Handbook - Section B
Contents
Security
Emergencies
Numbers for RF’s, the Principal and the Senior Resident Fellow are listed in the front of this handbook under Contact Details. If it is a life threatening emergency, dial 000 (or 82 from a UNE phone) for Police, Fire and Ambulance and 81 (from a UNE phone) for UNE Security who should be called immediately after making a call to 000 or 82. If possible please notify a Resident Fellow of the situation as soon as possible.
Doors and Locks
Each resident receives a key to their room and a key to open their block and laundry doors and a codalock gate key. Please take care not to lose your keys and report losses immediately to the Office or to your Resident Fellow.
You will be charged a standard fee of $88 (GST incl.) for lost keys or should you not return your keys at the time of your departure from the College. The loss of a Codalock or single key will incur a charge of $27.50 (GST incl.) each. For security reasons you are also required to hand your keys in to your Resident Fellow at the time of signing out, for any vacation period. Failure to do so will also incur a three day penalty charge.
Outside gates are kept locked for security reasons and are checked each evening by the Duty Resident Fellow to maintain residents’ safety and to prevent unwanted visitors entering college. This, however, does not prevent people purposefully propping these gates open at any time. Please be sure to foster the habit of taking your keys with you when you go out, and making sure the door exit closes after you. Never prop open the security gates or let visitors into the College without the approval of their host, even if you know them. They may not be welcome at that particular time and should use the phone outside A-Block to contact their host.
Lock-up
Each night, the Duty Resident Fellow locks the external doors, laundries and non-floor common areas, for the security of the residents and the property of the College. Please aid this process by always locking the block doors after the advertised time. Further, if you are asked to leave an area because it is being locked, please do so. The Resident Fellow is doing his or her job for the benefit of the entire College.
What to do if you are locked out
If you are locked out of the College call a friend using the phone outside A-Block.
If you are locked out of your room use this guide:
- See your Resident Fellow, your cleaner or call at the Office for assistance
- Between 4:30pm and 11pm see your floor Resident Fellow or another Resident Fellow in your block
- From 11pm to 9am see the Duty Resident Fellow – their name is advertised on all Resident Fellow’s whiteboards.
Resident Fellow’s only have Master Keys for their block. For example, an A-block Resident Fellow cannot open a B, C or D Block room unless they are the Duty Resident Fellow that week.
Entering rooms other than your own
Resident Fellows are not permitted to let you into other people’s rooms. Nor will they get items from another person’s room for you, even if it is your property. You are responsible for ensuring that your property is available to you.
Please do not enter other people’s rooms without their express permission. Occasionally, it is necessary for a College staff member to enter your room for the purpose of a maintenance inspection, inventory, pest control, cleaning, repairs or other duties of care. If someone does have to enter your room whilst you are not there every effort will be made to ensure your privacy and you will be informed.
Personal Protection
UNE has an excellent record for student safety. Despite this, all residents are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal safety. Resident Fellows can make suggestions as to how you can maximise your safety on campus and in Armidale.
Harassment
Our aim is to make Drummond & Smith College a comfortable place for all residents. Harassment is any form of behaviour which is unwelcome, unreciprocated, and usually (though not always) repeated which makes the workplace or home unpleasant, humiliating or intimidating for the person who is the target of that behaviour.
Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated. Should you feel the need to discuss issues of harassment with the Principal, Assistant Principal or the Senior Resident Fellow, the matter will be dealt with in strict confidence.
Personal Property
Drummond and Smith College does not carry insurance to cover your personal property. Please discuss insurance coverage with your family or insurance provider - you may be able to get extended coverage on a ‘contents policy’ already held.
Valuable items should be held in a secure place and residents are advised that locking their room is one of the best ways to prevent theft. Large sums of money should not be held in the College. Reporting thefts as soon as they occur will enhance investigations by UNE Security and/or the Police. If you do possess valuable items please discuss securing them with the College Office.
College Property
It is a goal of Drummond and Smith College to provide residents with a high quality living environment. You can help us achieve this by not taking College furniture and linen, including blankets, doonas and pillows outside. Please encourage your friends to use the furniture and facilities properly and report any damage you may see to screens, doors, windows, locks, etc, to your RF. Please also inform your RF if equipment or services are not working so that we can have them repaired or replaced.
