Resident Resources

The "Roommate(s) and Apartment Mate(s) Bill of Rights"

Each student choosing to live on campus has the right to:

• Sleep undisturbed by your roommate(s) or their guest(s).
• Read and study free from undue interference in your room.
• Free access to your room or apartment without pressure from your roommate(s).
• Be free from fear of intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm.
• Live in a clean room or apartment.
• Expect that roommates and/or apartment mates will respect your personal belongings.
• Host guests when they will not disturb your roommate's or apartment mates' opportunity to sleep or study.
• Expect reasonable cooperation in the use of the residence hall or apartment facilities and a commitment to honor agreed upon procedures.
• Redress of grievances when they arise.

As a resident, you are entitled to many rights while living in our facilities. Four of the most important are:

1. The right to academic pursuit (read and study) free from undue interference or harassment (irrespective of quiet hours):One of the basic purposes of the University is the dissemination and application of knowledge. Unreasonable noise and other distractions inhibit the exercise of this right. The University will consider behavior that attempts to force a roommate to move out of the room or apartment as sufficient grounds for reassigning the offending residents and/or referral for disciplinary action.
2. The right to sleep, the right to one’s personal belongings, the right to free access in an environment in which you can live:Optimum physical conditions are essential as they support, reinforce and provide for positive conditions in which to learn and live.
3. The right for redress of grievance:If the academic and residential communities are to function in the most educationally profitable manner, the right to initiate actions and referrals or impartial and fair adjudication of grievances is held paramount. Administrative or judicial avenues of appeal are available to all students.
4. The right to enjoy yourself:Since students spend the majority of their time in the residence hall on enjoyment pursuits, they should be able to do them in the safest and friendliest environment. Students should not have to be concerned about those making the environment unfriendly, nor should students engage in activities that inhibit or abuse this right.

Upon choosing to live on campus, you agree to abide by a certain set of expectations necessary for the safe, smooth operation of the residence halls, and crucial to the development of an environment conducive to learning. Yet beyond these individual expectations, you also accept a certain degree of responsibility for your community. Specifically, you are asked to voice your objections when others infringe on your rights, to work with staff and other residents to establish the necessary norms and standards for living together, and to assist staff in their efforts to hold residents accountable to those norms and standards they create and accept.

Below are a few tips to ensure shared respect among students in your hall and optimal working conditions of our laundry facilities.

• Use High Efficiency (HE) detergents in all washers located in all residence halls.
• Prep your garments by freeing pants pockets of items. Leaving items in your pockets could possible destroy your clothes or the machines.
• Mind your laundry etiquette. Remember, you share the facilities with other students so try not to forget your clothes in the washing machine or dryer.
• Do NOT overload the machines. Overloading the washers and dryers can cause damage to your clothing and the machines. Separate you loads in manageable piles.
• Report any issues by submitting a Laundry Service Request or notifying your hall staff.
  • Laundry Service Request (Foundation Heights, Gleason-Hairston Terrace, Rams Commons, & Martin-Schexnider)
  • Laundry Service Request (Atkins Hall, Brown Hall, Covington Hall, Moore Hall, & Wilson Hall)

Washing clothes doesn't have to be a monumental task. If you add laundry to your weekly to-do list, it'll be much easier to keep the chore manageable. Try doing your wash during off-peak hours (generally early in the morning and late at night) so you can get in and out quicker. Plus, you might get some studying done while you wait-and then have more time to play later.

As part of our efforts as a University to “Go Green” most of the official university business and notifications will go through email. All students will receive email address upon registering for classes. It is their responsibility to check their email regularly. For traditional mail delivery, students should get a Campus Box at the University Post Office on the ground floor of the Thompson Student Center. Parents can send packages that can be picked up at our Post Office during business hours.

