Guidelines for Living in a Residence

The designated tenants of each room are collectively responsible for any infraction(s) of the policies detailed below that may take place in their residence housing assignment unless individual students assume full responsibility for said infraction(s).

Students in SUMC accommodations are expected to behave appropriately with roommates, neighbors and the residence community at large, in all respects. Violence or threats, sexual harassment, other inappropriate behavior, loud noise or disrespect for communal rules set by the residence will not be tolerated.

Students in SUMC-sponsored residences are expected to treat their accommodations with respect and, at departure, to leave them as they found them.

Students found in violation of this agreement may be obligated to vacate their residence housing assignment, will not be due any refund of fees and may be responsible for administrative and legal penalties or subject to a fine.

It is against SUMC regulations to:

1. Tamper with fire or other safety equipment.
2. Possess flammable items, appliances or other items that may be considered a fire hazard in any way.
3. Smoke in any part of a SUMC-sponsored residence or building including common areas such as hallways and elevators.
4. Start or cause a fire in any SUMC-sponsored residence or building.
5. Cause a false fire or safety alarm in any SUMC-sponsored residence or building.
6. Possess weapons or items that resemble weapons.
7. Throw objects or any substance from, into, or onto SUMC-sponsored housing windows, doors, walls, terraces, ledges, roofs or other areas.
8. Bring unauthorized furniture into your SUMC-sponsored residence or building.
9. Tamper with devices and furnishings, such as windows, doors, shutters, cranks, stops, locks, door and smoke detectors, or closing devices.
10. Install an unauthorized lock on a bedroom, bathroom, or front door.
11. Leave residence room doors open when not present in the room and/or fail to lock the room door.
12. Enter without authorization, or contribute to the unauthorized entry of another individual, into SUMC-sponsored housing. This includes fraudulent attempts (misrepresentation, using false identification, etc.), to enter or to allow another individual to enter any SUMC-sponsored housing.

The residence visiting schedule is 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. All visitors must register at Reception, presenting his/her identity card or passport. Outside of these hours, or failing to present either of these documents, the visitor will not be allowed access to the facilities. Once the visit is registered, with a maximum of 2 visitors per resident at a time, Reception will phone the resident to receive him /her. Visitors are required to sign out upon leaving the residence.

No visits are allowed to the following residence areas:

• The residence dining room, unless the visitor buys a meal ticket.
• A room different from the one registered at entry.
• The ground floor study room.
• The residence fitness center.

You may not:

1. Move to another room or housing facility without authorization.
2. Occupy a housing space assigned to another resident.
3. Sublet a SUMC-sponsored room or apartment, or allow an individual to reside in SUMC-sponsored housing without authorization.
4. Fail to properly complete and comply with the check-in/out procedure.
5. Modify or paint any room in your housing.
6. Hang posters, photographs or other items using tape, nails and/or tacks that can damage walls.

The resident has the right to a key in the form of a "resident card", for the student’s exclusively personal use and responsibility. If the card is placed near a heating apparatus with a battery and becomes demagnetized, the student should take it to Reception, where it will be re-set.

The resident card will be necessary to enjoy public areas, lending services offered by the residence and access to the dining room. The resident must present the resident card any time it is requested by a residence employee.

The loss of keys or magnetic "bias" will result in a 30-euro administrative fee, plus the actual cost of the replacement item (key and/or bip).

Students are responsible for any damages in their residence room. In case the responsible party is not identified, both roommates in the shared room will be charged in equal amounts for the total damage. BE SURE YOU CAREFULLY FILL OUT THE HOUSING DAMAGE REPORT FORMS UPON YOUR ARRIVAL, making note of any damages you see. Always immediately notify the

SUMC Housing Coordinator of damages that may occur during your stay. Damages to or loss of SUMC-related residence property and furnishings will be assessed during the term or at check-out, and students will be billed according to the itemized costs for their repair or replacement, as listed in the current SUMC Student Handbook.

Act in a responsible manner with regard to the use of electricity and water in your room. Utilities such as electricity, hot water and gas are each MUCH MORE expensive than in the United States. TURN OFF ALL LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL DEVICES WHEN LEAVING YOUR ROOM.