Bicycles, Vehicles & Parking
Bicycles
All residents are welcome to bring a bicycle to College. The Bike Shed, adjacent to A-Block is available for bicycle storage and a key can be obtained from the College Office. To keep everyone’s bike safe, please always lock the bike shed. You should let the College Office know that you wish to store your bike and advise if you wish to leave it here over the summer holidays. “Abandoned” bikes will be sold. Bikes may not be taken into the Blocks.
Vehicles & Parking
Please ensure that you obtain a copy of the UNE Parking Policy and abide by the regulations set out therein.
Washing Cars
To prevent degradation of the areas around College, Residents are requested to please not drive on the lawns. You are, however, welcome to wash your car on the grassed area near the bicycle shed.
Fires and Fire Alarms
Please take extreme care with anything that may cause fire. Candles, incense and electrical heaters are not permitted anywhere within the College. The particle detectors in your room are very sensitive. To prevent accidental alarms, please don’t smoke inside, take care to keep aerosol sprays away from the detectors; please note that powder, dust and steam can also trigger alarms. Make sure the exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchenettes are utilised if you are showering or cooking.
The cost of a fire brigade call-out can be charged to the person setting off the alarm, particularly in cases where this could have been avoided, so take care, the cost of a call out (even for false alarms) is approaching $1,800.
Wilful misuse or tampering with any fire equipment is a legal offence carrying very large fines.
What to do if there is a fire alarm
If an alarm sounds: Leave your room immediately. Close the unlocked door behind you and go to the outside lawn area behind D Block. Take a blanket if necessary for warmth. Move to your floor group so that your Resident Fellow can check that you are there. Do not re-enter the buildings until told that it is safe to do so by the Fire Brigade or the Senior Resident Fellow.
Absence from College and Visitors
So that Resident Fellows can account for all of the people in College in situations such as Fire Alarms or other emergencies, always let them know if you have anyone staying in your room or if you will be away.
Illness and Injury
First Aid
First aid kits are available from the Duty Resident Fellow, the Senior Resident Fellow and the Office. The Resident Fellows and the Senior Resident Fellow all hold Senior First Aid Certificates.
Accidents
Notify your Resident Fellow of any accident or injury as soon as possible so that measures may be taken to ensure your personal comfort and safety.
If you know that you are going to be away from College because of illness, i.e. can’t make it back to college or need to go home or to hospital, please notify your Resident Fellow or the College Office as soon as possible.
To aid in keeping the College safe please report any incidents which may result in a loss of security (eg broken lock), or jeopardise safety (eg broken glass) to the College Office immediately. After hours report to the Senior Resident Fellow.
Please note that the College will not sanction any resident climbing onto the roof of the College at any time. This is an unsafe practice and may result in a major injury.
Dining, Meal Cards & Kitchenettes
General Points
Please dress in a tidy manner and note that footwear needs to be worn at all times in the Dining Hall due to health regulations. Please remove hats in the Dining Hall. Please do not remove crockery, mugs, glasses, cutlery and trays from the Dining Hall. We quickly run out of these items if residents remove them.
College Dinners
College Dinners are organised so that all College members may come together for a meal. These special dinners are held on several occasions each academic year. For some occasions Dinners will be formal, others will be theme dinners. The organising committee for each event specifies the expected dress code for each College Dinner in advance.
Generally College Dinners begin with pre-dinner drinks. During the meal, guests and their hosts are served with drinks but residents may provide their own alcoholic drinks. For College Dinners, residents may bring one standard sized bottle of wine or one “long-neck” of beer per person only.
Magnum-sized bottles, cask wine, flagons, and spirits (pre-mixed or straight) may not be brought to College Dinners.
We expect that each resident will behave responsibly at College dinners and display an appropriate level of manners, i.e. show respect for speakers and not make excessive noise. Smokers are encouraged to wait until the function has finished to exit the Dining Hall, rather than leaving during the meal. Intoxicated residents will not be admitted to College Dinners.
Meal Times
Main meal times for weekdays: Breakfast 7.00 am to 10.00 am. Lunch 12.00 to 1.30 pm. Dinner 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm. For weekends: Continental Breakfast 8.00 am to 10.00 am. Brunch 10 am to 2 pm. Dinner 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm.
