Windows, window blinds and screens have been installed in each room for safety and health reasons and are not to be removed. Any damages done to windows, window blinds and screens will result in the resident being charged for repairs or replacement.
Residential Life Policies
The Office of Residential Life is available to assist students living on-campus with facility needs, roommate conflicts, or educational concerns. Resident Advisors are employed by this office to serve and educate residential students.
New students are generally assigned to Gage, Marquess, Rice, Scott and Sloss Halls, which comprise the Churchill Quadrangle. Within each Quadrangle building are eight suites with four two-person rooms and a bathroom in each suite (with the exception of Sloss Hall which has eight suites). Every residence hall room contains two beds, desks, bureaus and closets.
Westminster upperclass students live either in one of the four upperclass residence halls, college apartments, residential houses, or six national fraternity houses. There is not a refund for students withdrawing from college housing or switching from a single room to a double room after the first four (4) weeks of class each semester.
All students residing in campus housing must participate in one of the approved meal plans. All students who live in college owned housing will be placed on the 19-meal plan, unless they are eligible for and request the 15- or 10-meal plan. Students may not change their meal plan after the seventh (7th) day of class each semester.
All new students desiring to live in college residence halls must complete a housing questionnaire and a housing agreement form. New students are assigned to rooms in mid-summer and are notified of their assignment and roommate.
The college residence halls are closed during regular college holidays and vacations. Residents who wish an exception to this policy must contact the Director of Residential and Greek Life or Dean of Student Life for permission to remain in the residence hall. If the exception is granted, a charge may be assessed to the student. While Westminster College will take reasonable security measures, it does not accept responsibility for students' personal property stored on the campus during college holidays and vacations.
A housing option for upper class students is living in one of the college-owned residential houses. In each of these residential houses there will be one set of residence hall furniture provided for each person living in the house. Additional furniture and appliances may be provided as indicated in the descriptions of each of the houses. Maintenance and repairs on the houses will be performed by the college. Utilities are included in the room rate. Residents are responsible for keeping the house clean and the yard picked up. Snow removal from sidewalks is the responsibility of all the residents. Meal plans at Mueller Leadership Hall are optional.
An additional housing option for juniors and seniors are the two 32-bed Westminster Apartments buildings on 5th Street. Each apartment has 4 single bedrooms and 2 baths, kitchen, living room and all modern appliances. Each apartment also has its own washer and dryer. Cable TV, college LAN, and a campus phone are also provided. All routine and emergency maintenance will be covered in the rental agreement, as well as a small amount of custodial service in only common areas. Campus security patrols the complex.
A significant part of a student's education at Westminster College takes place in the living groups. Consequently, Westminster College requires all admitted degree-seeking students with Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior academic standing at the beginning of the academic year to live in one of the college residence halls, fraternity houses, college-owned residential houses, or college apartments.
Any student who wishes to be granted an exception to this policy must submit a written request for that exception to the Office of Residential and Greek Life. If an exception is granted, the exception is granted for no longer than that academic year, therefore students must submit a request for an exception on an annual basis in those cases where the student wishes to renew the exception.
Contact the Office of Residential and Greek Life for more information on how to request an exception. Research on Westminster students shows that it is especially important that new freshmen reside on-campus. For this reason, exceptions to the residency requirement will be very rare for new freshmen. Otherwise, exceptions to this policy may be requested by students who:
1. are living at home with their parents within Callaway County;
2. are 22 years or older or have earned 88 or more hours (Senior status) as of the first day of classes;
3. are married or have primary custody of a child;
4. would like to live off-campus for some other verifiable reason. Approval will be determined by the Housing Review Committee. A detailed written request is required.
All students residing in a college-approved residence hall must participate in an college meal plan.
The College does not lease or sell refrigerators or microwave ovens to students. Small refrigerators and microwave ovens, which use 120 volts, are permitted in the college residence halls. Waterbeds are also prohibited.
All furnishings and equipment provided in each resident?s room and other areas of the residence halls are the property of the College and are provided for the convenience of the residents.
Residents are not entitled to remove from the premises, or move to or from other parts of the building, any furnishings or equipment without the written permission of the Director of Residential and Greek Life.
Each resident will be provided with a Room Inventory Report Form, which shall be completed by the resident and the Resident Advisor at the beginning of occupancy. At the end of the academic year, the Resident Advisor and the Maintenance Department will re-check the room for inventory and damages. Resulting damages or missing inventory will be billed to the resident(s) involved or all occupants of the suite, if applicable. A student who fails to return his or her key or fails to checkout properly with the Resident Advisor may forfeit the room damage deposit. The charge for a lost key is $50.00. Students are expected to leave their room in the same general condition, as it was when it was first occupied; failure to do so will result in the student being assessed an additional cleaning charge.
Residents are encouraged to keep their doors locked at all times. Residents of the Quadrangle should also keep their suite door locked. Residents of the suite will be billed for damages within the common suite areas, unless the person responsible for the damages can be identified.
Billings will be forwarded to the Business Office. A student wishing to appeal a billing charge should contact the Dean of Student Life or the Director of Plant Operations within thirty (30) days after notification of the billing. All payments are to be made at the Business Office and must be taken care of prior to registering for classes for the following academic semester.
Room changes are not permitted during the first two weeks or last two weeks of an academic semester. The Director of Residential Life and Greek Life and the Office of Student Life must approve all room changes. The College reserves the right to change the room assignment of a student at any time in the interests of the general welfare of the resident students or the College.
Because of the damage caused to walls, woodwork and doors, care must be taken in hanging decorations in a student?s room. The only approved product for hanging decorations is the 3M command product which is available at cost in the College Bookstore. Students will be assessed a charge for any damages or marks on the wall, floor or ceiling that result from tape, tacks or adhesives or other methods of attachment. Any damages beyond normal wear and tear will be the student?s financial responsibility. Dartboards are prohibited.