Any student at Westmont College can elect to enroll in the meal plan (i.e. board plan). Campus residents are required to participate in the meal plan, with exceptions given to residents in the Global Leadership Center (GLC) and students approved by the Office of Disability Services due to extreme medical dietary restrictions. If you do not live on campus, you may enroll in the meal plan through the Housing Office. The meal plan policy can be found in detail on the Housing Website, with more information on dietary accommodations on the Office of Disability Servies Website.

The Housing Office seeks to accommodate requests for housing but reserves the sole right to make all room and roommate assignments. This includes the right to make changes after assignments have been confirmed and posted online, and require students to reside on-campus or off-campus. 

You have the opportunity to select rooms and roommates for the upcoming academic year during the spring housing selection process. If you are planning to study away or abroad for the fall semester you should make arrangements for future housing during the spring process, possibly considering a Flex Triple Housing option to secure preferred housing. New students will be given the opportunity to request roommates or a particular residence hall through their housing application submitted to the Housing Office.

To change rooms between the fall and spring semesters, you will need to fill out an online request indicating your housing preferences in conjunction with your Housing Declaration Form emailed to you by Housing and due the first week of November. Approvals will be communicated late November or early December. 

If you do not have a roommate in your room and do not have a single room accommodation through the Office of Disability Services, Housing reserves the right to assign students in this space at any time during the year. It is your responsibility to secure roommates of your choice, and to fill any vacant spot in your room during the academic year.

Roommate conflicts occur even in the healthiest of roommate relationships. Conflict is normal and should be expected in relationships, especially when two or more people live together and share a common space. Sometimes situations that work at the beginning of the year become more difficult as the year goes on, and conflict is necessary to bring resolution and deeper understanding between roommates. 

Many conflicts can be resolved easily with a mature and respectful conversation between roommates. Other conflicts may be more difficult to resolve and may require assistance through a mediation process. In extreme cases, conflicts may not be able to be resolved, resulting in a room change for one or both roommates. Our goal in Residence Life is to offer support and serve as a resource in this process.

Roommate conflicts are initially handled by the Resident Assistant, who will work to offer mediation and counsel to both students involved. If the conflict becomes more serious or it seems mediation is not working, Resident Directors will then become involved to offer assistance and facilitate a room change if that seems to be the best resolution in the end. 

It is never our desire to force you to live in a room where the climate is fraught with tension and frustration or where conflict cannot be resolved.  We do, however, expect you to make a sincere and collaborative effort to work through the conflict, communicate your concerns clearly, and develop strong conflict management or coping skills in the process. Our residence halls are also very full and at times we may not have the space available to move you to a new or different space, but we will explore every option. Please know attempting to force a roommate out of the room or preventing a roommate from moving into the room will not be tolerated, and could result in a student conduct process.

You might be able to work out an agreement with your roommate for one semester but decide it is best to move rooms at the end of the Fall Semester. This is the preferred method for initiating room changes, as it is the least disruptive to the academic experience for everyone involved. You just need to indicate your desire to move on your Housing Declaration Form emailed by the Housing Office in October, as well as fill out an online request to change rooms or residence halls. You may request to move at the semester out of simple preference--it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to a conflictual situation. Approvals will be communicated in late November or early December. 

Roommate conflicts and room changes are not addressed by the Director of Residence Life or Assistant Director of Residence Life and Housing Services unless the hall staff requires assistance in doing so. It is also important to note that the college expects students, not parents, to work through the processes outlined above.

Students residing in a residence hall must check in and check out with the Residence Life staff, there are no exceptions to this policy. 

The Room Condition Inventory (RCI) used in the checking in and checking out process has been designed to protect you as the student, as well as Westmont College property. Each student will complete a RCI during their check-in process, indicating the condition of the room and its furnishings. You are encouraged to be accurate when completing the RCI, since charges can be levied for damages, missing items or lack of cleanliness. 

