Hall Life: University Halls of Residence Rules and Regulations, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Property Law

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Procedures, Complaints

and Concerns

Maintenance Your hall provider UPP is responsible for maintenance of your hall. It is important that you notify them of any maintenance issues as soon as possible. You can contact your hall provider in one of the following ways:- Reception - opening hours vary between term time and holidays and are widely publicised in halls. Telephone: 01752 582990 (Francis Drake/Mary Newman) or 01752 582984 for halls in the Student Village Please note: In an emergency there may be occasions where prior notification cannot be given to gain access to your room e.g. flood, fire or suspected fire. The hall provider works to the following targets for the resolution of issues in your hall.

Damage Charges At all stages students will be kept fully informed and given clear information about how to progress their damage dispute. Building provider alerts Accommodation Services to damage and charge. Accommodation Services informs student of the planned charge and requests any details of mitigation or other evidence to be submitted within 7 working days. If no case is presented – the charge is applied as planned. In case of dispute: Or if complex referred to a Hall Officer for investigation. Following the outcome of the investigation the charge is either removed or confirmed and the reasons communicated to the student. Charge is removed. Where the student feels that this process has not been applied fairly or further evidence can be provided, the student may ask for a review by the Student Accommodation Manager who may uphold or remove the charge.

Fines The Accommodation Service applies very few fines and only uses this to ensure safety and good conduct. Fines are applied as a sanction after appropriate investigation The rate of fines for 2019/20 are as follows Non completion of Fire Safety training video - £ Interfering with Fire Door operation - £ Malicious fire alarm activation - £ Inappropriate use of fire equipment/disabling safety equipment - £ Smoking - £  In the case of fire safety the full fine may be levied against each resident with access to the communal area if the person responsible is not identified. There is a shared responsibility to act on any safety issue e.g. removing/ or reporting a fire safety hazard if you spot one.

Fire safety

Fire safety is an important factor in communities with large populations and shared living space. The following rules are in place to ensure your safety:- Open flames: Any items that produce or utilise an open flame such as candles, tea lights, cigarette lighters or incense are strictly prohibited. Decorations: Decorative items must be flame retardant and must not interfere with fire safety equipment (i.e. fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, fire doors etc.) Appliances: Leaving electrical appliances while in use is extremely dangerous and therefore prohibited. Further details on the safe use of appliances can be found later in this guide. Fragrance plug-ins: These can overheat and are therefore prohibited. Plugs and Sockets: Plug adapters must be safety compliant, inappropriate use of extension leads including ‘daisy chaining’ is prohibited. Supplementary heaters: Use of additional heaters is a fire hazard please speak to reception if there are problems with the heating in your room. Hallways: No personal items should be placed in hallways at any time; this includes refuse and recycling. YOU MUST Complete your fire safety induction by watching the Video on the accommodation portal Evacuate straight away, if you hear the fire alarm, leaving all personal belongings

Fire Evacuation

 Complete your fire safety induction by watching the Video on the accommodation portal  Evacuate straight away, if you hear the fire alarm, leaving all personal belongings  Co-operate with all those involved in the evacuation of the buildings  Familiarise yourself with your evacuation meeting point:-  Francis Drake - between Drakes Café and Rolle.  Gilwell Hall - in the Gilwell car park  Mary Newman - in the Fitzroy car park  Pilgrim - outside of Pilgrim block 1, next to the bins  Radnor - in the Radnor courtyard  Robbins-in the Gilwell car park for north side residents, and the Robbins car park next to the laundrette for south side residents.  Read the fire notices in your hall and plan your escape route ·  Keep hallways and fire exits clear of all objects

