Home > Administration > Residence Life and Housing

Facilities Tips

How to Keep Your Room Running Smoothly

As a resident student there are several things you can do to keep the facilities running smoothly in your room. Below are several tips that you can utilize.

Sprinklers and Smoke Detectors

It is very important that you never hang items from sprinklers in the residence halls. Doing so may activate the sprinkler, leading to a flood. Smoke detectors are also very sensitive. Do not hang anything from them or cover them in any way.

Heat

Each residence hall room has its own thermostat control and you and your roommate can control your own room temperature. Make sure that you leave your heating vents clear of any furniture. Placing furniture directly in front of the vents does not allow the air to circulate and your rooms will not heat properly.

Communication between you and your roommate is important in maintaining a comfortable temperature in your room. For example, if one roommate is hot and opens a window, this will only make the heater turn on even stronger.

Electricity

Power outages are rare on campus, but they do happen occasionally. Sometimes, they are due to bad weather or a problem on campus or in the community. When this occurs, just be patient; it will be fixed as soon as possible.

More often however, power outages occur because a fuse is blown. Outlets are overloaded far too often, leading to dangerous situations that place everyone at risk. Electrical problems are one of the leading causes of fires in residence halls.

There are several things you can do to use electricity safely:

Use power strips rather than extension cords. Extension cords cannot handle the power needed for most appliances in your room.
Give your outlet space! Don't cram furniture or other items against the outlet. Doing so can lead to bend cords and damaged wires.

If a fuse is blown between 8 AM and 5 PM, call the Office of Residence Life and Housing at ext. 1277. After hours, contact Campus Police at ext. 1212.

Bugs

Bugs are a fact of life, but there are things you can do to prevent bugs from making your room their home:

Keep your room clean! Bugs will migrate to food, so if you do not clean up your floor and take out your trash, you will likely have a bug problem.
Keep your window screens in place.

Even if you take these precautions, sometimes bugs still find their way into your room. If this occurs and you require the assistance of an exterminator, call the Office of Residence Life and Housing at X1277. They will set up an appointment for you.

Keys

Your keys should be carried with you at all times. Being locked out of your residence hall room is never convenient for you or hall staff.

If you are locked out, locate a Resident Assistant who will let you into your room upon presenting your ID. If you have lost your keys or they have been stolen, report it immediately to your Resident Director. Residents will be billed for a costs associated with changing room lock.

And a word to the wise...
Always lock your door when you or your roommate are not in your room, even if you just step out for a few minutes.