Residence Life: Summer Conferences

Policies

Access Card/Admittance into Residence Halls
ALL summer conference guests must show their Access Card when entering their residence hall at all times. Conference guests should carry this card at all times. Access Cards are given to guests when they check-in and are to be returned at check-out. Failure to return your Access Card will result in a $20.00 charge placed on the group’s final invoice. If your group has its own form of identification it would like to use in place of our Access Cards, permission must be granted from the Assistant Director for Summer Programs prior to your arrival.

Alcohol and Illegal Substances
Alcohol is permitted in the Residence Halls or Houses for any guest over the age of 21. Alcohol may not be made available or given to any person under 21 years of age. Kegs are not permitted in any Residence Hall. Illegal substances are not allowed on campus. If these policies are violated by any individual in the conference group, the group’s right to remain on campus may be forfeited immediately. If a group/individual is removed from the residence halls, they will be held responsible for all contracted housing and campus services. Enrolled College of Charleston students or students that will be enrolled in the fall may be removed from housing for the academic year if illegal substances or paraphernalia is found in their room or in their possession.

Assignment of Group/Group Rosters
The Assistant Director for Summer Programs will assign each conference group to a specific residence hall based on available accommodations. No specific halls or houses are guaranteed. Approximately 4 weeks prior to arrival the group contact will be sent a room assignment roster via e-mail. The roster allows the group contact to assign guests to the room of their choice, indicate linen package/telephone requests, and changes in arrival or departure dates. All rosters are due to the Assistant Director for Summer Programs 14 days prior to arrival. If the roster is not submitted by this date, there will be a $25 per day late fee assessed.

The College only reserves blocks of rooms and makes no individual assignments, therefore any roommate situations should be addressed to the group contact.

Bed Guarantee
A final bed count is due to Residence Life and Housing 30 days prior to group arrival. (Group arrival is defined as the arrival date of the first guest.) After this date, the group will be responsible for payment of all guaranteed beds. The group will be charged according to the bed guarantee, not according to the roster.

Cancellation Policy A group may cancel the request for housing if done in writing 60 days prior to the group’s arrival date. 10% of the deposit will be refunded, if cancelled more than 60 days prior to arrival. The Conference Housing Contract then becomes null and void. If a group cancels between the specified number of days prior to the arrival date, the group will be charged according to the policy listed below.

Cancellation is received within 60 – 30 days Deposit is non-refundable
Cancellation is received within 29 – 15 days Responsible for 50% of contracted housing
Cancellation is received within 14 – arrival Full payment required

Catering Services
All catered events held on the College of Charleston campus must be ordered through Dining Services at the College of Charleston. If Dining Services is unable to accommodate your request, you may then use an outside vendor. If your group should need meals and catering, complete the “Meal Request Form” and submit it along with your reservation request. Dining Services will contact the group contact if there are any questions concerning your needs. The group will be billed for all meals and catering services on the final invoice from Residence Life and Housing.

Changes in Group Size/Dates
If the group size decreases after 30 days prior to arrival, the conference group will be held financially responsible for the contracted spaces. If the group size increases less than 30 days prior to arrival, the College shall make all reasonable efforts to accommodate as space is available. The arrival and departure dates confirmed in the housing contract are considered guarantees and will be treated as such for billing purposes.

Check-In & Check-Out
Check-in hours are between noon and 11:00pm at the Joe E. Berry Hall Customer Service Desk, located on the corner of Calhoun and St. Phillip Streets. ALL groups must check-in with the College of Charleston conference staff to receive their room key, access card and other conference information.

All conference guests must check-out and vacate their room by 3:00pm on their scheduled day of departure, or they will be charged an additional night’s stay. Guests must return their key and access card to the Customer Service Desk to avoid being charged for lost or non-returned items. The Department of Residence Life and Housing reserves the right to remove personal belongings remaining in the room after the designated check-out time. Residence Life and Housing is not responsible for personal property that is lost or left in the room after check-out.

If a group requires additional items for registration, please notify the Department of Residence Life and Housing 30 days prior to arrival.

For any special or extraordinary circumstances pertaining to check-in and check-out, approval must be granted by the Assistant Director for Summer Programs prior to the group arrival.

College Responsibilities
The College assumes no responsibility for accidents and/or lost or stolen property incurred by users or guests. The user further agrees to hold the College harmless from any and all suits or claims resulting from the activities of the user and the guests. The College of Charleston reserves the right to enter any room for purposes of inspection, policy enforcement, maintenance or emergencies.