Once you get a campus box your address will be as follows:

Campus Box #####
601 South Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27110-0001

The Department of Housing and Residence Life, along with the Department of Police and Public Safety, are passionate about ensuring that the Winston-Salem State University campus community remains safe for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Safety and security on campus is a team effort. You can assist in maintaining a safe campus environment by avoiding risky behaviors. Following are some key safety tips for resident students, non-resident students, employees, and visitors. For additional safety information, please consult the WSSU Annual Security Report, available online from the Department of Public Safety Home Page or in printed form from the Department, the Admissions Office, the Employment Office, or the Library.

• Lock your room at all times, even if you anticipate being gone for just a minute.
• Report lost keys immediately and get replacements. See Guide to On Campus Living,on the policy to get a replacement. 
• Do not leave the room unlocked because you or your roommate have lost the door key.
• Never prop open the building exterior doors.
• Do not let strangers enter a residence hall behind you when you open the door to let yourself
  in the building.
• Be sure that the main entrance to your residence hall or apartment remains locked at all
  Be sure to use the main entrance whenever possible, especially if it is manned or
  monitored. Never let anyone in that you don’t know.
• Make sure to keep your room locked, especially when alone in the room or sleeping.
• If you can, keep all valuable personal items and documents locked away in a drawer or safe
  inside your room or suite.
• If you have a car, only park in a safe, well-lit location and keep it locked at all times.
• Always keep your blinds closed or curtains drawn when changing clothes.
• If you’ve had the windows open while at home, don’t forget to close them before you leave
  the room or apartment.
• When on campus…
  • Stick to well-traveled and well-populated routes when moving around campus. At night, take
    routes that you are fully familiar with and that are well-lit. Many colleges offer night safety
    services such as walking escorts or shuttles for late night travel.
  • Whenever possible, travel with a friend or in a group. Remember, there is safety in numbers.
  • Don’t hesitate to report suspicious persons or activities, or if you feel unsafe.
• WSSU has emergency call boxes across the campus. Familiarize yourself with your school’s emergency system and call box locations so that you know what to do and where to go in case of a sudden emergency. 
• Make an effort to be aware of what is going on around you at all times. In other words, don’t
  wear headphones and play loud music and look up–don’t text or play games on your phone.

For additional safety tips please refer to the WSSU Police & Public Safety web pages. Students should enroll in RAMAlert, our emergency notification system.

Several initiatives centered around the mechanical systems, recycling, and campus plans are guided by a philosophy of sustainability at WSSU. Housing and Residence Life and Winston-Salem State University have begun several green initiatives in order to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. These efforts will likely result in long term cost savings for the university that will in turn keep costs down for students. We ask that you help to improve our university’s carbon footprint. When you are not in your room: Turn off lights, TVs, gaming systems, and computers. Keep your AC set points at a reasonable level 75 degrees in the warm months and no higher than 70 in the cooler months. Throughout campus we hope these policies along with your continued efforts and the efforts of our staff and faculty will lead to new sustainability efforts and energy conservation.

Refrigerators

Students living in Atkins, Brown, Martin-Schexnider, Moore, and Wilson Hall do not have refrigerators provided in their student rooms. If residents want to have a refrigerator in their room, they have two options:

Option 1: Students in the indicated halls bringing their own refrigerators (4.0 cubic feet or less) will be required to pay a usage fee of $30 for the academic year. This $30 fee will be applied once students register their refrigerator. Upon registration, students will be issued a sticker that must be placed on the front of the refrigerator. We encourage you to purchase EnergyStar refrigerators.

Option 2: Students may rent a MicroFridge from our partners at Standards for Living. While microwaves are available in common areas for use, students are not allowed to have standalone microwaves in their rooms. In 2011 Housing and Residence Life initiated the rental program through Standards for Living that allowed for an energy star microwave refrigerator combo for students (MicroFridge, TM). This is also the only way students in Atkins, Brown, Martin-Schexnider, Moore, and Wilson can possess a microwave in their room if they so choose. If students rent a MicroFridge from Standards for Living, they will not be assessed the refrigerator usage fee as these units are highly efficient.  For more information on MicroFridge rentals visit the Standards for Living website.

