November 21, 2009
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Resident Life Handbook

Single Student Housing
Roommate Relations

Roommate Relations

The beginning of school is exciting. There are new things to do, new people to meet, and also someone you need to learn to live with. Little things your roommate does may start to get on your nerves, and may eventually grow into aggravations. What started as two nice people who had high hopes for a good year together may lead to distress and fighting without really knowing what caused it all. The purpose of this section is to provide you with assistance in building a good roommate relationship. No one can do it for you, but it’s also impossible to accomplish alone. You and your roommate need to work at it together.

How to Build the Roommate Relationship

Although you may have dealt with a roommate before, every person and situation is different. It takes time and communication to make it work. Your RA can work with you to do a roommate contract.

Roommate Contract

The biggest mistake roommates make is to not discuss problems as they develop.

  1. Agree that your communications with your roommate are confidential.
  2. You must be willing to answer the same questions you ask.
  3. Ask questions in the following areas to avoid future misunderstandings:

Background Questions

  • Family life?
  • Reason for coming to DSC?
  • Hobbies?
  • Interests?
  • Academic major?

Study Style

  • What time of day/night do you study?
  • Where?
  • With or without noise?

Emotional Style

  • Do you enjoy being alone?
  • Dating?
  • Social atmosphere?
  • Moods?
  • How will I know when you are upset?
  • How do you handle problems?

Lifestyle

  • Attitudes about religion?
  • Politics?
  • Drugs?
  • Alcohol?
  • Night owl, or day person?
  • Organized?
  • Wherever it lands?
  • Borrow each other’s stuff?
  • Cars?
  • Money?

Housekeeping

  • How will you divide room cleaning responsibilities?
  • Sloppy?
  • Neat?

Guests

  • What hours?
  • How many at a time?
  • Use my stuff?
  • Sit on my bed?

Telephone/Computer

  • Use each others’?
  • How long spent on phone?
  • Online?

Students’ Bill of Rights is a reminder to each resident of his/her responsibility to his/her roommate and to others in the residence halls. Living in a community requires consideration and compromise. If you are having difficulty with your roommate, talk with your roommate. Your RA is available to be an objective mediator between you and your roommate.

Each student living in on-campus housing has:

  1. The right to read and study free from undue interference in one’s room. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of these rights.
  2. The right to sleep without undue disturbance from noise, guest of roommate, etc.
  3. The right to expect that a roommate will respect one’s personal belongings.
  4. The right to a clean environment in which to live.
  5. The right to free access to one’s room and facilities without pressure from the roommate.
  6. The right to privacy.
  7. The right to host guests with the expectation that guests are to respect the rights of the host roommate and other residents.
  8. The right to address grievances. Your RA is available for assistance.
  9. The right to be free from fear of intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm.
  10. The right to expect reasonable cooperation and the use of “room shared” appliances (telephone,
    refrigerator, etc.) and a commitment to honor agreed-upon payment procedures.

Overnight Guests

Residents may host a same sex guest for no more than three consecutive nights or six nights total per semester. Roommate approval must be given. All guests in the residence halls must be properly checked in with the Office. If after Office hours, you must check them in with your RM. Residents in Single Student Housing may not host an opposite sex guest overnight.

  • The resident is responsible for the actions and behavior of his/her visitor or guest and must be present at all times with the visitor.
  • Residential Living staff may require a guest to leave if the staff member finds the guest’s behavior not in accordance with College and Residential Living Policies. Guests may be issued a no trespass order if their actions or behavior is deemed inappropriate.
  • The Office of Residential Living reserves the right to determine if the number of visitors or guests per resident is disruptive and may ask all or some of the visitors or guests to vacate the facilities.