University Housing

If you know of a student who you believe may be at risk of harm, or who may intend to harm others, please use the Care Report to communicate your concern to someone at the University. We especially encourage you to contact the Office of the Dean of Students, as in many circumstances, Counseling Services may not be able to intervene due to issues of confidentiality.

Evacuating the Residence Hall

If the fire alarm sounds in your residential community, you are expected to evacuate the building. Follow the steps below:

• Get your ID and room key before leaving your room. To secure your belongings and to prevent smoke and fire from entering your room, close and lock your doors when you evacuate the building.
• When the building alarm is sounded, the elevator will not operate. Please exit the building through the main stairway or the stairwells at the end of each wing.
  • All students do not need to exit through the main stairwell.  There are emergency exits at the end of each wing that can be used when the alarm is sounded.

When evacuating the building, you cannot stay on the parking circle, sidewalks or area immediately outside the building. When evacuating, residents are required to cross the street and/or parking areas to be a safe distance from the building.

University Housing takes fire safety very seriously. Students are reminded that tampering with fire equipment is a violation of the SIUE Student Code of Conduct, as well as state and federal law. University Housing at SIUE has a no tolerance policy regarding tampering with fire equipment. Students who tamper or compromise any of the fire prevention and detection systems will have their residency terminated immediately. People found guilty of tampering with fire equipment for other than actual emergency situations or intentionally setting false fire alarms can potentially face a jail sentence, fines up to $10,000 and expulsion from the University. Make sure to keep units free of debris and do not tamper with smoke alarms.

• Fire and Electrical Safety Guide
• Minger Foundation - A series of three videos focused on sprinklers and smoke alarms, cooking fire safety, and escape planning. 

Residents should use the following locations when gathering outside during a fire alarm:  

• Bluff Hall - Exit the building and go directly across Circle Drive to the other side of the street
• Prairie Hall - Exit the building and go directly to the Prairie Hall volleyball court near the parking lot
• Woodland Hall - Exit the building and go directly to the Woodland Bowl
• Evergreen Hall - Exit the building and go directly across Circle Drive to the other side of the street
• Cougar Village - Exit the building and gather in a grassy area a safe distance from the building and keep driving pathways clear

In the event of a tornado or other severe weather, a long, wavering siren will sound. Immediately proceed to a secure area away from windows, such as a hallway or bathroom. If already in a safe space, crouch low, cover your head, and use available items like mattresses or blankets for extra protection from debris.

Front Desk

The Front Desk of Bluff, Evergreen, Prairie and Woodland serve as a security function. The desks are situated in a fashion that allows them to view the only entrance and exit that residents are permitted to utilize. Residents must use their Cougar card to swipe into the building and gain access 24 hours a day.

The front desk staff answers the phone all hours of the day and night and can assist residents with their needs. The desk managers can contact RAs on duty if there is a building issue that staff needs to respond to.

The Cougar Village Commons front desk is staffed until midnight. The Commons desk staff serves primarily as a resource rather than a security function due to the fact that Cougar Village buildings do not all share a common entrance.

Building Staff

University business hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. After business hours, desk managers can be found at the Front Desk or Commons Desk. A professional staff member and RAs in all areas will be on duty and accessible via radio until business hours the following day. There is never a time of day that a resident should have trouble contacting staff.

Residents can also contact the SIUE Police Department by using their non-emergency number: 618-650-3324.

Each resident of University Housing is the person responsible for informing their guests of these regulations and ensuring that guests are in compliance with the University policy on alcohol beverages. The resident may be subject to disciplinary action for guests non-compliance with these regulations. Non-student guests may be subject to civil and criminal action for violation of these regulations.

Intoxication is not an acceptable or appropriate condition and may be cause for disciplinary action. Intoxication is defined as either (1) not having the normal use of mental or physical facilities due to the introduction of alcohol or other drugs into the body; or (2) having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more.

Bluff, Prairie and Woodland residents and guests are not permitted to have alcohol, alcohol containers (even if empty) or devices used for rapid consumption of alcohol. This policy is applicable to all residents regardless of age.

Evergreen and Cougar Village residents and their guests must be 21 years of age or older if they choose to possess and/or consume alcohol in their residence. Please see more stipulations of this policy in the Living Guide.

Kegs: Possession of a keg on University property will lead to termination of residency. Containers holding more than one gallon of alcoholic beverages or devices promoting the rapid consumption of alcohol (i.e. - funnels, bongs, etc.) are prohibited on University property and will be confiscated.

