Office of Residence Life
Permitted and Prohibited Items
Items Permitted In Residence Halls
- Aquariums equal to or smaller than 20 gallons
- Area rugs, with the original manufacturer flame-retardant tags attached
- Bean bag chairs, with the original manufacturer flame-retardant tags attached
- Curtains, with the original manufacturer flame-retardant tags attached
- Kitchen knives with blades less than 6 inches long
- Approved Appliances:
- Blenders, food processors, and other low-wattage mixers
- Clothing irons with automatic shut-off
- Coffee makers with automatic shut-off that do not include a hot plate warming feature
- Electric kettles with automatic shut-off and no external heating elements
- Fans (window fans, box fans, tower fans, floor fans, etc)
- Hair styling tools with automatic shut-off (curling irons, straighteners, etc.)
- Hairdryers
- Humidifiers, dehumidifiers, diffusers, and air purifiers
- Mini refrigerators not exceeding 5 cubic ft in size, only one per unit (not permitted in housing units with a provided refrigerator like Woodland Hall or On-Campus Houses and Apartments)
- Microwaves as part of a Bedloft-provided Microfridge
Items Permitted Only in On-Campus Houses and Apartments (Prohibited in Residence Halls)
- Cooking appliances, excluding hot plates (hot plates are not permitted in any on-campus housing). All cooking appliances (air fryers, George Foreman style grills, microwaves, popcorn poppers, rice cookers, slow cookers, toasters, water heaters, etc.) must be plugged directly into the GFCI outlet located in the unit's kitchen for use.
- Water coolers (Any damage the residence sustains from water coolers is solely the responsibility of the house/apartment residents).
- Wooden structures, including lofts and room dividers (not permitted in Firelands)
Items Prohibited In Residence Halls
- Alcohol in underage student possession
- Drugs, including prescription drugs not prescribed to the person in possession, or federally illegal substances
- Drug paraphernalia (including but not limited to pipes, bongs, hookahs, etc.)
- Items intended for mass consumption of alcohol (including but not limited to kegs, beer bongs, beer pong/drinking game tables)
- Items used for quick or mass consumption of alcohol (including but not limited to: beer bongs)
- Air Conditioners (Students who require an AC unit for medical reasons must receive approval from the Office for Disability and Access. Once approved, the student will be moved to a room that meets their accommodation.)
- All cooking appliances not listed on the permitted appliances list
- Amplifiers (may be stored in on-campus housing, but cannot be used in on-campus housing)
- Any appliance, lighting, or electrical cord without original UL-approved labeling attached
- Any gas or electric forms of transportation, including motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards, etc. (excluding medically necessary mobility aid devices)
- Appliances without automatic shut-off (included but not limited to coffee makers, clothing irons, hair curling irons, etc.)
- Electric, kerosene, or other portable heaters
- Electric blankets or electric mattress pad covers
- Grills
- Halogen lamps/bulbs, incandescent light bulbs, or other heat lamps, including lava lamps
- Lamps with more than two heads/mulbs (e.g., Medusa lamps)
- Lightbulbs of higher wattage than the specified rating of the lighting fixture
- More than 1 refrigerator within a full unit space (single, divided double, double, Woodland suite, etc.), excluding traditional quads (traditional, non-suite quads may have 2 refrigerators total)
- Refrigerators exceeding 5 cubic feet (Length x Height x Depth)
- Ungrounded extension cord (must have 3 prongs). Extension cords must be plugged directly into the wall for use.
- Water coolers (permitted in On-Campus Houses and Apartments)
- 3D printers
- Animals of any kind (non-carnivorous fish and aquatic only animals allowed)
- Any items affixed to or hanging from the ceiling, or in any other manner that creates an egress issue within a room or common area
- Any fabric furnishings, rugs, curtains, tapestries, etc. without original manufacturer flame-retardant tags attached
- Aquariums larger than 20 gallons
- Bed risers, prohibited only with loftable beds (Z beds)
- Blinds and/or window treatments other than what the college provides
- Candles, incense, and wax warmers
- Dartboards and darts (magnetic dartboards are permitted)
- Double-sided tape, intended for permanent or semi-permanent adhesion to surfaces. This includes the type of double-sided tape found on strip lights and other wall-mounted items. (Command strips may be used, provided they are installed and removed properly.)
- Fabrics or other coverings taking up more than 20% of a wall
- Personal mattresses
- Trees, live or artificial, over 4 ft tall (includes holiday trees)
- Water-filled furniture
- Wooden structures, including lofts and room dividers
- Any item with an active safety recall due to risk of serious injury, death, or fire safety hazard (active list available at https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls)
- Ammunition (including but not limited to gunpowder, bullets, paintballs, BBs, etc.)
- Combustible fluids (gasoline, kerosene, paint thinners, etc.)
- Fire pits, butane and propane style torches, table-top torches, micro torches, and extended reach lighters
- Fireworks or explosives
- Lock-picking devices
- Poisonous, hazardous, or unstable chemicals
- Staffs or foils (must be kept in locker by classroom)
- Weapons (including but not limited to rifles, shotguns, pistols, air pistols, spring powered weapons, BB guns, paintball guns, kitchen knives with blades 6" or longer, switchblade knives, mace, pepper spray, toys that resemble weapons)