All residents of College Eight are participants in creating a vibrant, purposeful, mutually respectful, and academically successful community. Key to this success is the respect and active consideration that each resident offers to and deserves from all the members of the community. This includes a responsibility to be aware of, and in compliance with the policies and standards of this community, and to participate in the cooperative resolution of issues that may arise. The Residential Staff are also wonderful resources and facilitators in these areas.

Expectations of student conduct are outlined here, in the Terms and Conditions of the housing contract (http://housing.ucsc.edu/), and in the UCSC Student Policies and Regulations Handbook: Policies and Regulations Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students (http://www2.ucsc.edu/judicial/).

Home Sweet Home

Your Room: Each room is furnished with a basic complement of furniture that includes a bed, desk, bookcase, chair, and dresser. Furniture should not leave your room for any reason. You are responsible for the condition of your room and furnishings.

Residence Hall Suites: Suites consist of three double rooms (six residents in each suite) a small living room and bathroom. Suitemates are jointly responsible for the cleaning of the common area of the suite (their bathrooms and living room). Furniture should not leave your suite for any reason. Suite residents are subject to exactly the same policies and expectations as other residents. In particular, suite residents should carefully observe noise, guest, and party policies. Failure either to abide by these policies or to keep the suite clean may result in the loss of suite status. In such a situation, the hall door to the suite would be taken off, and the bathroom and living room would become extensions of the hall and open to all residents.

Lobbies/Lounges are available on the first floor of the residence halls and in Buildings 2 and 6 of the apartments, as study spaces, for holding events, or informal places to relax. The lobbies and lounges are furnished with TV/ VCRs, couches, tables, chairs, and lamps and this furniture must stay in the room! Any lounge furniture found in student rooms will be removed and residents may be charged for the associated costs. Responsibility for keeping the lobbies, the lounges and their furnishings in good condition lies with all residents of the building.

Apartments: Apartments are furnished with living room furniture (couch, two chairs, coffee table, two side tables, two lamps), and a dining table and six chairs. Apartments are also given a vacuum and starter kit of cleaning supplies.

Room Condition Forms and Apartment Condition Forms: All rooms and apartments are inspected prior to move in. You will have an opportunity to review and add to the inspection sheet. Please take the time to review the form carefully and document any existing damage in the room and/or suite/ apartment and return it to the College Eight Housing Office. When you move out, your residence will be inspected and you will be billed for any damage or missing furniture.

Room Assignments: Over the summer, and as needed during the academic year, the Housing Office reviews applications and questionnaires from students, and makes roommate and apartment matches and assignments. Despite our best efforts, not all roommate, suitemate, and apartment mate relationships run smoothly from the beginning. If you find things are not working for you, please talk first with your RA. The RA may be able to help you and your roommate, suitemates, or apartment-mates find a solution without making a room switch. If, after this, you still have concerns, your CRE can outline your options. In most cases, you will have to wait until the end of the current quarter. Remember, the CRE and Housing Coordinator must approve all room switches in advance!

Cleaning And Maintenance

Maintenance: The maintenance staff handles all repairs in residential areas except for phone and Internet problems. Keep in mind that all requests will be handled in the order of importance, rather than in the order that they are received. Reporting problems authorizes the maintenance staff to enter your room with only a “knock of notice.” It is important that you inform your roommate, suitemates, or apartment mates that you have requested maintenance service.

For maintenance needs within your room, apartment or building, please submit a work request ticket to http://fixit.ucsc.edu. If you have an urgent maintenance problem that cannot wait for response until the next business day, please see http://fixit.ucsc.edu for phone numbers.

Telephone Repair: Problem with your in-room phone service can be reported to 831-459-3111 or via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

ResNet: Problem with your campus internet connection can be reported to 831-459-4638 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Custodial Service: The residence hall common areas and apartment lounges and laundries are visited every weekday by one of our custodians. It is their job to perform routine cleaning of the bathrooms and vacuuming the lounge and the hallway. Please keep in mind that on weekends there is no custodial service. Residents are responsible for any cleaning that may be required as a result of their use of these areas.

