Thriving in Residence
Residence Life Dons, and Residence Life Co-ordinators (RLCs) work alongside our residents to maintain a series of Policies and Processes that aim to support a safe and secure residence community. The Residence Life Team prioritizes an environment that is conducive to learning and community building. These policies and procedures uphold the values that Campus Housing deems integral to building successful and engaging communities.
Policies that have significant community impact include:
Cleanliness
As part of a community, it is up to every individual to respect and maintain our residence spaces. This may include a quick wipe of counter spaces in washrooms and common areas after use, maintaining a reasonable level of cleanliness in your personal spaces, ensuring your garbage is taken to the appropriate spaces, and reporting any damages you notice. We have a wonderful and dedicated Residence Hospitality Experience team committed to the upkeep of our buildings, but all community members are responsible for the space.
Guests
As a student living in residence, we understand the importance of building connections through sharing your space with both on and off-campus friends. It is important to remember that each guest you bring into your community has the potential to make an impact. For this reason we encourage you to work together with your guest and community members to ensure this impact is positive. Guests are permitted to stay no longer than 48 hours and must be accompanied by their host at all times. Residents are responsible for the behaviour of their guests while in residence.
Noise
Living in residence requires community members to work together to find the balance between acceptable levels of noise and respecting the varying sleep and study schedules of fellow community members. Residence Life enforces regularly scheduled quiet hours to support students’ wellness and we ask that all individuals living with us respect these efforts. Noise travels and iIt is encouraged that members consider the impact of their noise levels at all times.
Smoking and Vaping
Campus Housing, in line with the University of Waterloo’s policies, have a commitment to supporting a smoke-free environment for all students, employees and visitors. Any smoking, vaping or use of smoking devices is strictly prohibited within our residence buildings. University policies also prohibit these activities within 10 metres of any building, including residence. Our University is home to an abundance of open-air space where you can participate in these activities without having an impact on your residence community.
When Campus Housing staff observe or are made aware of a possible violation of the Residence Terms and Conditions, staff will document the incident or interaction. This documentation is captured primarily to help Residence Life Staff follow up with the residents involved to ensure they have the supports they need and to further investigate the incident if necessary. Our documentation also helps Campus Housing understand common challenges with current policies and identify trends across residence to inform how we educate our residents every day.
If documentation occurs, students involved may be invited to a meeting with a Residence Life Staff member to discuss the incident and share their perspective. Depending on the community impact of the incident, a resident may be issued an outcome. Outcomes may include a sanction or further follow up. It’s important to note that being documented in an incident does not mean you will receive an outcome; often we reach out to residents who are involved to provide support and resources.
Residence is a shared living environment, and it is the joint responsibility of all our community members to be informed of and adhere to the rules and expectations that support the ongoing safety, comfort, and reasonable enjoyment of our community.