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Community Standards

COVID-19 and Health Acknowledgement

The University is taking all recommended precautions and following applicable CDC guidance for cleaning of all University Housing prior to your arrival.  However, the health and safety of our University Housing community depends upon each of us doing our part:  to stay safe, to maintain cleanliness (by cleaning areas after use and keeping your Unit clean) and to monitor and assess your own health daily.  Residents are responsible for their own behavior and to maintain the standards above, along with any guidelines and rules set by the University’s Housing and Residence Life staff.  Compliance with these rules is part of the Housing Agreement and the Student Code of Conduct.  There is no way to completely eliminate the risk of exposure to a virus in a campus environment and there are certain unique risks associated with any shared living environment.  In addition, individuals who may have been infected with COVID-19 or another illness may be asymptomatic for a period of time, or may never become symptomatic at all.  To minimize these risks, residents are asked to wear a mask in common areas and follow CDC social distancing guidance and may be asked to perform temperature checks, isolate or quarantine when sick, or test for coronavirus or another illness from time to time when needed, for your safety and for the protection of our shared campus community. In addition, the University may require that students produce evidence of a valid COVID-19 vaccination or another vaccination in accordance with University policies and procedures in place at the time. Also, the University reserves the right to modify access to the Premises, close access to certain University facilities, impose occupancy limitations or other limitations in response to public health and safety concerns, local, state or federal law requirements or other University determinations in the interest of student health. You play an important role in keeping yourself, the HPU ‘Ohana and our larger community safe.  

Roommate Bill of Responsibilities and Rights

Being a roommate and having a roommate can be one of the most important experiences for a residential student. How residents approach this new experience, what they put into it, what they expect from it, and what they learn from it are equally important steps in determining the success of any roommate relationship. 

The “Roommate Bill of Responsibilities and Rights” reveals what room- and loft-mates can reasonably expect from one another. Housing and Residence Life staff is available to assist, as requested.

  • You have the RIGHT to a safe and secure residential community living environment.

  • You have the RESPONSIBILITY to keep your room and door and hall/building doors locked and to not prop them or allow strangers in. You also have a responsibility to uphold all security policies and procedures; violations of these security policies and procedures put you and others at risk.

  • You have the RIGHT to a reasonably peaceful and quiet space in which you can sleep and study.

  • You have the RESPONSIBILITY to observe quiet hours, to keep your television, stereo, computer, and your voice at a reasonable volume in your room and within your hall/building/loft and to remind your guests and others that you expect the same of them.

  • You have the RESPONSIBILITY to communicate with your roommate about your guest plans and get their approval, ensure your roommate(s) and loft/suite mates in your unit are comfortable and feel safe with the presence and behavior of your guests.

  • You have the RIGHT to privacy and to the proportionate use of your room, both in terms of space and time, and to be free of unwanted guests in your room.

  • You have the RESPONSIBILITY to let your roommate know of your wishes and preference of hours of sleep, study, and visitation, and to work through any difference you may have in a peaceful manner. You also have a responsibility to make sure your guests do not violate your roommate’s rights or interfere with the use of your room.

  • You have the RIGHT to express your needs and feelings about activities/behaviors of roommates when it infringes on your rights.

  • You have the RESPONSIBILITY to listen to your roommate’s needs and feelings and work toward an amicable resolution.

  • You have the RIGHT to the assistance of your CA, Area Coordinator, or other Housing and Residence Life staff members when you need help with a problem.

  • You have the RESPONSIBILITY to notify a staff person of your problem and request assistance in a timely manner and to cooperate with those involved as they work with you as you solve your problem.

  • You have the RIGHT to know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior in your living environment;

You have the RESPONSIBILITY to read the information provided to you by HPU. This includes, but is not limited to, your Housing Agreement, Housing and Residence Life policies and procedures, Student Handbook and the Code of Student Conduct. You may report any violation, whether or not you were personally affected by it.


Residential Living Do’s and Don’ts

DO…

  • Talk to your roommate/loft mate. Communication is key to make any living situation successful. Fill out a roommate agreement and take it seriously.

  • Take your HPU ID and room key with you. They will give you access to your community and room. If you lose your ID, please visit the Student Services Center to get a new ID (there is a charge to replace IDs.). Go to the Office of Housing and Residence Life to replace a lost key.

  • Make sure that you (and your guests) know the rules well (before you invite them over.) Remember, you’ll be held accountable for anything that your guest does and there are policies regarding hosting guests.

  • Lock the front door and lock up your valuables every time you leave.  This is a general safety measure everyone can do each day.

  • Get renter’s insurance if you’re not covered under your parents’/guardians’ insurance. The university is not responsible for personal property that is lost, stolen or damaged at any time.

  • Get involved in your residential community and on campus. Getting involved is a great way to maximize your living experience and meet new people. Talk to your CA or Area Coordinator about more ways to get yourself out there.

