Principles and Regulations

[Senate decision dated 19.06.2019]

 

Section One

Objective, Scope and Definitions

 Objective

Article 1- (1) The purpose of these Principles and Regulations is to provide a comfortable and safe accommodation environment for students residing in the University dormitories through the operation, management and supervision of those dormitories.

 Scope

Article 2- (1) These Principles and Regulations cover matters pertaining to the administration and operation of the dormitories, and the structure and duties of the managing bodies, as well as the basic rules that students should follow in the dormitories, and the sanctions to be applied when necessary.

Definitions

Article 3- (1) For the purposes of these regulations,

1. “Students” refers to Bilkent University Students,
2. “Rector” refers to the Rector of Bilkent University,
3. “Rector’s Office” refers to the Rector’s Office of Bilkent University,
4. “University” refers to Bilkent University,
5. “Dormitory Principles and Regulations” refers to the Bilkent University Student Dormitory Principles and Regulations,
6. “Dormitory Manager” refers to a supervisor of a dormitory,
7. “Dormitories” refers to the Bilkent University dormitories,
8. “Student Housing Office Directorate” refers to the administrative unit within the University responsible for management of the dormitories,
9. “Student Housing Office Director” refers to the administrative supervisor of the Student Housing Office Directorate,
10. “Dormitories Management” refers to the entire management team consisting of the Student Housing Office Director and Dormitory Managers.

Section Two

Dormitory Management Bodies and Their Duties

Managing Bodies of the Dormitories

Article 4- (1) The managing bodies of the dormitories consist of

1. the Dormitories Board,
2. the Student Housing Office Director, and
3. the Dormitories Management.

Student Housing Office Director, Dormitory Managers and Dormitories Management

Article 5- (1) The Student Housing Office Director is appointed by the Rector.

(2) The Rector appoints the Dormitory Managers after consulting the Student Housing Office Director.

(3) The Dormitories Management consists of the Student Housing Office Director and the Dormitory Managers.

(4) The duties of the Dormitories Management are as follows:

1. Keeping all dormitory buildings and facilities operational to provide the highest level of service,
2. Offering accommodation to students and guests approved by the Rector’s Office,
3. Taking all measures necessary to protect the order and security of the dormitories,
4. Conducting any investigations necessary in cases of violation of the Dormitory Principles and Regulations by students,
5. If necessary as a result of investigations conducted into situations and behavior that violate the Dormitory Principles and Regulations, warning students in writing and deciding on the imposition of sanctions for up to seven days,
6. Determining the principles and procedures to be followed in the management of and planning for the dormitories, and submitting such to the Dormitories Board for evaluation and approval,
7. Receiving students’ applications to reside in the dormitories, accepting applicants and keeping records,
8. Furthering the social and cultural development of students residing in the dormitories, and
9. Performing other duties specified in the Dormitory Principles and Regulations.

 Dormitories Board

Article 6- (1) The Dormitories Board consists of the Vice Rector for Administrative and Financial Affairs, the Vice Rector for Student Affairs, the Dean of Students, the Student Housing Office Director, the Dormitory Managers and three academic staff members to be appointed by the Rector for two-year terms. The Dormitories Board is chaired by the Vice Rector for Administrative and Financial Affairs.

(2) The Board of Directors shall convene upon the summons of the Chairman or the Student Housing Office Director.

(3) The duties of the Dormitories Board are as follows:

1. Determining the general rules and principles for the dormitories,
2. Evaluating complaints and suggestions concerning the dormitories,
3. Deciding whether to sanction students or expel them from the dormitories as a result of investigations conducted into situations and behavior that violate the Dormitory Principles and Rules.
4. Determining the Dormitories Calendar for each academic year.

 Section Three

Conditions for Admission to and Residence in the Dormitories, Leaving the Dormitories, Dormitory Fees, Utilization of the Dormitories during the Summer

 Conditions for Admission to and Residence in the Dormitories

Article 7- (1) Students who wish to reside in the dormitories

1. must be enrolled in the University and have registered for courses during the semester in question, and
2. must apply to the Student Housing Office Directorate in accordance with the format, schedule and rules determined by the Dormitories Board.