Disposing of Trash: When the wastebasket in your room fills up, please empty it into one of the dumpsters located in the parking lot or behind the “D” Garden building or below the “C” Garden building. In the apartments, there are dumpsters located next to Buildings One and Four.

Decorating Your Room: You may decorate your living area. However, with your roommate(s), suitemates, and apartment mates, you are responsible for any damage to your living areas. Your best guide is to take very good care of your area, both to have a nice living space and to avoid extra costs on moving out.

The Dos and Don’ts of Wall Hangings, Posters, and Lights: We recommend that you use a very limited number (less than 10 per wall) of small pushpins or thumbtacks on walls and ceilings, and avoid posting anything on your doors. Please do not use tape, double-sided tape, or putty-these are very hard to remove and necessitate repair and repainting. If you need to post papers and reminders on your wall, buying an additional bulletin board is a very good investment (you can hang the board with four small pushpins, rather than being billed for the repair and repaint of your wall for many pinholes).

Bulletin Boards are available on apartment doors, and on residence hall walls just adjacent to the room doors for your use. You may post decorations, notes, etc. on the bulletin board. Please avoid posting anything on the painted surfaces of the doors because tape, pushpin, and tacks will all damage the door. Damage to the door finish could result in a billing at the end of the year. Decoration on any area in the hall other than the bulletin board is not permitted by the Fire Department due to the potential fire hazard.

Outside the Building: Please do not hang anything on the outside of the building or from your window.

Waste Reduction Program: College Eight is proud to support the student managed College Eight Waste Management and Recycling programs. Your fellow students provide centers where you can drop off recyclables in both the Residence Hall and Apartment areas. Please empty and rinse all containers before placing them in the recycling bins & take cardboard to the special dumpster behind the “D” Garden building or in the Upper Apartments area.

Bicycles: Many of our students choose to bring bicycles to campus, and understandably want to store them in their rooms for greatest security. The College does have outdoor bike racks for bikes to be locked to if you are less concerned with security. If students do bring their bikes into the building, they must take great care not to cause damage or track in mud and dirt with them! If this does occur, the resident will be charged for the repair and clean up and may lose the privilege of bringing the bike indoors. Bicycles may be stored in your room, but never in the hallways, lobbies, stairwells, or lounges! Please do not install any hooks in the ceiling to hang your bike or other objects (to do so will result in repair charges at the end of your stay). Outside, don’t lock your bike to stair railings, or anywhere other than the bike racks. Practice good bicycle safety. If you are unsure of campus or other bicycle safety rules, please contact the Police Department for more information and a brochure.

Keys: It is essential that you protect yourself and your belongings by locking your room when you are away or asleep, and by keeping careful track of your keys/access card. If you lose your key/access card, report this promptly to the College Housing Office so that your room may be re-keyed or you can be issued a new card. You will be billed for this per the terms of your housing contract. Do not lend your key/access card to anyone at anytime.

Safety and Security

In an emergency, dial 911 from any phone.

The safety and security of College Eight depends on the cooperation of all of us! This cooperation also makes this a more comfortable and secure place to call “home.” While the campus and college work hard to provide a safe and secure environment, all residents must accept responsibility for their own safety and the security of their belongings.

The Community Safety Program: The staff of Community Safety Officers (CSOs) supports the safety and security of the residential areas during the evening and also works with residents on complying with University and College policies. CSOs are on duty between 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. every night. The CSO carries a radio so that you can have him paged to your location by phoning 459-2100 (or x9-2100 from a campus phone) and asking the CSO Dispatcher to relay a message to the CSO.

Taking Care of Yourself and Your Belongings: Lock your door and take your keys and student ID whenever you leave your room or apartment. It makes sense to lock your door at night when you are going to bed. If you live on the first floor or have a balcony outside your room, always close and lock your windows when you’re out of your room. Don’t leave your belongings unattended when you are in public places such as the Library or the Dining Hall. Cooperate with other members of your building to watch out for those who shouldn’t be there. If there is someone in your building that you don’t think belongs there, or who makes you feel uncomfortable, immediately contact the Police Department, CSO or another member of the Residential Staff. If you notice suspicious behavior (such as someone looking into autos in the parking lot late at night) contact the Police Department, the CSO or Residential Staff immediately. If you would like additional information or tips on security issues, please contact the CSO and s/he will make an appointment to meet with you to discuss these issues. If you would like a workshop on security with a police officer or Residential Staff can arrange one.

