It is not uncommon for colleges to require students who will be sharing living space
to sign roommate contracts. These contracts typically spell out expectations for
acceptable behavior, along with roommate rights and responsibilities. Even if you
aren’t required to sign a roommate agreement, these contracts can be an excellent
tool for preventing misunderstandings about what is and is not acceptable behavior.
Roommate contracts typically include
Advance warning for guests
Length of time acceptable for guest visits
Times guest visits are acceptable
Guidelines for use of common space when visitors are present
Same sex versus opposite sex visit guidelines
Personal property boundaries
Standards for cleanliness
Dealing with dirty laundry
Designated quiet hours for study or sleep
Guidelines for sharing control of television and other appliance
Weekend versus weekday rules
Dealing with telephone messages
Telephone usage limits and restrictions
Procedure for distributing mail
Fair division of shared expenses
Deadlines for payment of rent and other bills
Smoking rules
Drinking rules
Allergy issues that may impact acceptable behavior
A New Jersey community college professor allegedly shouted obscenities at a politically-conservative student during a sociology lecture on sexual harassment, which has ignited complaints about the college being a "liberal atmosphere where alternative political viewpoints are not tolerated." According to other students, this incident was "one of the many disagreements" that took place over the course of the semester. [...]
A gun-toting Tennessee college senior showed her support for President Trump and guns while holding her shirt up to reveal her handgun in her graduation photos to "show who [she is] as a person." The photo, which went viral on Twitter, gained both positive and negative feedback - some of which claimed she was "brandishing a firearm for a photo shoot or showing it off to try and look cool." [...]
A professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz believed she was "unstalkable" up until a student of hers began sending messages that were at first flirtatious and ultimately turned to threats of rape and murder. Much of the #MeToo conversation in higher education revolves around educators who "harass" or "target" students; but some educators themselves actually become vulnerable to harassment by their own students and remain silent out of a sense of guilt, embarrassment, and often the fear of losing their jobs. [...]