(2) Students are admitted to places in the dormitories according to the space available as well as the procedural rules in place each academic year. The Dormitories Calendar is established by the Dormitories Board in accordance with the University Academic Calendar and includes the dormitories’ opening and closing dates, the application and payment deadlines, and other relevant dates.
(3) The Dormitories Management has the authority to designate the various dormitory buildings as female student dormitories or male student dormitories prior to the beginning of each academic year, in line with demand.

(4) Dormitory applications are accepted during the dates announced in the Dormitories Calendar. Late applications will be evaluated only if space remains available. Dormitory rooms are allocated on a per semester basis; thus, applications are received every semester. However, students who reside in the dormitories during the fall semester of a given academic year do not need to reapply for the spring semester; on the other hand, students who will not be residing in the dormitories during the spring semester must cancel their spring semester dormitory registration by the deadline indicated in the Dormitories Calendar.

(5) All students who wish to begin residing in the dormitories or who reside there already must pay the dormitory fees accrued up to that point within the period specified in the Dormitories Calendar in order to stay in the dormitories during the coming semester. Applications from students who do not complete the entire application procedure or who do not pay the dormitory fees within the specified period are cancelled, and those students are not allocated a place in the dormitories.

(6) The dormitory registration of students who do not complete the course registration procedure for the semester in question by the deadline for doing so; who have been granted leave for the semester; who become ineligible to stay in the dormitories for any other reason; or who, despite space having been allocated to them, have not entered the dormitories according to the card entry system records by the add/drop deadline without providing a valid excuse, is deleted.

(7) Students who wish to change the dormitory and / or room allocated to them should apply to the Student Housing Office Directorate in person. Applications are evaluated according to availability of space.

(8) The number of international and exchange students to be housed in the dormitories and the priority they are given in the dormitory space allocation process are determined by the Rector’s Office.

(9) The Dormitories Board determines whether a student who has been convicted of or prosecuted for any offense – even in cases where the individual in question has been acquitted or the execution of legal proceedings against them has been suspended by the courts – may reside in the dormitories.

(10) The Rector’s Office or the Dormitories Board may prohibit the admission of students who are deemed unfit to stay in the dormitories; or, should such unfitness become evident after a student has already been admitted to the dormitories, may terminate their residence.

Leaving the Dormitories

Article 8- (1) Students residing in the dormitories must give notice to the Student Housing Office Directorate before they end their residence.

(2) Belongings left by students who leave the dormitories without notice are collected by the Student Housing Office Directorate and put in storage. Items that are not picked up by the student within thirty days are disposed of. The Student Housing Office Directorate is not responsible for the damage or loss of any items while in storage.

(3) Students who wish to leave the dormitory at the end of the fall semester must cancel their existing dormitory registration or application through the online dormitory application system by the cancellation deadline announced in the Dormitories Calendar, and must also contact the Student Housing Office Directorate to complete the dormitory departure procedure. Students who fail to do so by the specified date will be responsible for the spring semester dormitory fee.

(4) Students staying in the dormitories are responsible for all the items they have obtained from the Dormitories Management. When they leave their dormitory, they must return all such items complete and undamaged to the Student Housing Office Directorate. Other than the fixtures the Dormitories Management has placed in the rooms, no furniture and equipment can be left in a room. The cost of lost or damaged items is charged to the student. If a student does not pay those charges by the deadline specified, legal action is initiated as of that date; moreover, no applications made by the student will be processed by the Registrar’s Office or the Student Housing Office Directorate, and official documents will not be delivered to him / her.

(5) Students who leave the dormitories will have their fees refunded at the rates specified in the Dormitories Calendar according to the date of departure. Those who leave after the last date specified in the calendar will not receive refunds. Dormitory fees are not refunded to students who are suspended or expelled from the dormitories.

