The following policies reflect the values of National Park College and the Office of Residence Life and Housing and were implemented to uphold the College’s mission: Learning is our focus; student success is our goal.
National Park College’s residential facilities have established community standards, intended to promote the well-being and rights of all community members as well as maintain the facilities and surrounding areas in which the community exists. The Student Housing staff lead by example in upholding the community standards.
NPC’s Student Housing Office is committed to providing residents with a welcoming environment rooted in the institution’s values of Access, Excellence, Accountability, Collaboration, and Respect. Guided by aforementioned values, all are afforded the rights and responsibilities related to your interactions with other members of our residential community.
The responsibility to hold yourself and your roommate(s) accountable to all expectations and standards set for the space through a roommate agreement and to the expectations for all members of the NPC and Student Housing community.
Making the most of living in your Student Housing community starts with getting settled in and getting to know your roommate(s). Developing a healthy relationship will help make living together more comfortable. While you and your roommate(s) are not required to become friends, sharing a living space will require you to interact with one another on a daily basis.
The relationship you have with your roommate should start before move-in day. Prior to arriving on campus, try discussing what each of you plan to bring and what kind of relationship you’re hoping to have with one another.
As excited or nervous as you may be to meet your roommate(s), keep in mind that social media may not provide an accurate illustration of others. Grant yourself the opportunity to get to know this new person for who they truly are.
Once you have made it to campus, take time to get to know your roommate – this can be as simple as sharing a meal in the dining hall, attending a campus event together, or spending time together in your room or apartment.
Residents are required to complete a roommate agreement within the first month of living together. The roommate agreement covers topics including ideal room temperature, guest preferences, privacy, and more. It is important to take this process seriously and to be honest and realistic during your roommate agreement conversation. These agreements serve as a conversational starting point and should be revisited frequently as relationships between individuals grow. The agreement cannot conflict with stated Residential Life or College policy but can be more restrictive based on the voluntary agreement of all roommate(s). Additionally, failure to abide by the roommate agreement does not equate to a policy concern but can warrant follow-up from Student Housing staff.
Student Housing Policies have been carefully written and enforced in consideration with federal, state, and local laws and are for the purpose of providing a safe and secure living environment for residents, their guests, and visitors.
Residents and guests are responsible for becoming familiar with and adhering to the following policies to create a community that is conducive to living and learning. These policies apply to all residents and their guests when they are in or on the residence hall property and are enforceable while participating in housing sponsored activities on or off campus. Housing’s commitment to developing good citizenship does not end at the boundaries of the residence hall. Residence hall students serve as ambassadors of our institution. Any alleged violation of housing or College policies may result in follow-up through the College’s student discipline process, the results of which may jeopardize your housing agreement and/or status as a student at the College; may result in disciplinary sanctions; or may be subject to legal action.
Every unit in Dogwood and Redbud Hall is equipped with a full-size refrigerator, microwave, kitchen sink, high-speed internet, water, heat, and electricity. Each building has an in-building laundry room and one or more community kitchens (Dogwood 2nd Floor, Redbud 2nd and 3rd Floors) that hosts a kitchen sink, stove, dishwasher, and microwave.
Residents who are uncertain if an appliance or electronic device is allowed on campus should contact the Student Housing Office prior to bringing it to campus.
Small appliances and electronics are allowed under the following conditions:
The following items are allowed in the residents’ units:
The following items are not allowed in the residents’ units:
For the comfort of all residents, pets (animals), including visiting pets, are not permitted within the residence halls. A fee will be assessed to a resident’s student account for costs associated with any presence of unauthorized animals documented within Student Housing.
The following are the only exceptions:
Fees may be assessed for damages caused by authorized or unauthorized animals including but not limited to damages to furnishings/walls/floors, pest control treatment, and cleaning.
Behavior that interferes with the normal functioning of the Residence Halls or unnecessarily impedes the rights of students, residents, or staff is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to:
Charcoal grills have been strategically placed behind the residence halls to offer students an alternative method to cooking. It is the resident’s responsibility to properly clean the grill before and after using them. Storage of flammable items are not permitted within the resident’s room. This includes charcoal, lighter fluid, and propane tanks.