In Covington Hall, each room is provided with a mini-fridge for roommates to share. Microwaves will be available in community common areas for residents’ use. As a consequence, residents cannot bring personal mini-fridges or microwaves to Covington Hall.

Students living in Foundation Heights, Rams Commons, and Gleason-Hairston Terrace Halls have kitchenettes and kitchens with large refrigerators installed by H&RL which are large enough to serve the needs of all students in the suite. Refrigerators take a lot of energy to run and energy costs have been increasing. Students in Foundation Heights, Rams Commons, and Gleason-Hairston Terrace Halls who choose to bring their own personal refrigerator will be required to register their refrigerator for a $80 academic year fee. Students who rent a micro-fridge from Standards for Living will not be required to pay a registration fee as these meet the energy standards established by the university.

Register your refrigerator. Failure to register an appliance of this sort will result in a penalty of $100.

Microwaves

Microwaves are only provided in Foundation Heights. Residents in Foundation Heights, Gleason-Hairston Terrace, and Rams Commons are permitted to bring one standalone microwave for the kitchen and kitchenette areas in their apartment. If a resident wishes to have a microwave in their personal bedroom, it must be a micro fridge unit. Microwaves should be 1.3 cubic feet or less and no more than 1000 watts (EnergyStar rated). Student residing in Atkins Hall, Brown Hall, Covington Hall, Moore Hall, and Wilson Hall are not permitted to have standalone microwaves. Air fryers, convection and toaster-ovens are prohibited in all residence halls.

Personal microwaves are not permitted in Covington Hall as microwaves will be provided in the common areas for residents’ use.

Thank you for selecting Winston-Salem State University and becoming a part of the Ram family. The Department of Housing and Residence Life will strive diligently to make this your home away from home.

Please review this list of reminders of essential and optional items to help you with your move on campus. In addition, we have included items that you cannot bring on campus. If you need additional information, please call the office at 336-750-3400, or you can email us at housing@wssu.edu.

The Division of Student Affairs (Student Life) supports and enhances the academic mission of the university by engaging students in innovative co-curricular programs, services, and activities that promote holistic student development and growth.

The Office of Community Standards and Civility strives to promote ethical conduct through personal responsibility, encourages civility and integrity and a sense of community amongst WSSU students.

The Department of Interpersonal Violence Prevention (IVP) is dedicated to creating a safe and non-threatening environment for students on the campus of WSSU.

The Wellness Center promotes healthy living in the students of Winston-Salem State University, while also providing consultation and education on healthy living to the faculty and staff of the university campus.

Career Development Services (CDS) works with students during all phases of the career development process. Career Development Services offers a full range of resources and services to assist you in developing the necessary strategies and skills which will distinguish you as a professional.

University Student Activities & Engagement serves as a guide and resource for Winston-Salem State University Students in creating a rewarding college experience that connects students to their institution and provides them with numerous opportunities to get involved and develop their leadership skills.

We contract through Our Campus Market to manage the Residence Hall Linens and College Bedding Program so that linens can be delivered to residents' rooms before move in for students who are interested. The program is a convenient and simple solution to all of your college bedding needs and desires. We provide a variety of linens guaranteed to fit and to last until you graduate. The Residence Hall Linens and College Bedding Program keeps things simple and makes one less thing for Mom and Dad to have to pack up in the mini-van.

But that's not all. Our goal every year is to ensure parents and students have everything they need for move-in. We do that by providing easy one-stop shopping with an assortment of residence hall room must-haves, including storage solutions, comforters, pillows, mattress pads and blankets.

Residential Life has designated spaces in the residence halls for the purpose of providing a place for students to market their activities, events, information, programs, and services. Only university departments, faculty, recognized student organizations, and candidates for student government/hall government office are eligible to have materials posted in the residential areas. Follow The Guide to Living On Campus information under Advertising and Posting Policy when filling out a Residence Hall Posting Request.