Residence Life Policies & Procedures

Residents are expected to remove garbage and other trash from their rooms and apartments on a regular basis. For convenience, large trash dumpsters are located throughout the area. Trash should not be left on balconies, in hallways, or other areas of the residential facilities. Recycling receptacles have been placed throughout housing areas. A $25 trash fee will be charged if a resident leaves trash outside their apartment or hall room. The fee will be divided evenly between all residents that live in the apartment or residence hall at that time unless ownership can be determined.

Possession or use of any type of firearm, fireworks, or other weapons by anyone on University-owned or -controlled property is prohibited. Instruments used to simulate such weapons in acts that endanger or tend to endanger any person shall be considered a weapon. Involvement in this activity will result in removal from the residential facilities on a permanent basis and could result in other sanctions such as suspension or expulsion (see Code of Student Conduct section of the FMU Student Handbook). For more information regarding weapons on campus, please see Campus Police and the Student Rights and Responsibilities sections of the FMU Student Handbook.

For health and safety reasons, students and their guests are prohibited from possessing pets in and around the residence halls and student apartments. Students found with a pet or animal will be required to remove the pet immediately and will be subject to disciplinary action. Additionally, the student will be assessed for any pest control or cleaning costs.

Distribution of written materials and solicitation by students, University employees, nonaffiliated individuals, and nonaffiliated groups are prohibited in student housing. Canvassing, selling, offering for sale, soliciting, or promoting the sale of any goods or services is prohibited on University premises, including residence halls and apartments, except as allowed under University policy (see Solicitation Policy in Rights and Responsibilities section). However, an individual student has the right to invite anyone into his or her residence hall living quarters for the purposes of that student considering or purchasing the invitee’s goods or services. Students are not allowed to conduct commercial activities or business ventures from their rooms or apartments.

Written materials designed for commercial purposes may not be distributed on University premises, including residence halls and apartments. Before any material is posted, it must be approved through the Offices of Housing and Residence Life or Student Affairs (see Literature Distribution and Posting Policy).

Use of outdoor sporting equipment such as balls, Frisbees, golf clubs, bats, skateboards, lacrosse sticks, etc. inside of the residence halls and apartments is prohibited. Use of such equipment indoors poses a threat to the physical safety of residents and can result in damage to University or individual property or bodily harm as well as creating noise problems. Use of such equipment is restricted to appropriate locations outside of the residence halls and apartments.

Throwing objects from windows, balconies, etc., is a danger to students outside of the building and is therefore prohibited. Hanging outside or climbing from windows is also prohibited due to the danger involved. Screens must remain in windows at all times.

DUE TO COVID-19 CONCERNS, Until Further Notice: no guests allowed within a residential space between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM, nightly.

ADDITIONALLY, Until Further Notice: Only currently assigned (no non-residents) are permitted as guests in FMU Housing areas; and no resident may host more than one guest at any time.

Each guest must possess a form of positive identification with proof of age. Guests must be 18 years old or older in order to visit the residence halls and student apartments. When visiting, the guest must be escorted by the host resident at all times. When accompanied by parents or responsible relatives, those under 18 may visit for a short period of time during established visitation hours. Guests should not be left in the building while the resident is not present. Residents are responsible for the actions of their guests. Violations of this policy by residents will result in disciplinary actions, which could include loss of visitation privileges. Nonresidents who violate any part of this policy may be banned from the residential facilities or campus. Please note that due to liability reasons, babysitting is not allowed.

Overnight visits: Overnight stay is defined as a single guest, per resident, staying overnight between the hours of 12 midnight and 6 a.m.

Overnight guests MUST be acceptable to all roommates, suite-mates, and/or apartment-mates – in other words, with anyone with whom a living space is shared.

Residents must establish visitation expectations in advance, in writing, through the Roommate Agreement Form (contact housing staff for form).

Overnight guests are required to register their vehicles and display a temporary parking permit as noted on the Overnight Guest Visitation form. Please note that ALL residents of a room or an apartment must sign the Overnight Guest Visitation form. Click Here to fill out the form online.

A resident may have no more than six overnight-stay guests total, per semester, and no more than two consecutive overnight stays.

Resident and Guest Parking. Residents must purchase and display the FMU decal (indicated by the letter “R”). Between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., parking is restricted to the appropriate decal for off-campus students.

Temporary permits (A section on the Guest Visitation Form) may be obtained for visitors from the Housing and Residence Life Office or your Resident Assistant if proper approval is obtained.

Parking for the Study Hall is available 24 hours daily. Parking during the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. for off-campus students, faculty, staff and visitors must be coordinated through Campus Police. For more information, refer to the Campus Police and Parking sections of the FMU Student Handbook.

All students have the right to live in an environment that is conducive to the educational nature of Francis Marion University. A key element in this regard, especially given the nature of high-density living on campus, is that students will not create excessive amounts of noise in the residential areas of campus.  Noise of any type that is loud enough to potentially disturb others is unacceptable. Exceptions to this policy can be made by the office of the Dean of Students or the Office of Housing and Residence Life for pre-approved activities by recognized students or campus organizations.

While not all-inclusive, following is a list of examples of what might generate unacceptable levels of noise.

