Know the Rules: What’s prohibited in SEMO residence halls

As SEMO students settle into their resident halls for the new semester, the excitement of dorm life comes with the responsibility of adhering to university policies. Knowing what items are allowed and what is prohibited in the residence halls is essential for creating a safe and comfortable living environment for all residents.

Director of Residence Life, Kendra Skinner has helped establish specific guidelines to ensure student safety and maintain a positive living environment. These policies are designed not just to protect individual students but also to safeguard the entire campus community from potential hazards.

“Weapons, fireworks, we talk about anything that glows red. So toasters, toaster ovens, and hot plates because those are a big fire hazard.” Skinner said. “Air fryers. That’s one of the items not allowed because they take a lot of energy and our buildings can’t handle all of that.”

Skinner explained that the Ooffice of Rresidence Llife offersdoes offer alternatives to some of the prohibited items.

“We do allow crockpots, and slow cookers for students to use. Rice cookers are also allowed in the halls, so I think there are other items that aren’t using as much electricity.”

There have been some recent changes to what students are allowed to use when decorating their dorm rooms.

“This year we put a ban on LED light strips and Command strips. Those two specifically because of the damage that they're doing to walls when students are removing them.” Skinner said.

The Office of Residence Life has worked to share this information with both new and returning students to prevent potential violations.

“This information was shared with new incoming students during the first steps. The LED light strips and command strips were discussed then. As we send out our move in information, that reaches our returning students,” Skinner said. “They also have access to the handbook which has a detailed list of prohibited items.”

Assistant Director of Facilities and Operations Clay Wittig further explained the reason for the Command strip ban.

“The reason why is because of the volume that we’re seeing them being used. Kendra and I actually go through and remove those ourselves,” Wittig says. “It takes a lot of time, more so it's for the student because the amount of damage that it causes is just unseen. And we don’t charge the full amount that facilities management and paint crews charge us.”

Wittig added that hall staff helps enforce the rules regarding the prohibited items.

“Whether or not they find them during scheduled facilities checks, or if it’s just when they are out and about and they see things that are needing to be addressed,” Wittig explained. “Facilities checks happen twice per semester, they’re just dates that I set. Typically during those checks we are looking for any policy violations, prohibited items that are outlined in the handbook, as well as any maintenance issues that need to be addressed.”

In addition to explaining what and why certain items were prohibited, Wittig also offered Residence Life-approved alternatives for hanging up decorations.

“It depends on the hall that you live in, most cinder block buildings work with hot glue or sticky tack. In dry wall buildings, we recommend small nails or tacks, no screws or anything like that. Command strips are definitely not the way to go,” Wittig said.

As students embark on their journey at SEMO, understanding and adhering to residence hall policies is key to ensuring a smooth and successful year. For more information regarding prohibited items, visit the student handbook.