

If you wish to withdraw from school during a semester, you must obtain a withdrawal form from the Registrar’s office in Kerrwood Hall and go through the residence hall check-out procedure by contacting your RD.

The residence halls will close for the Christmas holiday at 12:00 pm (noon) on the Saturday immediately after finals. They will reopen at 11am on the Saturday immediately preceding the start of Spring semester classes. During this break, security personnel and/or residence life staff may inspect your residence hall room or apartment for safety hazards.

During the Christmas holiday, you are welcome to visit the campus to pick up mail, use the library, attend basketball games, show the campus to parents and friends and make use of the public areas (note that business days/hours are reduced during this break). However, you must obtain authorization prior to accessing the residence halls. Any students in the residence halls over Christmas break without official approval will be charged a minimum of $100 and possibly an additional fee per night.

Additionally, in preparation for an extended holiday break where electricity and heat could possibly be turned off, students are asked to complete the following items listed below before leaving campus: 

• Empty and defrost personal refrigerator and put back in room unplugged
• Ensure all trash and/or perishable food in the room is properly discarded
• Unplug all electronics 
• Dirty dishes have been washed 
• Prepare room for a potential new roommate (if you have an open space) 
• Remove all personal belongings from bathrooms, lounges, hallways, laundry room, and kitchens
• Remove Christmas decorations and pet fish (if applicable)

Students living in the Ocean View apartments may stay in their apartments during the Christmas holiday, but on-campus residents may not stay and will need to ask permission to enter the residence halls during the holiday season. 

You may remain on campus for all or part of spring recess, but you must sign-up in advance on a form provided by Housing or Residence Life before spring recess. No dining or custodial services will be provided, access to the residence hall kitchens may be limited, residence hall staff will be available only on a very limited basis, and shuttle service will be suspended during spring recess. Guests may not stay in the residence halls during this break. Behavioral expectations and housing policies apply as usual.

During the spring semester, you may apply for summer housing.  Most of the details can be found online at the Housing Website.  From this webpage, it will take you to a summer housing application in your student portal. Short-term summer residents, such as intercollegiate athletes and those attending Mayterm or summer travel programs are typically housed in Page Hall. The transition from spring to summer housing occurs on the Sunday after Commencement.

Any current student may apply for summer housing at the Ocean View apartments, and Westmont student employees receive initial priority for housing in Ocean View. There is no Mayterm housing at Ocean View, although current Ocean View residents’ Mayterm requests will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis (depending upon available space).

Everyone who reserves campus housing is obligated to pay the room charge for the entire semester. If you move off campus or withdraw, the schedule for refunds is in the college catalog.

All triple rooms contain furniture to accommodate three residents. All furniture is to remain in each triple room, even if not fully occupied. For occupants of triple rooms (except for flex-triples in the GLC), a refund is credited at the end of each semester to residents who have lived in a fully occupied triple room for the entire semester. However, since the Housing Office cannot guarantee that designated triple rooms will be fully occupied, you should not count on receiving a refund. If one or more of the roommates vacate a triple room during the semester, none of those occupants will receive a refund for that semester.

Westmont College does not not provide storage for students. There are many public storage facilities in the Santa Barbara area for items that do not fit in your residence hall room, or for items you wish to store during the summer. During the year, all of your belongings must be kept in your assigned room or apartment or in an approved area, such as bike racks or surf board racks.  Belongings must not be sitting outside the room, in the hallways, or in public spaces.  Westmont is not liable for any damage or theft of any items not stored in your room.

Using FAMIS 360 to Submit Work Orders

FAMIS stands for Facility and Asset Management Information System. Westmont uses FAMIS 360 to manage both our facilities and assets as well as submit work orders. Anyone can submit a work order using the FAMIS website.

The FAMIS 360 website can be accessed in two ways:

• Visit my.westmont.edu, search “Physical Plant Work Orders” and select that link.
• Visit westmontsso.famis360.com directly. This may take you to a login page, and if it does, use the link in the box on the right to login with your Westmont username and password.

