Handbook & Policies

Highland Community College

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NEW/UPDATED Guest Policy (effective Fall 2023)

Guests Visitation (General Guidelines)

HCC defines guests as any person present in your living space who is not assigned to that living space (except for HCC staff acting in the scope of their duties). Residents of HCC Housing are permitted to host guests under the following (general) conditions:

Any guest must be acceptable to all other residents of the specific living space (i.e., apartment).
- Any resident has the right to reject any guest in their assigned living area (apartment) for any reason, even if they previously accepted a guest's presence.
- If a guest is not acceptable to all of the residents assigned to the living space, they must depart immediately.
No resident may host a guest previously trespassed from HCC Housing facilities.
(It is the resident's responsibility to know if their guest is permitted, and they may be held responsible for hosting an unauthorized guest.)
A host is responsible for the behavior of their guest, and if a guest violates HCC policy, the host(s) may also be held accountable for their guest's violations
(HCC defines a host as any of the residents of a living space who have consented to a guest in their living space, even if they did not specifically invite the guest.)
No guest may be left unattended in a living space without at least one host/resident from that living space present.
No guest may be granted keys or access to an HCC Housing space, without a host present, without the written approval of full-time HCC Housing staff (RAs may not grant access to a guest without the host present).

Overnight Visitation

Residents of HCC Housing may host overnight guests. An overnight guest will be any guest (see Guest definition) present in HCC housing facilities between the hours of Midnight and 6:00 AM. This definition will include guests who arrive/depart during said overnight guest hours; therefore, a guest need not stay through the duration of the overnight visitation period to be considered an overnight guest.

All overnight guests (HCC Housing residents not included) must be registered for security purposes. Registration must be completed at least 24 hours in advance, using HCC online registration form (Overnight Guest Registration Form).

HCC retains the right to know who is present in its facilities; therefore, an unregistered overnight guest will be asked to depart immediately and or trespassed if not registered. Hosts may be charged with violating this policy if they fail to register an overnight guest.

HCC makes exceptions to this registration rule for other HCC Housing residents who are not otherwise violating policy or other staff directives while present in another resident's living space during the overnight guest hours (current HCC Housing residents need not register as but will count as an overnight guest if present between Midnight and 6:00 AM).

The following restrictions apply to overnight guest visits, in addition to the general rules regarding guests.

A resident/host/apartment is permitted only one overnight guest per resident assigned to that living space, who must also be present for the overnight stay; therefore, the number of overnight guests in a living space may not be more than double the number of assigned residents, present at the time of the visitation (including other HCC Housing residents).

(HCC reserves the right to send guests away if the number of people and or if the activities in which persons are engaging present a hazard to health/safety or violate other HCC policies.)

A resident/host/apartment may NOT have overnight guests for more than two consecutive nights in a row and no more than ten (10) overnight stays in a semester.
(HCC reserves the right to send away or trespass an overnight guest if there are signs of subletting or other forms of squatting.)
The guest/host must maintain proof of guest registration for review upon request from HCC staff; failing to provide proof of registration may be grounds to remove an overnight guest.
An overnight guest may NOT use an unassigned/vacant room/bed in an apartment.
(It is the host's responsibility to provide sleeping accommodation for their guest, which may not include using furniture or other HCC equipment from other units or bedrooms to which they are not assigned.)

Minors (Under 18 Years Old)

HCC prohibits babysitting or other forms of childcare in its residential facilities. A legal guardian must always accompany any minor who visits HCC housing facilities. HCC Housing residents under 18 who have completed the required paperwork to be housed in HCC facilities are exempt from being accompanied by a legal guardian. No minors except HCC Housing residents may be present in HCC Housing facilities during the overnight guest hours (Midnight to 6:00 AM).

Guest Exceptions