Summer Housing Policy

Updated Dec 2000

Underlying Principles for residential spaces owned and administered by Houghton College.

A)     The first and foremost purpose for our housing units is that they are meant to support our essential
academic mission by providing clean, safe, well-maintained and equipped rooms for the students of Houghton College.

B)     Summer housing guest accommodations and special programs play an important part in the use of our facilities, providing additional revenue for the college and bringing to campus prospective students, their parents, and church groups.

1)     All college housing remains under the supervision and exclusive use of the Director of Residence Life
until the closing of the halls at the completion of Mayterm, unless released earlier for other purposes.  The jurisdiction of some residence hall space and any unoccupied townhouses may be transferred from Residence Life to Conferences 24 hours after commencement.  The conference staff oversees college residences from the end of Mayterm to the end of the conference season.

2)     The Director of Residence Life/Housing Coordinator and the Events Coordinator will work together to
orchestrate student and guest housing for Commencement Weekend.

3)    The Residence Life Office does not handle any summer guest, or summer employee housing problems.  Any guest housing needs should be directed to the Conference Office.  Any conduct problems relating to summer employees (even though they may be college students) should be directed to their appropriate supervisors, or The Human Resources Office.

4)     The jurisdiction of college residential facilities will be returned to the Director of Residence Life at the close of the conference season.  (Normally the end of the first week of August).  Between that date and the arrival of students, all maintenance and custodial resources must be concentrated and directed to the preparation of our facilities.  Therefore, no guests will be housed during that period without prior approval from the Vice President of Student Life.

5)     Resident Director contracts begin on Aug. 15 of each academic year.  No early arrivals should be permitted prior to 5:00 pm on the 15th as there will be neither supervisor nor keys available. 

6)    RD apartments remain under the control of the Director of Residence Life unless released to summer conference use specially.

These policies are predicated on two difficult annual circumstances:

1)     The end of the school year and the beginning of the conference season coincides with both our biggest
guest housing endeavor (Commencement) and the opening of Mayterm.
2)     The beginning of the school year comes on the heels of the conference season.  Further these camps
fall immediately preceding custodial summer vacations.

This policy is not intended to be unpleasant or create hardship, but rather to protect the central focus of Houghton College: our students, who have too often had to endure the inconvenience of sharing facilities with guests and returning to inadequately prepared rooms. It is important that a clean, well-prepared room creates the right first impression for our students and their parents. It is our hope that our preparation for them will help to foster in them a better commitment to keep our facilities clean and undamaged.  Students and summer guests can both make use of our facilities, provided there is a sufficient buffer zone between the two.