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INSTITUTIONAL REGULATORY CODE (IRC)
(Policies, Procedures, Rules etc.)
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To be completed by initiator of policy/policy owner:
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1. POLICY TITLE:
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Nelson Mandela University Housing Rules and Procedures
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2. FIELD OF APPLICATION:
(All persons to whom policy applies)
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All Residence Staff and Students
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3. COMPLIANCE OFFICER(S):
(Persons responsible for ensuring policy implementation)
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Dean of Students
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Director: Housing, Living & Learning Programmes
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Senior Managers in Residences
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Residence Managers
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Student Housing Advisory Council
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4. STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION
(State the stakeholder group/s consulted during policy formulation/revision)
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Residence Managers
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Resident Students
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SRC
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5. DESIGNATION OF POLICY OWNER: (Person responsible for maintaining policy)
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Director: Housing, Living & Learning Programmes
Dean of Students
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6. NAME OF POLICY OWNERS:
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Dr. S. Mpuru, Mr T Soga
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POLICY HISTORY (To be completed by policy owner)
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Decision
Date
(Compulsory)
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Status
(New/Revised/
No Changes)
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Implementation Date
(Compulsory if “new” or “revised”)
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Approving Authority
(If ”new” or “revised”. N/A if no changes)
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Resolution Number
e.g. 07/11-10.2
(Minute number. N/A if no changes)
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Policy Document Number
(e.g. D/…./07 N/A if no changes)
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Pending date for next revision
(Compulsory)
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Revised
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1 Jan 2011
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Jan 2014
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For office use only
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SUBJECT (Broad policy field):
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SUBJECT NUMBER:
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CATEGORY (Policy sub-field):
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CATEGORY NUMBER:
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IRC NUMBER:
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Nelson Mandela University Housing Rules and Procedures
Advantages of choosing to live in any of the Nelson Mandela University residences:
Living on campus provides many advantages including convenience, the opportunity to develop strong social connections, and being included in a community that supports educational and personal growth in a safe and supportive environment.
In addition to these advantages, living on campus also increases student satisfaction and success related to the University experience. This suggests that students living on campus are more likely to:
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complete their degree and/or diploma in fewer years than students not in residences.
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involve themselves in campus activities, whether academic, co-curricular or extramural.
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develop co-curricular relationships with faculty members.
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achieve a better academic performance due to increased interactions with faculty members.
A paramount benefit related to living on campus is the opportunity provided for self-discovery and personal development. Other areas that living on campus positively impacts are:
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development of interpersonal skills.
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increased students' support for interacting with different racial and cultural groups.
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positive impact on leadership development.
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convenient access to experiences that directly promote growth related to a personal decision-making process.
The Management of the Department of Housing, Living & Learning Programmes consists of two important subdivisions/disciplines:
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Operations is responsible for the physical maintenance of the buildings, rooms, and
facilities, as well as room assignments and the safety and security of the residents.
Most of the rules and procedures given here address the operational aspects.
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Living & Learning Programmes is responsible for the development and care of students housed within the buildings, their behaviours, interactions and overall residential experience.
Living & Learning Programmes (LLP) has a strong commitment to programming within the residence communities. Programming is typically planned and organized by the Residence Managers with the assistance of the Residence Student Assistants (RSAs), the Primarium/Primaria and House Committee members and is presented by Residence Life Fellows (RLF), who are representatives of the academic and/or professional staff; and/or Supplementary Instructors (SI) from the Student Development branch of Centre for Teaching, Learning and Media (CTLM) of Higher Education Access Development Services (HEADS). These programmes are organized either for the entire building or for a specific floor community. While many programmes are intended to be social, some of them are developed toward specific learning outcomes. The LLP believes in the education and the holistic development of resident students and to that end, LLP works to enhance the education being provided within the classroom with educational opportunities in the residences. Residents are encouraged to seek out and attend programmes within their residence buildings.
Vacation accommodation
Resident students who require accommodation for academic purposes for a portion, or all the
June/July or the December/January vacation period, are expected to apply in writing to the
Senior Manager: Residence Operations. Such students must note that:
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The student will be charged a daily rate for the room occupation
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The student will not necessarily be accommodated in their rooms since vacation accommodation is dedicated to a particular residence.
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Students might be accommodated in a non-catering residence despite the fact that they were living in a catering residence during the term.
Rules and Procedures
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Housekeping/Room Supervision:
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The Residence Management reserves the right for authorized representatives to
enter rooms for repair or maintenance purposes, health or safety reasons, to determine
the occupancy and vacancies in rooms, and to establish order.
