GUIDE FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVING

Section One ~ Community Living

Adjustment

Sharing a room with another student can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of a college experience. The opportunity to become close friends with someone new, who has a different background and different ideas, provides a tremendous learning experience. There is always an initial adjustment period between roommates. To make this adjustment easier, you should sit down with your roommate(s) during the first few days and discuss the following items:

1. Study habits
2. Visitation
3. Bathroom schedule
4. Cleaning the room
5. Cooking and eating in room
6. Use of stereo and TV
7. Telephone use
8. Time for fun
9. Use of each other's personal property, food, and appliances
10. Space for clothing, luggage and personal storage
11. Work, classes, and study schedules
12. Guests
13. Noise

When you check in to your room, your Resident Assistant (RA) will give you a Roommate Agreement. The agreement is to be completed by you and your roommate(s). You are expected to return your agreements to the RA once you and your roommate(s) have completed them. The RA will keep a copy of your agreements with your check-in forms. If roommate issues arise, the RA will refer to your agreement.

Completion of the Roommate Agreement helps residents clarify their issues and expectations prior to having conflicts about belongings, privacy, cleaning, etc.

Belongings

Find out your roommate's feelings about lending his or her belongings to other people --- including you. Some roommates do not mind lending to their roommates, but will not lend to other people. Find out your roommate's feelings and let your roommate know your feelings.

Cleaning

Make an agreement as to who cleans what and when. Divide all the cleaning responsibilities. If someone is not doing his or her part, do not wait around or write notes complaining. Talk with each other. Do not create hard feelings and increase problems; work at solving them.

Communication

Always strive to keep the lines of communication open between you and your roommate. Chances are very good that if something about the living situation is bothering you, it's also bothering your roommate, so talk about it.

Community Bill of Rights

The community bill of rights is a reminder to you of your rights as an individual and your responsibility to your fellow community members.

1. The right to read and study free from undue interference in one's room. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of this right.
2. The right to sleep without undue disturbance from noise, guests of a roommate, etc.
3. The right to expect that one's roommate will respect one's personal belongings (i.e., clothing and food).
4. The right to a clean environment in which to live. This includes rooms, bathrooms, and other common areas.
5. The right to free access to one's room and facilities without pressure from a roommate.
6. The right to privacy.
7. The right to host guests with the expectation that those guests are to respect the rights of the host and his/her roommate.
8. The right for redress of grievances. Residence hall staff members are available for assistance in settling conflicts and negotiating differences.
9. The right to be free from fear of intimidation and physical and emotional harm.
10. The right to expect reasonable cooperation in the use of "room-shared" appliances and equipment.
11. The right to expect commitment to honor agreed-upon living standards.
12. The right to be free from peer pressure or ridicule regarding one's beliefs, interests, and behavior.

Community Relocation

The University reserves the right to move you from room to room, floor to floor, and hall to hall when we determine it is in the best interest of the student, the floor, the University, etc.

Mission Statement

The residential life program is a self-supporting program that exists as an integral part of the educational program and academic support services of Tennessee Technological University. Living accommodations and support services enhance the university mission of student retention, academic excellence and community involvement.

The residential life program strives to:

• Provide reasonably priced residential facilities and services that are safe, clean, attractive, well maintained and comfortable.
• Provide a learning environment and related co-curricular programs that address educational, life safety, leadership, diversity, and student development.
• Provide management services that ensure the efficient and effective administration of all aspects of the program.
• Provide opportunities for students to realize their full potential as individuals, members of the residential community, members of the University, and in society as a whole.

This is accomplished by organizing activities that address individual needs and interests, developing policies and procedures, administering residence hall disciplinary procedures, advocating for students and the training and supervising of residence hall staff.

Office of Residential Life

The Office of Residential Life is located on the second floor of MSCooper Hall, Room 217. The office is open from 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday during the academic year, and 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday during holidays and summer session. Please contact the office if you need assistance concerning any aspect of housing by stopping in the office, by emailing reslife@tntech.edu or by calling us at (931) 372-3414 or 1-800-268-0240.

Help Desk

The Office of Residential Life staffs two residence hall help desks from 9:00am - 7:00pm, seven days a week during academic year-excluding interim periods.  These desks are located in the following areas:

• Lobby of New Residence Hall - services Pinkerton Quad and New Residence Hall (phone - 5267)
• Lobby of Dunn Hall - services Capital Quad and Crawford Hall (phone - 4419)

Services available at these desks include:  lock-outs, check-ins and check-outs, roommate assistance, assistance with emergency situations, policy enforcement, and answers to general questions regarding policy and procedures.

Residence Hall

A residence hall is a densely populated community composed of students with many different interests, habits and tastes. The University is committed to the concept that residence halls should provide an atmosphere conductive to both living and learning where, in a spirit of cooperation and consideration for others, students may live, study and relax together.

Residence Hall Staffing

To provide direct services to resident students, the Director of Residential Life appoints a residence hall staff to serve as the University’s representatives in the residence halls. They are appointed to serve as staff members based upon their ability to serve the residence hall community. Residence hall staff members serve students in a variety of ways: supervising student behavior, advising and counseling students within the limits of training and capability on academic and social matters, providing programming events to enhance the quality of life within the residence halls, and explaining residence hall regulations and procedures. In essence, the residence hall staff is the closest contact a student has between a problem and its solution.

Hall Director (HD)

Each residence hall is supervised directly by a Hall Director. Hall Directors coordinate the administrative and community activities of a specific residence hall. Hall Directors live in an apartment located in each building complex.

A Hall Director works on call from 4:30pm-8am Monday-Thursday and from 4:30pm on Friday till 8am on Monday. Additionally, Hall Directors maintain office hours within their buildings. These hours are posted on the office door and/or in the director boards found in the lobby areas, and at the following web address: www.tntech.edu/reslife/office.htm

Resident Assistant (RA)

The staff member with whom you will have the most direct contact is the Resident Assistant, (RA). This person lives on your floor or on a nearby floor and is available to assist you in your residence hall. The RA also ensures that community living standards are maintained, and works with all residents to plan informative and enjoyable activities. The RA assists the Hall Director, HD.

A Resident Assistant is scheduled for duty from 7:00pm to 7:00am seven days a week.  A schedule of who is on duty should be posted on the office door in the lobby or online at www.tntech.edu/reslife/roster.htm. The staff is there to provide a service to you and to help you, so feel free to approach them.

Programming Hall Director (PHD)

The Programming Hall Director coordinates the work of the Program Assistants for the Office of Residential Life and supervises the Programming Resource Center (PRC). The Programming Resource Center is the heart of student life and development for on-campus housing. The Programming Hall director works with students and officials on events and activities.

Programming Assistant (PA)

Programming Assistants implement programs and activities within the individual residence halls and Tech Village apartments. They staff the Programming Resource Center.

Respect

Spend some time with your roommate(s) so that you can get to know one another better. This will help you if problems arise later. Find out your common interests and build on them. Respect your roommate. Not everyone is alike or does things the same way. He or she is an individual, too.

Make other friends and get involved in some activities that are interesting and pertinent to you. Do not depend on your roommate(s) to fulfill your every emotional and social need.

Finally, realize you are "sharing." If one person tries to make things conform to his/her own style, it could cause bad feelings and antagonistic attitudes. Think of your roommate(s) and yourself as a household, and set up conditions in which everyone can live comfortably.