Housing and Residence Life

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Resident Housing

On-campus housing is currently available for approximately 1 300 students. In addition to the convenience of campus living, residents benefit from a variety of individual hall programs, Resident Assistant staff support and campus Food Service.

Health & Safety Inspections

The Residence Life staff enters the individual units periodically and inspects the halls for Health and Safety hazards and / or policy violations. Staff will post signs stating the date and time of these inspections at least 24 hours in advance of the inspection. Additionally, residences are inspected prior to break closings, and may be inspected at other times if needed. Personal items should be stored in a clean and orderly manner to promote proper hygiene and lessen the risk of pest infestation and fire hazards due to furniture or personal items blocking safe exit, excessive trash, grease in stove area, papers and other combustibles on the floor. Students found in violation of the policies outlined in the Student Handbook during Health and Safety Inspections may be subject to a conduct hearing.

Fire Drills

When a fire alarm sounds in campus housing units, it is mandatory for all students to evacuate the building according to the prescribed fire emergency procedures:

  1. Dress quickly and appropriately for exiting the building.
  2. Feel the door for heat – if it is hot, do not open it! Remain in the room. Place a towel in the airspace under the door. Go to the window and wave an article of clothing until a fire fighter reaches the student. If the door is not hot, lock the door, and move quickly to the nearest fire exit.
  3. If smoke is present, he / she should wrap a towel over their nose and mouth and remain close to the floor.
  4. As the student exits, move away from the building and to the location assigned by the Resident Assistant(RA).
  5. Do not re-enter the building under any circumstances until directed to do so by the Residence Life staff or a Public Safety Officer.

Insurance Information for Residents

Ringling College is not liable for damage to or loss of student property, including items stored inside and outside the facilities, failure or interruption of utilities, or for injury or inconvenience to persons. Students are required to provide their own health insurance and encouraged to provide personal property loss insurance, and / or consult their homeowner’s policy to be sure personal property is covered.

Damages, Repairs, and Billing Procedures

Damage to housing facilities and individual residence hall rooms should be reported to Residence Life.

  1. After final check-out, students are responsible for locking their doors to ensure there are no thefts/vandalism in their rooms after they leave.
  2. Students will be financially responsible for any and all furnishings missing or damages in their rooms after they move out.
  3. If damages are found in a student room, the amount will be placed on the student(s) account and split between roommates (where applicable).

Students are responsible for care of assigned rooms and furnishings. Charges may be assessed for damages to, unauthorized use of, or alterations to rooms, furnishings or buildings and special cleaning necessitated by improper care of rooms or furnishings.

Students are responsible for care of public areas and furnishings. Public areas are defined as hallways, stairwells, lounges, kitchens, bathrooms, etc. "Common-Billing" charges may be made to residents of a section, wing, floor, or entire building (as appropriate) for damages and/or vandalism, to public areas of a residence hall. Common damage charges will be divided equally amongst residents of a particular area. Information on damages and vandalism in a residence hall should be given to a member of the Residence Life staff.

Students are prohibited from having stolen property, including but not limited to shopping carts, street signs, etc. Billing for room damages will posted to student’s accounts within three (3) weeks of the end of each semester (last day students permitted on-campus).

Invasion of Privacy

Invasion of privacy is defined as transmitting, recording or photographing the image or voice of another person without their knowledge or consent while in an environment considered private or where there is an expectation of privacy, such as a residence, bathroom, locker room or office.

Keys/ Student IDs

Students are expected to carry their keys and student IDs at all times. Keys and IDs are not to be loaned or exchanged under any circumstances and may not be reproduced. Students who find themselves locked out during office hours should report to the Office of Residence Life or the Office of Public Safety after hours to gain entrance to their room. For security reasons, students who have lost their keys will be required to have a lock-core change. The students will be billed for lock changes or replacement keys/ Student IDs. Replacement costs may be put on a student’s billing account or deducted from the damage deposit.