The living unit key residents receive at check-in is the principal means of security for the resident belongings and those of roommates's belongings. It is important to keep the living unit locked at all times to prevent theft. The key is University property and may not be loaned or duplicated. Lending a key to anyone or attempting to obtain another resident's lockout key is a security violation and will be treated as a disciplinary matter. Building front desks hold lockout keys in the event of a resident locking their key in their room or temporarily replacing it. If a key is permanently lost, the living unit will have its locks changed at a charge to the resident.

Noise levels in and around University Housing are expected to be moderate and conducive to a positive study environment. The right to study is clearly greater than the right to make noise. Roommates and neighbors should reach a general agreement about acceptable noise levels to prevent conflict.

If your child is having difficulty with a neighbor regarding noise, they should attempt to talk to the person and resolve the problem. If they have further difficulty, they should call the Front Desk/Commons Desk. The desk worker will then contact a Resident Assistant to follow up with the situation.

In order to ensure our housing facilities remain in great condition there are staff members that make consistent rounds in the facilities and report any issues to University Housing Facilities Management.

Every facility has a Building Service Worker (BSW). The BSWs are responsible for vacuuming, taking out the trash, cleaning public areas and communicating with the Hall Directors about the condition of the facility. BSWs are not responsible for:

• Cleaning private rooms/suites/apartments
• Cleaning excessive trash in public areas
• Taking out residents personal trash

Elevator Maintenance: If stuck in an elevator, use emergency phone within the elevator or bring attention to the elevator by calling out for help until heard.

Submit an online Maintenance Request if pests are discovered in your living unit. If you have an emergency situation during business hours (Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m.), contact UHFM at x3626. The pest control company inspects living units on a routine basis. No living unit is exempt from treatment when required unless a doctor’s note is provided no less than 48 hours in advance of scheduled treatment. If you request treatment for any pest problem, you should know the location of the problem before you call. The more information you provide, the more successful the treatment will be.

University Housing subscribes to pest control referred to as Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is a multifaceted system of pest control that prioritizes sanitation to halt the breeding cycle of pests. The pest control service is contracted to a local company that utilizes a five step approach to IPM: inspection, identification, recommendation, treatment and evaluation. If you have any questions about this process, please contact UHFM (x3626).

Emergency response comes in the form of natural disasters and other threats from the community.

Recent happenings in the field of higher education have led to universities remaining on high alert about student issues that can affect the larger University community. SIUE has methods in place to alert students and staff to campus emergencies and related procedures.

Please sign up for SIUE e-Lert for the University immediate response to natural disasters and other threats.

• Flooding: If there is a flood imminent in the area due to inclement weather, University Housing staff will alert residents to evacuate and relocate until further notification. Cougar Village residents are to go to the Commons Building or Morris University Center and residence hall residents are to go to the next closest residence hall or the Engineering Building. Residents will not be allowed to re-enter evacuated buildings until notified by University Housing staff or University Police.
• Earthquake: In the event of an earthquake, residents are advised to seek open areas away from any structure that could fall if outside, or to seek protection in a doorway or underneath a desk or table if inside. University Housing staff will respond to the needs of residents after the initial shock.

To ensure food safety during the power outage, please follow these guidelines:

• Identify and throw away food that may not be safe to eat.
• Throw away food that may have come in contact with flood or storm water.
• Throw away food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
• Throw away perishable foods (including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) that have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or more.
• Thawed food that contains ice crystals or is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below can be refrozen or cooked.
• Throw away canned foods that are bulging, opened or damaged.
• Food containers with screw-caps, snap-lids, crimped caps (soda pop bottles), twist caps, flip tops, snap-open and home canned foods should be discarded if they have come into contact with floodwater; they cannot be disinfected.
• If cans have come in contact with floodwater or storm water, remove the labels, wash the cans and dip them into a solution of 1 cup of bleach in 5 gallons of water. Relabel the cans with a marker.
• Do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash or prepare food, wash your hands, make ice, or make baby formula.
• Store food safely.
• While the power is out, keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
• Add block ice or dry ice to your refrigerator if the electricity is expected to be off longer than four hours. Wear heavy gloves when handling ice.

It is strongly recommended that computers and electronic equipment be shut off and unplugged before you leave or before the scheduled power outage. While rare, surges from switching the system on and off can be quite damaging.

E-lerts will be sent out with contact information and instructions during extended power outages.