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Philosophy
The Residence Hall Program attempts to develop an atmosphere in which students grow personally, socially, emotionally, culturally, and academically. Through the experience of residence hall living, a student can gain understanding and practice the processes of group living. Residence halls thus contribute to the total education of a student through the building of attitudes, appreciation, and characteristics associated with cooperation and responsibility.
Residence halls also serve as a bridge between the rather close supervision of the home and the complete freedom and responsibility experienced after graduation. For this reason, it is important within the residence halls to recognize the needs of individual students and to help them to develop a sense of responsibility.
A residence hall can be a home and the residents a family. Of course, it has more members than the average family, but nevertheless, it still functions as a home and as a social unit. Besides being a place in which to sleep and keep one’s belongings, a residence hall can be the center where lasting friendships are made. New ideas and concepts are formulated and exchanged. Residents widen their horizons by these experiences in social relations. Cooperation, consideration, tolerance, and understanding are promoted within the residence hall.
A residence hall can also be the center of student communication. It can be the area of contact between administration, faculty, community, and student.
The residence hall program, just as all programs at SUNY Canton College of Technology, is administered without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction.
Statement of Student’s Rights and Responsibilities
Student residents in SUNY Canton’s residence halls possess specific individual and group rights and responsibilities which serve to guide Residence Life/Housing personnel in making decisions concerning welfare and behavior. The following statements define expectations regarding these rights and responsibilities. Each resident has the right to engage in activities that are a part of college life. However, these rights carry with them reciprocal responsibilities on the part of the individual to ensure these same rights for other residents.
Students have the right . . .
- To enjoy individual freedoms without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction;
- To access their living accommodations;
- To live in a clean and secure environment;
- To competitive prices on housing accommodations and/or food service;
- To receive written copies of College housing rules and regulations, or individual building policies which govern individual and group behavior;
- To the respect and safety of personal property;
- To study without interruption or interference;
- To be free from unreasonable noise;
- To be free of intimidation or harassment;
- To be free of unreasonable searches and seizures by College officials;
- To expect enforcement of the housing license;
- To staff who provide assistance, guidance, and support as needed;
- To host guests, within established guidelines;
- To equitable treatment when behavior is in question;
- To participate in student governmental bodies and Residence Life/Housing departmental committees;
- To individual and group educational and developmental opportunities in the residence halls;
- To request that their rooms be inspected prior to their departure to identify items for which a damage charge will be assessed.
Students have the responsibility . . .
- To respect the rights of others, as stated above;
- To adhere to rules and regulations;
- To comply with reasonable requests made by staff or College officials;
- To meet expected room and board payment schedules;
- To monitor and accept responsibility for behavior of guests;
- To report violations of rules and regulations to appropriate staff;
- To participate actively in self governance;
- To participate in Residence Life/Housing departmental committees as requested;
- To participate in judicial proceedings to determine appropriate standards of behavior;
- To contribute positively to the community by participating in educational and developmental activities.