Residents’ Personal Belongings: The University cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to residents’ belongings. Residents are strongly encouraged to have their belongings/valuables insured either on their parents’ homeowner’s insurance policies or by separate renter’s insurance. The CSOs are available to assist residents in engraving their valuables with identification numbers.

Do Not Prop Open the Entry Doors to the Residence Halls! It may be convenient for you to prop the door late at night when you are expecting a pizza delivery but doing so puts the whole Residence Hall (including yourself) at risk should an unauthorized person gain entry. If you are expecting a friend to visit you (or if you’re waiting for that pizza delivery), please wait in the lobby for them to arrive.

Solicitors: People selling magazine or newspaper subscriptions, or requesting donations for charity, for example, are not allowed in the residential buildings. If you see someone you suspect is a solicitor, please contact Residential Staff, or the Housing and Residential Life Office, or the CSO.

Campus Police: UCSC has its own Police Department on campus. The twenty-four hour, non-emergency phone number is 459-2231. If you have an emergency and you need to contact someone immediately, please call 911, which is the campus emergency number.

Campus Fire Department: UCSC also has its own Fire Department on campus. The twenty-four hour, non-emergency phone number is 459-3473. If you have an emergency and you need to contact someone immediately, please call 911, the campus emergency number.

Emergency Phones: “Blue Phones” are located throughout the campus. These are special phones, which can be easily recognized by the blue light attached to the red phones. To use these phones, lift the receiver and the Police Dispatcher will answer. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the location of these phones across the campus.

Campus Entry Security Kiosks: The Main and West Entrances to UCSC are staffed at night from 8 pm until 3:15 am by the University Police Department. Students who are expecting guests between these hours should call the kiosk and give permission for their guests to be allowed on campus. Campus residents must give the name of their expected guest and, if possible, the type of automobile in which they will arrive. The phone number of the Main Entrance Kiosk is 459-3377. The phone number of the West Entrance Kiosk is 459-3388.

Prohibited Behavior and Possessions: UCSC Policy prohibits conduct that is “a threat to the health or safety of any person”. Please refer to the UCSC Student Policies and Regulations Handbook for more information. In addition, weapons of all types are prohibited on campus. If you have any question about whether you are in possession of a weapon, please contact the UCSC Police Department for clarification.

Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Fire Alarms produce an unmistakable noise. When a fire alarm sounds, you must leave the building immediately, even if you believe it might be false. Any person who fails to evacuate the building or to cooperate with staff promptly may face judicial action and jeopardizes their on-campus housing. When you leave your room, lock your door and take your keys. Do not re-enter the building until fire department personnel or a member of the Residential Staff gives an “all-clear” signal. Members of the Residential Staff have the task of insuring that the building is completely evacuated. They will check each room in your apartment for occupants. Residents who fail to evacuate the building promptly may be fined and/or face disciplinary action.

Evacuation: In the event that a building or the College must be evacuated, residents should be familiar with the evacuation plans for the area in which they live. Take a few minutes to study the evacuation plans and diagrams posted on the inside of each room in the College. If you have any questions concerning evacuation, please contact either the CSOs or members of the Residential Staff.

Fire Alarm Boxes are distributed throughout the College. Most of them have a metal striker attached to the box, which can be used to break the glass to gain access to the alarm handle. If, for some reason, one of the strikers is missing you may use another hard object such as the heel of your shoe.