Directions for submitting a FAMIS 360 work order:

1. Once into the website, select “create request”.
2. Select the campus location, floor, and space.  For halls like Clark or Armington, the “floor” menu will allow you to select the building or section instead.
3. Select the work order “type” and “subtype”.
   1. The most frequent “types” you will use are Furniture and Building Maintenance.
   2. Furniture involves any of your residence hall room furniture that is missing or damaged, including desks, bed pieces, stackable drawers, chairs, and even trash/recycling bins.
   3. Building Maintenance involves any other non-furniture repairs, including screens, windows & window leaks, and other general repairs.
4. Based on the type of request, you will need to pick the “priority”, which helps give you an idea of the priority level of the request and provides a deadline to the person receiving the request.  Use the following descriptions to choose a priority level:
   1. Urgent (within 2 business days) - typically used for plumbing issues or safety concerns like lights or windows/doors not closing properly
   2. High (within 4 business days) - typically used for lower-level safety concerns, custodial concerns, or issues that result in a high level of inconvenience, such as a desk chair breaking.
   3. Normal (within 7 business days) - typically used for work orders such as drawers, drapes, broken closet doors, or screen replacement
   4. Low (within 20 business days) - typically used for issues that don’t cause any inconvenience, like scuffs in walls or a rip on the chair
5. Be as specific as you can in your description.
6. Uploading a photo is EXTREMELY helpful!  In many cases, a photo can even save the person responding to the work order a trip, such as seeing what kind of light they need to install. Thank you for uploading a photo!

After you’ve submitted your work order, you’ll have the option to log back into FAMIS at any time and view updates within the work order, who it has been assigned to, and any comments they submit. If the work order isn’t resolved within the scheduled deadline, follow up with your RD.  We hope you’ll find the option to see all these updates helpful!

Laundry Issues

WASH Laundry Systems, an outside vendor, owns and services the washers and dryers in the residence halls. A work order for a washer or dryer can be submitted within the app or using the following link: http://wash.com/service-request.  When submitting, you will need to know the 6-digit ID# associated with the machine. Once you put this in, it should automatically pull up Westmont’s address and some details. Use the dropdown bar to select the issue and then fill in the rest of the blank areas. Be as specific as possible in your comments.

Technology or Wifi Issues

Our Westmont IT department uses an interface for customer support. To get this process started, email support@westmont.edu and give as much information as possible. Include the location of the issue, the time you had the issue, and what devices you were trying to use.

Facilities Emergencies

If there is a Facilities emergency (broken glass, water leaking/spraying everywhere), pleasecontact the OCRD at 805-565-6273 and/or Public Safety at 805-565-6222 who can quickly get in touch with the Physical Plant partner needed for the repair or cleanup.

Due to Westmont being located in a high-risk fire region, students may not use personal BBQs in the vicinity of the college (including the hills behind the campus). Students may arrange to use the residence hall bbq with the Resident Director. Students may keep personal BBQs in their rooms (for use off campus–beach, etc.) but may not keep any fuel in their room.

Bicycles brought to campus must be registered with Residence Life during residence hall check-in. If a bicycle is brought to campus after check-in it must be registered with your Resident Director.

Bicycles should be stored in individual rooms or locked in the bicycle racks near the residence halls, and not kept in hallways, lounges, entryways, storage rooms, or planters. To prevent damage and theft, you should store your bicycle in your room during extended breaks.

Westmont offers no bicycle storage for the summer months. Therefore, all bicycles must be removed from campus at the end of the academic year. Any owners who leave their bicycle after the closure of the residence halls will be notified to claim and retrieve their bicycle within 90 days of notice. Bicycles not retrieved within 90 days will be disposed of by Campus Safety. Unregistered bicycles left after the closure of the residence halls will be tagged for removal, and after 90 days will also be disposed of by Campus Safety (Mopeds left on campus will be towed and stored as per county guidelines at the expense of the owner/operator).

Bicyclists are expected to abide by all California bicyclist laws and are encouraged to use campus roads when riding through campus. If bicyclists choose to ride on pathways, they are expected to use common bicycle etiquette (e.g., riding cautiously and giving the right-of-way to pedestrians).

It is fairly common for students to enjoy the beautiful campus and nice weather by hanging hammocks around campus.  For the safety of our campus community, hammocks must be secured to stable trees only in a way that does not damage the tree and hung at a height of no more than six (6) feet high at the center point while empty.   Additionally, hammocks may not be secured to any human-made structure or hung in such a way that it would interfere with pedestrian walkways, egress from buildings, impede ground maintenance, or harm property.  The college accepts no responsibility for tree or limb stability or suitability for hanging hammocks nor maintains or designates trees or limbs for this purpose. Consequently, students hammock at their own risk, which includes accepting sole responsibility for determining trees and limbs which are stable and suitable for bearing the occupied weight of hammocks.