Furniture and other items may not be left in the hallways, utility rooms and public areas. Any such items left will be removed by college staff, and you will be held accountable for appropriate replacement costs. 

Students checking in to their residence hall should show up at the designated times for Check-In to complete necessary paperwork such as the RCI, collect their key, and receive important housing information. Failure to do so will result in a $50 improper check-in fee. If students are unable to show up at these designated times, they must work well in advance to coordinate a different time with the Residence Life Staff based on their availability. 

Additionally, you are responsible for checking out of your room by making an appointment with your Resident Assistant (RA) before leaving.  You should leave your room in the same condition as you found it. You and your RA will compare the current room condition with the original RCI. You will be held responsible for the condition and cleanliness of your room and furnishings and any loss or damage other than normal wear that might occur during your occupancy. In order to avoid a possible $50 improper check-out fine and/or $200 moving and cleaning fee, be sure to follow the proper check-out procedures.

The fall semester check-out deadline is 12:00 pm (noon) on Saturday, December 18, 2021; the spring semester check-out deadline is 12:00 pm (noon) on Friday, May 6, 2022. The spring deadline applies to all students not officially involved in graduation ceremonies or authorized to stay by the Housing Office (e.g., for reasons such as Mayterm, athletics, summer residency at Ocean View, or Westmont summer employment). If you are authorized to stay in Westmont housing beyond Friday, May 6 you have until 12:00 pm (noon) on Sunday, May 8, 2022, to check out.

If you wish to withdraw from school during a semester, you must obtain a withdrawal form from the Registrar’s office in Kerrwood Hall and go through the residence hall check-out procedure by contacting your RD.

The residence halls will close for the Christmas holiday at 12:00 pm (noon) on Saturday, December 18, 2021. They will reopen at noon on Saturday, January 8, 2022. During this break, security personnel and/or residence life staff may inspect your residence hall room or apartment for safety hazards.

During the Christmas holiday, you are welcome to visit the campus to pick up mail, use the library, attend basketball games, show the campus to parents and friends and make use of the public areas (note that business days/hours are reduced during this break). However, you must obtain authorization prior to accessing the residence halls. Students who remain in the residence halls past Saturday, December 18, 2021, and/or found in their room earlier than Saturday, January 8, 2022, without approval from Residence Life will be fined $50 or more. 

Additionally, in preparation for an extended holiday break where electricity and heat could possibly be turned off, students are asked to complete the following items listed below before leaving campus: 

• Empty and defrost personal refrigerator and put back in room unplugged
• Ensure all trash and/or perishable food in the room is properly discarded
• Unplug all electronics 
• Dirty dishes have been washed 
• Prepare room for a potential new roommate (if you have an open space) 
• Remove all personal belongings from bathrooms, lounges, hallways, laundry room, and kitchens
• Remove Christmas decorations and pet fish (if applicable)

Students living in the Ocean View apartments may stay in their apartments during the Christmas holiday, but on-campus residents may not stay and will need to ask permission to enter the residence halls during the holiday season. 

You may remain on campus for all or part of spring recess, but you must sign-up in advance on the online form at the housing website. No dining or custodial services will be provided, access to the residence hall kitchens may be limited, residence hall staff will be available only on a very limited basis, and shuttle service will be suspended during spring recess. Guests may not stay in the residence halls during this break. Behavioral expectations and housing policies apply as usual.

During the spring semester, you may apply for summer housing online at the Housing Website. If you wish to occupy campus housing after Commencement, you must qualify to do so. Also, you should submit an application as soon as it becomes available during the spring semester. Short-term summer residents, such as intercollegiate athletes and those attending Mayterm or summer travel programs, are housed in Page Hall. The transition from spring to summer housing occurs during the morning and afternoon of the day after Commencement, May 8, 2022.

