Student Handbook Fraternity and Sorority Housing Policies

A. Housing Policies

Alumni Members

Members of Fraternities and Sororities who voluntarily or involuntarily take alumni status may not reside in Fraternity and Sorority Housing.  Arrangements should be made with the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and/or their designee and the Office of Residence Life to relocate immediately upon changing to an alumni membership status.

New Members

New Members of Fraternities and Sororities who have not completed their new member education process and have not been initiated as an active member of their organization may not reside in Fraternity and Sorority Housing without the express permission of the Director of Student Life and/or the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.

B. Administrative Actions

Relocation

A student may be relocated if, in the opinion of the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and/or their designee, a student may benefit from living in another room or residence hall. The Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and/or their designee will work with each chapter and Housing Corporation if relocation is necessary within the facility. However, if relocation becomes necessary outside the facility, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and/or their designee will work with the Office of Residence Life to provide space, if such space is available.

Contract Termination

The College may cancel the housing contract if a student fails to meet the full terms and conditions of the contract, including adhering to College and Policies on Fraternity and Sorority Life, or if a student becomes a detriment to the community. A student will normally be given 48 hours to clear the facility and vacate the room, but the College reserves the right to dictate the timeline. All of the restrictions of housing warning also apply to contract termination. Students who have their contract terminated will NOT be allowed to live in residential housing for the remainder of their matriculation.

Your Fraternity and Sorority Facility Responsibilities

As a resident of Randolph-Macon College, there are certain responsibilities that you must assume when you move into a fraternity or sorority facility. Those responsibilities include but are not limited to; 

Responsibility for the Rules

The Student Conduct Code and Residence Hall policies are clearly spelled out in The Student Handbook. You are responsible for knowing and adhering to them at all times.

Responsibility for your Living Area and Facility

You, along with your roommate(s) in non-single rooms, are fully responsible for activities that occur in your room and living area. Even if you are not actively involved in a policy violation, you will be held responsible if you are present during a violation or if you give access to your room. Therefore, you also should not let visitors in without escort. Always lock your room when you leave, even if only for a few minutes.

This will prevent others from committing violations in your room that can get you in trouble. Do not condone violations by your presence. It is your responsibility to put an end to any violation that occurs in your room, and to call Campus Safety if you need assistance.

For college-owned facilities, each bedroom is equipped with college-owned furniture. Students may bring non-college owned furniture into the room; however, they may not remove college owned-furniture from the room. Additionally, all items placed in the room must be removed at the time of move-out. No items save the college-owned furniture may remain in the room.

At the end of the academic year, only chapter property may remain in a fraternity or sorority facility. Only college-owned furniture or items purchased by the house corporation and cleared in advance by the chapter with the Student Engagement Center to remain in the facility may remain in the facility. There will be no storage of legacy furniture, refrigerators, bicycles, or other personal items. Any item not cleared as Chapter Property will be treated as abandoned property as defined in R2 of the Residential Facilities Policies.

R2 Abandoned Property

In the event that student property is left in the facilities after the housing contract period is over, the property will be removed at the owner’s expense and thrown away, or donated to charity. Throughout the year if property is found and not claimed and removed, it will be disposed of or donated. Further, the cost will be billed to the chapter to remove and dispose of the items. 

The college accepts no liability for items left in any residential facility after the close of the academic year. 

Responsibility for Your Guests

You are responsible for the conduct of your guests when they are present in fraternity and sorority facilities. Each year, cases of vandalism and policy violations occur as a result of visitors who lack respect for College facilities. If you intend to have visitors or guests in the facility, be aware that you may be subject to disciplinary action for their behavior. Additionally, College staff members reserve the right to ask any individual who is not a resident of the building or hall to leave the facility at any time. All overnight guests should be registered with Campus Safety prior to their arrival on campus. 

Responsibility to Staff

All members of the College community share the responsibility for governing their own conduct. Staff members who in the course of their duties are confronted with violations of the Student Conduct Code or policy on fraternity and sorority life are required to report these violations. The staff is not expected to tolerate abuse in the performance of their duties; therefore, the harassment of any staff member will result in disciplinary action.

Responsibilities to the Housing Contract

As a member of our Fraternity and Sorority community you have a contractual responsibility with the College and to your community as well as in some cases with your Housing Corporation. Part of that responsibility requires that you have a thorough knowledge of the terms and conditions of the housing contract. You are responsible for fulfilling your responsibility to the contract and all of its terms and conditions. The Director of Student Life as well as the College or your Housing Corporation Board are available to assist you in its best interest to fulfill such responsibility.

Responsibility for Room Maintenance, Damages, and Facility Improvement

You, the College, and the Student Engagement Center share responsibility to maintain your room and the college-owned fraternity and sorority facilities. Work Request Forms are available online, and are to be used to report all damages and/ or other maintenance problems. Your responsibilities include: maintaining the condition and cleanliness of your room and its contents, timely and specific reporting of all damages or problems, arrangement of furniture and personal belongings to facilitate easy access by physical plant, staff, immediate correction of unsafe or potentially hazardous conditions which you may create in your room (such as overloaded power outlets) as requested by college staff, and restitution for damages to the physical area of your room (including the window and the outside of the door).

Fraternities and Sororities occupying College owned properties may, with college permission, make improvements on the properties including upgrading furniture. However, the improvements become part of the property and belong to the College should the organization no longer occupy the property unless such improvements are governed by a previous agreement.

Capital projects will be requested in the Spring each year. The College will complete capital project requests if and when funds become available.

Clean Yard and Facility Policy

Students are expected to maintain their facilities and grounds. If at any time a College official determines the level of cleanliness at the facility to be unacceptable, the organization will be found to be in violation of the Clean Facility and Yard Policy.

a. For First Offenses minimum sanction: a $100 fine

b. For Second Offenses minimum sanction: a $200 fine and the organization will be placed on Housing Warning

c. For Third Offenses minimum sanctions: $300 fine and the organization will be placed on Housing Probation

d. For Fourth Offenses minimum sanctions: loss of housing for no less than one academic year.

Responsibility for Housing Capacity

Each Fraternity or Sorority granted special interest housing must fill the house to its minimum capacity by April 1 each year, or the facility will be subject to release to Residence Life for use by other students. The minimum capacities for each facility is listed below.

Fraternities and sororities are expected to make a good faith effort to fill their facilities to maximum capacity as the college reserves those beds solely for use by the organization. Organizations unable to reach minimum capacity may pay for up to one additional bed space to retain the facility if that payment would result in the group reaching minimum capacity. Beyond the one spot, the house will be returned to Residence Life for allocation as general housing.

* Sigma Alpha Epsilon will be allowed to house up to 20 people in their facility as long as the roster is received by April 1 like all college/owned and maintained facilities. No one will be moved to the SAE facility after April 1.

**Downstairs Room 12 in Kappa Alpha Order will be used for common space unless the upstairs is completely full which would increase capacity from 18 to 20. This agreement will make certain that the living quarters are separate from the event space moving forward unless additional living space is needed improving student safety. This has been agreed to by the College and the Zeta Lodge.

Responsibility for Insurance and Reporting

Organizations residing in housing designated for the organization whether owned by the college or not are required to submit to the Student Engagement Center a Certificate of Insurance each year which must show RMC as a certificate holder as well as $1,000,000 in liability insurance. This is to include proof of alcohol, hazing, and sexual assault liability insurance. Organizations who have expired certificates will be given one week to provide them as all facilities must be insured in order for the organization to occupy the facility.