Hammocks hung anywhere on campus must be removed after each use. The college reserves the right to remove hammocks from service for any violation of this policy or any other applicable college policy, rule, or procedure, and the owner of the hammock may not be able to recover the hammock should this occur.

Westmont’s hilly campus and narrow walks and roadways make skateboarding, in-line skating, and scooters unsafe. This also applies to our neighboring roads. For this reason, Westmont is in compliance with the college insurance provider’s request to prohibit all use of these items on campus and neighboring roads. Use of these items on campus could result in a $50 fine.

Additionally, due to fire safety concerns regarding reported hoverboard fires nationwide, the college prohibits the use, possession, or storage of hover boards, electronic skateboards, including self-balancing boards/scooters, and similar devices containing lithium-ion batteries on campus until safety standards for them have been adequately developed and implemented across all models.

For the safety of our campus community, slacklines must be secured to stable trees of one (1) foot or more in diameter only in a way that does not damage the tree. Slacklines may not be secured to any human man-made structure or hung in such a way that would interfere with pedestrian walkways, egress from buildings, impede grounds maintenance, or harm property. A clear and flat landing surface must be present under the full length of the slackline. Additionally, no point of the slackline may be higher than four (4) feet off the ground. Slacklines may not be set up within a space that has been scheduled or designated for another use. Trees and/or landscaped areas showing damage from slacklining activities may be restricted from future slacklining activities at the discretion of the Director of Physical Plant, Director of Campus Planning, or Student Life staff. Slacklining is not permitted on Kerrwood Lawn, the Formal Gardens, or on or around the President’s Patio.

Equipment
All equipment associated with slacklining shall be used and maintained in an operable and safe condition by the participants per the manufacturer’s specifications and any condition imposed by Campus Safety or Student Life staff. Participants must remove any slackline displaying signs of undue wear and tear.

Stunts
Activities such as stunts, tricks, or flips are not permitted as these are extremely unsafe activities. Spotters are highly recommended at all times, especially for new users.

Time Parameters
Slacklining is permitted only during daylight hours, between sunrise and sunset.  The owner of the slacklining equipment is responsible for setting up and taking down the equipment according to these time parameters each day and may not leave equipment unattended at any time. Unattended slacklining equipment may be removed and stored without notice. Additionally, slacklining is permitted only in favorable weather conditions. When precipitation or high winds are present, slacklining is not permitted.

Risk
Participants assume any and all risks and consequences associated with slacklining, including accepting sole responsibility for determining trees and limbs that are stable and suitable for bearing the occupied weight of slacklines. Participant risks include but are not limited to, death, paralysis, and serious injury. Participants take full responsibility for engaging in best safety practices within this activity.

Enforcing the policy
The college reserves the right to remove slacklines for any violation of this policy or any other applicable college policy, rule, or procedure and to curtail any slacklining activity deemed unsafe at any time, whether or not the activity is in compliance with the policy requirements.

To ensure your safety and to reduce damage in the residence halls, Westmont prohibits potentially injurious or damaging activities inside the residence halls, including playing with balls, throwing Frisbees, using skateboards riding bicycles, or other activities as determined by the reslife staff.

Additionally, the practice of extreme sports (parkour, free-running, and other activities involving elevated risk of personal injury or property damage) is discouraged on the Westmont campus.

Surfboards should be stored in individual rooms and not kept in hallways, lounges, entryways, storage rooms, or underneath stairwells. Some residence halls (Emerson, Armington, and Van Kampen) have designated surf racks available for students to use for surfboard storage, but students should be advised these locations are not monitored by staff and leave these items at their own risk of theft. Wetsuits are also expected to be stored in student rooms; however, they can be left in residence hall bathrooms for a few hours to dry. Wetsuits left in bathrooms for more than 24 hours will be removed by Residence Life Staff or Custodial to ensure public spaces can be properly cleaned. 

Westmont offers no surfboard storage for the summer months. Therefore, all surfboards and wet suits will be removed from campus at the end of the academic year. 