Male and female guests may share floors, but in accordance with South Carolina Law, they will have separate bathroom facilities. Shared rooms may be reserved for married couples or occupants of the same sex.

Contract Agreement
Each group is required to have a completed and signed contract agreement on file with the Department of Residence Life and Housing prior to their arrival on campus. No conference group will be allowed to check-in to a residence hall without a signed contract and full payment received.

Damages
Conference guests must treat college property, furniture and facilities in an appropriate manner to ensure no damage occurs during the group’s stay on campus. The group will be charged for any damages. Furniture must not be changed or removed from the Residence Hall rooms.

Deposits & Billing
Deposits are required of all groups. The first deposit must be submitted to the Assistant Director for Summer Programs 30 days after receipt of the contract by the group sponsor. All deposits will be credited toward the final bill. Deposits are as follows:

20% of housing cost Due 30 days after receipt of contract
30% of housing cost Due 30 days prior to arrival
Remaining 50% of housing cost Due upon arrival*
*Group members will not be allowed to check-in until final payment is received.

Desk Coverage
Residence Hall front desks are staffed 24/7 while a conference group is occupying the facility. A Summer Assistant is available at the desk between 6:45am- 11:00pm daily. From 11:00pm- 6:45am a public safety officer is stationed at each residence hall front desk.

Fire and Life Safety
Fire safety equipment, including smoke alarms, are provided in each room and are maintained regularly by Fire and Life Safety. If special accommodations need to be made to comply with ADA regulations, please specify on this on the Conference Housing Reservation form.

Candles, incense, extension cords, space heaters, hot plates, multi-plug outlets without surge protectors, automatic drip coffee makers, toaster and toaster ovens are not permitted in the Residence Halls or Houses. Residence Life and Housing reserves the right to confiscate these items.

If you hear an intermittent beep from the smoke detector, report this to your front desk staff or the Customer Service desk at 843-953-5006 between 6:45 am and 11:00 pm, or to Public Safety at 843-953-5611 after hours. DO NOT REMOVE BATTERIES OR ATTEMPT TO CHANGE BATTERIES! Additionally, no items are to be hung from or placed over smoke detectors, sprinklers, or over building lighting (in rooms, common rooms, bathrooms, hallways, etc.).

Each time a fire alarm sounds, it is mandatory for all guests to evacuate the building. Guests who remain in the building during a fire alarm will be subject to a fine and/or asked to vacate the building. Once evacuated, residents must remain outside until the building has been cleared by Charleston Fire Department officials.

Assembly Sites: These locations are provided for your safety and to allow the Fire Department personnel adequate access to the building. When an alarm sounds, guests must assemble in the following areas:

Berry : Across St. Philip Street in front of the Bell Building parking lot.
George Street : Across George Street to the parking lot.
Historic Houses : Across the street from the house.
Liberty Street : Across Liberty Street, down St. Philip St. toward the Education Building.
McAlister : Across St. Philip Street in front of the parking garage.
1 Warren Place : Across the street in front of 10 Warren Place.
10 and 20 Warren Place : At the far side of the parking lot.

Guests are prohibited from tampering with any barrier (including but not limited to all locks, gates, doors, barricades, chains, enclosures, signs, tags or seals) installed by or under direction of fire officials. Guests found in violation of this policy will be fined and/or asked to vacate the building.

Minimum Fire and Life Safety Fines are as follows. A guest may be asked to vacate the premises for violating any of these policies listed below.

Damage, tampering, or removal of any fire alarm or sprinkler system components $250.00 (i.e. tape over detector, removing detector, etc.)
Deliberate activation of a fire alarm or activation of a sprinkler system $250.00 (in addition to charges related to damage caused by the sprinkler system activation)
Damage, tampering or removal of any exit sign or emergency lights $200.00
Failure to evacuate a building during an alarm $250.00
Unauthorized discharge, tampering, damage to, or removal of a fire hose/standpipe $200.00 (in addition to charges related to damage caused by discharge of the standpipe system)
Damaging, tampering or overriding any Fire Exit closures, magnetic locks, etc. $250.00
Damaging an emergency telephone in an elevator $200.00
Unauthorized discharge, tampering, damage to or removal of a portable/fixed fire extinguisher extinguisher cabinet or bracket $200.00
Activation of a fire alarm due to unauthorized activity $100.00 (i.e. excessive smoke from cigarettes, tobacco, illegal substances or other unauthorized smoke producing items or devices)
Damage to or removal of ceiling tile, fire stopping and draft stoppage $75.00 per tile
Damaging, tampering, taping, removal of lock, or propping door open $200.00

Group Responsibilities
The sponsoring party/group contact assumes full responsibility for the acts of the guests using College facilities and agrees to reimburse the College for any and all damages to facilities during the group’s stay. This includes loss of keys, access cards, linens, phones, equipment, etc. The sponsoring party agrees to allow the Department of Residence Life and Housing to remove any guests who do not follow Residence Hall policies or are disrespectful to College staff.

