Entry and Search of Student Rooms
The occupant of a room in a residence hall or apartment is offered privacy, and the College reserves the right to enter and inspect the space in maintaining student health and safety for an educational atmosphere.
Authorized staff include, but are not limited to:
- Administrator-on-call
- Associate Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students
- Director of Campus Safety
- Director of Residence Life
- Director of Community Standards & Student Intervention
- Other administrators, if needed
- Campus Safety Officer
- Emergency Personnel
- Yates County Sheriff’s Office
- Fire Departments
- Ambulatory Services
- Finger Lakes Premier Properties (FLPP) and Facilities Housekeeping and Maintenance Staff
- Graduate Assistant Resident Director
- Head Resident Assistant
- Information Technology (IT) Staff
- Resident Assistant (with another designated staff member)
- Resident Director
- Vice President for Student Development and/or their designee
Confiscation Policy
- Please reference the Confiscation Policy under “Institutional Policies” for more detail.
- Items that are prohibited on campus will be confiscated and disposed of by the Office of Campus Safety.
- Select confiscated items, if deemed not prohibited, may be returned to students at the discretion of the Director of Community Standards & Student Intervention and will be returned only at the end of the semester or at the immediate onset of a designated break period. Students may collect confiscated items by signing a release form at the Office of Campus Safety.
- Illegal items or items that pose severe potential harm (items such as controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, hazardous chemicals or materials, and weapons) will be confiscated and will not be returned to students. Alcohol that is possessed or is being consumed outside of Keuka College standards and regulations will be confiscated or disposed of immediately under authorized staff supervision.
- If an item is confiscated from a student’s room and the student is not present, an evidence log receipt will be left by authorized staff to notify the student. Inquiries to confiscated items can be made through the Office of Campus Safety.
Entry Policy
- Entry into student living quarters may be conducted for the purposes described below:
- College and vendor personnel performing routine custodial services which may be provided as a part of the student housing agreement; to make improvements and repairs, and to provide routine maintenance services; to make emergency repairs to prevent damage to the property of students or the College.
- Emergency Situations
- Evidence of unauthorized College furniture, pet, or other unauthorized property in the student room
- Fire Safety Inspections - The College gives at least 24-hour prior notice that inspection is being made unless conditions do not permit prior notification.
- Health & Safety Concerns and Inspections
- Information Technology Infrastructure Repairs & Updates
- Law enforcement officers in performance of statutory duties and in accordance with legally defined procedures governing search and seizure.
Inspection Policy
- Health and safety inspections occur at intervals throughout the academic year. Inspections may be carried out in conjunction with the Offices of Campus Safety and Residence Life. Inspections are done with at least two staff members present. When possible, searches and inspections are done with at least one of the occupants in the room. Exceptions would be at break when students may have left and Residence Life staff is doing inspections for safety reasons. Also, in order to ensure the safety of students and to meet health and sanitation standards, the College reserves the right to inspect residence hall rooms and apartments. This may be done on a regular basis or when theft of personal or College property is presumed to have occurred or when violations of health, safety, or sanitation standards are suspected.
- Room inspections are generally announced in advance or made when the occupant is present, unless there is an emergency situation.
Search Policy
- The College reserves its legal right to search any residence hall room or apartment when such an action is deemed necessary in aid of the College’s basic responsibilities. Authorization to search a resident’s personal property is approved by a thorough review from the Administrator-on-call or other executive officers of the College, and only when ample cause has been firmly established. Authorization to search a room is signed off by a member of the Office of Campus Safety and a member of the Office of Residence Life. Visible evidence may be seized without a written statement of authorization to search.
- Search is defined as a thorough physical examination of a student’s belongings (i.e. closets, footlockers, drawers, desks, computer and its files, etc.).
- Searches are carried out by the Offices of Campus Safety and Residence Life. These searches are done with at least two staff members present (one from each office listed).