Note that these times apply to UNE term time only, and that changes to these times may occur when there are low numbers in the College. Variations and arrangements will be emailed to students staying during the vacation periods.
Cafe Hours
The Café hours will be posted up in the Dining Hall and may vary according to the academic calendar along with its take-up usage.
Meals
Persons with special dietary requirements should contact the Office.
A Residents’ Food Services Committee will meet from time to time to review the operations of the kitchen. Residents may pass on ideas about the dining room operations and menus to their representatives on this committee for consideration.
Meals for Visitors
Visitors are welcome to eat in the Dining Room.
Meal Cards
It is necessary that you have your meal card to access the discounted meal prices. If you misplace your card, please see the office immediately. Don’t give other people your meal card for any reason. If your meal card is not working, notify the Office or the Senior Resident Fellow. If your card is lost or damaged you will be charged for a replacement card. Residents found abusing the system in any way will be reported to the Principal.
Meal Cards for New Residents
As soon as you are notified of your acceptance into the College and you have accepted your place and paid your fee instalment, you will receive an email with instructions from Fleximeals (please follow the instructions on https://une.fleximeals.com.au/ for a new meal card). Your meal card will be sent directly to the College for you to collect at the beginning of the year. Throughout the year you can check your meal usage and charges, and top-up your card at any time. A credit card is the simplest means of purchasing credit for your meals, but you may also use Post Bill Pay.
Kitchenettes
Residents must ensure that the exhaust fan is used at all times when cooking. Failure to do this is likely to set off a fire alarm. As noted above, the cost of a fire brigade call-out can be charged to the person raising the alarm. Burnt toast and over cooked microwave popcorn are common ways to set off an alarm. Kitchenettes are common areas and should be left clean and tidy after use. This request applies particularly to spills in the microwave ovens. Please don’t leave unwanted food in the refrigerators – throw it out.
Cooking is not permitted in study-bedrooms. Refrigerators are located in kitchenettes. Please remember that materials are left in these places at your own risk. At the end of term, fridges are defrosted and cleaned so you are asked to remove all your food items before leaving the College.
Linen and use of the laundries
Linen
You are provided with a doona, blanket, two sheets, a pillow and a pillowslip at the beginning of term. Linen change is on Thursday. The linen room is open 9.00 to 9.30 am and 12.30 to 1.30 pm. Each week the bottom sheet and the pillowslip can be exchanged for freshly laundered linen at the linen room. The top sheet is used as the bottom sheet for the following week.
Use of the Laundries
Your front door key opens the laundry. To keep everyone’s clothes safe, please lock the door. Please report any equipment that is not working to your Resident Fellow. To make the best use of these facilities you are asked to remove washing from the machines as soon as the cycle is completed. Hang laundry in the Drying Room or use the dryers available.
Please do not hang laundry on makeshift lines in your room. Instead, drying racks and stands in rooms are preferred for safety’s sake.
The Gym
The College Gym is situated near the Law Library below A-block. Rules govern the use of the gym. These must be signed off by a student as being read and understood before the may enter this facility. The necessary paperwork for the use of the gym can be obtained from the College Office.
The R.F. Smart Law Library
A well endowed law library was donated by The Hon. Justice R.F. Smart to Drummond & Smith College in 2008. This has been well appreciated by the students of the College and has been the ‘hub’ of activity for many law students resident to the College. It is also the centre for the Drummond & Smith Law Society.
For safety purposes the Law Library remains locked when not in use. The necessary paperwork for a key to use the Law Library can be obtained from the College Office.
Cleaning, Maintenance and Conservation
Cleaning
The College is your home whilst you’re at University. Please keep your room, the building and grounds tidy. Vacuum cleaners are available from your Resident Fellow if the weekly cleaning is not sufficient for your needs.
To assist the House Staff in the cleaning of your room, please allow easy access to your room and assist them by lifting loose material from the floor on your cleaning day. Please remember cleaning staff may empty bins, etc but they should not have to pick up rubbish after untidy residents have dropped it.
It is an expectation of the College that your room will be cleaned each week. Please assist our House Staff by picking clothes and other items up off the floor and emptying your own bin if it is full before the weekly clean.
Recycling
The University has been asked to reduce waste by 40%. To enable us to assist with this project specially designated bins will be provided for this purpose. As residents you will need to assist the cleaning staff with this requirement and notification will be given to you through your Resident Fellow’s as each stage of the recycling comes on line.