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The Residence Management and Technical Services may enter students’ rooms during
break periods for damage assessment and for maintenance reasons.
1.3 All other entries will be limited to those approved by the Director of Housing, Living &
Learning Programmes and the Residence Manager when there is reason to believe that
Residence rules and regulations are being violated or during fire drills conducted by the
Residence Management and the Safety, Health and Environmental Management (SHE).
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Quiet Hours:
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Nelson Mandela University operates continuously for 24 hours, meaning that regardless of the time
of the day, any amplified sound or activity loud enough to be heard outside one’s room should be curtailed. Any conduct and/or noise interfering with study and sleep of residents is unacceptable.
2.2 During quiet hours, a student should be able to study or sleep in his/her room without disturbance from his/her neighbours. Students using sound equipment should use headphones or play their equipment on low volume.
2.3 Quiet hours for all University-owned residential facilities are:
Sunday through Thursday: 8:00 pm until 6:00 am and
6:00 am until 6:00 pm
Friday and Saturday: 6:00 am until 6:00 pm and
12:00 midnight to 6:00 am
2.4 During examination time, quiet hours will be in effect on a 24-hour basis.
2.5 The Resident Student Assistant (RSA) and the House Committee (HK) members have
the primary responsibility to enforce the quiet hours and maintain all hours as courtesy
hours.
2.6 Students may have parties in clubhouses and other designated areas with the
permission of the relevant authority.
2.7 Persistent noise and the violation of quiet hours will be deemed misconduct and
may result in a referral to the Residence Disciplinary Committee (RDC).
2.8 General loud music from vehicles in the parking lots is not permitted at all. It is the
responsibility of the host to conscientize his/her visitor(s) that contravening this regulation
might lead to the host’s loss of rights to host visitors.
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Responsibility for University Property:
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No cooking or food preparation is allowed in the bedrooms. Students who strongly feel
they need self-catering facilities will be encouraged to use residences like SSV which
provides kitchenettes for self-catering. The vast majority of all off-campus
accommodation provide self-catering facilities.
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The student will be held responsible for the condition and cleanliness of his or
her room, its furnishings, and for any loss or damage other than normal wear and tear that may occur during occupancy.
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Upon occupying a room all students residing in the room must review and sign a
Room Condition Report (RCR).
3.4 Rooms will be assessed for any/all damages beyond what a reasonable person would
determine to be a result of normal wear and tear including, but not limited to, defaced
plaster or woodwork, broken windows, lights, furniture, or the general deterioration of
property due to misuse and room occupants will be held liable.
3.5 Damage and loss will be determined through inspections conducted by the Technical
Services and/or Residence Manager prior to move-in and at the time when the student
vacates his or her room.
3.6 No student is permitted to perform repairs or alterations on residence property.
Request(s) for repairs or other maintenance work should be submitted to the Residence
Manager or designee who will do a job request via the online maintenance request form.
3.7 Collectively, the students in each corridor/flat/residence are responsible for the common
areas in that facility. A charge for damage done in a given common area will be
distributed among the students of that area when it cannot be determined which
individual(s) is/are responsible for the damage.
3.8 Unpaid invoices for damages will result in “judicial holds” preventing re-registration in an
Nelson Mandela University residence.
4. Personal Valuables:
4.1 The student is responsible for the care and safety of his or her own personal property.
4.2 While effort will be made to assist to recover lost or damaged personal property of
individuals, the University will not be held liable, either directly or indirectly for loss or
damage to student’s personal property.
4.3 It is recommended that insurance be carried by each student or his/her parent(s) against
loss and/or damage of personal property.
4.4 Students using the storage facility do so at their own risk. Nelson Mandela University or any of its staff
members cannot assume responsibility or be held liable for the damage, loss or theft of
any stored items.
4.5 Items left in the storage facility during vacation must be collected within one month after
the reopening of the residences. Items not collected within one month may be removed
by the management and donated to a charitable organization.
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Room Keys/codes and student cards:
5.1 Loss of a room key by a student must be reported to the Residence Manager
immediately.
5.2 Loss of a room key will result in a replacement charge for a new lock, core, and key.
5.3 In the event room keys are not returned at the end of the period of residency, the student
will be liable for the cost of the replacement key.
5.4 Loss of a student card by a resident student must be reported to the Residence Manager immediately.
5.5 Loss of a student card will result in a replacement charge.
5.6 A student may not loan and/or give his or her room key/code and/or student card to
another student for any purpose. The owner will be subjected to a fine, should it be
verified that the owner intentionally or recklessly allowed a friend or a stranger to use
his/her room key/code/student card.
