Campus Housing Policies

In case of a fire alarm, all tenants must leave their campus accommodations or other campus buildings immediately. In the event of a fire, tenants are expected to exit the building and call 911 immediately. Tenants should go out to the edge of the road depending on the severity of the fire. If the building smoke detectors are set off due to a non-life-threatening issue (eg. smoke from cooking), tenants should call the Maintenance On-Call phone (431-815-4311) so that Maintenance can turn off the alarm and reset it.

Fire Regulations

To ensure the safety of all residents and to comply with standard building fire regulations, any activity which could contribute to a building fire or jeopardize another resident’s safety is prohibited. Disassembling, mishandling or tampering with exit signs, fire extinguishers, hoses, alarms, heat sensors, or smoke detectors for any reason other than an emergency is also prohibited. It is a criminal offense to pull a fire alarm for fun or as a prank. The minimum fine $100. Emergency exits are not to be used unless in the event of an emergency. Use of these doors for any other purpose will result in a $25 fine that will be charged to the tenant’s Providence account. Tenants may not store any personal belongings in public areas, as it is a violation of the fire code and may prevent a quick and safe exit from the building.

Please note the restrictions on the following:

• Explosives
  • Fire crackers, fireworks, and flammable substances may not be stored within, nor used in or on Providence property. Providence-sanctioned fireworks displays are permitted.
• Weapons
  • Weapons of any kind (including but not limited to firearms, bows, arrows, hunting knives, machetes, paintball guns, sling shots, etc.) are not permitted on campus. Airsoft may not be used in any campus building.
• Candles/Burning Objects
  • Candles, incense, or an open flame of any kind are prohibited within campus accommodations. Halogen lamps are also prohibited.
• Decoration
  • Excessive wall or ceiling coverings (as per the Manitoba Fire Code) and live Christmas trees are prohibited within campus accommodations.

Our residential regulations require students under 20 years of age who are not living at home to live in a Providence residence hall. If you have been out of high school for two full years and have lived in a residence hall at Providence for at least one year, you are exempt from our residential requirements. Seminary students and married students are also exempt from these requirements. Students can apply for an exemption through the Residence Life Director. Students who wish to live in on-campus housing (either in apartments or in one of the residence halls) must be taking at least 9 credit hours of study.

Under 20 Years of Age

• Meal Plan Options: 5 or 7-day meal plans (required)
• Housing Options: Residence hall or live at home with parents

Over 20 Years of Age (OR out of high school for two years and lived in residence hall for at least one year)

• Meal Plan Options: 5 or 7-day meal plans (only required if living in residence)
• Housing Options: Residence hall, live at home with parents, on-campus apartments, off-campus housing

All Married Students (regardless of age)

• Meal Plan Options: 5 or 7-day meal plan (optional)
• Housing Options: On-campus apartments, off-campus housing

See meal plan information under Food Services in the Otterburne Campus – Student Handbook.

Detecting Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are not a health hazard, but they can create a lot of stress. Bed bugs are small, brown insects - about the size of an apple seed at adult stage - that feed on human blood. After a feeding, they swell in size and can become bright or dark red. They are wingless and cannot fly or jump. They hide during the day and come out at night in areas where people sleep. Bed bugs can enter your room on items you carry in from outside. The most common items are mattresses, box springs, upholstered furniture, luggage, electronics, books, pictures, and household goods.

A sign you have bed bugs is finding (on your mattress, box spring, pillow, etc):

• Dark, reddish brown stains
• Black droppings
• Cast off skins from nymphs
• Live or dead bed bugs

If you suspect that you have bedbugs, the first and most important thing is to contact the Executive Assistant for Student Life if you are staying in a Providence apartment/Turner room.

What To Do

In addition to reporting any suspected bed bug activity to the Student Life department, there are a few other things that you CAN do to help in reducing the likelihood of perpetuating the bed bug problem:

1. Clean up clothes and general clutter found throughout the room. Not only does clutter provide an ideal place for bed bugs to hide that cannot be treated, but it also makes completing the bed bug service very difficult.
2. Bag laundry and launder in hot water. Your clothes could have bed bugs or their eggs. By correctly laundering the clothes you will further reduce the spread of the bugs. Place linens and other items that can be laundered items in plastic bags and take the bag directly to a laundering facility. Dump the contents of the bag into the laundry machine and place the empty bag inside a clean bag. These items should be laundered in hot water. Bed bugs are susceptible to heat and this exposure will kill any bugs as well as their eggs. If you cannot wash the clothes on a hot wash cycle, then dump the bag directly into a hot dry cycle which will serve the same purpose. As soon as the items have been dumped from the bag into the washer or dryer the bag should be disposed of in an outdoor dumpster. After washing these items, (anything that does not need to be used right away) place in a clean garbage bag and seal it tightly. This will assure you that the clothes/bedding is free of bed bugs and will remain free until the problem is eliminated from your room. If you need to use it over the next month or so, keep it in your room in an organized, neat fashion.

Other than cleaning and laundering, leave the rest of the service to the trained professionals. Inspecting excessively, treating on your own or throwing items out can spread the problem and make it more difficult to treat.

What Not To Do

There are several things that you should NOT do:

1. Do not throw items away or remove them from your room. If items are not removed in the correct fashion you may inadvertently spread the problem into the halls and other areas. In addition, once items have been discarded, they may be picked up by another unsuspecting student spreading the problem to their room.
2. Do not attempt to control the bed bugs on your own. Any actions that you take to control bed bugs on your own could complicate the problem and may cause unexpected problems for others.
3. Do not relocate yourself to another room. While the initial instinct is to get out of the room and sleep elsewhere, in doing so you run the risk of taking bugs with you in your belongings. Instead the student should contact the appropriate member of Student Life immediately so that the appropriate corrective actions can be taken.

Providence tenants have the right to host guests in their homes for up to seven days. If guests will be staying longer than seven days, however, the tenant must get permission from the Executive Assistant for Student Life prior to the arrival of their guests. If guests cause damage to any Providence property or cause any kind of disturbance, the tenants hosting them will be held responsible.

The responsibilities of Providence include a right to enter into the students’ personal spaces for the following reasons:

1. To ensure maintenance and general repair within the apartment.
2. To address an emergency.
3. To investigate, when reasonable cause exists, possible violations of Providence regulations.
4. To give apartment tours to prospective tenants as long as 24hrs notice is given to current tenant.

Tenants are expected to keep their individual apartments and the grounds of the building clean. Though Custodial comes on a regular basis to clean common areas in most buildings, tenants must bring all their own cleaning supplies with them, including vacuums, for their apartments and should also do their part to keep garbage and other waste from accumulating in the building and on the grounds. Tenants may not store personal belongings in the hallways or fire escape areas, as it is a fire code violation and these areas are subject to regular clearing without prior notice given to the tenants.

All garbage bags must be taken to the outdoor dumpsters provided by the local waste removal company. Recycling must be left in clear bags at the edge of the road by the parking entrances on the designated collection days.

The exterior building doors should only be propped open when tenants are moving in or out. Otherwise, the doors should remain closed to prevent rodents, insects, and other wildlife from entering the buildings.

Laundry facilities in all campus apartment buildings are located on the basement level. Washing machines should be cleared of garbage, lint, hair, or other debris and dryer lint traps should be cleaned out after each use so that they are ready for the next user.

If there are any issues with sanitation or cleanliness at Providence campus apartment buildings, please contact the Executive Assistant for Student Life.