 Dormitory Fees

Article 9- (1) Dormitory fees are determined by the Rector’s Office every year. Dormitory fees include accommodations only; food, beverages and other services are not included.

(2) Dormitory fees are collected during the registration period for newly enrolled students, and within the period specified in the Dormitories Calendar for the students who are already attending the university.

(3) Students who do not pay the dormitory fee (as well as any damage fees that they may have incurred) within the period specified in the Dormitories Calendar are evicted from the dormitories.

(4) Students who enter the dormitories between the beginning of the semester and the end of the sixth week pay the full dormitory fee for the semester; those who enter the dormitory after this date pay 75% of the fee.
(5) Students who transfer from a less expensive to a more expensive room pay a fee difference that is calculated based on the rules stated in (4). All bank transaction fees are the responsibility of the student.

Utilization of the Dormitories during the Summer

Article 10- (1) The fees charged to guests and students who stay in the dormitories during the summer and semester breaks are determined by the Rector’s Office.

(2) The dormitory buildings to be kept open during the summer and semester breaks are determined by the Dormitories Management and announced at the end of each academic semester. Students must to transfer to those dormitories within the period specified in the announcement.

(3) All students are eligible to stay in the dormitories during the summer term if space is available. Priority is given to students who resided in the dormitories during the fall and spring semesters.

(4) Students who wish to stay in dormitories during the summer term are charged according to a fee table determined by the Rector’s Office.

(5) The fees charged to comprehensive scholarship students who wish to stay in the dormitories during the summer term are determined by the Rector’s Office.

Section Four

Room Security, Compensation for Damage, Sanctions to Be Applied in Case of Violation of Dormitory Principles and Regulations

 Room Security

Article 11- (1) Students are responsible for the security of their rooms; they should keep their room doors closed and locked.

(2) Students are responsible for any loss or damage that may occur in their rooms or to the personal belongings in their rooms; the Student Housing Office Directorate is not responsible.

(3) For the purpose of ensuring that dormitory rooms are safe and clean as well as determining whether or not the Dormitory Principles and Rules are being complied with, Dormitory Managers or staff may check the dormitories and rooms without prior notice.

(4) Students who temporarily leave their dormitory for a holiday or any other reason must take their personal belongings with them. The Student Housing Office Directorate is not responsible for any items left in the room.

Compensation for Damage/Loss

Article 12- (1) Students staying in the dormitories are required to pay for any damage they have caused to dormitory facilities or furnishings and to pay for such damage or any items missing from among those supplied by the university.

(2) The fee for such damage/loss is charged to the student on the basis of the current repair/ replacement cost.

(3) In case of damage to or loss of dormitory facilities, furnishings or items available for common use, the fee shall be charged to all users, unless the individual responsible for the damage/loss can be determined.

Those Authorized to Decide on Enforcement of Sanctions in Case of Violation of Dormitory Principles and Regulations

Article 13- (1) In cases where a situation or behavior in violation of the Dormitory Principles and Regulations appears to exist, the Dormitories Management conducts an investigation. The Dormitories Management has the authority to warn/sanction students in writing and to impose sanctions of up to seven days in case of any violation of the Dormitory Principles and Regulations.

(2) In cases where a situation or behavior in violation of the Dormitory Principles and Regulations warrants expulsion from the dormitories for more than seven days, the matter is referred to the Dormitories Board upon the proposal of the Dormitories Management and the approval of the Student Housing Office Director.

 Warnings/Sanctions

Article 14- (1) Sanctions applicable to students residing in the dormitories are as follows:

1. Warning
2. Sanction
3. Suspension
4. Expulsion from the dormitory

(2) These sanctions are intended to ensure compliance with the Dormitory Principles and Regulations. They do not become a matter of record in the student files maintained by the Registrar’s Office and are not reported to the Higher Education Council. In cases where an act that warrants dormitory sanctions also constitutes a disciplinary offense as stipulated in the Higher Education Council’s Higher Education Institutions Student Disciplinary Regulations, the act is referred for disciplinary investigation to the faculty, school or institute with which the student is affiliated.