Any current student may apply for summer housing at the Ocean View apartments, and Westmont student employees receive initial priority for housing in Ocean View. There is no Mayterm housing at Ocean View, although current Ocean View residents’ Mayterm requests will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis (depending upon available space).

Summer housing space at Ocean View is limited. There is a 10-week minimum rental commitment, and applications are considered on the basis of the space available and the duration of the rental commitment. Summer housing check-in at Ocean View occurs during the afternoon on the day after Commencement.

Everyone who reserves campus housing is obligated to pay the room charge for the entire semester. If you move off campus or withdraw, the schedule for refunds is in the college catalog.

All triple rooms contain furniture to accommodate three residents. All furniture is to remain in each triple room, even if not fully occupied. For occupants of triple rooms (except for flex-triples in the GLC), a refund is credited at the end of each semester to residents who have lived in a fully occupied triple room for the entire semester. However, since the Housing Office cannot guarantee that designated triple rooms will be fully occupied, you should not count on receiving a refund. If one or more of the roommates vacate a triple room during the semester, none of those occupants will receive a refund for that semester.

Westmont College does not not provide storage for students. There are many public storage facilities in the Santa Barbara area for items that do not fit in your residence hall room, or for items you wish to store during the summer. During the year, all of your belongings, except for motorized vehicles, must be kept in your assigned room or apartment. This applies to vehicle accessories, such as jeep tops and roof racks.

Due to Westmont being located in a high-risk fire region, students may not use personal BBQs in the vicinity of the college (including the hills behind the campus). Students may arrange to use the residence hall bbq with the Resident Director. Students may keep personal BBQs in their rooms (for use off campus–beach, etc.) but may not keep any fuel in their room.

Bicycles brought to campus must be registered with Residence Life during residence hall check-in. If a bicycle is brought to campus after check-in it must be registered with your Resident Director.

Bicycles should be stored in individual rooms or locked in the bicycle racks near the residence halls, and not kept in hallways, lounges, entryways, storage rooms, or planters. To prevent damage and theft, you should store your bicycle in your room during extended breaks.

Westmont offers no bicycle storage for the summer months. Therefore, all bicycles must be removed from campus at the end of the academic year. Any owners who leave their bicycle after the closure of the residence halls will be notified to claim and retrieve their bicycle within 90 days of notice. Bicycles not retrieved within 90 days will be disposed of by Campus Safety. Unregistered bicycles left after the closure of the residence halls will be tagged for removal, and after 90 days will also be disposed of by Campus Safety (Mopeds left on campus will be towed and stored as per county guidelines at the expense of the owner/operator).

Bicyclists are expected to abide by all California bicyclist laws and are encouraged to use campus roads when riding through campus. If bicyclists choose to ride on pathways, they are expected to use common bicycle etiquette (e.g., riding cautiously and giving the right-of-way to pedestrians).

It is fairly common for students to enjoy the beautiful campus and nice weather by hanging hammocks around campus.  For the safety of our campus community, hammocks must be secured to stable trees only in a way that does not damage the tree and hung at a height of no more than six (6) feet high at the center point while empty.   Additionally, hammocks may not be secured to any human-made structure or hung in such a way that it would interfere with pedestrian walkways, egress from buildings, impede ground maintenance, or harm property.  The college accepts no responsibility for tree or limb stability or suitability for hanging hammocks nor maintains or designates trees or limbs for this purpose. Consequently, students hammock at their own risk, which includes accepting sole responsibility for determining trees and limbs which are stable and suitable for bearing the occupied weight of hammocks.

Hammocks hung in an area outside of the residential areas must be removed after each use.  Hammocks may be left in residential areas provided they adhere to the above guidelines. It is the student’s responsibility to use and maintain hammocks in a safe manner per the manufacturer’s specifications and any conditions imposed by residence life staff. The student must remove any hammock displaying signs of undue wear and tear. The college reserves the right to remove hammocks from service for any violation of this policy or any other applicable college policy, rule, or procedure.