Courtesy Hours – Courtesy hours are in effect 24 hours a day within the residence halls. During courtesy hours, residents should be mindful that their noise level is to remain at a respectful level.
Quiet Hours – Quiet hours are observed from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. daily within the residence halls. Quiet is defined as “sound that cannot be heard in another room with the door and windows closed.”
Damages – Residents are held responsible for damages incurred accidentally, carelessly, or maliciously to their room and any public spaces such as kitchens, study rooms, and game lounges. Appropriate damage charges will be assessed to the resident’s student account.
Vandalism – Vandalism is the intentional, willful, or malicious destruction, defacement, or damage to property without the owner’s consent. Vandalizing campus property or another resident’s property is prohibited. Appropriate damage charges will be assessed to the resident’s student account.
Residents and guests are not permitted to intentionally touch or tamper with belongings or property of another individual unless authorized by that individual.
Residents are ultimately responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of their personal living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms.
Custodial staff will clean designated common-areas in the residence halls such as lobbies, hallways, stairwells, elevators, study rooms/classrooms, and public bathrooms.
Residents are responsible for discarding their trash in the dumpsters assigned to their residence hall. All trash must be placed in a garbage bag and tied off before being placed in the dumpster. Garbage may not be placed in the hallways, stairwells, or common areas. Failure to appropriately discard trash will result in a cleaning fee being assessed to the resident’s student account.
Residents are encouraged to decorate their living space by adhering to the following guidelines:
Door decorations cannot obstruct the room number, peephole, locking mechanism, and/or doorknob and are subject to approval by the Student Housing Office. Any decorations or other messaging that violates housing policy or student code of conduct will be removed with written notice but without resident approval.
Adhesives or floor-affixing products, including those labeled or advertised as temporary, removable, or surface safe, may not be used within Residential Life communities.
All items hung on walls must not leave adhesive residue nor marks of any kind, including chipped paint. No items may be hung from a room’s ceiling or life safety equipment including alarms, detectors, sprinkler heads Residents are not allowed to mount electronics to walls
Curtains are permitted to be placed above the windows using tension rods only. Curtain rods that require screws for installation are not permitted. Additionally, residents are prohibited from placing anything other than small plants in or on windows that may be viewed from the outside of the building.
Residents are responsible for all furniture and its condition upon checkout of their space. All provided furniture must remain within the assigned room. Furniture must remain within the space where it is placed within the residence hall, including common areas such as lobbies, game lounge, study rooms, etc.
In Triple-Occupancy rooms, there is a set of bunked beds. Residents wishing to loft, bunk, or un-bunk their beds can submit a work order to the Student Housing Office. Residents are prohibited from lofting and/or bunking beds without assistance and approval from Student Housing. Damage accrued as result of attempting to loft and/or bunk beds on your own will result in damage charges.
The Student Housing Office only provides a shower rod in each bathroom. Shower curtains, liners, and hooks are not provided by the Student Housing Office. It is the resident’s responsibility to put up and remove their own shower curtain and hooks. This policy has been implemented with growth and other bacteria prevention in mind. Appropriate charges will be assessed to the resident’s student account if a shower curtain rod is damaged.
If a room is occupied at less than capacity, residents are not permitted to occupy the whole space with personal belongings or deconstruct furniture. The vacant portion of the room is to be left ready for a new occupant in the case of a new housing agreement or room change request.
Displaying and possessing street or traffic signs, signals, markings, cones and/or barriers in Residential Life communities is prohibited.
We welcome residents to feel comfortable bringing guests to enjoy the residential community and the greater National Park College campus. Residents may have a guest visit their space only upon agreement of all roommates and must be escorted by the resident when visiting common areas. A roommate has the right to reasonably ask a guest in a shared area to leave at any time.
The presence of a guest in a Residential Life community must not compromise the personal or academic well-being of roommates or other building residents.