• Playing stereo loud enough to be heard outside of your room or apartment.
• Screaming, yelling, or making other verbal noise that can disturb others.
• Large groups of people gathered in public places near residence halls (e.g. octagon or triangle, etc.) or apartments (e.g. community center, picnic areas, etc.) talking loudly or playing music.
• Car stereos loud enough to be heard outside of the vehicle.
• Running, jumping, dancing, or other activity that can be heard in other parts of the building.
• Televisions, video games, or other devices loud enough to be heard outside of the room.
• Banging or knocking on doors in a manner that others may be disturbed.

“Courtesy Hours.” In all residence halls and apartments, “courtesy hours” are in effect with regard to noise every day, 24 hours a day. Residents must be aware of noise at all times and courteous regarding the noise level and how their noise may impact on others’ ability to study, sleep, read, visit, etc.

1. Academic cheating or plagiarism – Cheating is defined by its general usage. It includes, but is not limited to, wrongfully giving, taking or presenting any information or material by a student with the intent of aiding him/herself or any other person on any academic work which is considered in any way in the determination of the final grade. Plagiarism involves the use of the ideas or writings of another without acknowledgment of that use. For a more detailed description of these two forms of academic dishonesty, and how allegations of academic dishonesty are handled, refer to the Academic Dishonesty section in the FMU Student Handbook.
2. The illegal manufacture, possession, use, or distribution of drugs or the use of drugs for which the holder has no legal prescription, or other drug-related conduct which is a violation of South Carolina law. Such conduct is a University violation regardless of where it occurs on or off-campus;
3. The illegal manufacture, distribution, possession, or consumption, or being under the influence of alcoholic beverages on University property or during University activities. For purposes of this policy, a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or greater is conclusive evidence that a student is under the influence of alcohol, but a student’s conduct, physical appearance, and other factors are also evidence (please refer to the University Alcohol Policy and Housing Violations for more details on alcohol issues);
4. Sexual assault or inappropriate sexual conduct;
5. Physical abuse or assault of any person, or other conduct which threatens the health or safety of any person, including self;
6. Failure to comply with the directions of a University official acting in performance of his/her duty. This includes, but is not limited to, failure to report to a University office or official; after notice to do so, failure to appear for a judicial hearing or comply with a disciplinary penalty; failure to pay promptly, after notice, all University bills, fines, accounts and other financial obligations; failure to produce positive student identification upon request;
7. Theft, wrongful appropriation, unauthorized possession, or damage to property of the University (including library materials) or of any organization affiliated with the University or of another member of the University community (i.e. faculty, staff, student, or campus visitor);
8. Furnishing false or incomplete information to a University official to include, but not limited to, providing false, misleading or incomplete information during an investigation or hearing involving an alleged violation of University policy or local, state or federal law;
9. Forgery, alteration, destruction, damage, or misuse of University documents, records or identification (e.g. FMU ID cards, library materials, etc.). FMU ID cards are the property of the University and are not transferable. Use by a person other than the authorized user is a violation of this policy, as is permitting or abetting such use;
10. Any act of arson, falsely reporting a fire or other emergency (such as the presence of an explosive or incendiary device), knowingly setting off a fire alarm or emergency call box when the student knows that no fire or emergency exists; tampering with or removing from their proper location fire extinguishers, hoses or any other fire emergency equipment except when done with an actual need for such equipment;
11. Possession, while on University-owned or -controlled property, or at University-sponsored or -supervised activities, of any weapons such as, but not limited to, rifles, shotguns, ammunition, handguns, and air guns, including explosives and incendiary devices, such as firecrackers or fireworks. Possession of pocket knives having no blade longer than two inches and possession of weapons or tools required by a student’s job or studies at the location in question is not a violation;
12. Unauthorized use or entry into University facilities and/or unauthorized possession or use of keys to University facilities;
13. Obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other University activities, including public service functions, or any authorized activities on University premises;
14. Disorderly conduct or lewd, indecent, or obscene conduct on University-owned or -controlled property or at University-sponsored or -supervised functions;
15. Violation of properly constituted rules and regulations governing the use of motor vehicles on University-owned or -controlled property;
16. Violation, attempted violation, or the incitement of others to violate written University policies or regulations as herein stipulated or as promulgated and announced by University personnel;
17. Violation, or attempted violation, of local, state or federal law, whether on or off campus, when it appears that the student has acted in a way which adversely affects, or seriously interferes with the University’s normal educational function, or which injures or endangers the welfare of any member of the University community;
18. Unauthorized use or misuse of the University’s computing facilities, to include, but not be limited to, violation of the University policy on acceptable computer use in the FMU Student Handbook;
19. Hazing, which is defined as: any intentional or reckless act, on or off university property, by one student, acting alone or with others, which is directed against any other student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of that student, or which induces or coerces a student to endanger his or her mental or physical health or safety, and includes treatment of a violent, abusive, shameful, insulting, or humiliating nature;
20. Harassment, stalking and/or unauthorized surveillance, which includes, but is not limited to, (a) unwanted and repeated contact (after notice to desist) with another individual or group through personal contact, contact by electronic or other media; (b) other behaviors which are perceived as threatening or intended to intimidate or induce fear; or (c) making unauthorized video or photographic images of a person in a location in which that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, including, but not limited to, shower/locker rooms, residence hall rooms, and men’s or women’s restrooms, is prohibited. Also prohibited is the storing, sharing, and/or other distribution of such unauthorized images by any means. In some circumstances, such behaviors may also constitute violation of local, state, or federal laws;

Other conduct which a reasonable person having sufficient intelligence to acquire postsecondary education would understand is injurious to the University or the University community. This standard shall not be interpreted to infringe upon a student’s constitutional rights.