Westmont’s hilly campus and narrow walks and roadways make skateboarding, in-line skating, and scooters unsafe. This also applies to our neighboring roads. For this reason, Westmont is in compliance with the college insurance provider’s request to prohibit all use of these items on campus and neighboring roads. Use of these items on campus could result in a $50 fine.

Additionally, due to fire safety concerns regarding reported hoverboard fires nationwide, the college prohibits the use, possession, or storage of hover boards, electronic skateboards, including self-balancing boards/scooters, and similar devices containing lithium-ion batteries on campus until safety standards for them have been adequately developed and implemented across all models.

For the safety of our campus community, slacklines must be secured to stable trees of one (1) foot or more in diameter only in a way that does not damage the tree. Slacklines may not be secured to any human man-made structure or hung in such a way that would interfere with pedestrian walkways, egress from buildings, impede grounds maintenance, or harm property. A clear and flat landing surface must be present under the full length of the slackline. Additionally, no point of the slackline may be higher than four (4) feet off the ground. Slacklines may not be set up within a space that has been scheduled or designated for another use. Trees and/or landscaped areas showing damage from slacklining activities may be restricted from future slacklining activities at the discretion of the Director of Physical Plant, Director of Campus Planning, or Student Life staff. Slacklining is not permitted on Kerrwood Lawn, the Formal Gardens, or on or around the President’s Patio.

Equipment
All equipment associated with slacklining shall be used and maintained in an operable and safe condition by the participants per the manufacturer’s specifications and any condition imposed by Campus Safety or Student Life staff. Participants must remove any slackline displaying signs of undue wear and tear.

Stunts
Activities such as stunts, tricks, or flips are not permitted as these are extremely unsafe activities. Spotters are highly recommended at all times, especially for new users.

Time Parameters
Slacklining is permitted only during daylight hours, between sunrise and sunset.  The owner of the slacklining equipment is responsible for setting up and taking down the equipment according to these time parameters each day and may not leave equipment unattended at any time. Unattended slacklining equipment may be removed and stored without notice. Additionally, slacklining is permitted only in favorable weather conditions. When precipitation or high winds are present, slacklining is not permitted.

Risk
Participants assume any and all risks and consequences associated with slacklining, including accepting sole responsibility for determining trees and limbs that are stable and suitable for bearing the occupied weight of slacklines. Participant risks include but are not limited to, death, paralysis, and serious injury. Participants take full responsibility for engaging in best safety practices within this activity.

Enforcing the policy
The college reserves the right to remove slacklines for any violation of this policy or any other applicable college policy, rule, or procedure and to curtail any slacklining activity deemed unsafe at any time, whether or not the activity is in compliance with the policy requirements.

To ensure your safety and to reduce damage in the residence halls, Westmont prohibits potentially injurious or damaging activities inside the residence halls, including playing with balls, throwing Frisbees, using skateboards riding bicycles, or other activities as determined by the reslife staff.

Additionally, the practice of extreme sports (parkour, free-running, and other activities involving elevated risk of personal injury or property damage) is discouraged on the Westmont campus.

Surfboards should be stored in individual rooms and not kept in hallways, lounges, entryways, storage rooms, or underneath stairwells. Some residence halls (Emerson, Armington, and Van Kampen) have designated surf racks available for students to use for surfboard storage, but students should be advised these locations are not monitored by staff and leave these items at their own risk of theft. Wetsuits are also expected to be stored in student rooms; however, they can be left in residence hall bathrooms for a few hours to dry. Wetsuits left in bathrooms for more than 24 hours will be removed by Residence Life Staff or Custodial to ensure public spaces can be properly cleaned. 

Westmont offers no surfboard storage for the summer months. Therefore, all surfboards and wet suits will be removed from campus at the end of the academic year. 