SUMC reserves the right, for necessary maintenance, interpersonal relations or other reasons, to change the roommate assignments in a residence room during the course of the academic year.

As a subset of the terms of the SUMC Community Standards Policy, which are detailed in the SUMC Student Handbook, the following are examples of behaviors which are in violation of SUMC regulations for students residing in SUMC-sponsored residences:

1. Disorderly, disruptive, or aggressive behavior that interferes with the general comfort, safety, security, health and/or welfare of the SUMC community.
2. Behavior that causes annoyance to fellow residents. (As noise in rooms can be heard clearly in adjacent rooms—next door, above and below—, students are specifically cautioned against speaking in loud voices, playing music or TV at high volume, slamming doors and wearing high-heeled or other hard-soled shoes while in their rooms.)
3. Hanging, displaying or leaving personal items such as clothes or food items outside of your room, on balconies, or any other place that may be visually disturbing to your neighbors.
4. Presence, possession or consumption of illegal drugs and/or of alcohol.
5. Harassment or abusive behavior toward another individual or group by any means (including electronic), for any reason.
6. Physical violence (actual or threatened) against any individual or group.
7. Engaging in, or threatening to engage in, any other behavior that endangers the health or safety of another person, group or oneself.
8. Vandalism or damage to personal or residence property.
9. Theft or unauthorized use or possession of personal or SUMC-sponsored property.
10. Excessive noise as defined by Madrid city ordinances, by SUMC or by the residence management.
11. Failure to maintain acceptable standards of personal hygiene or room cleanliness to the extent that such failure interferes with the general comfort, safety, security, health or welfare of a member or members of the residence community.
12. Keeping or caring for pets or animals in SUMC-sponsored housing.
13. Smoking in any part of the SUMC-sponsored residence or building.
14. Conducting any business for profit in SUMC-sponsored housing.
15. Exhibiting or affixing any unauthorized sign, advertisement, notice or other lettering, flags or banners, that are inscribed, painted or affixed to any part of the outside of a building or the inside of a building.
16. Attaching or hanging any projections (including television dishes or antennas, awnings, etc.) to the outside walls or windows of SUMC-sponsored housing.
17. Gambling in SUMC-sponsored housing.
18. Using Internet connectivity in an illegal manner. (Downloading and/or torrenting protected, copyrighted material is a criminal offense in Spain; your Internet provider may terminate your apartment’s Internet service as a result of such behavior. We will not be able to restart this service in the event of such an occurrence, thus affecting the ability of you and your fellow students to access the Internet).

1. Rooms will be kept tidy.
2. Residents are responsible for the furniture and furnishings provided and must return the room and its contents in the same condition as when received, clean and without personal belongings.
3. No resident may enter the room of another student without authorization.
4. Possession of equipment or objects that bother nearby residents is prohibited--in particular, all kind of animals.
5. Modifying the furniture in the rooms without the prior written permission of the residence director is prohibited. All prohibited items will be removed from the rooms.
6. Lighting candles or similar flame- or smoke-producing items is prohibited. Also items that may damage any residence property are prohibited.
7. Any change in the resident’s room assignment must be approved by both the SUMC Housing Coordinator and the residence director.
8. Residents’ bicycles should be stored in the garage.
9. Room cleaning is done in the morning once a week. The room must be picked up in order to be cleaned. If it is not, it will not be cleaned.
10. Management reserves the right to check the condition of rooms when there are doubts about the state of the same.
11. Residents will not leave any trash in the hallways or common areas.
12. If bedbugs are found in a room more than one week after the students’ arrival, the students will be held responsible for any fumigation/extermination fees (150 euros per room and per student). If bedbugs are found in the room beyond a week following check-in, it is because students have brought them into the residence. For a list of tips on how to avoid bedbugs, please consult with the SUMC Housing Coordinator.

SUMC and the Residence provide maintenance service for your room and are responsible for repairing the things that go wrong; accordingly, they will fix them as soon as possible.