Smoke/Heat Detectors: Every bedroom and/or apartment is equipped with a combination smoke/heat detector. When a heat detector is activated the alarms in the entire building sound and you must leave the building. When a smoke detector is activated, a local alarm in the room or the apartment sounds. If your smoke detector “goes off” and there is no apparent reason (there is no smoke in your room), please call Maintenance during the day or the CSO at night. They can evaluate the situation and contact appropriate University officials. The smoke/heat detectors are wired directly to campus communications and if you tamper with them the Police Dispatcher will immediately know of your activity. Tampering with or removing any type of fire equipment are serious criminal offenses and you will be billed for any damage to your smoke/heat detector. Do not place anything over or too near the detectors.

Overhead Water Sprinkler Heads have been installed throughout the apartments and residence halls. These are designed in such a manner that if temperatures in their vicinity reach a certain level part of the sprinkler head will melt and a spray of water will be released. It is very important that residents use care with these sprinkler heads because they can be accidentally activated. Please do not play games in the residence halls (such as soccer or Frisbee) because damaging one of these heads can release an enormous amount of water. In addition, please do not hang tapestry or other objects in your room in such a manner as to obscure or cover up these sprinklers or the smoke/heat detectors.

Emergency & Safety Prohibitions--The following are prohibited on campus:
--Halogen torchier-type lamps.
--Candles of any type, oil lamps, or any other device producing an open flame. Open fires.
--Cooking in your residence hall room using an open flame stove, wok, or hot plate or any other device that has heated coils.
--Storage of explosives or flammable materials (including fireworks).
--A vehicle with gas tanks within the buildings or parked outside in close proximity to the buildings (use parking lots).
--Do-it-yourself electrical wiring and extension cords. Please use only approved surge protectors that have an internal circuit breaker.
--Restricting access to or from resident rooms or buildings--anything blocking hallways, entryways, stairwells or pathways.

Community Expectations and Policies

More than 700 students make up the residential community at College Eight, joining another 900 or so off campus students to comprise the entire College student body. For such a large and purposeful community to thrive and succeed, every resident must be committed to the principles of cooperation and active consideration. The policies that follow have been developed and refined by College residents and staff since these residences opened in 1989. These policies require that residents actively consider the well-being of their neighbors and the community, and make compromises for the benefit of those around them. Each resident can reasonably expect that others will be considerate of their needs. Issues and problems can be referred to any Residential Staff member for consultation and, as needed, action.

Noise And Quiet Hours: It is our philosophy that the residences should be quiet enough at all times for study and at night for sleep. It is essential, therefore, that all residents are actively considerate of their neighbors in regulating the volume levels of their music and personal activities at all times, whether they are inside or outside of a building.

Quiet Hours are designated times, during the nighttime and early morning, when music and conversation cannot be heard outside residents’ rooms or apartments.
--Sunday through Thursday, quiet hours are 10 p.m. - 10 a.m.
--Friday and Saturday nights quiet hours are 1 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Noise Complaints: Any person who violates quiet hours, is excessively and/or repeatedly noisy outside quiet hours, and/or is uncooperative in responding to requests for quiet should expect to receive a formal noise complaint. There is no obligation to give a warning prior to issuing a noise complaint during quiet hours. Any resident may file a noise complaint. Residential Staff and the CSOs are also charged with enforcing the noise policy and may be expected to file them too. Finally, the CSOs, Residential Staff and other residents will not act as your own personal “alarm clock” to remind you when quiet hours begin. Although others may sometimes remind you that your noise levels are a little high, this is done as a courtesy.

Residence Hall Bathrooms: Residence hall bathrooms are common areas maintained by the residents using them and the custodial staff acting in collaboration. The custodial staff alone cannot, and should not be expected to keep the bathrooms clean and sanitary. Everyone must work together! It is the responsibility of every resident to pick up after him/herself, to maintain the cubbyholes neatly, to wipe up spills or messes they make, and to use the bathrooms in a neat and sanitary way. The custodians will visit the bathrooms once every weekday to do routine cleaning and sanitizing. If the custodian or maintenance staff find a bathroom “trashed” or extraordinarily dirty, the area will be posted for clean up by the residents prior to the custodian’s return to do normal cleaning. Maintenance will supply cleaning supplies, and Residential Staff can be called upon to facilitate meetings or a cleaning schedule so that residents can work together to resolve problems.

