Residence Community Standards

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Be treated with dignity and respect

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Treat other residents and staff members with dignity and respect, including in virtual environments

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• A safe, secure environment, whether in private, shared, common or public space

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Follow all safety procedures and contribute to maintaining a safe environment, and report any unsafe behaviour or conditions
• Only use alcohol and other substances in a manner consistent with legislation, University policies, and the health and safety of themselves and others

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Pursue their academic goals, in accordance with the university’s academic mission

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Foster a community in which all residents are free to pursue their academic goals, in accordance with the university’s academic mission

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• A living environment free from threats, fear, intimidation, discrimination, bullying, harassment or abuse

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Work together toward an inclusive environment that acknowledges the existence of and harms caused by racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, ableism or any other form of oppression, and an environment in which all members of the residence community are able to participate meaningfully in social, academic, and other activities;

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Learn, study, and express beliefs, opinions and values, while respecting the safety, security, and dignity of other community members

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Respect the rights of others to their beliefs, values and opinions

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• To celebrate their intersecting identities and expressions, such as cultural, gender, sexual, and religious identity and expression

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Foster a community where diversity is respected and valued

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Access support staff and services available from Residence Services and the University of Alberta designed to support physical and/or mental health and wellness

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Manage their health and wellness and contribute to an environment that supports health and wellness

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Communicate concerns to their peers, neighbours, roommates, Residence Life staff, or other university officials

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Be respectful when communicating concerns to peers, neighbours, roommates, and staff, and participate constructively when engaging in conflict resolution;
• Respect and abide by any formal or informal agreements made with other residents, Residence Life staff or student staff;

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Enjoy the social benefits of living in a residence community and equal access to common areas and their contents

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Share common spaces with other residents and refrain from monopolizing a communal space

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Reasonable privacy and control of their private living space, within the limits of the Residence Agreement

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Take necessary means to maintain the security of the residence community including upholding the integrity of entry points to their residence, securing their valuables, and reporting suspicious activity promptly to the appropriate authorities

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Have their personal property and possessions respected

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Respect the property of other residents and of the university

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• Be free from pressure to do anything unsafe, or anything that violates this policy, including their own rights and the rights of another

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Refrain from acting in a way that pressures others to be present with or take part in any acts that may make them uncomfortable, feel unsafe, or violate their rights under this policy

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• An environment with noise levels conducive to academic pursuits, according to the guidelines established for each university residence community

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Abide by the House Rules for their community (for example, French Language at Résidence Saint-Jean, the Global Education program at International House, cohort and theme communities, noise designations, or cleanliness expectations)

Students living in residence at the university have the right to:

• A living space that is clean and kept in good condition

Students living in residence at the university have the responsibility to:

• Assist in the upkeep of common areas by promptly cleaning up, using appropriate organics, recycling and waste receptacles, and by reporting facilities or equipment that are broken or dirty
• Keep all private living spaces clean and in good condition

A Community Resolution is a conversation between a residence staff member and a student (or group of students) to address community issues. Residence staff work with students to understand the effect of their actions on those around them. Community Resolutions are a restorative practice. Community resolutions result in an agreement for immediate and future behaviour that resolves the issue and is expected to be upheld by all parties.

The goals of a Community Resolution are for responsible residents to:

1. Be able to identify and take responsibility for the problematic behaviour and how affects their community
2. Commit to a repairing the impact and/or changing their behaviour in residence moving forward

Residence staff follow up community resolutions with an email to the students involved, summarizing the conversation and resolution. If the resident understands the impact of their behaviours and is willing to change them, the matter is usually considered closed. However, if the student continues the harmful behaviour, further follow up may occur.

Incident reports document incidents that occur in residence including emergencies like first aid or urgent maintenance issues. They are also used when an incident is not resolved using a Community Resolution.

Incident reports may require further follow up from Residence Life staff, who will meet with the affected resident(s) at a later date. Behaviour documented in incident reports can be resolved through restorative practices, as a breach of the Residence Agreement or through the Student Conduct Policy. The criteria to decide which process to use is outlined in the Residence Community Standards Policy.

Based on the nature of the situation, you may receive an email requesting to schedule a follow up meeting. Some situations require further follow up, while others may not (e.g. minor injuries, maintenance issue).

If you do not receive a request to meet, but you have concerns you would like to communicate or discuss, you could always reach out to your RA or email reslife@ualberta.ca.

We may request to meet with you if your behaviour may have impacted others or the community, you were impacted by or present when harmful behaviour occurred. The aim is to hear your perspective on the situation. Where appropriate, you may claim responsibility, and we can discuss possible outcomes. We may also discuss the impacts of the situation and/or your behaviour.

In addition to conduct concerns, Residence Services staff may also request to meet with you to offer support and resources from topics including academics, finances, and mental wellness, among others.

If you have questions during the meeting, time will be made for you to ask them. You can prepare and write down your questions beforehand.

Learn more about Residence Community Expectations.

The Residence Life staff member reaching out to you is dedicated to facilitating a supportive and productive meeting with you.

We want to create a space where we can understand your perspective, share and discuss impacts from the situation, and collaborate with you on rebuilding a sense of community in your residence community.

If you have reservations about the meeting, or at any time feel uncomfortable, please let the Residence Life staff so that we can accommodate you as best we can.

These meetings are a part of a restorative practice. Participation is voluntary and highly encouraged.

If you choose not to attend a meeting, restorative practices will not be possible and a decision on the situation will be made without the information you would have provided.

Respond to the original email to inform the staff member and ask about scheduling a meeting at another date and/or time before the deadline.

It is helpful to be flexible where you can when looking for alternative meeting times. The staff member will also be as flexible as they can.

Take some time to reflect on what happened, your part in the situation, and if things could have been done differently.

If the meeting is virtual, make sure you have headphones and a device with a working camera. If the meeting is in person, show up a few minutes early. Information on how to get to the meeting location will be communicated in the Google Calendar invite.

An Ombudsperson is an impartial advisor who works to support students in understanding their rights, ensuring those rights are upheld, and identifying the options available to them as they go through academic and non-academic university processes.
It is entirely up to you if you would like to invite an Ombudsperson to the meeting. Most students are not accompanied by an Ombudsperson.

Learn more about the Office of Student Ombuds.

We strongly value confidentiality within our processes. Confidentiality in residence means that information is only shared with staff who need to know as part of our processes.

For example, your RA will not know about the content of a meeting unless you inform them.

Residence Services does not terminate a Residence Agreement (your lease) lightly. In cases where there is a concern for the safety of the community, a significant breach or multiple and continued breaches of the Residence Agreement, we may choose to end your contract. It is very rare for an initial meeting to result in an eviction.

If you feel anxious about the possibility of eviction, please do not hesitate to reach out to the staff who sent the email or to reslife@ualberta.ca about your concern.

Learn more by reading the Residence Agreement.

Residence Services documents behaviour that impacts the community and how we resolve those concerns. However, this information is not placed on your academic record or available to your parents or professors.

We follow university policy on preservation of records.