In order to report a standard maintenance item, YOU MUST send an email to the SUMC Housing Coordinator or to the residence personnel. We review all maintenance requests daily during our office hours, and we will respond within 48 working hours of receiving yours. We can generally take care of most maintenance issues within two or three working days. Remember, though, that you are living in a country where customer service does not mean 24-hour availability of repair people. Nonetheless, we will keep you informed as to the progress we are making.

We are available 24 hours a day for “Real Housing Emergencies”. “Real Housing Emergencies” are: Fire, Flood, Gas Leak, Break-in (or any time that the police are in your room or in the common areas).

If you have a “Real Housing Emergency”, please take the following steps:

1. Notify the residence personnel (do this first).
2. Call your SUMC Emergency Number: +34 628 294 290 (2264).

Should any student violate any of the housing policies established by SUMC, the student(s) involved will be notified via their Suffolk University email accounts of the alleged violation, and a hearing procedure will immediately begin, as per the SUMC Community Standards & Student Conduct System detailed in the SUMC Student Handbook. Such infractions or violations are considered disciplinary matters; if found responsible for the infraction, the students(s) involved are subject to sanctions that may include, but are not limited to, warnings, fines, disciplinary actions (e.g., housing probation or dismissal from SUMC-sponsored housing), and/or parental information.

SUMC and the residence manager will inform each other of any infractions or violations of the SUMC Housing Policy that take place in SUMC-sponsored residences. In each case, the alleged violation will be documented. If, at the end of the hearing procedure, the student(s) involved is/are found responsible for the reported infraction, the following sanctions may be applied:

1. For a first violation, a warning may be issued. Nevertheless, depending upon the severity of the violation, a sanction may be applied, which could include partial or total loss of housing privileges, monetary fines, or, in extreme cases, permanent eviction from the housing placement. Fines and/or costs for damage repair to housing must be paid immediately and according to the list of damage and replacement charges published in the SUMC Student Handbook.
2. For a subsequent violation, whether the same as or different from the first, the severity of the violation will be discussed and documented as part of the administrative hearing process. The sanction will be determined in keeping with the seriousness of the infraction, up to and including eviction from the apartment without refund of fees. Any damage, repair or fine must be paid immediately by those responsible.
3. A third violation may be grounds for immediate removal from SUMC-sponsored housing. Any damage, repair or fine must be paid immediately by those responsible. Hosting parties or allowing a roommate to host them, or consumption of drugs or alcohol are considered very serious violations of SUMC housing rules and therefore may result in removal from SUMC-sponsored housing.
4. Physical/verbal abuse, whether towards a fellow student, a representative of SUMC, a residence manager, a neighbor or any other person, is NEVER tolerated in SUMC-sponsored housing and will result in immediate eviction from said housing.
5. THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS FOR LOSS OF OR EVICTION FROM SUMC-SPONSORED HOUSING DUE TO VIOLATIONS. The student will be given 24 hours to evacuate his/her housing placement. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. All expenses related to dismissal and/or forfeiture of housing are the sole responsibility of the student.

"Pensión completa" (full board) in the residence consists of a breakfast (6 different types of bread, fresh orange juice, cereals, fruit, fried eggs, bacon, etc.) 7:00 am-10:00 am (weekends: 9:00 am-11:00 am), the midday main meal referred to as “dinner” (in Spain, the largest meal of the day) between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm (weekends: 2:00pm to 4:00 pm), and supper between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm (weekends: 09:00 pm to 10:30 pm). These meals are served seven days a week.

At the midday dinner and at supper, you have different choices for the first and second courses, in addition to side dishes and dessert. Specifically, you can choose from three options for the first course and three for the second course at dinner (two each at supper). Also, there is a salad bar with salads, pasta, rice, etc. from which you can choose anything you want. It is important to note that the "healthy" option for all choices is always indicated.

If your personal schedule is incompatible with dining times, you have two options:

1. Order a sack lunch to take with you, or
2. Ask at reception to have your meal kept for you for when you arrive later.

If you have a food allergy or intolerance or have other special dietary needs, the dining service personnel always offer an alternative. You must simply communicate your needs to them.