Guests: When you agreed to your housing contract, you agreed to have guests overnight a maximum of fifteen (15) times in the entire academic year. This translates into five (5) nights in any one quarter. In addition, your guest may not stay more than three (3) nights in a row. If you exceed these limits, you may lose your guest privileges for the quarter or the year.

The conduct of your guests is YOUR responsibility. They must abide by the same residential and University policies and standards that you do. Guests who create disturbances, damage property, or harass anyone in any way will be asked to leave immediately (with the assistance of the University Police if necessary). Residents who have unruly guests may face disciplinary action themselves. So, even before your guests arrive, it is best to make sure they know what you and the College expect of them. It is the right of any resident or staff member to ask a guest (theirs or someone else’s) to leave if the guest is imposing on residents. These requests must be immediately honored.

Alcohol Use: As one of our main goals is to create an academically supportive and comfortable environment for all residents, we actively discourage use of alcohol by all students, and prohibit underage use.

General Limitations - Alcohol is strictly prohibited in all common areas of the residences and in all outdoor and public areas of the College. Social or other gatherings where serving or consuming alcohol is a primary focus of the gathering are prohibited. Persons under age 21 may not be present in places where alcohol is being served or consumed. No student or visitor may provide alcohol to minors, or be present where others are violating alcohol policies. For those who choose to drink, the College encourages and expects responsible decision-making regarding the use of alcohol.

Students age 21 and over – Students of legal drinking age may, in a very limited context, choose whether or not to consume alcohol privately in their rooms/apartments as long as this is neither in violation of University policy nor disruptive to the community. The prohibitions listed above, under general limitations, apply to those over 21.

Common Sources, Large Quantities and High Risk Drinking: Possession and/or use of kegs, party balls or other common source containers for alcohol or large quantities of alcohol are strictly prohibited. The possession and/or use of drinking devices such as funnels or use of alcohol as part of drinking games is also prohibited.

Illegal Drugs: We believe firmly that illegal drug use has no place in an academic community, adversely impacting not only the student involved, but other students and residents as well. University regulations, state laws and the Terms and Conditions of the housing contract prohibit use, possession, sale or manufacture of narcotic or illegal drugs and/or use or possession of drug paraphernalia. Examples or drug paraphernalia include, but are not limited to pipes, water pipes, bongs, and hookahs.

These standards apply everywhere at UCSC and to all members of the UCSC community and to visitors. Violation of these policies is grounds for University judicial action and also violates the terms and conditions of the housing contract. Residents responsible for these violations will face judicial action and cancellation of their University housing.

The UCSC Health Center’s Student Health Outreach and Promotion Office provides resource and referral assistance on request for students related to alcohol and other drug use/abuse. They can be reached at 459-3772 and www2.ucsc.edu/healthcenter/shop/

Student Conduct Processes

When there is a violation of the College policy or University regulation, the Coordinators for Residential Education (CRE) are responsible for overseeing matters related to the investigation and resolution of the matter. When a report of misconduct is received by the CRE, s/he will begin an investigation that includes notifying the resident(s) of alleged misconduct, and requesting a meeting to discuss the allegations. During an investigation, if there are concerns about a continuation of the misconduct, or an escalation of hostility, temporary restrictions may be placed on the resident (such as a restriction from having guests in one’s room or apartment, or from visiting a particular area or building of the College).

Every effort is made to come to an appropriate resolution with the resident. These often include discussion of policies and community standards, educational opportunities for the resident, and community service, among other options. Usually, such voluntary resolutions bring a positive closure to the event. In rare cases, more serious sanctions are warranted.

In all cases, students have the right to due process as provided in the UCSC Student Policies and Regulations Handbook: Policies and Regulations Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students (http://www2.ucsc.edu/judicial/). For more information about the judicial process, including University regulations, possible sanctions, and due process and appeal avenues please consult the UCSC Student Policies and Regulations Handbook and the Terms and Conditions of the housing contract (http://housing.ucsc.edu/).