Alcohol, illegal drug use, curfew, and co-ed visitation are some of the common dorm violations students try to get away with, especially during homecoming.
The consequence of violating rules such as alcohol possession, using illegal drugs, having guests stay after curfew and allowing the opposite sex into restricted areas range from a $100 fine to a possible eviction.
Bobby Calhoun, resident director of Palmetto Street Phase III Apartments, is in his fifth year as an RD.
Calhoun said the Florida A&M housing staffs try to keep their residents informed of the rules, policies and consequences, although violations are prevalent.
“Just like the laws in the real world,” Calhoun said, “there’s a choice whether people choose to break them or not. We try to prevent them by keeping them educated and upping surveillance of our facilities.”
The housing facilities post fliers and hold hall meetings to keep their residents informed. Residents are also given a housing handbook, which can be downloaded from the housing website.
Roland Jackson, 20, a former FAMU student who lived on campus for two years, admitted to partaking in some of the violations while he attended the university and seeing others do it as well. However, Jackson is aware of his mistakes and advises students to keep their heads in the books.
“It’s not all about the party life,” Jackson said. “Get your grades first, and worry about partying later. Not everybody gets a second chance at going back to school.”
Jackson was unable to return to FAMU for the fall semester, but he plans to enroll at the College of Central Florida in the spring.
Friends, family, alumni and many others visit FAMU during homecoming. However, Calhoun warns that residents are responsible for their guests. He said if guests come and disrespect staff, for example, the consequences cannot go toward the guest who is a non-FAMU student, so it falls in the hands of the resident.
Calhoun said students want to have a good time and that they want their friends from out of town to enjoy themselves, too.
“I can understand that,” he said. “But the policies are the policies, and it’s much easier to adhere to the policies and procedures than it is to violate them.”
Calhoun also said that students do not want their college experience to be “lame.”
“However, these policies and procedures were put in place for not only their safety but the safety of their roommates and suitemates,” he said.
A PDF version of the housing guide is available at www.famu.edu/index.cfm?housing&HousingGuidebooklet.