Guest – Guest is defined as any person who does not live in a specific room, including family members, parents, or other residents who live within the building.
Each guest must have a current resident host and be escorted at all times within the residence halls. Residents are responsible for notifying guests of the College’s and Residence Life and Housing’s policies and procedures and will be held accountable for the behavior of their guests.
Guests will be asked to leave the building or community by Student Housing staff members if they are found to be disrupting the community or in violation of Student Housing or NPC policy.
Cohabitation exists when a person who is not assigned to a particular residence hall room uses that room or apartment as if they were living there. Cohabitation is not permitted.
All guests must adhere to courtesy and quiet hours and be escorted by their resident host within the residence halls and cannot be left alone anywhere within the building, including the room when a resident host is not present.
Overnight guests refer to both visitors and current residents. Overnight guests are permitted with roommate approval, which must be secured prior to the guest’s arrival and are limited to guests 18 years of age or older. Overnight guests are allowed to stay for a maximum of two (2) consecutive nights, limited to four (4) nights per calendar month.
Residents are prohibited from subleasing their room to another person through any means, including rental websites and/or apps.
Bicycles may be stored in a student’s personal residence hall room with the expressed permission of the roommate(s) (this is a privilege and not a right). If stored in a room, the bicycle may not be hung directly from the wall, ceiling, or from any exposed structure. Bicycles being transported through the residence halls must be walked or carried.
Scooters and motorcycles must follow parking and traffic rules and are not permitted on sidewalks. Scooters and motorcycles are not permitted inside of the residence halls and must be parked in accordance with city ordinances.
Electronic skateboards, including self-balancing boards/scooters, and any similar personal transportation equipment which utilize lithium-ion batteries are prohibited from being used, stored and/or charged in any residence hall. Only ADA-approved, Power-Driven Mobility Devices are permitted. Contact Mandee Harper, mandee.harper@np.edu, with any questions regarding these devices.
Skateboards and skates may be stored in a student’s personal residence hall room (this is a privilege and not a right). Skateboarding and skating is not permitted in the residence halls.
Burning candles, incense, and wax is not permitted in the residence halls. Battery-operated candles, candle warmers, potpourri, oil scented reed diffusers, room sprays, and scented electrical plug-ins are permitted.
Tampering with, forcing, or disabling a door’s locking mechanism is prohibited. For the safety of all residents, propping a unit door, main entrance, or locked door and leaving it unattended is prohibited. Any resident found repeatedly propping doors, unit or entry, will be assessed a security and safety violation fee to the resident’s student account.
Tampering with elevator safety systems, placing furniture in or in front of elevators, or engaging in activities that damage or interfere with the operation and safety of the elevators is prohibited.
Residents and guests are required to evacuate a building when an alarm sounds, emergency flashing lights have been activated, or when instructed to do so by NPC staff members or emergency personnel. Re-entry into a building is prohibited until approved by NPC staff members or emergency personnel.
Items with an open flame or heating source such as lighters, charcoal, lighter fluid, and other flammable items are not allowed within 25-feet of the residence halls.
Residents and guests are allowed to possess items such as pepper spray and mace for personal safety within residence halls. However, the use of these items in non-emergency situations that results in intimidating or harming another person is prohibited and may result in the right to personal safety items being revoked.
Safety equipment including AEDs, sprinklers, smoke detectors, emergency doors, heat sensors, fire alarm pull stations, fire exit signs, fire extinguishers, hoses, alarm bells, and any other safety equipment is necessary to safeguard residents. Deactivating, handling, using, or interfering with any fire or safety equipment for any reason other than an emergency is prohibited.
Residents are prohibited from hanging items from, covering, or otherwise tampering with fire sprinkler devices and emergency doors.
Self-harm gestures, behaviors, or expressions that affect or disrupt the educational processes or the safety of the College community are not permitted. Actions that would be considered likely to pose a threat, discomfort, or harm to others are not permitted. Such actions include, but are not limited to: inflicting verbal, mental, or physical harm upon oneself or others; bullying, including cyberbullying; stalking; harassment; sexual assault.