Damages and Repairs
If something needs repairs eg. fixtures in your room, please inform your Resident Fellow. Likewise, please report damaged items in common areas such as the furniture, corridor lights and bathroom fittings.
Heating
Space heating of Drummond and Smith College is thermostatically controlled. Please help to conserve heat by turning your heater off when you don’t need it, opening your window as little as possible when your heater is on and keeping external doors closed.
Use of heaters other than those installed in your rooms is not allowed for fire safety reasons.
Electricity
Please conserve electricity at all times to help keep accommodation charges to a minimum. For example, please turn off appliances and lighting in your room if you are out or away.
Noise
General Comments
Noise is one of the hardest things to manage in a community of this size, and a noisy environment is possibly the most commonly complained about problem in a residential college. Noise management is up to you, the resident. Please respect the rights of others to have a quiet working environment. Consider times when loud noise is an intrusion on others and take appropriate action to reduce the noise. Small changes can make a lot of difference.
Quiet Period
From Sunday to Thursday between 10pm and 8am it is expected that the College will be a quiet area. On Friday and Saturday between 12am and 8am it is expected that the College will be a quiet area.
Pre-Examination Preparation
A period of minimal noise will be upheld for at least one week prior to exams and then throughout the examination period in each semester. This time, known as PEP, is designed to provide every resident with the best possible opportunity to succeed in their exams and/or complete end of semester assignments and projects. Resident Fellows will provide guidelines for PEP before the 1st Semester Period begins.
Noise Complaints Procedure
Our student designed noise complaints procedure is as follows. Where possible, please use this as a guide to solving noise-related issues. See the person/people yourself if you have been disturbed. Explain the situation calmly. Most of the time people are not aware that they are being too noisy and this step will be enough. If the noise persists, see your Resident Fellow. The Resident Fellow will speak to the person and resolve the situation. If this does not work, again contact your RF. The Resident Fellow will contact the Senior Resident Fellow who will take remedial action.
General Behaviour
Students leaving home for the first time may not be aware of acceptable and appropriate conduct for their new environment. In some instances, there may be attempts to persuade new students that things, which cause them distress, are “normal practices”. This is not so. The College and the University are concerned that students are made aware of their right to choose personal conduct for themselves on the basis of what makes them comfortable, and of the unacceptable actions which harass or interfere with the rights of others. There are regulations for ensuring that those rights are not violated.
To assist students who may be uncertain about conditions in which they find themselves, a number of people are available to offer help inside and outside the college system. Please refer to the Senior Resident Fellow or Principal or ask advice from a Resident Fellow who may refer you to a Grievance Mediator or to the Equal Opportunity Manager.
Fundamental respect for other people’s beliefs, feelings, person and property is a basic value, which this University upholds. Please do not suffer in silence or feel threatened in any way. Your rights will be respected as we expect you to respect the rights of others.
The College Principal and staff fully appreciate that the College environment is a ‘learning environment’. Selfish acts, however, which either endanger or inconvenience individuals such as drunken or abusive behaviour will not be tolerated.
Code of Conduct
All residents are bound to the behavioural standards set down in the Residential Code of Conduct. This code of conduct is available through the College website (section ‘Handbook’).
Parties
Please let the Senior Resident Fellow know if you wish to have a party in College. As long as other residents are not going to be disturbed there is usually no reason to prevent parties going ahead. You are responsible for cleaning up any mess immediately after your party. If College staff are required to undertake any cleaning as a result of the party, the organisers or participants will be levied.
Discipline Committee
Students breaking the rules of the College, or the regulations and by-laws of the University governing the residential colleges, may be brought before a Discipline Committee as described by Residential College Code of Conduct, section 6.2. The Principal or the Residential System Disciplinary Committee will handle more serious matters.
Handbook Adjustments & Changes
Adjustments
At the time of the completion of a site update, the information in this Handbook was correct. However, the College reserves the right to make variations and adjustments throughout the year and the residents will be notified in writing of these changes as they occur.
Changes
Residents are welcome to make suggestions for alterations and changes to the contents of the Residents Handbook and it is hoped that you would discuss any points you may not understand with your Resident Fellow, the Senior Resident Fellow, or the College Principal.