Warning

Article 15- (1) Acts or attitudes displayed in the dormitory that require written notice to students warning them to amend their behavior are as follows:

1. Being rude and disrespectful in their relations with others in the dormitories,
2. Neglecting to maintain their room, the common areas, furnishings, equipment and other items in a clean and orderly manner, or preventing cleaning or spraying of such,
3. Making excessive noise or using audio and/or visual equipment in a way such as to disturb the environs,
4. Not providing, without a valid reason, a timely explanation when such is requested by dormitory officials; avoiding the receipt of letters of summons; or making the work of the dormitory managers difficult,
5. Returning to the dormitories after the curfew hour specified by the Dormitories Management (00.30 for preparatory class students and 02.00 for department students), without permission, three times in a semester,
6. Receiving visitors outside the hours and areas specified by the Dormitories Management,
7. Damaging walls, doors, or fixtures/furnishings/equipment, or transporting the latter to student rooms and/or other areas,
8. Ironing in the room, using an electric heater or cooker, or storing/using flammable and explosive materials such as gas cylinders, candles, or incense in a way that jeopardizes the safety of the dormitory,
9. Using fire extinguishers and fire alarms other than for their intended purpose, or interfering with fire detection systems, security cameras or card access systems,
10. Not complying with the directions or rules set out in announcements made by the Dormitories Management,
11. Changing rooms without informing the Dormitories Management,
12. Keeping alcoholic beverage bottles in the room for any purpose,
13. Parking a vehicle so that it blocks a sidewalk or the entrance to a dormitory,
14. Leaving personal belongings outside the room, hanging them out a window, or placing them on an exterior window ledge,
15. Throwing any object out of a window for any reason, or shouting from a window so as to disturb others or make them uncomfortable,
16. Keeping a pet in the room without the written permission of the Student Housing Office Directorate,
17. Neglecting to keep the kitchen clean and orderly after using it, or cooking in areas other than the kitchen,
18. Leaving a trash can outside the room door during times other than the trash collection hours set by the Dormitories Management.

 Sanction

Article 16- (1) Acts and situations that, according to the regulations, require students to be notified in writing that their behavior in the dormitory has been found to warrant sanctioning are as follows:

1. Using cigarettes, electronic cigarettes or other tobacco products in indoor or outdoor areas of the dormitory premises,
2. Posting an advertisement anywhere without permission,
3. Using the dormitory rooms, facilities and environs for any purpose other than intended and, through such use, causing damage,
4. Providing incorrect information to the Dormitories Management regarding personal telephone numbers, home address, etc., as well as failing to update the Dormitories Management regarding any changes in such information,
5. Consciously damaging the computer network system in a dormitory room; using a wireless modem and / or router other than those provided by the Dormitories Management; damaging internet jacks and cables,
6. Being absent five days in a semester, as recorded by the card entry system, without informing the Dormitories Management.

 Suspension

Article 17- (1) Suspension from residence in the dormitories means temporary eviction of the student from their dormitory for not less than three days and not more than one year.

(2) Acts and situations that lead to suspension from the dormitories are as follows:

1. Fighting,
2. Possessing or consuming alcoholic drinks in dormitory buildings,
3. Having gambling equipment in the room or in other areas of a dormitory building,
4. Giving a room key to or receiving a room key from someone else, for purposes of allowing someone other than the individual(s) to whom a room is allocated to stay in that room or other areas of the dormitory building without permission from the Dormitories Management,
5. Giving a Bilkent University student ID card to someone else, enabling them to enter a room using that card,
6. Disobeying the rules or ignoring the prohibitions instituted by the Dormitories Management; interfering with the managers and employees in the course of their duties; failing to heed warnings,
7. Being absent 15 days or more in a semester without informing the Dormitories Management,
8. Acting in such a way as to disrupt the peace of the dormitories,
9. Entering areas reserved for the use of the opposite sex without permission from the Dormitories Management, or helping others entering such areas.

