University Housing Bill of Rights

(Student Group Regulation)

Each person, as a resident of Michigan State University housing community, possesses certain individual rights and responsibilities which must be held in high regard. This document is intended to define minimal expectations of rights and responsibilities of university housing residents, in actualizing their freedoms, without placing constraints upon such rights of other residents. Each individual has the right to engage in those physical, educational, and social pursuits that are a necessary part of his or her university life. However, these rights carry with them a reciprocal responsibility on the part of the individual to insure those same rights for other residents.

1. Primary rights of the individual include:

a. The right to read and study free from undue interference in one’s room: 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.
b. The right to sleep, the right to one’s personal belongings, the right to free access to one’s room and suite facilities, and the right to a clean environment in which to live: Optimum physical conditions are essential as they support and reinforce and provide for positive conditions in which to learn and live.
c. The right for redress of grievances: If the academic and university housing communities are to function in the most educationally profitable manner the right to initiate actions and referrals for impartial and fair adjudication of grievances must be held paramount. In exercising this right, the student further holds the right to be free from fear of intimidation, physical and/or emotional harm, and without the imposition of sanctions apart from due process.

2. Subordinate rights of the individual are those which should be protected, but which should not infringe upon the reasonable exercise of the primary rights defined above. These subordinate rights include:

a. The right to personal privacy: All persons should have freedom from interference with their personal activities, and should be able to maintain privacy for other than academic reasons.
b. The right to host visitors: All persons should have the opportunity to maintain personal contacts and friendships with other persons to fulfill their needs for socialization. Visitors are to respect the above stated rights of hall residents and to adhere to all regulations.

Any abuse of these rights is subject to review and action according to the procedures given in Michigan State University Student Rights and Responsibilities. However, processes of mediation, involving students and hall staff, should also be considered as means for resolving conflicts.

Nothing in the University Housing Bill of Rights and/or its implementation shall deny any individual his or her basic rights guaranteed under the United States Constitution, nor deny other alternatives for redress of grievances that are available under the individual’s status as a student and as a citizen of the State of Michigan.