You may use hot-air corn poppers which do not use oil and hot pots that do not have exposed heating coils in your room. Each residence hall has a kitchen for student use. The students in each residence hall are responsible to keep their kitchens clean, and failure to do so can result in kitchens being restricted from use.  Fire and safety regulations prohibit the use of appliances with exposed heating coils, microwave ovens and toaster ovens in student rooms.

Safety codes prohibit burning open flames or incense in any college building except Ocean View at any time. Violations are subject to a $100 fine per incident.

You may use UL-rated power strips with built-in circuit breakers as extension cords in your room. However, regular extension cords may fail at the outlet during a power surge and cause an electrical spark, representing a safety hazard. Therefore, these are prohibited.

The college asks and expects your cooperation in maintaining safety for the entire community in the event of an emergency. Please review and become acquainted with the Immediate Actions specified on the Emergency Info website (earthquake, wildfire, active shooter). Make sure to keep your emergency contact information up to date on web advisor, and consider packing an emergency “Go Kit” should you need to evacuate campus quickly due to a campus crisis.

County fire regulations make it illegal to tamper with fire equipment. Tampering with fire extinguishers, hoses, or alarms will result in a minimum $100 fine, and damaged equipment or emptied fire extinguishers will result in additional charges.

Possession of firearms, explosives (including firecrackers and dry ice), weapons (including but not limited to swords and knives, with the exception of small pocket knives; airsoft guns; BB guns; and toys that replicate or could be mistaken for real guns) or dangerous chemicals on college premises is expressly prohibited. Such items may be confiscated, and a $100 fine per violation may apply.

Westmont provides ceiling-mounted fluorescent fixtures in each room. The college recommends that you bring your own desk lamp. Westmont allows the use of new fluorescent torchieres bearing the EnergyStar label. These cost more to purchase but provide a safer, more efficient torchiere.

Halogen floor lamps (torchieres) are prohibited. Though inexpensive to purchase, they present serious safety concerns because the bulbs burn at extremely high temperatures (1,000°F). They can easily ignite flammable and combustible materials. Halogens also require a large amount of electricity to operate. You should place personal light fixtures away from flammable materials such as draperies, mattresses, carpets, bed linens, and clothing.

Each residence hall room is supplied with a working smoke detector. Please do not remove or tamper with the smoke detectors. If you are experiencing any problems with your smoke detector, contact a residence life staff member immediately. Campus safety personnel check smoke detectors in rooms during Christmas break to insure they are in working condition. Any smoke detectors that have been removed or damaged will be replaced, and the residents of the room will be charged.

Westmont has established the following open-hours policy that designates times during which you may visit the individual living areas of members of the opposite sex. The rationale for establishing such a policy is twofold. First, while the college recognizes the need for privacy among students, it seeks to avoid situations of absolute privacy because of the potential for abuse (see the section on Sexual Activity Outside of Marriage). Second, the policy allows for personal space needed to respect the differing sleep, study, and living patterns of roommates.

 All-campus open hours occur noon-midnight, Sunday through Thursday, and noon-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. If there are no campus classes scheduled for the following day, open hours end at 1 a.m. Room doors of hosts must remain at least halfway open and allow unrestricted visual access to the room. At no time may you engage in intimate activities (e.g., lying under covers in bed together) which could make others feel uncomfortable and put yourselves in a compromising situation. Violations may result in the loss of your open-hour privileges, community service hours, removal from the residence hall, and/or suspension. You are responsible to know the boundaries and times of open hours in all living areas. Please direct any questions or comments about this policy to your resident director or the deans in the Student Life office.

Westmont strongly discourages pranks and practical jokes because they are often unwelcome and even demeaning to victims, and they can result in escalated retaliation. Participants who violate this policy are subject to the student conduct process and will be held responsible for any negative consequences.  Sanctions may include paying retribution, cleaning up any resulting mess, civic engagement within or outside the Westmont community, or any additional sanctions deemed appropriate in response to the prank.

