University Housing Policies

Student Responsibilities

Violations of any of the following provisions may result in fines, sanctions, probation, termination, or suspension from Clayton State University Housing Office, or any combination of the above.

  1. Damages
    1. The Student is individually responsible for the cost of cleaning, replacement or repair of any breakage or damage within his or her room/apartment suite.
    2. The Student is jointly responsible for the cost of replacement or repair of any breakage or damage in the common areas within his or her assigned hall/wing or apartment suite. Charges will be equally assessed upon each member of the assigned room, hall/wing, or apartment in which the Student resides in the event the responsible person remains anonymous (collective liability).
    3. The Student is responsible for the condition of the room/apartment suite and all furnishings which are assigned to him/her and to his/her roommate(s) and shall reimburse Clayton State University for all damages to or loss of these furnishings.
    4. Residents of the residence hall/apartment suites may also be assessed the expense (minimum charge of $25.00) of the repair or replacement of any property in public areas judged damaged by residents or their guests in a given room/apartment.
    5. The Student is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of his/her room/apartment. Charges for damages and/or cleaning shall be assessed on student’s account.
  2. Alterations
    No changes will be made in the residence hall/apartment suites by the Student without written permission from the Clayton State University Housing Office. This includes, but is not limited to: shelves, partitions, lofts, window coverings, wallpaper, painting, plumbing, heating, other structural changes or alterations to furniture, or the removal of Clayton State University furniture and its replacement with items owned by the Student.
  3. Storage
    Student shall not use or store in Student’s room, storage area or common area any of the following:
    1. Firearms, ammunition, explosives (including firecrackers and fireworks, poisonous, corrosive, or volatile substances), grills, weapons, hunting bows, pellet or bb guns, knives with blade longer than three (3) inches in length, paint ball guns, arrows, martial art equipment, hazardous chemicals, gasoline driven vehicles of any kind, vehicle parts, heavy repair equipment or accessories to any vehicle or engine parts.
    2. Electrical items other than clocks, radios, stereo equipment, televisions, computers, or other low wattage appliances. Microwave ovens must use less than 10 amps of power. Mini-refrigerators must be 4.5 cubic feet or smaller.
    3. Outside television or radio antennas or satellite dishes.
    4. Waterbeds or water-filled furniture.
    5. Motorcycles of any type.
    6. Neon signs.
    7. Open flame-burning, or exposed heated-coil appliances.
    8. Halogen-touchier lamps, or firecrackers and fireworks, poisonous corrosive, or volatile substances
    9. Air-conditioning units.
  4. The Student’s room/apartment shall not be used for commercial or solicitation purposes.
  5. The Student’s room/apartment shall not be sublet.
  6. Furniture or plants from common areas, lounges and study areas are not allowed in the Student’s room/apartment suite.
  7. The Student is prohibited from tampering with any Clayton State University locks, or installing new or additional locks or deadbolts. The Student shall not alter or duplicate any residence hall, room/apartment suite, or exterior door keys. Any Student in possession of any duplicated keys will be charged for re-keying the room/apartment suite or exterior doors and may face disciplinary and/or criminal charges.
  8. Residents and guests are prohibited from having any animals of any type in the residence hall/apartment suites or adjacent grounds, with the sole exception of harmless aquatic fish in aquariums of 10 gallons or less. This prohibition does not apply to Students or their guests with documented disabilities who use individually-trained service animals to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the individuals with disabilities. This prohibition does not apply to emotional support animals (ESA) – however, all animals and their owners must have the proper documentation on file with the Disability Resource Center before possessing and maintaining the ownership of the animal on campus.
  9. The Student is responsible at all times for all activities in his or her assigned room/apartment suite in accordance with this Contract, Clayton State University and housing policies, and applicable federal, state, and local laws.
  10. The Student will not tamper with any fire equipment, i.e., pull alarms, hoses, fire extinguishers, heat sensors, smoke detectors, sprinkler heads, etc. Violation of the above will result in a fine and/or notification to the ClaytonState University Public Safety office, Office of Community Standards, and/or local law enforcement agencies for possible disciplinary action/criminal charges.