Possession and use of firearms (including but not limited to air pistols, BB guns, and paint guns), facsimile weapons (any replica, toy, starter pistol or other object that bears a reasonable resemblance to or that reasonably can be perceived to be an actual firearm), ammunition, explosives, fireworks, knives (other than kitchen utensils), or dangerous weapons is prohibited in or around the residence halls and National Park College.
Residents are not permitted to throw anything from windows within the residence halls. Screens must remain on windows at all times. Additional information regarding windows policies can be found in the decorations section.
For the safety of all residents and their belongings, residents are encouraged to lock the doors to their rooms and ensure the door is shut to the unit when not present. Residents are NOT permitted to install their own locks in their rooms, apartments, and bathrooms. Residents must always have their room keys, mobile phone, and NPC ID card on their person. Entry to buildings and units is provided by a mobile access app on the resident’s phone and is to be used/possessed only by the resident. Losing a key will result in a lost key fee being assessed to the resident’s student account.
The mobile app Vingcard Mobile Access is used to access the residence halls and the resident’s assigned unit. If a resident does not have a phone that is not compatible with the app, a hard key can be programmed and issued. Standard keys are used to gain access to the resident’s room. Losing a room or unit key will result in a lost key fee being assessed to the resident’s student account.
Making copies of keys issued by the Student Housing Office is prohibited and may result in the immediate loss of housing privileges.
Resident Assistants are able to assist residents accessing their unit if they are locked. Lockouts are documented with repeated lockouts resulting in a Lockout fee being assessed to the resident’s student account.
Residents must immediately report a lost or damaged key to the Student Housing Office for proper replacement. A lock and key replacement charge will be assessed to the resident’s student account. Upon moving out of the residence halls, residents are required to return all keys that have been issued. Failure to return a key (room, mail, or scan access) will result in a Lost Key fee being charged to the resident’s student account.
Aligned with the right and responsibility of reasonable privacy, personal surveillance equipment is prohibited in the residence halls. Furthermore, recording individuals with surveillance or cell phones without their knowledge or consent can be a violation of federal and state law and is prohibited. If found installed, recording devices will be seized and not returned.
Commercial solicitation, such as door-to-door sales, leaving flyers or menus on or under doors, is prohibited within the residence halls.
There are restricted areas that residents and guests are not allowed to enter such as the roof and maintenance closets/hallways. Residents are also not allowed to enter another resident’s room without permission from and the presence of that resident.
National Park College is an alcohol-free campus. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, consumption, or use of alcoholic beverages (including, but not limited to, fermented malt beverages, intoxicating liquors, etc.) is not permitted on the College campus and in the residence halls. Restriction of alcohol is in line with state law and designed to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents.
The following are additional violations of the alcohol policy:
Although Arkansas state law permits the use of medical marijuana, National Park College complies with the Drug-Free Communities and Schools Act as well as the Drug Free Workplace Act, which require a drug-free campus environment or risk losing federal funding such as financial aid. Any resident with a medical marijuana card is prohibited from possessing, consuming, or distributing marijuana on campus. Please refer to the Drug Policy for guidance and understanding of potential violations.
National Park College is a drug-free campus. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, consumption, or use of controlled substances (including, but not limited to narcotics, stimulants, hallucinogens, prescription drugs etc.) is not permitted on campus and in the residence halls.
The following are additional violations of the drug policy:
Intoxication and/or abuse of alcoholic beverages, marijuana, or other drugs is not permissible as an excuse for other unlawful behavior or misconduct.
Acutely intoxicated students will not be left in the care of other students, including Housing staff. Students will be referred to appropriate health care professionals and/or law enforcement.
The use of tobacco, tobacco products, vaporizers/vapes, and electronic cigarettes is prohibited on campus and within residence halls. Residents may use these items off-campus or within a personal vehicle with closed windows on campus. Residents will be assessed a fee to their student account in incidents where the room, apartment, or building alarm system is activated due to the use of these products.