Official quiet hours are from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Throughout the rest of the day, please extend courtesy and sensitivity to others’ needs for quiet due to illness, study requirements, etc. Using headphones when listening to loud music helps accomplish this goal.

Campus residents should register their overnight guests online at the housing website (see guest registration). Guests are welcome to stay for a maximum of five nights each semester and must stay in the same room all five nights. No extensions will be granted. Current Westmont students who do not pay for on-campus housing do not qualify as guests. For guests of the opposite sex, residents should ask a friend of that sex to host and register that guest.

 Please maintain respect for the concerns of your roommates when guests visit. As a host, you are responsible for explaining college regulations (such as vehicle use) and community behavioral standards (such as open hours and alcohol use) to your guest(s). You may also be held responsible for any damage to college property caused by your guest(s).

Westmont reserves the right to have authorized personnel enter any unit or room for the purpose of inspection, repairs, or other official business. Authorized personnel may also enter rooms when they have reasonable grounds to believe that the well-being or safety of the occupants of the building is in jeopardy or a college policy is being violated. During vacation periods, public safety personnel may make safety inspections.

Students are not permitted to install or use portable air conditioner units (neither window units nor portable units requiring venting through the window) in their residence hall rooms. Students may bring fans to help cool their rooms.  Students are also permitted to use small portable evaporative coolers that do not exceed 1.0 amperage. These units are not recommended as they work best in dry/arid conditions.  Residents will be responsible for any water damage that results from the use or operation of evaporative coolers.

For safety and aesthetic considerations, the residence hall lounges, the and Kerr Student Center, and the Dining Commons, and the Ocean View Apartments are the only locations where cable television, antenna, and satellite services are provided and permitted. Students are not permitted to connect to existing cable lines or add their own.

Students in Ocean View are allowed to secure their own digital TV network but are responsible for the billing and payment of these services. 

Bedbugs have made a recent comeback in the United States.  The bugs are the size and shape of an apple seed. They are not known to transmit disease, but they are a nuisance and are very difficult to get rid of. The bites usually look similar to mosquito bites, although some will have very little reaction and others will react severely with hives. Evidence of a bedbug infestation (other than bites) includes empty exoskeletons, blood spots on sheets, and black specks of waste in the seams of a mattress.

You can avoid spreading bed bugs by choosing not to bring used furniture items into your residence hall room, especially if it was found on the side of the road or in a second-hand store.  If you choose to get used furniture, please carefully inspect it before bringing it to campus.

If you have reason to suspect that you may have been exposed to bedbugs or have them in your room, please contact your Resident Director immediately (within 24 hours) so we can work to assess the situation and offer appropriate support as needed. Residence Life and Housing will work quickly to assess your concerns, determine if there are in fact bed bugs in your room, and work to remedy the potential pest issue (whether it is Bed Bugs or something else like Spiders)

I.T. provides a number of computer-related services and assistance. Details can be found on their web page. If you have a computer, you may obtain access to the internet resources on the World Wide Web and to the high-speed campus network. Connection to the network requires a 100Mb or 1000Mb Ethernet card and Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi card. The Computer and Network Use policy governs the use of the campus computing facilities and network. You must agree to abide by the policy in order to obtain access to these resources. Further details about how to connect to Westmont’s internet can be found online in the Student Guide to IT. 

Westmont recommends that your parents include your belongings away from home in their homeowner’s policy and that you obtain insurance protection against loss, damage, or theft of personal property. (The college assumes no responsibility for and does not provide insurance or any other financial protection for your personal property or that of your guests.) Westmont recommends locking your room to prevent theft.

If you lose your room key, report the loss immediately to your resident director, who will issue a spare key and ask security to rekey the lock. The re-keying charge is $30. In order to prevent non-occupants from gaining unauthorized access to your room, do not attach your room key to any kind of identification card.