Housekeeping
The housekeeping staff will clean and prepare rooms for use by our summer guests prior to arrival. To keep costs low, guests must clean their own living space during their stay. Housekeeping supplies are kept at the front desk as a courtesy to our guests. Housekeeping will only clean the public restrooms, lobbies, and halls during a group’s stay. Additional toilet paper and trash bags can be picked up at the front desk of the Residence Hall.

Internet Access
All summer conference groups will have access to the campus internet service. Berry Residence Hall computer lab will be available to conference guests during their stay. If conference guests would like to bring their own computer, a network cable will be required to access internet service within the room. Network cables will be available to rent at the Customer Service Desk located in Berry Residence Hall for $3.00 each. If the network cable is not returned, the group will be charged $20.00 for each missing network cable. Each conference guest will receive instructions on how to access the internet when they check in.

Note: All residence halls have wired internet service except for Kelly House and the historic houses which have wireless internet access.

Laundry Rooms
Coin operated washers and dryers are available in each Residence Hall for guests’ convenience.

Linen Rental
Conference groups may choose to rent a linen package through Residence Life for an additional one time fee. We offer the following linen packages:

Full Package - 1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, 1 light weight blanket, 1 pillow, 1 pillow case, 2 bath towels, 2 wash cloths, 1 hand towel, and 1 bath mat ($15.00).
Bath Package - 2 bath towels, 2 wash cloths, 1 hand towel, and 1 bath mat ($10.00)
Bed Package - 1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, 1 light weight blanket, 1 pillow, 1 pillow case ($10.00)

All linens are standard in quality. Additional linens may be requested for a minimal fee. Thicker wool blankets are also available upon request. Linens are placed in each requested guests room prior to arrival and picked up after their departure. Request for linens should be made on the reservation form and will be specified on the group housing roster.

Lost Keys
There is a fee of $65.00 for lost or non-returned keys/key fobs. Please notify the Customer Service Desk for assistance with lost keys. Keys must be returned at check-out or the fee will be added to the group’s final bill.

Maintenance
For maintenance concerns, please see a staff member located at the front desk of the residence hall. All emergencies such as power outages, overflowing toilets or leaks should be reported to the front desk immediately.

Medical Emergencies
For assistance with medical emergencies, guests should contact Public Safety at (843) 953-5611. Public Safety will be able to give directions to the hospital and emergency room. If necessary, they will call EMS and direct them to the location of the emergency.

Meeting Space
If your group should need meeting space on campus, complete the “Meeting Space Request Form” and submit it along with your reservation request. Completing the “Meeting Space Request Form” does not guarantee your meeting space. Residence Life and Housing will coordinate all on campus meeting spaces for the group.

Please note: Some meeting spaces require a fee and/or deposit. If there is a fee for a meeting space, the group sponsor will be notified. When the meeting space is confirmed, the group sponsor will receive an email confirmation. The group will be billed for all contracted meeting spaces on the final invoice from Residence Life and Housing.

Minors
In order to maintain safety and security and to ensure compliance with all policies, the College of Charleston requires adult supervisors for those persons under 18 years of age. The minimum age for conference guests staying in the residence halls is 6 years of age. There must be one adult supervisor for every twenty students. No babysitting allowed. All groups with predominately minors are required to attend a meeting on the policies of Residence Life and Housing.

Noise
Any conference guest or group acting in disorderly or disruptive behavior may be asked to vacate the property immediately. If removed form the Residence Hall, you are responsible for all contracted housing and services.

Packages (Shipping/Receiving)
All packages must be shipped to the College of Charleston Mail Services Department.
Packages MUST be addressed as follows:

Residence Life-Summer Conferences
(Guest Name)
Your Group Name)
3100 College of Charleston Complex
Charleston , SC 29424-1531

The Department of Residence Life and Housing will not sign for or accept packages at residence hall front desks or the main office. It is your responsibility to pick up packages from Mail Services upon your arrival.

Parking Services
If your group should need parking on campus, complete the “Parking Request Form” and submit it along with your reservation request. Completing the “Parking Request Form” does not guarantee parking. Residence Life and Housing will notify Parking Services of the group’s needs. Parking Services will contact the group sponsor with parking availability. The group will be billed for all contracted parking spaces on the final invoice from Residence Life and Housing.