5.7 Combination lock door codes requiring unnecessary change, will only be changed once
the required cost has been paid at the cashier.
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Removal of Furniture:
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The University furniture may not be removed from any room.
6.2 Furnishings in common areas are provided for the use of all students in the building and
may not be removed to private rooms.
6.3 Any student found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action and
possible loss of one’s on-campus housing privileges. The prescribed minimum penalty in
such cases plus a daily charge if the furniture is not returned after the instruction to return
it to its proper place, will be enforced.
7. Prohibited Items:
7.1 The following items are among those not permitted in University-owned residential
facilities:
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candles, incense,
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occult pipes,
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exterior radio and television aerials,
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heavy electrical appliances (washers, dryers, freezers and large fridges…),
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firearms, paintball guns,
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pellet guns, CO2 cartridges, propane tanks,
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lethal weapons, ammunition and explosives,
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and appliances with open heating elements.
7.2 Cooking appliances, such as toasters, microwaves, and indoor grills are permissible only
in the kitchenettes in self-catering residences. These appliances must be verified
faultless by the Technical Services or the General Maintenance Practitioners before
being brought into the residence.
7.3 The use of extension cord(s) extending into the corridor or common areas is not
permitted unless prior request had been obtained from the Residence Manager.
8. Pets:
For health and maintenance reasons, pets are not permitted in any residential facility.
Any student found in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action without
prior warning. Repeated violations may lead to the loss of one’s on-campus housing
privileges.
9. General Fire, Health, and Safety:
9.1 Any student who tampers with any fire safety equipment will face residence disciplinary
hearing and a civil case may be opened against him/her.
9.2 All persons must evacuate the facility when the fire alarm is sounded. This includes drills
and false alarms. Disciplinary action will be imposed against a student if he or she fails to
evacuate the facility when the fire alarm is activated.
9.3 All University-owned housing facilities are clean air. Smoking within residence premises,
burning of incense, candles, or any other substance is strictly prohibited and will result in
fines and possible loss of one’s on-campus housing privileges.
9.4 A resident student is not allowed to keep or use any item that threatens the health
and/or safety of occupants of the residence. The University reserves the right to determine if a specific object or activity poses a threat to the health and/or safety of students.
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Recreational Activities:
Recreational activities, such as those involving any type of sporting equipment, may not
be played in any residential facility and/or in areas that are potentially hazardous to
resident students or any occupants. Indoor sport activities such as table tennis and darts
may take place only in designated areas.
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Prohibition of liquor and drug abuse within residence premises:
11.1 It is the responsibility of the resident student to read, understand, and abide by the
Nelson Mandela University Policy and Procedure for the Consumption, Distribution and Sale of Liquor.
11.2 All the Nelson Mandela University residences are alcohol-free facilities and the consumption, distribution and
conveyance of alcoholic beverages within the residential premises and on its grounds is
prohibited.
11.3 Students who are knowingly present during the commission of the violation(s) of,
possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages in residences; or dispenses alcoholic beverages to an individual who is under the age permitted by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, or violates any provision of the University liquor policies, will be subject to disciplinary action.
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Would-be non-resident guest(s)/visitor(s) or commuters are not permitted entrance with
alcoholic beverages into the residences, regardless of age.
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Alcoholic beverage containers cannot be used as decorations or for any other purpose
whatsoever within University-owned residences, regardless if they are empty.
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Residents are responsible and legally accountable for their actions and the actions of
their visitor(s)/guest(s), including any damages or injuries which result from their actions after the consumption of alcohol.
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Regardless of ownership or origin, unauthorised liquor found in the possession of
residents and other mechanisms that have been used to dispense liquor in any one of the
residences will be confiscated and disposed of and the resident student will have to
appear before the Central Disciplinary Committee.
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Abuse of drugs and other narcotic substances is a serious offence and if continued, the
resident student will be brought before the Central Disciplinary Committee and be
subjected to a heavy punishment.
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Visitation:
The following procedures and regulations governing guest visitation have been developed for students in residence in order to meet their needs of personal security, and to assure students the right to privacy in their living units. A visitor or guest is defined as a person who is present on a campus residence at the invitation of a contractual student. Residents will be accountable for rule infractions by their visitors/guests, including those signed in or accompanied by the resident, as well as all visitors/guests within a resident’s room.
If visitation becomes problematic between roommates within a given room, the individual
experiencing the problem should first address the issue with their roommate and if unable to
resolve it, should then contact the House Committee (HK) member and the Primarium/Primaria.