You may use hot-air corn poppers which do not use oil and hot pots that do not have exposed heating coils in your room. Each residence hall has a kitchen for student use. The students in each residence hall are responsible to keep their kitchens clean, and failure to do so can result in kitchens being restricted from use.  Fire and safety regulations prohibit the use of appliances with exposed heating coils, microwave ovens and toaster ovens in student rooms.

Safety codes prohibit burning open flames or incense in any college building except Ocean View at any time. Violations are subject to a $100 fine per incident.

You may use UL-rated power strips with built-in circuit breakers as extension cords in your room. However, regular extension cords may fail at the outlet during a power surge and cause an electrical spark, representing a safety hazard. Therefore, these are prohibited.

The college asks and expects your cooperation in maintaining safety for the entire community in the event of an emergency. Please review and become acquainted with the Immediate Actions specified on the Emergency Info website (earthquake, wildfire, active shooter). Make sure to keep your emergency contact information up to date on web advisor, and consider packing an emergency “Go Kit” should you need to evacuate campus quickly due to a campus crisis.

County fire regulations make it illegal to tamper with fire equipment. Tampering with fire extinguishers, hoses, or alarms will result in a minimum $100 fine, and damaged equipment or emptied fire extinguishers will result in additional charges.

Possession of firearms, explosives (including firecrackers and dry ice), weapons (including but not limited to swords and knives, with the exception of small pocket knives; airsoft guns; BB guns; and toys that replicate or could be mistaken for real guns) or dangerous chemicals on college premises is expressly prohibited. Such items may be confiscated, and a $100 fine per violation may apply.

Westmont provides ceiling-mounted fluorescent fixtures in each room. The college recommends that you bring your own desk lamp. Westmont allows the use of new fluorescent torchieres bearing the EnergyStar label. These cost more to purchase but provide a safer, more efficient torchiere.

Halogen floor lamps (torchieres) are prohibited. Though inexpensive to purchase, they present serious safety concerns because the bulbs burn at extremely high temperatures (1,000°F). They can easily ignite flammable and combustible materials. Halogens also require a large amount of electricity to operate. You should place personal light fixtures away from flammable materials such as draperies, mattresses, carpets, bed linens, and clothing.

Each residence hall room is supplied with a working smoke detector. Please do not remove or tamper with the smoke detectors. If you are experiencing any problems with your smoke detector, contact a residence life staff member immediately. Campus safety personnel check smoke detectors in rooms during Christmas break to insure they are in working condition. Any smoke detectors that have been removed or damaged will be replaced, and the residents of the room will be charged.

Westmont has established the following open-hours policy that designates times during which you may visit the individual living areas of members of the opposite sex. The rationale for establishing such a policy is twofold. First, while the college recognizes the need for privacy among students, it seeks to avoid situations of absolute privacy because of the potential for abuse (see the section on Sexual Activity Outside of Marriage). Second, the policy allows for personal space needed to respect the differing sleep, study, and living patterns of roommates.

 All-campus open hours occur noon-midnight, Sunday through Thursday, and noon-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. If there are no campus classes scheduled for the following day, open hours end at 1 a.m. Room doors of hosts must remain at least halfway open and allow unrestricted visual access to the room. At no time may you engage in intimate activities (e.g., lying under covers in bed together) which could make others feel uncomfortable and put yourselves in a compromising situation. Violations may result in the loss of your open-hour privileges, community service hours, removal from the residence hall, and/or suspension. You are responsible to know the boundaries and times of open hours in all living areas. Please direct any questions or comments about this policy to your resident director or the deans in the Student Life office.

Westmont strongly discourages pranks and practical jokes because they are often unwelcome and even demeaning to victims, and they can result in escalated retaliation. Participants who violate this policy are subject to the student conduct process and will be held responsible for any negative consequences.  Sanctions may include paying retribution, cleaning up any resulting mess, civic engagement within or outside the Westmont community, or any additional sanctions deemed appropriate in response to the prank.

Official quiet hours are from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Throughout the rest of the day, please extend courtesy and sensitivity to others’ needs for quiet due to illness, study requirements, etc. Using headphones when listening to loud music helps accomplish this goal.

Campus residents should register their overnight guests online at the housing website (see guest registration). Guests are welcome to stay for a maximum of five nights each semester and must stay in the same room all five nights. No extensions will be granted. Current Westmont students who do not pay for on-campus housing do not qualify as guests. For guests of the opposite sex, residents should ask a friend of that sex to host and register that guest.

