Evening Accountability

Residents Under 22 Years of Age

Andrews University’s residential community is committed to implementing accountability initiatives to promote whole-person education for success and safety.

Though curfews vary by class standing, room check for all University Towers residents under the age of 22 is at 11:00 pm Sunday-Friday, and 1:00 am Saturday night. At room check time you are required to register your presence in the residence hall with the front desk worker. It is your responsibility to get checked in each night. Also see curfew.

Grace Period

Because of the discrepancies between individual watches and clocks, and in the event that you run into a long line at the gatehouse, a grace period of 15 minutes beyond your curfew will be given.

Late Entrance

Coming in after the grace period has expired but within an hour and a half of your curfew is considered late. A memo will be sent to each student who is late. A student returning later than an hour and half will be considered late again and will receive another late memo up to 4am.

Unaccounted For

Residents who return after 4 am or fail to account for themselves at room check time will be considered “Unaccounted For”. A resident must meet with a dean in this situation within 24 hours. Residence hall staff will ask for and utilize your cell phone numbers in instances in which you are not located on a given night. Should you not make contact within a 24 hour time period, you can expect parents, roommates, and friends to be notified in order to determine your safety. An “Unaccounted For” may result in suspension.

Memos

When a resident receives an evening accountability memo to see a Dean, they must do so immediately, leaving written notice if the dean is not in.

Special Late Leaves

Special late leaves are given under extremely rare and special circumstances, and must be arranged in advance with a Dean. If a medical or auto emergency prevents your timely return, you should contact the Dean on duty (not the receptionist at Desk), before the time of your class curfew. You may be asked to give the number from which you are calling, and to provide repair receipts upon your return: the burden of proof will always be yours. We encourage you to plan your activities well and use your minor lates wisely.

Overnight Leaves, General

AU takes seriously the safety and well-being of its residents, and extends this concern to knowing where residents are any night they are not in the residence hall. When planning an overnight absence, all residents must submit an overnight leave (OV) for approval by a Dean or SD. Graduates, Grad Honor status and Senior/21 Honor status residents must submit an Overnight Leave (to an appropriate/host location) but need not wait for approval.

OV requests should be in at least 24 hours before leaving. After that time, you must speak directly with the Dean on Duty. Approval is NOT automatic, so do not leave campus until your leave has been approved. A copy is sent to the parent/s or legal guardians of all but graduate, grad stat & senior honor/21 honor status students.

Approved OVs must be used to spend the entire night (till 5 am) at the location stated on the leave, not to be used in order to return to the Residence Hall past curfew: OVs are canceled at any time residents fail to go to the approved location or when they return to the Residence Hall during an OV. If plans change after an OV has been approved, such as going to another destination, arriving back earlier than anticipated or deciding not to go, the resident is responsible for notifying the Dean on duty to cancel OV or arrange a new OV. Deans may call or write to verify an OV or a student’s safe arrival, or may send a copy of any leave to parent/s or legal guardians or hosts, especially if the request seems to indicate late or all-night travel, or other causes for concern.

Personal honesty is expected in this area, as in any other. Failure to get an OV approved, failure to go where indicated on OV, or any other misuse will result in a Letter of Warning, Residence Hall Probation, and/or Suspension, with copies to parent/s or legal guardians.

Parental Permission Forms

Parents may choose to complete a parental permission form outlining specific homes where they are ok with their daughter staying overnight. In this way, we may be able to approve locations that the university might not otherwise allow. Forms are in your entrance packet and are available at the Front Desk. Parent-signed forms, once turned in to the deans, are also mailed home.

“Community” Residents

If your family or friend lives in town, but you rent a room in a Residence Hall, you are expected to actually “live” in your hall. Of course, occasional overnight leaves to home are expected, but residents will be expected to spend more than 50% of each week (excepting school vacations) in their residence hall room. All usual curfews, late entrances limitations, co-curricular attendance requirements, etc. will apply. If you live here, you get all the benefits and all the responsibilities as well.