IMPORTANT! - Please note that, even though the residence will remain open, no meals will be served during the Spanish spring break, which always coincides with Holy Week. See our spring calendar for specific dates.

These areas, as well as the appliances and furniture they contain, must be used appropriately. The deliberate misuse of or damage to property and facilities is considered a serious offense, which will also include the user’s liability for the cost of repairs or replacement. Residents must be properly dressed in the common areas. Residents are responsible for keeping common areas orderly. Room reservations must be authorized in advance.

Open all day. Washers and dryers are coin-operated (exact amounts only: they do not give change), with usage instructions posted. A steam iron can be checked out at Reception. Your resident card will be taken as a deposit. Washers cost 2.50€ and dryers 1.50€.

The residence has an external laundry service which collects clothing at Reception on Mondays and Wednesdays and returns cleaned items two days later. You may choose seven clothing items to be ironed. Depending on the quantity of clothing to be laundered, the cost is between 12€ and 15€. As it is an external service, the residence is not responsible for any lost or damaged articles.

There are two study rooms: el zulo (“the hideout”) and la pecera (“the fishbowl”).

• El zulo: Located in the basement, it is one of the best options for those who need to concentrate. It is frequently used by students in the sciences and health studies. It consists of 5 blocks of large tables with a total capacity of more than 80 people.
• La pecera: Located on the main floor adjacent to the lobby, it is a room with a capacity of 40 people. It has 5 drafting tables, an industrial printer and 2 art easels. It is the ideal place for students in the humanities, arts, communication, etc. It is also a perfect place for group work or individual study not requiring high levels of concentration.

Both la pecera and el zulo have Wi-Fi and a common printer. From there, you can print your documents. The ink is financed by tips from students.

The residence has a great gym consisting of more than 15 machines, dumbbells, bench press, etc., with 24-hour access and use. For correct use and enjoyment of the gym, remember that:

• You must not exceed level 20 on the area sound system.
• It is necessary to use towels to keep the machines clean and presentable.
• You must be careful to place—not drop—the dumbbells onto the floor, as the noise reverberates in the nearby study room.

The residence offers students several activities and sports, so you can sign up for those that you like. There are very popular sports with both male and female teams, especially football and basketball. Other activities, such as cinema, theater, cooking, etc., are also available.

Detailed information will be released early in the semester at an activities open house.

Bear in mind that there is a small charge to cover upkeep of the entire sports area available to residents. In some sports, the residence competes with other residences in the "University League”.

There are different spaces for recreation and leisure time activities:

• Patio: The courtyard with its tables is one of the most popular. Residents usually gather there after dinner and supper for relaxation and conversation.
• Sala de teatro: The theater is the room where birthdays and private parties are celebrated. With prior reservation, you can celebrate any event you want.
• Sala de Ping-Pong: The ping-pong room is a recreational place that has a ping-pong table, a pool table, two football tables and vending machines.
• Zona Canal+: This area is located in the hall and is a place to watch the big games or television events featured on the television channel of the same name.
• Jardín: The garden area is ideal in spring and summer. Located on one side of the residence, it is a place where you can meet and relax, especially for sunbathing.

When you leave the residence for an evening out, please remember that there are always people who stay in, studying or sleeping. It is therefore essential to respect them and avoid noise when leaving or upon returning. Often we do not realize the amount of noise that we can make when we arrive late at night or early in the morning.

As outlined in the Community Standards Policy, above, you must leave all bottles at reception, as possession and/or consumption of alcohol and/or illegal drugs are all strictly prohibited in any area of the residence. The same is true for hazing or any kind of so-called initiation rites. This residence does not distinguish among residents of different academic years. All have exactly the same status, role and rights.

Some parties are celebrated in the residence:

• Welcome party – October.
• New residents’ party – October.
• Christmas party – December.
• Carnival party – February, to celebrate Mardi Gras.
• Oscar party – March. One of the most enjoyable parties in the residence, where the most outstanding personalities will be given a prize.
• Capea party – April. A visit to a farm, with a chance to fight a brave heifer.
• Spring party – May.
• Farewell party – June.