 Please maintain respect for the concerns of your roommates when guests visit. As a host, you are responsible for explaining college regulations (such as vehicle use) and community behavioral standards (such as open hours and alcohol use) to your guest(s). You may also be held responsible for any damage to college property caused by your guest(s).

Westmont reserves the right to have authorized personnel enter any unit or room for the purpose of inspection, repairs, or other official business. Authorized personnel may also enter rooms when they have reasonable grounds to believe that the well-being or safety of the occupants of the building is in jeopardy or a college policy is being violated. During vacation periods, public safety personnel may make safety inspections.

Students are not permitted to install or use portable air conditioner units (neither window units nor portable units requiring venting through the window) in their residence hall rooms. Students may bring fans to help cool their rooms.  Students are also permitted to use small portable evaporative coolers that do not exceed 1.0 amperage. These units are not recommended as they work best in dry/arid conditions.  Residents will be responsible for any water damage that results from the use or operation of evaporative coolers.

Bed Bug Information

Bed bugs are household pests the size and shape of an apple seed. They are not known to transmit disease, but they are a nuisance and are very difficult to eradicate. The bites usually look similar to mosquito bites, although some will have very little reaction and others will react severely with hives. Evidence of a bedbug infestation (other than bites) includes empty exoskeletons, blood spots on sheets, and black specks of waste in the seams of a mattress. While Westmont has an effective treatment process, the best solution to avoid bed bugs is prevention.

Bed Bug Prevention

Westmont College provides ongoing weekly pest control services through a third-party company in order to be proactive in pest control. Westmont also provides vinyl sealed mattresses that are generally pest-proof. At the beginning of each year, Westmont sends information (including prevention, signs, and treatment plan) on bed bugs and pests to the student population.

You can avoid spreading bed bugs by choosing not to bring used furniture items with unknown history into your residence hall room, especially if it was found on the side of the road or in a second-hand store. If you choose to get used furniture, please carefully inspect it before bringing it to campus.

Bed Bug Treatment

If you have reason to suspect that you may have been exposed to bedbugs or have them in your room, please submit a work order via FAMIS immediately. If you need emotional support or immediate assistance, contact your Resident Director or the On Call RD during non-business hours. Residence Life and Housing will work quickly to assess your concerns, determine if there are in fact bed bugs in your room, and work to remedy the potential pest issue.

In response to a determination of bed bugs, Westmont will:

• Provide proper pest management services and resources for the affected areas, including resident clothing and bedding as needed
• Communicate updates with the resident(s) about the treatment process and progress 
• Provide alternative housing accommodations if possible and as necessary (likely in campus housing). Please work with Housing to make this determination, as staying in another room needs to be approved to avoid transferring the bed bugs to a new location.  In some cases, alternative Housing may be an option, but this is not a guarantee.
• Provide health related assistance to students in regards to bites
• Communicate issues related to bed bugs to current neighboring residents and future residents in compliance with Environmental Health & Safety regulations

The residents of the room will be responsible for:

• Following the treatment protocol, including adequate room preparation provided by Housing and Residence Life
• Communicating updates such as new bites or outbreaks to staff
• Understanding it could take multiple treatments to solve the problem and eliminate the pests

IT provides a number of computer-related services and assistance. Details can be found on their web page. If you have a computer, you may obtain access to the internet resources on the World Wide Web and to the high-speed campus network. Connection to the network requires a 100Mb or 1000Mb Ethernet card and Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi card. The Computer and Network Use policy governs the use of the campus computing facilities and network. You must agree to abide by the policy in order to obtain access to these resources. Further details about how to connect to Westmont’s internet can be found online in the Student Guide to IT. 

Westmont recommends that your parents include your belongings away from home in their homeowner’s policy and that you obtain insurance protection against loss, damage, or theft of personal property. (The college assumes no responsibility for and does not provide insurance or any other financial protection for your personal property or that of your guests.) Westmont recommends locking your room to prevent theft.

If you lose your room key, report the loss immediately to your resident director, who will issue a spare key and ask security to rekey the lock. The re-keying charge is $50. In order to prevent non-occupants from gaining unauthorized access to your room, do not attach your room key to any kind of identification card.

Mold & Mildew Information

Mold and mildew have no state or federal standards which address exposure limits. The primary reason for this is that molds are part of the natural environment and mold spores are commonly found indoors in the air. In fact, through multiple studies, Westmont has found the mold spore content in the outside air is almost always substantially higher than within our residence halls. 