Laundry Facilities

Laundry facilities are available for resident students 24-hours a day in all residence halls, on each floor of the Bayou Village Apartments, first floor of Bridge Apartments, in the near- campus houses, the Cove, the Roy and Susan Palmer Quadrangle, Ann and Alfred Goldstein Hall, Greensboro Hall, and Ulla Searing Student Center. Machines are free for residents to use. Report mechanical problems by submitting a Schooldude maintenance request.

Lead-Based Paint Disclosure

In 1992 Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (known as Title X), which directed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to require disclosure of lead-based paint and lead paint before the sale or leasing of housing built before 1978. 3002 North Tamiami Trail (Bayhaven).

Housing built before 1978 may contain lead-based paint. Lead from paint, paint chips and dust can pose health hazards if not managed properly. Lead exposure is especially harmful to young children and pregnant women. Before renting pre-1978 housing, lessors must disclose the presence of known lead- based paint and / or lead-based paint hazards in the dwelling. Lessees must also receive a federally approved pamphlet on lead poisoning prevention.
The following housing areas were built prior to 1978:

Cove  Keating
Family Housing  Palmer Quadrangle
1245 North Riverside Drive
2714 South Riverside Drive 301 5, 2340 Bradenton Road
3035, 3047 East Tamiami Circle
1107, 1123, 1133, 1143, 1159 Greensboro Lane
2914, 2919, 3007, 3014, 3022/3024 East Tamiami Circle
1160, 1142, 1158, 1132, 1131 , 1161 Guilford Lane
1107/1113, 1147/1155, 1100, 1123 Guilford Lane
1136, 1172/1174, 1176/1178 Patterson Drive
1230, 1216 31st Street 1151 /1153 32nd Street

In compliance with this act this is to inform you:
Ringling College of Art and Design Housing has no knowledge of the presence of lead-based paint or lead- based hazards in the above residences.

Ringling College of Art and Design Housing has no reports or records pertaining to lead-based paint and / or lead-based paint hazards in the above residences.

Upon written request, students will be supplied with a booklet entitled Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home published by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Since the aforementioned residences were built before 1978 there may be lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards. Especially if a student is pregnant or has small children, they are encouraged to follow the precautions suggested in the booklet named above.

Water Response and Mold Prevention Program

It is the College’s goal to maintain the highest quality living environment for student residents. In the interest of achieving this goal, student should take a moment to read the following information regarding simple measures that they can take to avoid, and if necessary to address, mold and mildew problems in their student housing.

Molds and mildews are microscopic organisms found virtually everywhere in environment, both indoors and outdoors, which spread through airborne spores. When excess moisture is present inside a building, mold and mildew can accumulate and grow. If not addressed, accumulations of mold and mildew can lead to adverse health effects, such as allergy symptoms or respiratory problems.

The best way to avoid problems with mold and mildew is to prevent excessive moisture build-up. Excess moisture can collect from a wide variety of sources including plumbing leaks or other sources of water infiltration: large fish tanks, showering, laundering, cooking or even watering plants. Other factors, such as poor air circulation, extreme differences in indoor and outdoor temperatures or failure to quickly clean up spills, can contribute to excessive moisture. In order to minimize opportunities for mold growth, it is essential to limit these sources of moisture build-up.

  1. There are several measures that a student can take to reduce moisture in their student housing and to discourage the growth of mold and mildew: Make sure their student housing is properly ventilated by operating their HVAC system and / or by opening windows and doors. Make sure that the Air Conditioning unit in your room or apartment is set on the “Auto” function. Proper air circulation will help prevent excess moisture build-up in more humid areas.
  2. Promptly call Ringling College’s Facilities Service Response at 941.309.4208 or place a maintenance request on the student portal to report any signs of water leaks or infiltration or any signs of excessive mold or mildew growth.
  3. Use the preinstalled fans in their bathrooms to minimize moisture build-up.
  4. Wipe down visible moisture accumulation on windows, walls, ceilings, or other surfaces as soon as possible. Clean kitchens and bathrooms regularly.
  5. Following these simple steps will dramatically reduce the likelihood of mold and mildew problems in a student’s housing and will allow the College to respond promptly should a problem develop. If students have any questions regarding this information, please contact the Associate Dean of Residence Life orreslife@ringling.edu, and he will be happy to assist.