YOU MUST NOT

 Re-enter the building unless told it is safe to do so by a fire marshall  Wedge open fire doors, including the kitchen door  Leave food unattended when cooking as it might burn and set the alarm off  Use fire safety equipment unless trained to do so  Block or cover smoke and heat detectors  Spray aerosols or deodorant near the smoke detectors (this may set off a false alarm)  Use lifts in the event of an alarm (use the emergency staircase instead)  It is against the University’s Student Code to intentionally set off or tamper with fire alarms, fire extinguishers or other emergency equipment (except when done with the reasonable belief that it is necessary  It is unlawful to interfere with any fire equipment apparatus or to use a fire extinguisher or other fire protection equipment for anything other than its intended purpose (if trained to do so)

 Smoke detectors located in your hall should not be tampered with or covered. Disciplinary processes, including fines, may be instigated where any of the above fire

safety breaches are identified, and where students do not view the fire safety information film within one week of arrival.

Early Leaver Information The accommodation licence is a legally binding agreement and will not normally be revoked. You should think carefully before leaving accommodation, as you will still be liable for the rent as stated in the licence. If you wish to leave your accommodation you should make an appointment to discuss this with a Hall Officer. If you decide to leave you will be asked to complete and return an Early Leaver Form. You are considered to be resident to the point where your room is vacated, your keys returned and a signed leaver form completed. The Accommodation Licence The licence you sign is legally binding and you are still liable for the rent if you decide not to live in halls, however in rare circumstances you may be released from your licence Early release from License Agreement on the grounds of ill health or other extenuating circumstances that are beyond the student’s control usually resulting in withdrawal or interruption from their course. Any claim made on the grounds of an early release from licence will not normally be considered unless the student is able to provide compelling medical and or other evidence of extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control. It is up to the student to provide this evidence. The panel will only agree releases where there are extraordinary circumstances and where all other means of resolution have been exhausted e.g. evidence of support or engagement with wellbeing services. Following completion of the departure process, if you feel you have grounds to be released from licence, you should request a licence release request form and return it to residencelife@plymouth.ac.uk or in person, giving your reasons, and attaching any independent documentary evidence to support your request. You are encouraged to provide as much evidence as possible to support your request for release and where this is not in provided you will be invited to provide additional documentation. You will normally receive a response within 10 working days either containing a decision, or requesting further evidence. Requests are reviewed by a panel of 3 members of the Accommodation Team and if complex will include representation from Student Services or Faculty if appropriate. Release from licence is only normally considered when the licensee has withdrawn or interrupted their studies due to severe personal or health reasons. Where a student has been withdrawn or interrupted for reasons of conduct or fitness to practise for example, they may not be eligible for release from the licence. If you wish to dispute the decision of the panel e.g. due to an issue with the process or additional information you should use the University complaints procedure. As your initial release request is considered within the Accommodation Office your complaint will be dealt with as a stage 2 matter. At each stage of the process you will be given clear response times and advice about how to progress further. Before submitting a request to be released, students should ensure that they carefully read the accommodation License Agreement that sets out clearly the terms, conditions and expectations of both students and the University in relation to University managed Halls of Residence. If students have any questions in relation to this process, they may contact the Accommodation Office who will be able to answer procedural questions. Students looking for support or representation following a decision can contact the Student Union Advice Service at advice@su.plymouth.ac.uk or by telephone on 01752 588373.

Disciplinary procedure This handbook contains information about the expected safe and responsible conduct in University Accommodation and should be read in conjunction with the University’s Code of Conduct and other associated policies e.g. fire safety, internet usage etc. If behaviour falls short of that which is expected, disciplinary processes will be implemented. The approach and potential sanctions will differ based on the severity of the behaviour. If during the process of investigation further information comes to light, any investigation can be stopped and progressed to another stage of the process. You should familiarise yourself with the full regulations relating to the Student Code of Conduct. All matters relating to a breach of the Student Code of Conduct occurring in University-managed accommodation or in relation to any events organised by the Accommodation Office will, in the first instance, be considered by the Head of Facilities and Student Accommodation or their nominee. If it is suspected that you have committed a disciplinary offence or breached the Student Code of Conduct, this will be investigated in line with Student Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures: The diagram below shows the stages of disciplinary investigation in relation to the severity of the issue.