Mold spores cannot grow without the presence of water or moisture. When spores become wet for 24-48 hours, mold growth may occur and can potentially cause health problems and damage to building materials. Therefore, it is imperative to maintain a clean living environment and eliminate sources of excessive moisture. Here is a link to the EPA mold website.

Mold & Mildew Prevention

Westmont Housing & Residence Life have the following expectations for students living in the residence hall facilities:

• Residents must maintain a clean living environment by vacuuming frequently to remove dust and debris from carpet and hard surfaces. In the Ocean View apartments, residents are expected to regularly mop bathroom and kitchen floors and frequently deep clean shower tile, fiberglass, and fixtures. 
• Residents must clean any spills and thoroughly dry affected surface or material immediately and shall report any spills that are too large for the resident to contain. 
• Residents shall maintain their living environment in such a way as to minimize levels of high humidity by running exhaust fans while showering (in OV); by closing windows during rain; by not covering exhaust/air circulation vents; by opening curtains to encourage sunlight; by opening windows/using fans to encourage air flow as much as possible.
• Residents shall not tamper with bathroom exhaust fans and shall report immediately an exhaust fan that is inoperative.

Resident Response to Signs of Mold & Mildew

• Check for any moisture or leaks in the area.
• Make sure clothing, towels and other items are picked up.
• Make sure your room is getting adequate air flow and sunlight.
• Clean the area with hot soapy water and make sure it is completely dry.
• Report any mold or mildew concern, water leak, or pervasive moisture issue (including plumbing leaks and overflows, air conditioning and roof leaks, or excessive condensation) immediately via the FAMIS work order system   

College Response to Mold/Mildew

Once students have taken the steps above, or if they believe the issue to be pervasive or ongoing and have submitted a work order, a Westmont professional (Housing, Campus Safety, Physical Plant and/or Custodial Staff) will inspect the area for mold or moisture and bring fans/dehumidifiers to dry the area if needed. If there is a significant amount of mold or moisture found, Custodial will professionally clean the affected areas (wiping down walls, furniture, and shampooing the carpet as necessary). Custodial will not clean your own personal items. If further remediation efforts are needed (carpet replacement, wall/ceiling or ductwork renovations, etc.), residents of the affected room(s) may be temporarily or permanently relocated while the work is being done.  In rare cases, if cleaning and/or repair work does not remedy the issue, Westmont may decide to have a 3rd party vendor conduct an air quality assessment to measure against the outside air. This determination is made by the college and predicated on the above steps; not based upon possible student allergies or student/parent request.

It’s illegal to view movies rented or purchased for private use in a public area. Therefore, students are not allowed to watch movies in residence hall lounges. While we do understand that this policy can seem restrictive if a group of friends wants to watch a movie together, we are committed to living with integrity as an institution in regard to copyright laws. You can do your part by viewing movies in your room.

Pets

Students may keep fish in your student room or apartment. However, electricity is turned off in the residence halls during Christmas vacation, so students should remove fish from their rooms during this holiday. Keeping or caring for pets other than fish on campus will result in the removal of the pet and a $50 fine.

Service Animals

Students with disabilities requiring the assistance of a service or support animal on campus should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 805-565-6186. ODS will work with you to determine appropriate accommodations.

Each residence hall room has a blue recycling can. Please make every effort to recycle as much as possible; please visit Westmont Recycling for more information. It is your responsibility to bring out your own recycling cans and dump the contents into the recycling dumpsters located outside your residence hall near the normal trash dumpsters.

You may keep a small refrigerator (under five cubic feet) in your residence hall room for an additional charge of $30 per year to defray energy expenses.

Residence Hall Kitchens have larger refrigerators provided for students to store food in as needed. When utilizing these refrigerators, please store food in air-tight containers and label it with your name and date of placing food for storage. Resident Assistants will inspect refrigerators weekly, discarding food not properly stored and any items that have been stored for an excessive amount of time.

See instructions above for accessing and using our work orders website, FAMIS, to submit work orders for your facility issues.  Physical plant will repair your electrical and plumbing problems, broken windows, screens, locks, etc. The Housing department repairs/restores residence hall furniture, including mattresses and curtains.  Your resident director or resident assistant can help answer questions. If a room or building emergency occurs, contact security immediately at 805-565-6222 and report the problem to the residence hall staff as well.