Lockout Policy

Students are responsible for carrying their own keys at all times. In the event of a lockout, please contact:

  • Office of Residence Life 8:30a.m. - 4:30p.m.
  • Resident Assistant on duty 7:00p.m. - 12a.m.
  • Office of Public Safety 4:30p.m. – 8:30a.m. and all Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Students must present their valid Student ID when requesting to be let into their room. Every lockout will be logged. On the second occurrence, the student will be charged $10 to be let in and $10 each time after that.

Lofting of Beds

Lofting of beds is not permitted.

On-Campus Residence Street Addresses

To order services or in the case of an emergency, the following street addresses must be used:

*Ulla Searing Student Center*
1130 Greensboro Lane
Sarasota, FL 34234

Ann & Alfred Goldstein Hall
2745 Old Bradenton Road
Sarasota, FL 34234

Bayou Village Apartments*
2736 Old Bradenton Road
Building______ Apt. #______
Sarasota, FL 34234

Old Bradenton Road Apartments*
2919 Old Bradenton Road Apt. #
Sarasota, FL 34234

Keating Hall*
2621 Old Bradenton Road Room #
Sarasota, FL 34234

Greensboro Hall
1130 Greensboro Lane Room #
Sarasota, FL 34234

Roy & Susan Palmer Quadrangle*
2405, 2409, 2415 Old Bradenton Road Apt. #
Sarasota, FL 34234

Family Housing*
2390 Old Bradenton Road Apt. #
Sarasota, FL 34234

Cove*
221 0 N. Tamiami Trail Apt. #
Sarasota, FL 34234

Bridge Apartments*
2715 S. Riverside Drive Apt. #
Sarasota, FL 34234

*These addresses are to be used for service delivery to each specific unit (pizza delivery, cable hook-up, etc.). THESE ARE NOT MAILING ADDRESSES. Students living Ulla Searing Student Center use 1130 Greensboro Lane for both street and mailing address.

Parking

All students are required to register their vehicles with the Office of Public Safety. Parking on Ringling College property is by permit only. First year students in housing are not allowed to bring vehicles to campus unless an exception for extenuating circumstances is approved by the Dean of Students in the Office of Student Life.

Pets

Pets are prohibited in all residence halls except fish in a 10 gallon or less aquarium. Other pets / animals may be impounded in addition to Conduct System action and / or a fine of $100 at the time of finding the pet and $25 for each additional day per day the pet remains in the residence hall room or unit. (Professional staff are allowed to have pets within their residence on-campus.)

Quiet Hours

Consideration of others and mutual respect are among the most important ingredients for successful residence hall living. Noise levels which negatively affect study, sleep, or other activities will not be tolerated regardless of the time of day. It is the responsibility of all residents to be considerate of fellow students living in close quarters so that an environment conducive to academic success and personal happiness is maintained.

Minimum Quiet Hours have been established between 11:00 PM – 10:00 AM Sunday – Thursday, and 12:00 AM – 10:00 AM on Friday and Saturday. Consideration Hours are in effect during the periods not designated as Quiet Hours. In conjunction with the residence hall staff, resident groups may decide to impose more restrictive Quiet Hours as the need/interest arises.  24-hour Quiet Hours are in effect during final exam periods.

Musical instruments (electric guitars, drums, etc.) are not to be played in residence hall rooms at any time.  Speakers are not to be placed in and played through open windows.  After notification from the Office of Residence Life, repeat offenders may have their housing privileges revoked immediately for further violation of the noise policy.

Meal Plans

All new students living on campus in Goldstein and Greensboro Halls are required to purchase the full meal plan. The meal plan which includes 19 meals per week and $250 dining dollars is automatically added to the student account.

The following locations require students select from either the 14 or 19 meal plans for the entire academic year. The default meal plan is 19 meals per week.
• Ulla Searing Student Center
• Cove
• Keating Hall
• Goldstein Hall (only returning upper-class students may select from a 14 meal plan)

Students who are housed in any apartment or campus house with a kitchen are not required to purchase a meal plan, but may choose to select from any of the available options by emailing reslife@ringling.edu. Any meal plan purchase may not be lowered or removed between the fall and spring semesters.

