Door Decorations

Students may post decorations or message boards on no more that 50% of their exterior room door. All students are encouraged to be thoughtful with their decorations and messaging to avoid community disruption or harm to fellow students. Remaining mindful of the Principles of Community when decorating and messaging may help avoid harm while also celebrating the unique qualities and perspectives that each resident contributes to the Housing community. All decorations and messaging must comply with university policy.

Housing staff reserve the right to ask students to remove any decorations from the door that pose safety concerns or violate policies and guidelines.

Hall Decorations

No personal decorations are allowed in hallway corridors, except for room doors. Residents are prohibited from placing doormats in front of room doors, as this inhibits our staff’s ability to clean effectively.

Holiday Decorations

Students are not permitted to have live trees, hay, candles, incense, flammable liquids, or hot plates in their rooms. Additionally, students may not hang anything from ceilings, fire safety equipment, or sprinkler systems, and must not obstruct lights, exits, doors, or windows.

Decorations are not allowed in hallways, and no more than 20% of any wall, door, or corridor surface may be covered with decorations. Only UL-approved lighting may be used (with a maximum of three strands connected), and all lights must be turned off when not in use.

The following decorations are NOT allowed:

• Combustible decorations
• Live trees, garlands, or wreaths
• Candles or incense
• Flammable liquids like reed diffusers
• Hot plates used for potpourri

Public Signs and Traffic Control Items

Students are prohibited from possessing any signs or items intended for street display, use, or construction. This includes, but is not limited to, street signs, traffic control signs (such as stop signs, speed limit signs, yield signs), traffic cones, construction barriers, and similar items—even if they were purchased through legal means such as online retailers.

Unauthorized Use of University Furniture

Students are not permitted to remove university furniture from its designated locations, including but not limited to student rooms, study lounges, kitchens, and other common areas. The unauthorized removal of university furniture is considered theft.

Wall Attachments

Residents are responsible for any damage in their spaces. Residents should avoid using hanging methods that could damage walls, such as nails, packing tape, or similar materials. Generally, stone or concrete walls are less likely to be damaged by Command Strips. For drywall or painted walls, push pins tend to work best, as Command Strips and tape may peel paint from these surfaces.

For fire safety, students may only have decorations that cover up to 20% of each individual wall in their space.