Physical Violence/Profanity
Guests are not allowed to use physical violence (ex. pushing, hitting, etc.) or profanity for any reason. Guests involved in physical violence will be removed from campus. If a group/individual is removed from the residence halls due to physical violence/profanity, they will be held responsible for all contracted housing and campus services.

Porches, Balconies, and Roof
Porches and balconies must be kept clean and clear. Furniture or chairs may not be left outside. Clothing, towels, etc. may not be hung from porches, railings or any outside areas. All building roofs are off limits.

Quiet Hours
To insure the comfort of all our guests, courtesy quiet hours are in place beginning at 10:00pm each night and ending at 8:00am the following morning. We ask that guests please be considerate of any noise that may carry outside of the room or suite.

Rooms
Residence Hall rooms are reasonably comfortable and clean. Please remember these are student residence halls with basic accommodations such as twin beds, chest of drawers, closets or wardrobes, study desks and chairs. Residence Halls are plain and basic in nature. Bathrooms are suite style and shared between 1-4 guests. Phone, internet, and cable services are available in the rooms but guests must bring their own equipment in order to utilize these services. Linens and telephones may be rented from the Customer Service Desk.

Residence Halls are air conditioned, but temperatures vary. Please consider bringing a blanket or a fan for comfort. Generally, rooms are not equipped with individual thermometers.

Safety and Security
Conference guests need to keep their doors locked at all times. Guests should not bring valuables with them during their stay. Guests should exercise good judgment, always travel in pairs and note the emergency call boxes on campus if assistance is needed. Please report any suspicious activity to Public Safety at 81-B St. Phillip Street (across from Berry Residence Hall) or by phone at 843-953-5611. The College is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.

Public Safety officers are available 24 hours a day and one officer is assigned to each occupied Residence Hall from 11:00pm- 6:45am each night to ensure the safety of our conference guests and staff.

Shared Common Areas and Residence Hall Facilities
Residence Life and Housing houses diverse conference groups during the summer. A Residence Hall may host several groups at the same time. For this reason all groups should be courteous to one another and be willing to share the lobbies, lounges and common areas. For example: more than one group may have information or check-in tables in the lobbies at the same time. Please keep in mind that the College’s New Student Orientation occurs over several weeks in the summer. Set up is done in advance and must not be disturbed. Please work with all other summer conference groups to share the Residence Halls and make the summer program a success.

Smoking
Smoking is not permitted inside any residence hall or historic house at the College of Charleston. Smoking is prohibited inside and within 25 feet of a building entrance. Guests who wish to smoke may do so outside at the designated smoking areas where proper ash receptacles exist. Smokers must properly dispose of cigarette/cigar remains in designated receptacles.

Summer Projects in the Residence Halls
Throughout the summer, the Department of Residence Life and Housing works to improve the facilities for the opening of school in the fall. Therefore, guests may notice these projects taking place during their stay in our Residence Halls and Houses. Please be flexible with us so that we may complete this important work.

Telephones
Conference guests may rent a landline telephone from the Customer Service desk for $3.00. The one time rental fee will be placed on the group’s final invoice unless otherwise instructed. Failure to return the telephone will result in a $10 lost item charge.

Transportation
The College of Charleston is located in the heart of downtown Charleston, South Carolina and is within easy walking distance of most dining, shopping, historical monuments and activities. CARTA is the main shuttle and bus service for the downtown Charleston area and neighboring communities ( North Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and James Island). For more information on Charleston’s public transportation system, please visit their website at www.ridecarta.com. CARTA brochures are available at the Customer Service Desk.

Trash
Trash bags are available at the front desk of the Residence Halls. Trash must be bagged and placed in the designated trash removal areas located on each hall or on the front porch of the houses. No trash is to be placed in the hallways.

Visitation
All visitors of conference guests must be signed in at the front desk with a state issued ID to ensure the safety of everyone in our residence halls. Conference guests and their visitors must adhere to all Residence Life and Housing policies. Hosts are responsible for the actions and conduct of their guest(s) at all times. If any disturbances or disruptions occur, the conference guest will forfeit his or her privilege to have visitors in the residence hall. Cohabitation of people not assigned to the residence hall room (same or opposite sex) is not permitted in any College housing facility. If a conference guest is found in cohabitation with a non-assigned person the conference will be asked to leave the residence hall (the contract will remain in place). Any violations of policies can result in the removal of the conference guest and visitor. Conference guests must sign-out their visitors at the front desk when leaving.