Since climbing to or walking on roofs represents safety hazards and may cause undetectable and costly damage, please do not climb on the roof of any Westmont building at any time. A $100 fine per violation may apply.

Westmont wants to offer you a room that is in the best possible condition. In order to keep rooms looking their best, the college assumes sole responsibility for painting rooms in full or in part.

You may use tack and some adhesives and tapes in decorating your room (see your resident director for suggestions). Duct and double-stick tapes are not recommended. Since damage occurs when bolts and nails are used on walls, ceilings, building surfaces, and furnishings, their use is prohibited and may result in possible damage fees. This applies equally to window, door, and hallway decorations. Please make every effort to return your room to its original condition after you leave.

While command strips are allowed in decorating your room, please follow the correct guidelines in removing them from the walls. Slowly peel the command strips from the walls to avoid pulling paint off. For more information on correctly removing command hooks see here. If you choose to take the risk of using command strips-knowing they often pull paint off the walls-you will likely incur a charge for this damage. 

LED light strips are not recommended due to the damage that can occur from their adhesive backing. If you choose to use this type of lighting, it is suggested that you use an easier-to-remove take or adhesive, such as command strips (see above for their proper removal). In removing the light strips, start from the end of the strip and use a thin, flat object to carefully loosen the strip. Pull gently along the strip to remove without peeling paint. Again, if you choose to take the risk of using command strips-knowing they often pull paint off the walls-you will likely incur a charge for this damage. 

Lounge spaces are designed for all students to use and enjoy.  Students who are found to be sleeping in lounges will be subject to a $50 fine per incident. For security reasons, neither college residents nor guests may sleep outdoors on campus.

The Spring Sing committee will meet with the Director of Physical Plant and/or the Housing Director to determine appropriate locations for painting and building sets. Student participants will be held responsible for any resulting damage or excess mess in the residence halls.

Dumpsters and trash bins are located outside each residence hall. To ensure a sanitary environment for all students, please do not leave trash in hallways, foyers, lounges, stairwells, or any other area in the residence halls. 

The trash from student rooms should also not be deposited in residence life trash cans provided in student common spaces such as lounges, kitchens, or the laundry room. When students leave their larger room trash in these trash bins, it often leads to them filling up quickly and impacting the overall cleanliness of the residence hall. Each section is responsible to monitor its common areas and cover excessive cleaning charges.

Since earthquakes occur in the Santa Barbara area, you should exercise care in the arrangement of furniture in your room. Although Westmont allows creative furniture arrangements, the college discourages anything that could be a safety hazard for room occupants. Please contact your Resident Director for approval of any unusual furniture arrangements.

In order to keep your sleeping surface below the wall-mounted smoke detector and prevent injury or damage from striking the ceiling, your mattress should be 36 inches from the ceiling. Your Resident Director has bunk bed connectors for bunking beds.

All furniture and furnishings, cabinet doors, handles, drawer,s and other such fixtures in residence hall rooms, lounges, and Ocean View apartments must remain in the room. Unauthorized removal of furniture from these locations may result in a minimum $50 fine.

 Although Westmont does not remove triple furniture when vacancies exist, you may disassemble unused beds and store them in your room. However, you must return them to their original condition at check-out or when needed by an additional resident. For safety reasons, custom lofts and beds are not permitted (also see Lofts).

For reasons of safety, the college does not allow the installation of custom-built lofts, beds, or platforms. Westmont does offer lofting kits to students at $30 per kit.  During week 1 or 2 of classes, a form will be sent to students giving them the opportunity to sign up for a loft kit.  The $30 charge will be submitted to their account, and the loft kits will be delivered a few business days after the form deadline.  Students will be held accountable for their loft kits at the end of the year.  One or two weeks before finals week in the spring, Housing will notify students they need to de-loft their beds and have loft kits ready for pick up.  Failure to do so will result in a charge.

Residence hall mattresses are extra-long twins (80 inches long by 36 inches wide). If you prefer a different mattress, contact the Housing Office, 805-565-6036, to arrange for an exchange from the college’s supply of older ones.

Window screens are considered permanent fixtures and may be easily damaged; removing them for any reason other than an emergency will result in a $25 fine. Additional charges may be assessed if damage or loss occurs.