Residence Hall Rules & Regulations

1.0 Rooms shall be kept clean and sanitary at all times, including the proper disposal of empty beverage and food containers. Suite residents are responsible for cleaning the bathroom(s) in their suite.

2.0 No nails, double-sided tape, cellophane tape, adhesive-backed wall coverings and decorations, paint, and stain shall be used on any room, door, lobby, stairwell, or hallway surface. It is recommended that residents use push pins in the suites to hang items on walls in their suite spaces. ONLY McLean Hall may use Command Strips. Residents will be charged for any damage caused by items placed in rooms.

3.0 Furniture shall not be moved from its designated location to another location. This includes, but is not limited to, removal of furniture from public areas to private rooms. Room furniture is the responsibility of the occupants and shall not be moved, lost, or damaged. Occupants will be financially responsible for loss and/or damage.

4.0 The possession and/or use of cooking appliances in residence hall rooms is prohibited. Examples of such include, but are not limited to, hot plates, immersion coils, electric frying pans, toaster ovens, electric griddles, air fryers, hot pots, toasters, grills, popcorn poppers that use oil, and hot shots. Hot-air popcorn poppers and drip coffee makers under 12-cup capacity are permitted in all rooms. Blenders and Juicers are permitted. Slow cookers and rice cookers are not permitted. One microwave with a maximum wattage of 750 is permitted per room or suite.

5.0 One compact refrigerator drawing less than three amps and no larger than 4.3 cubic feet is permitted in each residence hall room. Refrigerators must carry UL approval, be positioned to allow adequate ventilation, and be connected directly into a wall socket or power strip with a circuit breaker.

6.0 All electrical appliances must be in good working order and carry the UL approval. Electrical appliances must be plugged directly into the wall socket or into a UL approved power source with an internal circuit breaker. Power sources must be free of defects such as cracked, split, or nicked insulation; exposed wires; knots, burn marks; and loose connections. Power sources shall not be connected in a series to one another and they must not be covered, e.g., with carpet. Extension cords are not allowed.

7.0 Light cords and appliance cords shall be free of kinks and knots, must be UL approved, and must not have breaks, worn insulation, or broken plugs.

8.0 External antennas for TV or radio and tampering with the cable TV system are prohibited. Misuse or redirection of cable TV for personal use is a criminal offense.

9.0 Open flames, smoldering embers, and spark/flame producing items are prohibited in residence halls. This includes, but is not limited to, the burning and/or possession of incense, candles, oil lamps, lanterns, lava lamps, Scentsy candle warmers, electric wickless candles, and potpourri burners.

10.0 Smoking is prohibited in all residential facilities.

11.0 No animals or pets of any kind are permitted in residence halls, except fish. Aquariums up to a 10-gallon capacity are allowed. No more than one aquarium per bedroom is acceptable. Assistance animals registered with the Office of Accessibility Resources are permitted once approved. Approval must be renewed each academic year.

12.0 Road signs (e.g., parking, street, stop) and parking cones are not permitted in residence halls.

13.0 No athletic/sports related games shall be played or athletic equipment used within a residence hall except in designated areas. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of free weights, roller blades/skates, hoverboards, skateboards, rackets, dart boards, hockey equipment, balls, frisbees, "Nerf" style guns that launch projectiles.

14.0 Only university provided beds are allowed in student’s rooms. Waterbeds, lofts, bed risers, and hanging or suspended bed frames are not allowed.

15.0 Storing or using flammable/combustible liquids, flammable/explosive gases and dangerous chemical mixtures are prohibited. Kerosene heaters and charcoal stoves are also prohibited.

16.0 No alteration or modification of the room accommodations shall be made. Closet doors and venetian blinds/curtain rods must remain in place. Smoke detectors and sprinkler systems must not be covered or tampered with.

17.0 Bicycles may be parked in the racks by the residence halls or placed in the designated hall storage area. They may be kept in residence hall rooms if all roommates agree. Bicycles shall not be kept in any other area of the residential facility because of the possibility of interfering with exit routes and housekeeping services. All bicycles must be registered with the University Police.

18.0 Motorcycles, mopeds, and any other type of gasoline motor shall not be stored/parked in rooms. Such items shall only be parked in accordance with University parking regulations and procedures. Electric Recreational Vehicles (e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.) are not permitted to be used, parked, or stored in any area of the residence halls. 

19.0 Decorations used for seasonal or special events must be made of fire retardant materials. Natural Christmas trees and natural decorations are not allowed. UL approved LED string lights are permitted in residence hall rooms. All other non-LED holiday lights are prohibited. Approved LED string lights must be in good condition. No more than two LED light strings should be plugged into one another, and the lights may not be placed above a door frame, or attached to fire sprinkler or alarm devices. No more than 50 LED lights are permitted on a string. LED light strips with adhesive backings should not be attached to the ceilings/walls. Damage caused by adhesive light strips will be billed to the resident(s).

20.0 Outside window sills must be kept clear of all objects. Window screens shall not be removed.

21.0 Only the following additional furniture items are permitted in residence hall rooms: rugs/carpets, futons, computer stands and chairs are allowed if positioned to allow proper exit or entrance.

22.0 No items, e.g., posters, flags, tapestries, etc. shall be hung from room ceiling; nor shall they be hung on or in front of windows or exit doors.

23.0 Space heaters are prohibited in residence hall rooms, unless sanctioned by University staff for accommodation purposes.

24.0 Room keys, mailbox keys, and access cards are for the exclusive use of the resident to whom they are assigned. They remain the responsibility of the resident and they must never be given to other parties for use. Residents must maintain a university ID with their accurate building sticker identifier (issued upon moving into the residence hall). Building stickers should never be removed, given, or sold to other parties. University ID and building stickers must be shown to university staff when upon entering the residence hall or when requested. If a resident loses their university ID, they must contact their Residence Director to request a replacement sticker. ID must be present at the time that a building sticker is issued. If a student withdraws from the university, they must return their university ID to the Shippensburg University Police Department before leaving campus.

Building Sticker Colors:
Harley – green
Kieffer – orange
Lackhove – blue
McCune – pink
McLean – purple
Naugle – red
Seavers - yellow

25.0 Students shall not use their assigned space as a sales room or storage location for commercial activity. Solicitation and fund raising activities must conform to the limited enterprises regulations outlined in the Student Handbook.

26.0 All residence hall rooms are subject to regular maintenance and safety inspections. Residents must allow University personnel into rooms for health, fire, safety, and maintenance inspections. Physical plant personnel and employed contractors will be allowed to enter private rooms to perform their duties. When possible, advance notice of such events will be given.

27.0 Students are responsible for any damage that occurs within the confines of their rooms. Students are also responsible for any damage they create, or help create, on the campus.

28.0 Trash and personal items shall not be left or deposited in any public areas of the residence halls.

29.0 Students shall not tamper with, overload, damage or vandalize elevators.

30.0 Students are prohibited from engaging in activities that violate any health, safety, maintenance, or fire codes as defined by University policy, rules, and regulations; as well as those defined by local, state and federal laws.

31.0 Students are expected to abide by all the terms and conditions outlined in the “Student Housing Agreement” (Refer to the electronic copy of the Housing Agreement on the Housing and Residence Life website for the specific academic year.)

32.0 Students shall not operate any computer network servers from any residence hall location. This includes, but is not limited to, chat, file, print, web, ftp, and unix shell servers.

33.0 Students shall only connect one computer into each ResNet outlet. This connection shall only occur within their assigned rooms.

34.0 3D printers are prohibited in the residence halls.