Residential Life

Community living

By Adrian 12 Aug 2022

We want everyone in the Intercollegiate Halls to feel at home. Everyone here has the right to enjoy the space where they live. Therefore, it is important to agree on some basic standards for living together as a student community.

In this article, we’ve highlighted what we think are the most important rules for everyone to be aware of and to adhere to. You should read your Licence Agreement and Hall Handbook to make sure you are familiar with all the community living standards that are expected in the Intercollegiate Halls. Any breaches may be dealt with under the Student Discliplinary Procedure.

Respect – Kindness – Patience – Compassion – Understanding

These are core values for our University of London community. Let’s all keep trying to live these values as best we can.

Respect and celebrate difference

Please join us in respecting and celebrating all our residents, staff, and guests, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

The University does not tolerate abuse, bullying, discrimination, or harassment.

Reporting concerns about bullying, harassment, or abuse

Be mindful of noise

Noise is the commonest cause of dissatisfaction with Hall life. Don’t be that “noisy neighbour” people complain about!

Our walls, floors, and ceilings are thin. It’s quite easy to cause noise for your neighbours without realising it.
If you have visitors after 11pm, it’s best to go to one of the common rooms, to avoid disturbing anyone.
Respect others’ needs for quiet time. Agree on quiet times with your neighbours, and other times when it might be ok to make a bit more noise.
At night, please talk quietly in corridors and don’t run or shout in hallways or stairwells.
Pull doors closed quietly and push the handle down so the lock doesn’t click.

No sound should be audible from outside your room between 11pm and 7am.

Drug use

Possession and/or use of illegal drugs and new psychoactive substances (“legal highs”) are strictly forbidden in Hall.

If you are worried about your own or someone else’s drug use, and you want to seek help, speak in confidence with your Hall Warden.

Smoking

Please smoke only in the designated smoking area (in the garden, where a shelter and cigarette bin are provided).

Smoking is not allowed in study bedrooms, common areas, leaning out of windows, or within 2 metres of any entrances/exits.

Never cover smoke detectors

A fully working fire alarm system is vital for everyone’s safety in Hall. A covered smoke detector could delay the alarm being raised and cost lives.

Covering or disabling smoke detectors is always treated as misconduct under the disciplinary procedure.

No access to roof or balconies

For your safety, you must not access or attempt to access roofs, balconies, or exterior ledges.

You must not remove any restrictors fitted to windows.

When you hear the fire alarm

Always evacuate the building when the fire alarm sounds.

Leave by the shortest route and the nearest exit.

We test the fire alarm once a week – check with your Hall Management team or Hall reception which dya this happens in your Hall. At this time, you do not need to evacuate unless the alarm sounds for more than 10 seconds.

Security

Please be prepared to show your Hall ID card every time you enter the Hall. You must also present your ID card to take meals in the dining hall.

Never give your Hall ID card or room key to any other person (including family, friends, or guests).

Your guests

You can have up to three guests at one time in the daytime (8am to 11pm).
You can have one guest in hall between 11pm and 8am, up to 10 nights per calendar month.
Any guest who is in the Hall after midnight is automatically considered an overnight guest.
Always meet your guests in person at reception and sign them in.
Remember that you are responsible for your guests’ behaviour.
Ensure that they adhere to the same standard of behaviour that is expected of our residents – especially around equality, diversity, bullying and harassment issues.
Don’t sign someone in if you don’t know them.
Your guests (day or night) cannot stay in Hall while you are out.
Never give your Hall ID card or room key to your guests.

Our staff are here for you

All our staff, RAs & contractors are here to do their best for you. Please cooperate with their reasonable and lawful requests.

If you disagree with what you have been asked to do, wherever possible please cooperate with the staff member at the time but then raise your concerns in private with the Warden or the Hall Manager, either in person or in writing.

Residential Life

Applying the community standards is one of the duties that our Residential Life team of Wardens and Resident Advisors take care of.

Find out more about Residential Life

Adrian is a medical doctor, the Student Health & Wellbeing Manager at the University of London and the Warden of Connaught Hall, where he has lived for more than 25 years.
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