In the past several years there have been reports in the media about molds that cause life-threatening illnesses. Thankfully to date we have not had toxic black mold in any of our facilities. However, molds are everywhere and can easily be brought inside. Once inside, molds easily grow and spread if they have adequate moisture and food (wood, fabric, drywall, carpet, fabric, etc. can all serve as a food source). We are continually working with students to prevent and address any moisture issues, as well as treating any mold discovered in our residential facilities. 

HOW TO PREVENT MOLD

• Report any moisture problems by submitting an UpKeep request or by contacting your RA who can fill out an UpKeep request for you. Examples of moisture problems could be leaking toilets, dripping faucets, wet spots on the ceiling, walls, or carpets, moisture or dripping anywhere, condensation inside windows, etc.
• Allow sunlight in your room and open your windows occasionally to let fresh air in.  Keeping curtains closed with the windows constantly closed can create a greenhouse effect in your room that makes it much easier for mold to grow.
• Keep your space clean!  Take out your garbage and recycling often and keep items (furniture and personal belongings) a few inches away from the walls.  To keep bathrooms from getting too much condensation, run the fans in the bathroom and keep the windows open (if applicable) to allow airflow.

WHAT IF I SEE MOLD?

• Check for any moisture or leaks in the area.
• If mold has formed because the area has not been cleaned, please clean the area with hot soapy water and continue to regularly clean that area.
• If routine cleaning does not keep the mold away, submit an UpKeep request to let the Physical Plant know there are concerns in your room.

WHAT WILL BE DONE BY THE COLLEGE?

Physical Plant and Custodial Staff will inspect the area to determine if there is indeed mold. If there is a significant amount of mold found, Custodial will work with an outside company to professionally clean the affected areas (wiping down walls, furniture, and shampooing the carpet as necessary).  Custodial will not clean your own personal items. The residents of the rooms will be temporary or permanently relocated while the work is being done.

If excess moisture is occurring, the area will be cleaned and fans and/or dehumidifiers will be put into place to dry the area. Physical Plant staff will continue to check in on the area and will communicate any additional instructions to students with Residence Life Staff offering any support needed. 

It’s illegal to view movies rented or purchased for private use in a public area. Therefore, students are not allowed to watch movies in residence hall lounges. While we do understand that this policy can seem restrictive if a group of friends wants to watch a movie together, we are committed to living with integrity as an institution in regard to copyright laws. You can do your part by viewing movies in your room.

Pets

Students may keep fish in your student room or apartment. However, electricity is turned off in the residence halls during Christmas vacation, so students should remove fish from their rooms during this holiday. Keeping or caring for pets other than fish on campus will result in the removal of the pet and a $50 fine.

Assistance Animals

Students with disabilities requiring the assistance of a service or support animal on campus should contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at 805-565-6186. ODS will work with you to determine appropriate accommodations.

Each residence hall room has a blue recycling can. Please make every effort to recycle as much as possible; please visit Westmont Recycling for more information. It is your responsibility to bring out your own recycling cans and dump the contents into the recycling dumpsters located outside your residence hall near the normal trash dumpsters.

You may keep a small refrigerator (under five cubic feet) in your residence hall room for an additional charge of $30 per year to defray energy expenses.

Residence Hall Kitchens have larger refrigerators provided for students to store food in as needed. When utilizing these refrigerators, please store food in air-tight containers and label it with your name and date of placing food for storage. Resident Assistants will inspect refrigerators weekly, discarding food not properly stored and any items that have been stored for an excessive amount of time.

Physical plant will repair your electrical and plumbing problems, broken windows, screens, locks, etc. Your resident director or resident assistant will arrange for maintenance needs upon your request. If a room or building emergency occurs, contact security immediately at 805-565-6222 and report the problem to the residence hall staff as well. You should address furniture concerns (including those involving mattresses and draperies) to the Housing Director, Jon Young, at housing@westmont.edu.

Since climbing to or walking on roofs represents safety hazards and may cause undetectable and costly damage, please do not climb on the roof of any Westmont building at any time. A $100 fine per violation may apply.