Alcohol and Drug Policy

  1. Laker Hall: Alcoholic beverages and alcohol paraphernalia are strictly prohibited in Laker Hall, regardless of the Student’s age.
  2. Laker Village: Alcohol, in limited quantities, is permitted for residents 21 years or older residing in Laker Village.
    1. All alcoholic beverages must be in single serving containers Students are limited to two (2) 6 packs of beers (total 12 beers) or 1 liter of hard alcohol or 1.5 liter of wine per resident.
    2. Common alcohol containers including, but not limited to, kegs, beer balls, hunch-punch, coolers, trash cans and ice luges are prohibited. Prohibited items will be confiscated at the owner’s expense.
    3. Alcohol beverage containers, whether empty or full, are not to be displayed openly or for decoration in areas of the campus including apartment suite common areas, grounds’ public areas and windows.
    4. Containers of alcohol must be kept in the individual resident’s personal refrigerator if there are underage roommates living in the suite
  3. The use of all forms of tobacco products on property owned, leased, rented, in the possession of, or in any way used by the USG or its affiliates is expressly prohibited. “Tobacco Products” is defined as cigarettes, cigars, pipes, all forms of smokeless tobacco, clove cigarettes and any other smoking devices that use tobacco such as hookahs or simulate the use of tobacco such as electronic cigarettes. This prohibition includes but is not limited to all areas indoors and outdoors, buildings and parking lots owned, leased, rented or otherwise used by the CSU or its affiliates. The use of tobacco products is prohibited in all vehicles – private or public vehicles - located on CSU properties. For more information see the University System of Georgia Tobacco Free Policy at and Smoke Free Policy at http://www.usg.edu/tobaccofree/.
  4. Clayton State University is a drug-free campus. The possession, sale, manufacture, consumption or distribution of any narcotic or controlled substance is illegal under both state and federal laws on the University campus – this also includes prescription medication that is being possessed, sold, manufactured, consumed or distributed. Prescription drugs are only to be possessed, used, and consumed by the person in which the medication was prescribed. CSU Police strictly enforces such laws. Violators are subject to criminal prosecution, disciplinary action, fine and imprisonment.

Noise

For Laker Village and Laker Hall, Quiet Hours are strictly enforced from 10:00 PM to 8AM Sunday through Thursday and Midnight to 10:00am on Fridays and Saturdays. Courtesy Hours are in effect 24hours daily. Courtesy Hours means residents should always be reasonably quiet In Laker Hall noise should not be heard past 2 doors, and in Laker Village noise should not be heard outside of a given apartment. However, if a suitemate, neighbor, or university official asks a resident to be quiet, s/he is expected to comply. During finals, quiet hours are enforced 24/7.

Visitation Policy

  1. Laker Village and Laker Hall Visitation

    Clayton State University’s Housing Office promotes a safe and secure environment that is conducive to academic success and overall wellness. The Visitation Policy of the Department of University Housing encourages responsible decision-making by members of the community and recognizes students ’rights and responsibilities, as well as the role of the University in fostering student development. Visitation is permitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    A guest is considered any person who is not a current resident of the residence hall.
    1. All guests must have a valid photo identification card, such as a Laker Card, a state issued. Driver’s License, or state-issued Identification card.
    2. Guests under the age of 16 are not permitted in the facility, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, and may not stay overnight at any time, without prior permission from the Housing Office. The residence hall does not provide family living or accommodations for spouses or children.
    3. The resident who signed in the guest is considered the host, and, as such, must escort his/her guest at all times while in the residence hall. Residents will be held judicially and financially responsible for the actions of their guests and are responsible for informing their guests of all Residence Hall and University policies.
      • Guests are not to be in possession of University Housing issued keys at any time.
    4. Each resident is allowed to host two (2) guests at one time. However, the total number of people in an apartment or suite should not exceed twelve (12) people, even if the additional people are residents of the residence hall.
      • Residents are responsible for ensuring that their guest is in possession of a Public Safety issued parking pass
    5. A resident may host a guest(s) in his/her apartment/room with agreement from the other roommates. An overnight guest is considered any guest who is not signed-out by midnight, or is signed-in between the hours of Midnight and 8:00 AM.
    6. A resident or guest may not use the bedroom or bathroom of another resident without his/her prior consent.
    7. At no time should any resident provide entrance to the residence hall or his/her apartment/room to someone who is not their guest. In addition, a host resident should not provide an unescorted guest with access to the residence hall or his/her apartment/room. (i.e., lending/copying a key or access card).
    8. Residents may have overnight guests (guest staying after Midnight) for up to two (2) nights in a seven-day period. A resident may not have more than two (2) overnight guests at the same time. A guest may not stay more than two (2) consecutive nights. An individual guest is limited to six (6) overnight stays per semester, regardless of the resident that the guest is visiting. (Example: Jane is a guest, and she has three overnight stays with Suzy and three overnight stays with Sally. Jane cannot not be an overnight guest for the rest of the semester, as she has used her maximum number of overnight stays for the semester.)
    9.  Guests may not sleep in lounges or public areas. In addition, guests should not sleep in common areas of the apartment suite without permission from all roommates.
    10. Violation of the Visitation Policy may result in disciplinary action. Depending upon the severity and/or frequency of the violation(s), sanctions may range from formal warnings and/or educational sanctions up to and including suspension of visitation privileges and/or Suspension/ Expulsion from University Housing
  2. Cohabitation

