Housing Policies and Amenities

You may only occupy housing units after the assignment is made by the Housing Coordinator. This office must approve all exchanges, transfers and vacating of a housing unit.

Smith College School for Social Work may pursue disciplinary action for unauthorized moves or for failure to follow proper check-in and check-out procedures.

Air Conditioners

The College has several concerns regarding electrical usage and window air conditioners in the dorms. Please be aware of the following College regulations when making your plans:

1. Because we must restrict usage, only people with a documented disability will be able to have an air conditioner installed. Please refer to the Disability Services website and look for information on documentation guidelines.

2. If you plan to request that the College install an air conditioner, please contact Lisa Page, Accommodations Coordinator, by telephone at 413-585-2071 or email ods@smith.edu to begin the process. You will no longer need to fill out or submit forms to the Housing Coordinator.

3. Smith College will provide all air conditioner units—due to liability concerns we can make no exceptions. Only students who are granted accommodation from the Office of Disability Services will be permitted to have an air conditioner in their room. This accommodation is made free of charge and includes the rental, installation and removal of these systems. Installation of air conditioners will occur during the first week of classes. You will not need to be in your room for this process.

Other Appliances

You may not install or operate space heaters, appliances, antenna or similar type of equipment without the College’s express written permission.

You are permitted to arrange furniture in your housing unit as desired. However, you may not paint, decorate, make holes in, or attach things to any of the floors, walls, ceilings, doors or equipment in the housing unit or elsewhere in the building.

The college reserves the right to:

• Enter the unit to inspect it for health and fire safety, to make repairs (either in an emergency or at the student’s request), to show it to a prospective occupant, or otherwise as provided by law.

• Levy and collect charges for damage to the unit other than that caused by reasonable wear and tear, for unauthorized use or alteration of the unit or the building in which it is located

• Initiate and pursue disciplinary action against a student for any violation under this policy

• Limit the amount of time a student’s guest(s) may visit the unit

• Pursue its rights against a student in the appropriate court of law if the student fails to comply with this policy

Students living on campus will need two types of keys to enter their dorms:

• OneCard: OneCards are required for front door access to SSW dorms. 

• Traditional Key: You’ll use a traditional key to enter your dorm room.

In addition, all students who wish to use or eat at the SSW dining hall will use their OneCards for access.

Replacements

• OneCard: If your OneCard is lost or broken, you must contact the OneCard office directly. A $20 charge will be billed to your account to cover the cost of replacement.

• Traditional Key: If you lose your dorm room keys during the summer, a $100 charge will be billed to your student account to cover the cost of the new key and core lock replacement.
  
  Campus Safety may issue temporary access to dorms until you receive your replacement key. Students who do not return their key(s) at the end of the summer will be charged a $100 for a new key and core lock replacement.

If you indicate that you will be living on campus and subsequently inform the Housing Coordinator that you will not be utilizing on-campus housing, you will have your housing and food plan costs prorated using the following schedule: 

• Before May 1: 100% refunded 

• May 1 to the First Day of Classes: 90% refunded 

• First Friday of Term 1: 80% refunded 

• After the First Week of Classes: No refunds of Housing and Food Plan costs will be made after the first week of classes. 

The School will consider exceptions to the refund schedule for extraordinary circumstances.

The Housing and Food Plan fee includes the assigned unit and twenty-one meals per week for the duration of the 10-week summer academic session. You are responsible for the full Housing and Food Plan fee, which will be charged to your account prior to the start of the academic session. 

Review M.S.W. costs 

Review Ph.D. Costs

You may not:

• Have a waterbed in the unit

• Keep or use halogen lamps, flammable liquids, or flammable covers

• Use any decoration in the unit or any College building which is not flame proof

• Obstruct, interfere with or otherwise block access to hallways and corridors at any time

• Use barbecue grills on ledges, fire escapes, in the unit or in any College building

• Enter upon or use roofs, ledges or fire escapes, except during emergencies

• Install loft beds or place cement blocks underneath beds or bookcases in the unit

• Possess firearms, ammunition, explosives, weapons or dangerous chemicals in the unit or on College property

• Keep any animals in the unit, with the exception of service animals.

College policy states that no pets are allowed on campus for any reason.

Service animals are permitted on campus, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Smith College is committed to ensuring equal access for disabled students, staff, and faculty, as well as guests and visitors to the campus. It is the College’s policy to permit service animals as defined by the ADA, and may permit Emotional Support Animals, as determined on a case-by-case basis, to reside in the residence hall for students with a documented disability.

Students with service animals who wish to live on campus must fill out the Service Animal Google Contract available at the time that they register for housing.

For more information, please see the Smith College Pet Policy.

Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is prohibited in all college-owned student residences and all academic and administrative buildings. All smoking by faculty, staff, students and visitors is limited to outdoor areas more than 20 feet from any academic, administrative or residential building. Smoking includes the use of electronic smoking devices. For more information please see Smith College Smoking Policy.

In addition, the City of Northampton has banned smoking of tobacco products and e-cigarettes in a wide variety of locations, including municipal parks and athletic fields, private clubs and membership organizations, and public transportation vehicles and waiting areas.

For more information about smoking restrictions, please see City of Northampton Smoking Ban (2014).

If you officially withdraw from the School according to the procedures outlined in the handbook under the section entitled “Withdrawal,” are dismissed from the School or if you go on a leave of absence, you will have your Housing and Food Plan costs prorated using the same methodology as detailed in the Handbook section entitled “Refund Policy.”