“Community” Residents

If your family lives in town, but you rent a room in University Towers, you are expected to actually live in University Towers. Of course, occasional overnight leaves to home are expected, but the resident will be expected to spend more than 50% of each week (excepting school vacations) in their University Towers room. All usual curfews, late entrances limitations, co-curricular attendance requirements, etc. will apply.

Overnight Leave Designations

The full name of host family (e.g. Dr. & Mrs. Paul Brown) and correct phone number must be indicated on OV request before it can be considered. OVs will normally be approved without additional invitation when going to a family home, and OVs to non-family homes will generally require additional invitation or confirmation.

There are places to which Andrews University Residence Hall Deans will not approve your overnight leave request. For example, OVs will not be approved to the home of a single person of the opposite gender living apart from their family, whether or not host or parental calls express their ok, and regardless of your honor status.

Family Homes

Overnight requests to family homes will generally be approved without additional invitation (see exceptions below). A family home is considered to be one with adult supervision, and includes the following:

  • Your own home
  • A home with parent or married host/s present throughout visit.
  • A home with responsible (no citizenship concerns) person 25 years of age or older present throughout your visit.

Exceptions: However, an invitation from the host family must be received by e-mail or phone, prior to departure, for each and every overnight leave requested when going to:

  • The family home of a opposite gendered friend: with parent/s or legal guardian present throughout your visit.
  • Any other family home within 30 miles of the University.

Non-family Homes

Overnight requests to generally will be approved to non-family homes only with additional invitation/permission. A non–family home is considered to be one in which there is no adult supervision, or in which you will be in the company of a single, same-sex friend under 25.

  • To gain approval to a non-family home, a resident must initiate her parent/s or legal guardians’ permission, communicated to the Dean by letter or phone prior to departure, for each OV requested
  • Since co-ed unsponsored trips falls under the category of non-family home, co-ed trips will be approved only with a married or same sex staff/faculty sponsor present throughout the trip who has made appropriate prior arrangements with the Dean; it is the student’s responsibility to have the sponsor contact the Dean in a timely fashion.
  • Overnight visits to another campus’ residence hall are considered a non-family home, and will require advance parental approval.
  • Under no circumstance will a single opposite gendered home be approved for any resident’s overnight stay, for any resident, including graduate, senior/21-honor status.
  • When “house-sitting” where the parent/s or legal guardians will not be at home, you’ll need approval from your parent/s or legal guardians.
  • parental permission slip is available at the front desk. Have it filled out if you already know of a non-family home (including faculty homes) where you hope to spend some nights.

Room Check

Room check begins at 11:00 pm Sunday through Friday and 1:00 am Saturday night. Each resident with a curfew is required to check in at the front desk to facilitate the night census. It is your responsibility to get checked in!

Since every opportunity is made available by which you may be accounted for, failure to do so will be considered an un-excused all-night absence from the Residence Hall, and serious discipline, which may be a letter of warning, probation or suspension, will follow accordingly, with copies mailed to parent/s or legal guardian.

Signing In and Out

After lobby closing, all entrances and exits must be made via the Main Entrance, and after that time all residents and visitors of every status who enter or leave are required to personally and accurately sign in/out, and must present a valid ID card. Failure to sign in honestly may result in probation/removal of privileges, and revoking of honor status. Residents should never leave after their curfew without authorization. Emergency requests, even in the middle of the night, may be directed to the Dean on duty. Exiting any door, other than the Main Entrance, may result in a fine of up to $500 and a citizenship response.

Residents 22 years of age and older or who qualify for no curfew

Students 22 or older or in a graduate program do not have an evening curfew and will not be accounted for or checked in during the evening check in process.

Overnight Leaves

Students 22 and older or in a graduate program are strongly encouraged to fill out an overnight leave notification on the Andrews web page. This information is used for emergency and safety only. Please let us know if you will not be staying in the residence hall overnight.