    The Housing Office allows visitation, but cohabitation is strictly prohibited. Cohabitation is defined as when any two students, who are not assigned to the same living space, are living to together (spending more than 2 consecutive nights together in a 7-day period; and or have spent over 6 nights within a given semester).

Key Policy

In the event the Student fails to comply with any of the Terms and Conditions of this Contract, Clayton State University Housing Office may take the following actions against the Student:

  1. If the resident loses a key, the resident agrees to pay a $35 replacement fee.
  2. If a loaned keycard is not returned by (5:00pm) of the next business day, the resident agrees to pay a $20 fee.
  3. If the resident requires lockout assistance more than five (5) times per academic year, the resident agrees to pay an additional $10 fee for each additional lockout.

Student Noncompliance

In the event the Student fails to comply with any of the Terms and Conditions of this Contract, Clayton State University Housing Office may take the following actions against the Student:

  1. Cancel this Contract without notice.
  2. Serve notice to vacate the premises pursuant to applicable Clayton State University policies and state laws.
  3. Take action to recover the cost of damage caused by the Student and/or his or her guest(s).
  4. Utilize any and all available remedies, including equitable and legal, judicial and/or administrative relief.

Civility

To ensure safety at all times, residents and guests need to adhere to guidelines and instruction of University staff (this includes, and is not limited to Resident Assistants and Graduate Residence Directors) members and provide accurate information and identification. Interfering with staff while they are performing their duties, being uncooperative, uncivil, or verbally abusive to staff will not be tolerated. University Housing interprets the use of profanity, vulgar language, and derogatory comments directed toward staff as verbal abuse and uncivil discourse. It is expected that residents and housing staff communicate with civility in all circumstances.

Firearms & Weapons

No student may carry or possess any weapon or any other lethal or potentially destructive device or weapon on the University campus and/or property owned by the University, except as expressly permitted in O.C.G.A. 16-11-127.1. This includes, but is not limited to, bows and arrows, BB guns, air guns, hunting slingshots, martial arts weapons, knives and darts. For more information, please see http://www.clayton.edu/public-safety/Safety-Security/Weapons.

CLayton State University Standards

  1. Clayton State University Housing Office reserves the right to refuse housing to any Student who has demonstrated an unwillingness to abide by Clayton State University standards, policies and regulations, or who demonstrates behavior which is incompatible with the maintenance of order and propriety to an educational environment in the residence halls or apartments.
  2. Clayton State University Housing Office may terminate this Contract and take possession, within 24 hours of termination, of any living unit at any time for violation of any of the provisions of this Contract. Personal property will be removed, inventoried, and stored up to 30 days. If the Student fails to claim or take possession thereof, it will be deemed abandoned and may be donated to a local charity. Neither Clayton State University Housing Office nor its appointed agents bear no liability for damage to property involuntarily removed.