Living with your Roommate/Suitemate

Sharing a room or suite can be a new experience to many moving on to campus. With that brings amazing new experiences but also the need to work together to create a healthy living experience for everyone. Students are encouraged to complete a Roommate/Suitemate agreement with the assistance of the Resident Assistant after move-in. However, the following Bill of Rights is what every resident is entitled to while living on campus.

Resident Rights

• The right to a clean tidy environment.
• The right to expect that each roommate/suitemate will respect each other’s personal belongings.
• The right to study free from undue interference in one’s room. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of this right.
• The right to sleep without undue disturbance from noise, guests of roommate/suitemate, or similar disturbances.
• The right to free access to one’s room and facilities without pressure from a roommate/suitemate.
• The right to expect that guests will respect the rights of the host’s roommate / suitemate and other residents.
• Guests and hosts are mutually responsible for the conduct of the guest, even if the term guest refers to another resident of University Housing.
• The right to expect reasonable cooperation in use of the suite/apartment cable line, public areas, micro-fridge where applicable and other appliances.
• The right to a limited degree of personal privacy.
• The right to be free from intimidation and/or physical harm.
• The right to address issues and concerns with the University Residential Education staff. Your Resident Assistant and the other Department of Housing and Residential Education staff are available for assistance in helping with roommate or suitemate conflicts.
• The right to expect roommate(s) / suitemate(s) to keep doors locked for security purposes.

 

Communicate Early

Communicate with your roommate prior to moving in! You can see your roommates and their contact information on the Housing Portal. Connecting with your new roommates prior to the start of the semester allows you to break the ice and make everyone more comfortable on the first day. Some things you can discuss are as follows:

• Sharing belongings.
• Social/academic expectations.
• Study and sleep habits.
• Who is bringing what electronics.
• Thermostat preferences.

While you and your roommate may have a lot in common, there may also be a lot of areas that you may not agree. Because of this, it is recommended that all roommates sit down within the first week and complete their Roommate/Suitemate Agreement on the Housing Portal. Completing this agreement early on ensures everyone is on the same page and could prevent disagreements in the future.

 

What if you don’t get along or have a disagreement? What steps should you take?

When living with new people, it is inevitable that there will be disagreements, but there are ways to navigate these differences in a healthy way.

• First, talk to your roommate. If they know your perspective, they may be more likely to change the behavior or find some sort of compromise.
• Second, if you have talked to your roommate and could not find a common ground, talk to your Resident Assistant (RA). RAs are trained to assist with roommate disagreements and help both parties come together to compromise.
• Third, if after talking to your roommate AND your RA, but the disagreement has not been resolved, you should get your building’s Hall Coordinator involved. The Hall Coordinator is a professional staff member that can help you work through the situation and can hold all parties accountable to the Roommate/Suitemate Agreement completed at the beginning of the semester.