Weapons, Firearms and Fireworks
The following items are NOT allowed in the Residence Halls or Houses at any time: firearms (even if under permit), knives, guns (including b-b guns/pellet guns), bows and arrows, fireworks of any kind, explosives and other dangerous weapons. Residence Life and Housing reserves the right to confiscate these items and remove guests from campus if any of the above mentioned items are found in the guest’s room or in their possession.

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Rates/Fees
Housing

Residence Halls	Double Occupancy CofC Affiliates	Double Occupancy CofC Non-Affiliates	Single Occupancy CofC Affiliates	Single Occupancy CofC Non-Affiliates
Joe E. Berry, Jr.	$21.00	$25.00	$25.00	$29.00
Historic Houses	$21.00	$25.00	$25.00	$29.00
McAlister	$30.00	$35.00	$35.00	$39.00
Liberty Street	$30.00	$35.00	$35.00	$39.00
Warren Place	N/A	N/A	$35.00	$39.00
George St. Apt.	N/A	N/A	$35.00	$39.00

*Rates are per person per night and do not include tax, parking or meals.

Affiliated is defined as:

Conference group/guest is sponsored by a CofC department
CofC/college funded group
Guest is a current student or will be enrolled at the College of Charleston in the upcoming semester.

TAXES All groups will be charged a 12.5% tax unless a tax exemption form is filed with the Department of Residence Life and Housing prior to the groups arrival. Tax exemption forms are not provided. The taxes are as follows:

8.5% state tax charged on all housing rates and fees, except damages
4% accommodation tax charged on housing rate

DEPOSITS Deposits are required of all groups. The first deposit must be submitted to the Assistant Director for Summer Programs 30 days after receipt of contract by the group sponsor. All deposits will be credited towards the final bill. Deposits are as follows:

20% of Housing Cost Due 30 days after receipt of contract
30% of Housing Cost Due 30 days prior to arrival
Remaining 50% of Housing Cost Due upon arrival*

*Group members will not be allowed to check-in until final payment is received.

Deposits can be paid by check, cash, money order or credit card. Checks should be made payable to the College of Charleston. Campus groups may use an IDT to pay their deposit. All payments should be remitted to:

College of Charleston, Department of Residence Life and Housing,
40 Coming Street, Charleston, SC 29401.

RENTAL FEES

Telephones - $3.00
Network Cables - $3.00
Bath Package -$10.00

2 bath towels, 2 wash cloths, 2 hand towels and 2 bath mats

Bed Package - $10.00

1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, 1 light weight blanket or wool blanket, 1 pillow, 1 pillow case

Full Package - $15.00

1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, 1 light weight blanket, 1 pillow, 1 pillow case, 2 bath towels, 2 wash cloths, 2 hand towels and 2 bath mats

Meeting Space – Cost varies

*Additional linen items are $1.00 each.

Charges FOR LOST ITEMS

DAMAGES

Door Replacement - $300.00
Walls (holes, painting, etc) - $5.00/sq ft (4 sq ft minimum)
Window Blinds/Screens - $100.00
Carpet Replacement - $200.00 per room
Damaged Outlets - $50.00
Light fixtures/globes - $50.00
Kitchen/Bathroom Sink/Faucets - $100.00
Toilet Replacement - $300.00 assess
Refrigerator Replacement - $400.00

*Any damaged items not listed will be evaluated by the Department of Residence Life and Housing and assessed the appropriate fine.

FINES

Tampering, or removal of any fire alarm or sprinkler system components - $250.00
Deliberate activation of a fire alarm or activation of a sprinkler system - $250.00
Damage, tampering or removal of any exit sign or emergency lights - $200.00
Failure to evacuate a building during an alarm - $250.00
Unauthorized discharge, tampering, damage to, or removal of a fire hose/standpipe - $200.00
Damaging, tampering or overriding any Fire Exit closures, magnetic locks, etc - $250.00
Damaging an emergency telephone in an elevator - $200.00
Unauthorized discharge, tampering or removal of a portable/fixed fire extinguisher - $200.00
Activation of a fire alarm due to unauthorized activity - $100.00
Damage to or removal of ceiling tile, fire stopping and draft stoppage - $75.00/tile
Damaging, tampering, taping, removal of lock, or propping door open - $200.00

ADMINISTRATIVE FEES/Cancellation Policy

Late Roster - $25.00
Cancellation prior to 60 days of arrival – 10% of initial deposit refunded, 10% non-refundable

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