The following rules and regulations have been established to protect students' lives. Residence Life staff members will regularly conduct room inspections to help keep living conditions healthy and safe. In addition, an annual fire safety inspection will be conducted by state or local fire prevention officials. Student cooperation is appreciated and is a condition for continued residence. These regulations are subject to revision to comply with state and local law. Students should see Campus Fire Safety for additional fire safety information.
Tampering with fire safety equipment is an offense under the NYS Criminal Procedures Law (CPL); offenses relating to reckless endangerment and/or criminal mischief subject to fines and/or imprisonment.
Personal Electrical Equipment:
Cooking appliances, halogen desk lamps, lava lamps, electric blankets, and portable heaters are strictly prohibited in individual student rooms. Cooking appliances are permitted in the lodges (only if stored in a locker and used in the kitchens) and in townhouse kitchens. If students possess any of these appliances, their items will be confiscated, and they may receive demerits and/or a fine. The CIA reserves the right to remove unauthorized or dangerous appliances. Electrical items permitted in rooms must be Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) or Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) approved and include televisions, radios, stereo equipment, fans, small coffee makers (with automatic shut-off), blender, hand mixer, food processor, personal computers, desk lamps (except halogen), razors, irons (with automatic shut-off), hairdryers, hair curlers (with automatic shut-off), toothbrushes, and clocks. The CIA provides each residence hall room with a MicroFridge microwave-refrigeration combination unit. No personal microwaves or refrigerators are permitted without prior permission from Residence Life or Disability Support Services. MicroFridge units are property of the CIA and subject to inspection by residence hall staff. An electric water cooler is permitted (one per room). When students bring their own lighting, only LED or compact fluorescent bulbs are permitted. The use of halogen or incandescent bulbs is prohibited due to the heat generated.
Any appliance or item may be removed at the discretion of the Residence Life team or Facilities Management.
Bicycles: Students may keep a bicycle in their room as long as it does not block egress or access. Bike racks are available outside residence halls. Bicycles must be registered with Campus Safety.
Clear Egress from Room: Items may not block or limit access to the door, window, or heating unit. A 36-inch egress must be maintained throughout the room. Room doors must open completely. There should be nothing behind the door that prevents it from fully opening to a point that it is against the wall.
Combustibles: Students are not permitted to have combustible items including, but not limited to, curtains, wooden structures, room dividers, excessive wall coverings (including posters), fabric suspended from walls or ceilings, or holiday decorations (including Christmas trees, wreaths, door coverings).
Doors & Windows: It has been a long-standing practice at our CIA campuses to refrain from placing anything in or on windows, for example lights, decorations, signs, post-it messages, etc. and limit the covering on residence hall room doors. As an important fire safety practice, student rooms should avoid having any type of window decoration which may affect the ability of the window to be easily accessed in an emergency. In addition, windowsills should be kept clear of any storage. Doors to student rooms should have one foot (12 inches) of clear space at the top of the door and one foot (12 inches) of clear space at the bottom of the door.
Electrical Overload: Students are not permitted to engage more than two electrical cords per outlet. Power strips may not be interconnected. In Metz Hall, the outlet for the dehumidifier—if a room is equipped with one—may not be used for any other purpose.
Exhaust Hoods: Exhaust hoods must always be operational when cooking is in progress. Failure to do so could pose fire safety hazards.
Extension Cords: The use of extension cords is strictly prohibited. Only UL-approved power strips, not exceeding six feet in length and with over-current protection, are permitted. Note: if the power strip has surge suppression, it must also have over-current protection. (It will have a reset button).
Fire Doors: Stairwell, hallway, and room doors are fire rated for protection of students and must remain closed to be effective. When closed, these doors can slow the progress of fire and smoke and allow more time for a safe evacuation. Do not block or tie open the doors, and never place articles in the doorway that would keep the door from closing completely.
Fire Hazards: Open flames and other potentially hazardous ignition sources are prohibited including, but not limited to, candles, open flames, heated vaporizers, wax warmers, essential oil diffusers, and incense.
Furnishings: The CIA provides all furniture and furnishings, which may not be moved or rearranged to restrict egress without the express permission of the Residence Life staff member. Wardrobes in Metz Hall must remain flush against the wall at least 18 inches from the sprinkler head. Any request for the use of personal furniture or mattresses must be submitted to, and approved by, Residence Life. Personal mattresses or mattress pads must be fire resistant and have a label indicating they meet federal standard 16 CFR Part 1633 or California Technical Bulletin 129. Foam mattresses are prohibited. Egg crates or other mattress pads no more than two inches thick are permitted. Water beds and other pieces of water-filled furniture are not permitted. In New York, wardrobes in Metz Hall may not protrude into the room or be used as a room divider.
Halogen Light Bulbs: Because they burn at an extremely high temperature, lamps that use halogen light bulbs are strictly prohibited.
Light bulb wattage: Bulb wattage is not to exceed what is listed for the light fixture in use.
Heaters/Air Conditioners/Dehumidifiers: Students cannot store any items on top of these units.
Height of Storage: Material must be kept at least 18 inches below the level of the sprinkler heads throughout the room.
Hoverboards: Due to the associated fire risk, hoverboards (self-balancing boards) are not permitted on campus.
Kitchen Stove Tops: Residential students are responsible for cleaning the kitchen stove tops in the residence halls/lodges/townhouses following each use. Failure to do so could pose fire safety hazards.
Light bulb wattage: Bulb wattage is not to exceed what is listed for the light fixture in use.
Lithium-Ion powered mobility devices: are not permitted on campus.
Maximum Occupancy/Visitation: Due to fire code regulations and the possibility of creating a noise problem, no more than ten people, including residents, may be present in a room (12 in a suite in the lodges and eight in a townhouse) at any time.
Sanitation: Excessive accumulation of bottles, boxes, trash, and debris is not permitted. Students must maintain general sanitary conditions and clean and disinfect their bathroom regularly. Failure to maintain a clean room may result in fines up to $200.
Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in all residence hall buildings and exterior areas. includes the use of any form of tobacco products, vaping, or any other type of electronic cigarette. Smoking is permitted only in designated smoking gazebos. Any and all smoking materials are to be disposed of only in the receptacles in designated smoking gazebos.
Sprinkler Heads or Smoke Detectors/Alarms: Tampering with any building fire safety equipment is prohibited. This includes obstructing sprinkler heads or smoke detectors/alarms with clothing, laundry, room decorations, or any other such items. Tampering with fire detection or protection equipment will result in disciplinary action including dismissal from housing.