For Freshmen

Rules and Guidelines Pertaining to Harvard's Freshman Dormitories

Planning to decorate your suite?
Suite damage letters
Insurance coverage
Removing furniture/dismantling bunk beds
Dorm crew
How to clean your floors
Screens and storms
Security
Fire safety
Fire extinguishers
Fire doors
Recycling
Trash, laundry, and recycling rooms
Packages
Posting notices
Bicycles
Vacation period
Move-out Information (unavailable until May 2009)
Vacating Suite
Returning Key

Planning to Decorate Your Suite?
Before so much as putting up a poster, please read the following rules.

The Houses and Dormitories represent a unique heritage of Harvard College. During the time of residence, the student is entrusted with the care of the buildings. As part of the care of the buildings, students must observe the following specific regulations:

• DO NOT use any objects that create holes in a surface (i.e. nails, tacks, screws, or picture hooks) on walls, doors, moldings, ceilings or floors.
• DO NOT use any masking tape, scotch tape, two-sided tape, mounting squares, glue-backed cork boards or other adhesives other than those provided by the College.
• Only College-provided poster hanging gum and molding hooks and wire may be used in these rooms. These supplies are available from the Harvard Dorm Crew Office in Weld Hall Basement.
• The use of dartboards in these dormitory rooms is expressly prohibited.
• When moving in you should take the opportunity to clarify any questions you have about these rules and about the use of the above-listed supplies.
• The cost of repairs resulting from violations of these rules will be charged directly to the violator or to all occupants of the suite if the guilty party cannot be identified.
• All repair work will be coordinated by Harvard Yard Operations. The cost to you of wall repair and repainting one wall will be a minimum of $80.00, and could be more than $200.00.
• These rules will be strictly enforced. There will be periodic inspections to make sure there are no violations.

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Suite Damage Letters
Students need to check their rooms thoroughly for any damage upon their arrival. Each rooming group must list any such damage in a letter, signed by all roommates, and delivered to the Harvard Yard Operations office in Weld Hall Basement by 4:00 PM on Wednesday September 12, 2007. Damage includes any of the following:

Holes, dents, marks, or scratches in the wall, including nail- or tack-holes; Illegal adhesive residue on walls, i.e., scotch tape, double-stick squares, or any wall-mounted hooks or coat-hangers using such adhesives; Severely scratched floors or furniture; Any other type of damage which does not interfere with the room's function.

This letter is our record of suite condition prior to move in, and is the basis of charges for suite damage at the end of the term. If your rooming group does not submit this letter, then we will use our most recent records, which may date to September 1998 or earlier. It is therefore in your best interests to submit a list of damages on time in order to protect yourself against unnecessary charges. Also, please note that damage listed on these letters will not be repaired while the rooms are occupied. Any maintenance requiring immediate attention should be submitted separately to our office either by phone, (617) 495-1874, by e-mail, yardops@fas.harvard.edu, or in person.

Removing Furniture from Suite/Dismantling Bunk beds
Removing furniture from a room and putting it into the corridor or into the entry, is expressly forbidden. Dismantling bunk beds is discouraged. Students will be charged for any labor necessary to re-assemble bunk beds after their departure.

Dorm Crew
Toilet paper, trash bags, poster gum, wire, and molding hooks are available at the Dorm Crew Office in Weld Basement. Vacuum cleaners may borrowed for a ONE HOUR time limit. Brooms, dustpans, mops, buckets, etc. may also be borrowed. Always bring your ID card with you. No equipment will be lent out unless an ID card is left in its place. No exceptions will be made to this rule.

Dorm Crew is mostly student run and hires students throughout the year.

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How To Clean Your Floors

Carpeting: Vacuum it regularly. You should soak up liquid spills with paper or cloth towels as soon as possible after the spill. A small amount of water and a drop of detergent or soap (no more, or you will slip on that spot for the rest of the year), agitated with a dull edged object such as the handle of a spoon, will remove most stains. If the carpet smells musty due to spills, we suggest purchasing a powdered carpet cleaner from Dickson Brothers, such as Resolve™ Granular Carpet Cleaner.

Wood: Sweep it regularly. Periodically, or for dried spills, use a damp, not wet, sponge mop (available at the Dorm Crew Office) with either plain water or a 1:16 mixture of white vinegar and water.

Bathroom Floors: Private bathrooms, floors included, will be cleaned every other week by a Dorm Crew Porter. If you want to mop it more frequently, use a solution of water and disinfectant, e.g., Lysol liquid bathroom cleaner, at the dilution recommended on the packaging.

