Know Your Rights: Dorm Privacy

Published April 3, 2007
One Comment (at bottom of article)

By Hazel Ryerton

While living in the UVM dorms, you should know that despite the fact that you are on UVM property and living under the regulations laid out in the housing contract, you still have rights! It is your right to protect your privacy in your dorm room!

When the RA knocks:
RAs can knock on your door for any of the following reasons:

1.If they smell smoke (marijuana, incense, or otherwise)
2. If they hear bottles clinking, beruit, loud music, or what sounds like more than 6 people in the room (this is a sneaky rule designed to give RA’s reason to knock).
3. If they see someone who is obviously intoxicated leaving a room.

When an RA knocks on your door, they may or may not announce that they are an RA. Do NOT say, “come in!” to a mysterious knock. Go to the door, answer it, if it is an RA, step outside the room and close the door behind you.

RA’s and RD’s cannot enter your room uninvited without permission from the Director of Residential Life (UVM’s version of a warrant), unless to stop an imminent act of violence. However, they can write you up for any contraband that they see through an open door, so your best option is to speak with the RA in the hallway with your door closed.

While in the hallway, the RA may ask you if he/she can enter your room. You have the right to say no.

Rounds:

The RAs make rounds at 7pm, 11pm and 1am, usually taking 20 min each. This is a good time to quiet down, maybe even change the music for a short romantic interlude.

UVM Police getting involved:

It is in your best interest to deal with an RA rather than a UVM police officer. If you do not answer the door when the RA knocks, the next step is for the RA to call UVM police.

The only situations in which it is protocol for RA’s to call the UVM police are in the cases of odor violations for marijuana, other illegal drug use, or violence.

In all other situations, drinking, noise and microwaved ramen, it is in your best interest to deal politely and cooperatively with the RA, so as not to irritate him/her to the point where the UVM police are called in unnecessarily.

Room inspections:
All rooms are subject to monthly room inspections. Only a veritable idiot can fail a room inspection. You are given 24 hours’ notice, so if you are too lazy to put away your toaster, candles or other illegal paraphernalia, do not expect much sympathy.

You should know that this is an inspection, not a search! During an inspection RA’s and RD’s may not open or close any doors, move boxes or blankets. You can only be written up for items that are in plain sight. Any devices you may have for circulating air out of your room are not cause to be written up per se, but they can be forwarded to the RD who may choose to pursue the issue.

Reasons for failing a room inspection: incense, candles, anything hanging from the ceiling, excessive electrical outlet use, toasters, microwaves, animals, and drugs or alcohol (actual or accessory to).

Empties: as pimp as your collection of empty Andre champagne bottles is, you are better off without it, as empties are a violation of the code. Fact: even picking up and recycling the littered 40 oz besmirching your pristine view of the Green Mountains could land you with a write-up.

For more information, check out pages 12&13 of the “housing and meal plan contract terms and conditions” available on-line.

The Water Tower is not responsible for any actions or interactions you have with law enforcement. Please think before you act and act responsibly. We offer you our best research, however, The Water Tower is not an attorney.

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