(3) Students who are suspended from the university or from the dormitories are not allowed to enter the dormitory buildings or stay in the dormitories during the period in question.

(4) Applications for residence in the dormitories during the following semester or academic year by students suspended from the dormitories will be considered only if vacancies remain after places have been allocated to all other applicants.

Expulsion

Article 18- (1) Expulsion from the dormitories refers to the permanent eviction of a student from the dormitories, with no possibility of readmittance.
(2) Acts and situations that lead to expulsion are as follows:

1. Possession and use in the dormitories of weapons, explosives, flammable materials, or injurious or damaging devices or implements,
2. Gambling,
3. Possessing or using drugs, stimulants, etc.
4. Theft,
5. Engaging in offensive or aggressive behavior such as slandering, threatening, insulting, or physically interfering with or assaulting Dormitory Managers or residents,
6. Committing a serious crime or being convicted of such an offense.

Repetition of Sanctioned Behavior

Article 19- (1) A student who repeats the actions or behavior that resulted in their initial sanctioning will incur a sanction of greater severity; similarly, a student who has been subjected to sanctioning for past acts will incur a sanction of greater severity for a new, sanctionable act of a different nature.

Increasing or lessening the severity of sanctions

Article 20- (1) In determining the severity of the sanctions to be imposed, the student’s actions in and outside the dormitory, his attitude toward the Dormitories Management and his classmates, and the situation in which the act in question was committed, as well as other relevant factors, shall be taken into account.

(2) In the event that a student commits acts leading to a variety of sanctions, the most severe of the sanctions pertaining to such acts shall be imposed.

Objections to sanctions

Article 21- (1) A student may appeal a dormitory sanction up to seven business days following the notification date of the sanction. Appeals shall be made in writing to the Dormitories Management for all sanctions other than expulsion; in the case of expulsion, appeals must be made to the Rector’s Office.

(2) The appeal shall not prevent the implementation of the decision to impose a sanction.

Section Five

Miscellaneous Provisions

Vacancies in Dormitory Rooms

Article 22- (1) In order to fill any vacancies that may occur in dormitory rooms as a result of students leaving the dormitories for whatever reason during a semester/term, within a seven-day period following the departure of a student from a dormitory room, the student(s) remaining in the room

1. May transfer to another dormitory or room of the same type, or
2. May find a new roommate(s) to fill the vacancy, provided that they obtain the approval of the Student Housing Office Directorate.

(2) Should the student(s) remaining in the room fail to realize either of the options described in (1)(a) and (b) within seven days, the vacant bed(s) shall be removed and the room’s capacity reduced. If the remaining student(s) wish(es) to continue to stay in the room, they will be charged the fee for the bed.

 Status of Students Who Have Graduated

Article 23 (1) – Students who have graduated are not permitted to stay in the dormitories.

 Closing the Dormitories

Article 24 (1) – The Rector’s Office may close the dormitories in extraordinary situations, either upon its own decision or in response to a proposal by the Dormitories Board.

 Temporary Closure of Dormitory Buildings

Article 25 (1) – During both the summer and semester breaks, the Student Housing Office Directorate may temporarily close some dormitory buildings for purposes such as maintenance/repair or internal planning; students residing in those buildings will be transferred to other dormitories.

Room Changes

Article 26 (1) – The Dormitory Managers may have students change rooms when they deem this necessary; in such case, they shall inform the Student Housing Office Director in writing.

Overnight Guests

Article 27 (1) – Students, even when ill, cannot have friends, family members or others stay overnight with them in the dormitory.

Visitors

Article 28 (1) – Visitors are allowed only in the areas designated by the Dormitories Management as open to visitors between 08.30 and 22.30; a student who is receiving visitors must notify the Dormitories Management.

(2) The student being visited is responsible should the visitors fail to comply with the rules, as well as for any damage they might cause.