General Considerations: For just a few dollars at a local store, you can buy a small mat to put right inside your door. With a mat designed to absorb water and dirt from people’s shoes, your floor will not need to be vacuumed, swept, or mopped as frequently. You should also plan on doing more floor cleaning in the winter months when sand covers the icy walkways of Harvard Yard. Much of this sand will end up on the floor of your common room and should be picked up before it scratches the floor’s beautiful finish and irritates your bare feet. Remember, if you ever have questions about how to clean anything, give us a call; we’re ready to help.

Screens and Storms
Do not remove any screens or storm windows. You will be charged for violating this rule.

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Security
DO NOT prop open exterior doors.

DO NOT lend your room keys to anyone.

It is illegal to have copies of room keys made.

Keep your suite door locked at all times.

Report faulty locks to the Harvard Yard Operations Office.

Do not allow anyone to enter your building unless you know them, or they can show a Harvard I.D.

Centrex phones are located throughout the yard. Report any suspicious persons immediately to the University Police at (617) 495-1212. The dispatcher will turn the call over to the Yard Security Patrol, who will respond to your call as soon as possible.

Fire Extinguishers
Misuse of fire extinguishers is a very serious matter and will not be tolerated. Disciplinary action will be taken against the person or persons responsible. This is for your safety as well as that of your fellow students. Residents of entire floors and/or entries will be charged for "unclaimed" tampering.

Fire Doors
Keep all fire doors and lanes clear of furniture, luggage, etc. It is a state law that these passages be kept clear.

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Recycling

Items that can be recycled:

Paper Products: Newspaper, magazines, white and colored paper, paperboard, corrugated cardboard, but no pizza boxes.
Cans/Bottles: Glass, metal and plastic bottles and cans, without caps or food residue.
Clothing: Dry clothing, shoes (tied together), leather goods, backpacks and handbags.
Refrigerators, Computer and Television Monitors: Whether they work or not.
Batteries: All types, so long as they don’t leak.

The recycling rooms have separate containers for paper products, cans/bottles and batteries. Place each into the appropriate bin.

Cardboard: Flattened boxes can be placed in an intact box and left in the recycling area.
Clothing: Place in a plastic bag marked “Recycling” and leave in the recycling area.
Computer and Television Monitors: Place in a box marked “Recycling” and leave it in the recycling area.
Refrigerators: Make sure it’s defrosted and dry before leaving it in recycling room.

For more information contact: The Resource Efficiency Program at (617) 384-9605 or Rob Gogan at (617) 495-3042 with questions or suggestions about recycling at Harvard.

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Trash, Laundry, and Recycling Rooms

Canaday Hall: Canaday Common Room Basement
Greenough Hall : Greenough Basement
Hurlbut Hall: Hurlbut Basement
Hollis Hall: Stoughton North Ext. Basement, Hollis South Basement
Lionel Hall: Stoughton North Ext. Basement Entrance, Lionel "B" Basement
Matthews Hall: Weld Hall Basement, Matthews Basement
Mower Hall: Stoughton North Ext. Basement, Lionel "B" Basement
Penny Packer: Hurlbut Basement Ext. Entrance
Stoughton Hall: Stoughton North Ext. Basement Entrance
Straus Hall: Weld basement, Straus "D" Entry
Thayer Hall: Thayer Hall Basement
Weld Hall: Weld Hall Basement

Packages
Notices of parcels received will be placed in your mailbox. You must present both your ID card and notice in order to pick up your parcel.

Posting Notices
There will be no posting of notices on entry doors, walls or elevators. Notices will be removed immediately. There are bulletin boards located in the basement hallway of the Harvard Yard Mail Center (Science Center) and in Loker Commons.

Bicycles
Bicycles must be walked through the Yard. Bicycle racks are located throughout the Yard. No bicycles may be chained to any of the stairwells, the gates, or railings along the handicapped ramps, or inside the buildings. You may keep your bicycles inside your suite only.

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Vacation Period
Please lock all windows and doors during vacation periods and long weekends, regardless of whether your room is on the first floor or the fifth floor. Also, please remember to shut off all lights when not in use.

If you have any questions on any of the above, do not hesitate to ask any member of the Yard Operations staff for assistance. You are also referred to the Handbook for Students, with which you are required to be familiar, as it has sections on most of the above rules and guidelines pertaining to living in the Houses and College Dorms.

Vacating Your Suite
Be certain that all bagged trash, non-Harvard furniture and recycling is brought to one of the trash/recycling areas. DO NOT leave trash/recycling in hallways or outside of buildings.

Be certain that bunk beds are assembled.

Report any damage to the building or its furnishings to Harvard Yard Operations Office at (yardops@fas.harvard.edu) or call (617) 495-1874.

Returning Keys:
When: By May 29th at noon.
Where: The Harvard Yard Operations Office in Weld Basement
How: In the envelope which you received in your mail box, labeled with name and suite number, securely sealed with tape or staples. If the office is closed drop it in the mail slot in the door.

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