Section 6.8: Items Left in Common Areas

Some students will occasionally leave personal belongings unattended in common areas.  

Hallways

Due to fire code, hallways must be kept clear of items at all times.  Should you find an item in a hallway outside a room door please knock on the door and ask the residents if the item is theirs and to please remove it from the hallway immediately. 

Kitchens

In the community kitchen(s) students may use the cabinets to store personal cooking utensils and the cabinets and/or refrigerator to store food items.  Items may not be stored on the counters or tables. All utensils and food items should be cleaned and/or put away immediately after use and not left on the cooktop or counters, or in the oven, microwave, or sink.  Items left out on the counters, cook top, or in the sink, microwave, or oven will be disposed of when custodial cleans the kitchen the following morning.

Storing Confiscated Items

If the residents of a room aren’t home when you knock, or you happen to come across an unattended item in a common area (laundry room, lounge, kitchen, bathroom, etc.) please wait a few minutes to see if the owner returns.  If no one returns please take the item to the RA office and tag the item with the name of who found it, along with the location, date and time it was found.  If the owner is known please also include their name on the tag.  Once this is done please notify the ADRL that the item is in the RA office. If the owner is known the ADRL will email the student about retrieving their item(s).

Abandoned Laundry

The laundry rooms in the residence halls are used frequently and at times can become cluttered with clothing that has been left unattended or has been abandoned. To help keep these spaces clean any items that have been abandoned or left unattended for an extended period of time will be removed.  Resident Assistants should use garbage bags to collect any abandoned or unattended items during their 11:00 p.m. round each night and store the bag in the RA office.  At the end of each block, any unclaimed items will be donated over block break.  The ADRLs will provide more information to their staff as these dates may vary from building to building.