Meal plan changes are only permitted through the completion of the drop/add week at the beginning of the semester.

Room Assignment

Residence Life makes initial room assignments for entering students. Attempts are made to honor mutual roommate requests and hall preferences; however, in accordance with the residence hall housing terms, housing staff reserve the right to change room assignments when necessary.

Room Consolidation

To accommodate requests for campus housing, students living alone in double rooms/suites may be required to move together into one room/suite. If space is not needed, the option to keep this room with a vacancy for the current semester only will be offered at an increased rate. Residence Life will help you to determine the nature of available space. If Residence Life determines that residents are rejecting all potential roommates regardless of compatibility, students will either be billed an increased rate or consolidated.

Room Changes / Room Freeze

At Ringling College, part of the College’s educational mission is to assist students in developing the skills necessary to build positive, healthy relationships with others. Students experiencing difficulties with their roommate or room assignment have a responsibility to work toward a solution to the conflict. Resident Assistants (RAs) are trained to assist students in working out these problems. Any student seeking a room change should speak directly with their RA.

If a conflict cannot be resolved, room changes are permitted only with written approval from the Office of Residence Life. A room freeze period will be in place for the first 2 weeks of each semester in order to allow roommates to adjust to living together. Each room must complete a Roommate agreement prior to changing rooms. Exceptional situations that arise during the room freeze period will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Students may be assigned to a new room as a result of a conduct sanction or administrative action.

Room changes for all international students must be reported to the Office of Advising, Records and Registration Services by a representative of the Office of Residence Life. Resident Assistants (RAs) may be asked for assistance.

Room Decorations

Students are allowed to make their space feel like home when they are living on campus.  However, students may not alter the room in any way, including but not limited to: painting their room, removing college furnishing from the room, installing window air-conditioning units, ceiling fans, dimmer switches, door locks, or removing college carpet.

Room Entry / Search & Seizure

The College reserves the right to enter and / or search a residence hall room for the following reasons:

  • For maintenance purposes
  • Health & Safety inspections
  • Vacation closing procedures
  • Where there is alleged evidence of violation of College policy
  • When visible or audible conduct allegedly violates College policy requiring staff intervention
  • Where there is alleged evidence a student’s safety is endangered

Any prohibited items found during room inspections or searches will be disposed of or impounded by College professional staff. College staff members may impound any property if it is prohibited under the Housing Regulations, Housing Terms and Conditions or the Student Code of Conduct, or it is illegal under the City of Sarasota ordinances, state of Florida law or federal law. Impounded items, with the exception of pets, will be disposed of or delivered to Public Safety immediately upon completion of the search or inspection. Public Safety will then send a written report of the findings to the Office of Residence Life.

If violation(s) of policy are found, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Room Repairs

If any repair work is needed, contact Facilities through our online maintenance request system. Students should not attempt to make repairs themselves. Report damages immediately so a small repair may be caught before it turns into a major expense.

Signs / Other Items

Residence Hall windows and doorways are visible to the greater community. Nothing (signs, posters, wall hangings, etc) is permitted to be displayed in windows or on exterior doors. The Office of Residence Life Office reserves the right to ask residents to remove items displayed to the community (interior or exterior facing) that may be considered offensive by one or more persons and that potentially create a hostile environment or unreasonably interfere with an individual’s academic performance.

Housing for Next Academic Year

During the spring semester, all enrolled students will be notified through their campus e-mail account of the dates and procedures for reserving space in campus housing for the following academic year.

Visitation Policy

All guests in housing must be escorted by the resident. Overnight guests need to be registered and approved at the Housing and Residence Life Office on eRezLife. Overnight guests may not stay more than three nights.

Guests are not permitted during times when the College is deemed not in session such as extended holidays, winter and spring breaks, and summer.

The student host must accompany their guest to all areas on campus. Guests are not permitted to remain in any residence in the absence of their host. 

Residents are responsible for all actions of their guest.

Withdrawing from the College

Students who voluntarily withdraw or are academically withdrawn or dismissed from the College before the end of the semester must check out with a residential staff member and vacate student housing within 24 hours of withdrawing or notification of dismissal.