If there are still some unresolved issues related to visitation or there is a wish to seek an
exception to any of the provisions of this policy, the RSA and/or the Residence Manager must be
consulted. Residents are permitted to host a maximum of two (2) visitors/guests at any one time. A visitor/guest is any person not assigned a room or a space in a room in the given residence. Exceptions may be approved by the Residence Manager, who has the right to deny approval of a guest pass.
12.1 A resident student may have guests in his or her room between the hours of 8:00 am and
12:00 midnight only. Visitors of the opposite gender to the occupants of a given residence
are permitted only after 10:00 am.
12.2 Visitation will be determined by mutual consent with the room mate. Visitation within a
flat/unit will only be possible when all occupants of a flat/unit unanimously consent to
visitation.
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The resident student must accompany his or her guest(s) at all times. The host is
ultimately responsible for the behaviour of his/her guest(s).
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All visits are subject to the following conditions:
12.4.1 The roommate’s approval is required, which is granted through the roommate
contract. All resident students will have the opportunity to establish and regulate
visitation through their roommate contract.
12.4.2 All visitors/guests must present proper photo identification to gain residence entry
(proper identification is in the form of student cards, ID, drivers’ license, passport,
etc.).
12.4.3 The desk attendant will sign in and sign out visitors/guests.
12.4.4 A resident may not entertain children under five (5) years of age unless
accompanied by a parent. If visitation is granted by the Residence Manager, the period of visitation may not exceed two (2) hours.
12.4.5 A resident may not entertain a person under the age of sixteen (16), unless
accompanied by a parent. If the parent is not present, permission of the
Residence Manager must be obtained through the issuance of a guest pass.
Guest passes may be obtained in advance by contacting the Residence Manager
during his/her posted office hours.
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An extended guest is defined as any guest visiting between the hours of 12:00 midnight
and 8:00 am. Senior residents may, with the permission of the Residence Manager, have
extended guests subject to the following additional conditions:
12.5.1 The host has obtained the Residence Manager’s permission at least 24 hours in
advance and paid R40 per night per extended visitor at the cashiers prior to the
arrival of the extended visitor.
12.5.2 An extended guest is of the same gender as the residents of that particular
residence building.
12.5.3 A resident may not have more than one (1) extended guest at a time.
12.5.4 An extended guest may not stay longer than two (2) consecutive nights.
12.5.5 A resident is limited to hosting not more than two (2) extended guests during any
calendar month.
12.5.6 The total number of extended guest nights allowed for any resident student is
four (4) in a given semester.
Management structure:
The Management of the Department of Housing, Living & Learning Programmes includes a Director, Senior Managers, Student Life Officers, the Manager for Admissions, Records & Customer Relations, Residence Managers, the Financial and Administrative Assistant as well as General Maintenance Practitioners. Each residence with a capacity of 150 or more has at least one Resident Student Assistant (RSA) appointed to assist the Residence Manager. There is a House Committee (HK) member elected for every 30 to 40 students in the residence. Each of these serves a unique role within the department to embrace the resident’s living experience. First year students are encouraged to make use of Academic Mentors, Peer Helpers and Computer Lab Assistants to assist them in acclimatizing to the rigours of tertiary education. In most cases, first year students are even compelled to attend some programmes and presentations.
Residence and room allocation processes are continuously reviewed and systematically revised in line with the University’s transformation goals. A successful applicant is allocated to a particular residence by the Subcommittee for Residence Admissions and Advocacy (SRAA) and notified by the Manager: Admissions, Records and Customer Relations to this effect. Every effort is made to allocate successful applicants to the residence closest to the campus (and the faculty) in which the applicant attends most of his/her lectures. This allocation process, where practically possible, aims to ensure academic advantage is maintained, that is no one student in a particular programme is isolated from fellows pursuing the same or similar programme.
Department of Residences
An Anti-initiation Stand:
Initiation is considered a violation of the principled position of Nelson Mandela University against this barbaric practice in any form and is absolutely prohibited. Initiation may also be considered a criminal act in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Initiation is defined as follows:
Any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or which willfully destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, any organization operating under the sanction of or recognized as an organization by the University.
The term shall include but not be limited to, coerced participation of any kind, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health and safety of the individual, and shall include any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private property.
For purposes of this definition, any activity as described in this definition upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with or continued membership in an organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be “forced” activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding. Therefore, any student who causes or participates in initiation may be subject to appropriate University discipline and/or may be subject to criminal prosecution.
Students and others are encouraged to report incidents, and suspected incidents of initiation. Reports may be made to the Residence Manager or the Director of Student Housing (041-504-2403) or to the Nelson Mandela University Protection Services (041-504-2490).