  • Participate in the conflict-resolution process. Working through problems can be a challenge but it’s more challenging when you’re unwilling to participate; involve your CA to help if needed.

  • Be up front with your parents/guardians if you’re going to involve them. Tell them the entire story. They want you to have a good living situation too and want to help you resolve the situation.

  • Know your resources. There’s a CA in your building who’s there to help you as well as the Area Coordinator overseeing your community.

  • Be patient in allowing housing time to address non-emergency issues and situations when reported. Housing staff will respond to issues following a set of protocols and procedures that ensure consistency and neutrality. To ensure fairness in our response to issues involving multiple students, Housing staff must stay objective in our support and must take the time to hear all sides from all parties involved before determining responsibilities or taking action.

  • Check your @my.hpu.edu email regularly. Housing updates, reminders and important information will be shared via your @my.hpu.edu by housing throughout the year. It is your responsibility to regularly check your email to ensure that you follow procedure and stay up-to-date on all polices. Please also be timely in responding to emails requesting responses and further action from you.

DON’T…

  • Get charged for damage you didn’t create. It pays to keep a watchful eye on your floor and your area. If damages or vandalism occur and the person responsible can’t be identified, every resident of that floor/area gets billed for it. Do your part to make sure your community stays safe and clean.

  • Assume you can easily terminate your housing agreement. The Housing Agreement that you sign with Housing and Residence Life is just like a lease for an apartment you might have off campus. The dates as well as the terms and conditions are binding. Be sure you understand it and ask questions to clarify the terms before you sign.

  • Take over the room if your roommate moves out – or be uninviting to a new roommate. Vacant spaces may be allocated to a new resident at any time, so make every effort to keep the space neat, clean, and orderly. Do not put your belongings into or onto empty furniture in your room, suite, or loft.

  • Get hung up on “winning” if you’re having a conflict with a room- or loft-/suite-mate. Take some time to listen to your roommate and reflect on how to make things better for everyone involved; the goal is to reach a compromise.

  • Wait to communicate issues you are having in housing until they become unbearable. Please actively report issues you have (e.g., maintenance needs, roommate conflicts, etc.) before things escalate. Know that although we are here to help and support you, we need time to properly address those issues and can only take action if and when issues get directly reported to us. Your Community Advisor is a great resource for this and is ready to help!

  • Expect your parents/guardians to solve the problem for you. You’re the student and we’re here to work with you; a Housing and Residence Life team member will ultimately need to talk to you if there’s a problem. Definitely use your parents/guardians as a resource, but we expect you to work with us to resolve your situation.

  • Assume that if you request a move, you’ll get exactly what you want. Keep in mind that spaces are limited and the ability for us to approve your request depends on space availability.

Roommate Contracts

The Housing and Residence Life staff expects that residents take ownership in their living environment through the Roommate Agreement process. Residents who have intentional conversations at the start of the semester about how to be in community and live in shared spaces (e.g., expectations, responsibilities, communication) will be in a better position to respond to conflicts that arise during the academic year. CAs will facilitate this during the first 3 weeks of fall and spring semesters. Participation in the Roommate Agreement process is required for all residents.

Complicity in Prohibited Acts

Complicity is defined as being present, condoning, supporting, assisting, facilitating, encouraging, or ignoring the occurrence of any violation of Housing Policies, the Code of Student Conduct, and/or the Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy. Students who anticipate or observe any violation of University policies are expected to remove themselves from association or participation in any inappropriate behavior. Individuals who fail to do so may be subject to the university’s disciplinary process for alleged violations.

Students living in the halls are accountable for the behavior of their guests and may be sanctioned under this provision as if they had committed the violations themselves. When in the presence of a potential policy violation, residents are expected to do one or more of the following:

  • Personally address and stop the violation, except in cases where it may be dangerous to do so, such as in the case of violence or threat of violence.

  • Bring the violation to the awareness of a Housing and Residence Life staff member or security.

  • Leave the scene of the violation, if not assigned to the room/hall/loft in which the violation is occurring.

     

The Jeanne Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy & Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) requires all colleges and universities receiving federal funds to report certain crime and fire statistics. Pursuant to the Clery Act, higher education institutions must: publish and disseminate an annual campus security and fire safety report containing various security and fire policies and three years of certain crime and fire log of all crimes and fires reported to their police and security department. For more details, contact the Director of Security at (808) 544-1400. 

Parental/Guardian Notification

Hawai‘i Pacific University reserves the right, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), to notify a student’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of certain issues such as drug or alcohol incidents in violation of university, local, state or federal level laws, regulations, orders or rules, if the student is under the age of 21. The university may also notify parents or guardians regarding other situations involving student safety/security (e.g., harm to self or others) as allowed under FERPA and/or the HPU Student Emergency Notification Policy. 

Title IX Coordinators and the Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy

Contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators and the Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy are located in the Student Handbook. To make a report, go to www.hpu.edu/titleix.