Westmont wants to offer you a room that is in the best possible condition. In order to keep rooms looking their best, the college assumes sole responsibility for painting rooms in full or in part.

You may use tack and some adhesives and tapes in decorating your room (see your resident director for suggestions). Duct and double-stick tapes are not recommended. Since damage occurs when bolts and nails are used on walls, ceilings, building surfaces, and furnishings, their use is prohibited and may result in possible damage fees. This applies equally to window, door, and hallway decorations. Please make every effort to return your room to its original condition after you leave.

Approved visitor groups (but not students or their guests) may receive permission from the Housing Office to sleep in lounges. Students who are found to be sleeping in lounges will be subject to a $50 fine per incident (or night). For security reasons, neither college residents nor guests may sleep outdoors on campus.

The Spring Sing committee will meet with the Director of Physical Plant and/or the Housing Director to determine appropriate locations for painting and building sets. Student participants will be held responsible for any resulting damage or excess mess in the residence halls.

Telecommunications no longer provide phones in residence hall rooms; students must provide their own analog phones. Phone service (extension number and dial tone), and a voice mailbox are available free of charge to students who subscribe. To activate the phone and/or voice-mailbox service, log in to your Student Profile, and under Telephone Services, click enable. A long-distance code is required for all out-of-area-code calls, and you may also enable this through your Student Profile. All charges are billed to your student account. Visit the Telecommunications website for more information. For problems, please submit a support ticket Mayday. For assistance.

Dumpsters and trash bins are located outside each residence hall. To ensure a sanitary environment for all students, please do not leave trash in hallways, foyers, lounges, stairwells, or any other area in the residence halls. 

The trash from student rooms should also not be deposited in residence life trash cans provided in student common spaces such as lounges, kitchens, or the laundry room. When students leave their larger room trash in these trash bins, it often leads to them filling up quickly and impacting the overall cleanliness of the residence hall. Each section is responsible to monitor its common areas and cover excessive cleaning charges.

Since earthquakes occur in the Santa Barbara area, you should exercise care in the arrangement of furniture in your room. Although Westmont allows creative furniture arrangements, the college discourages anything that could be a safety hazard for room occupants. Please contact your Resident Director for approval of any unusual furniture arrangements. Your Resident Director may be able to furnish some additional college-owned bed frames, depending upon availability.

In order to keep your sleeping surface below the wall-mounted smoke detector and prevent injury or damage from striking the ceiling, your mattress should be 36 inches from the ceiling. Your Resident Director has bunk bed connectors, and he/she must approve any trading of beds between rooms.

If you wish to hang personal window coverings, you should contact the Housing Director in order to avoid charges for wrinkles or damage caused by improper handling. You may hang only drapes from existing drapery rods. The Housing Office will supply missing drapery wands. Since laundering or dry cleaning can shred drapery fabric, the college does not clean draperies.

All furniture and furnishings, cabinet doors, handles, drawer,s and other such fixtures in residence hall rooms, lounges, and Ocean View apartments must remain in place. Unauthorized removal of furniture from these locations may result in a minimum $50 fine.

 Although Westmont does not remove triple furniture when vacancies exist, you may disassemble unused beds and store them in your room. However, you must return them to their original condition at check-out or when needed by an additional resident. For safety reasons, custom lofts and beds are not permitted (also see Lofts).

For reasons of safety, the college does not allow the installation of custom-built lofts, beds, or platforms. For information about borrowing additional, college-owned bed frames or beds from other residents contact your Resident Director.

Residence hall mattresses are extra-long twins (80 inches long by 36 inches wide). If you prefer a different mattress, contact the Housing Office, 805-565-6036, to arrange for an exchange from the college’s supply of older ones.

Window screens are considered permanent fixtures and may be easily damaged; removing them for any reason other than an emergency will result in a $25 fine. Additional charges may be assessed if damage or loss occurs.