RESOURCES FOR CURRENT STUDENTS

Prevention and Educational Efforts

• Residents are told not to bring: hot plates, toaster ovens, space heaters, any appliance with an open heating element, candles, incense, and potpourri burners.
• All appliances and cords must be UL-approved.
• The Department of Environmental Health & Safety provides information and safety brochures for Campus Fire Safety.
• Floor plans, evacuation routes, evacuation assembly locations, drill procedures, and fire safety policies are reviewed by RA’s during their first floor meeting.
• Laminated floor plans and evacuation routes are publicly posted on each floor of each residence hall.
• The University celebrates Fire Prevention Week to promote Campus Fire Safety

Enforcement

• Students will be fined heavily and are subject to other judicial action for any violation of Fire Safety
• Fire/Health Safety inspections are conducted for every room three times per year. Violations are documented with a corrective action plan implemented.

Evacuation Drills

• Evacuation drills are conducted to practice Emergency Preparedness such as escape routes & evacuation plans.
• Unannounced drill conducted each semester, including summer session.
• This joint effort involves Residence Life, Public Safety, Environmental Health & Safety and Facilities Management departments.

Evacuation Drill Process

• Alarm pulled by Facilities Management;
• Evacuation assistance and movement to the designated assembly area by Residence Life and Public Safety;
• FMS representatives check for proper operation of alarm horns, exit and stairwell lights, fire doors, and presence of fire extinguishers;
• Public Safety headquarters check to insure alarm relay working properly;
• Evacuation maintained until Public Safety and Fire Department sounds "all clear";
• FMS, Public Safety, EH&S, and Residence Life follow-up as required.

Equipment

• Comprehensive alarm system installed in every building.
• FMS checks & tests fire alarm systems, smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers.
• Buildings zoned with sensitive smoke detectors that sound alarm for smoke or fumes.
• Alarms sound in building and also sent to Public Safety department manned 24/7.
• The Annunciator panel at the main entrance identifies the location of tripped detector or pull box.
• The strobe light at top of each building alerts the fire department to the correct building.
• Sprinklers are an important part of the fire protection system. All residential living areas are equipped with sprinkler systems in student rooms and common areas.
• All Villanova halls are equipped with fast-acting smoke detectors that sound fire alarms when triggered.
• All hallways are equipped with fire extinguishers; all apartment kitchens have extinguishers.
• Doors and interior walls are one-hour fire-rated, i.e., would take a fire one hour to burn through these items and reach a corridor.

Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Before a fire:

• Students should know the location and route for their first and second means of egress
• Students should keep fire doors closed.
• Students should know the location of all fire extinguishers in their area.
  (Note: Do not attempt to extinguish a fire unless you have been trained or the fire is between you and the exit.)

Whether you sense a fire or the building fire alarm system is activated, put the evacuation procedures in action.

Never ignore a fire alarm!

When a fire alarm sounds, you must evacuate the building. In the event of a fire alarm or if a student suspects a fire:

1. Activate the building alarm. (Pull the alarm on your way out of the building if the alarm horn is not already suspended.)
2. Call Public Safety (610) 519-4444 …give as much information as possible. Your first action should be to grab your room keys and proceed to the nearest exit. Be sure to alert any other occupants in the room.
3. Evacuate from the building quickly and quietly. (If the hallway is clear of smoke, walk to the nearest fire exit and evacuate the building. Close your door behind you. Leave the fire fighting to the professionals.)
   1. Feel the door from top to bottom: if it is hot, do not open. Keep calm. If trapped in a room, do the following if possible.
      1. Place towels or clothing, preferably wet under the door to keep smoke out.
      2. Clear the window of blinds, attract attention. If you have a phone available contact Public Safety at (610) 519-4444 and tell the dispatcher that you are trapped, give your name and room number.
      3. Stay low; breathe fresh air near the ground.
      4. Stay calm and await help.
   2. If the door is cool, crouch low and open the door slowly. Close the door quickly if smoke or fire is present.
   3. If it is clear, exit via the nearest stairwell. Stay low if smoke conditions exist. Report to your designated evacuation area.
   4. If you encounter heavy smoke in a stairwell, go back and use an alternate route.
4. Never use elevators! Elevators will stop during a fire.
5. Follow the evacuation plan established for this building.
6. Do not re-enter this building until instructed by Public Safety and/or
   Fire Department.
7. Tampering with or misuse of fire safety equipment is illegal. Violators are subject to appropriate sanctions and prosecution.

Most residence halls have standard twin-size mattresses measuring 36x76x7. Both standard size and extra-long twin sheets will fit the mattress. All rooms and apartments in The Commons will have extra-long mattresses.

For students assigned to buildings where extra-long mattresses are not standard, Residence Life has a limited supply of extra-long mattresses measuring 36x80x7, which are available upon request and based on need. Requests should be limited to those over 6'2" in height. These mattresses require extra-long twin-sized sheets. Students can request an extra-long mattress when they complete the housing application or by contacting the Office for Residence Life.

Laundry facilities are located in all residence halls. Each load (wash and dry) costs $1.50. Students use their Wildcard to pay for laundry; no need to bring quarters! VLaundry allows students to view the current status of every laundry facility on campus, reserve specific machines, and find out when the machines in your building will be available.

MicroFridge rentals are available this year directly from Campus Specialties, Inc. The MicroFridge multipliance provides students with a convenient way to prepare and store snacks in their rooms. The MicroFridge comes complete with a microwave, freezer, and a refrigerator. Please note that only one MicroFridge or refrigerator/microwave is permitted per room.

Campus Specialties will set up the unit in student rooms and will pick it up at the end of the Spring Semester. If anything goes wrong with the unit, Campus Specialties will replace it. The MicroFridge is available for a yearly rental price of $199.99.

Villanova provides free wireless Internet access throughout the campus. It is readily available in all academic and residence halls to all students, faculty and staff .

Villanova's wireless network SSID is "VUMobile". To connect, simply click on VUMobile on your computers list of available wireless networks and enter in your Villanova user name and password. This will work for any computer running Windows Vista or higher and Mac OS X 10.5 or higher.

Trouble connecting? Please email UNIT User Support or call the UNIT Help Desk at 610-519-7777.

Available in all Villanova residence halls, Xfinity TV is delivered via co-axial cable to each residence hall. Providing over 100 channels, Students can watch this channel line-up by connecting their TV directly to the co-axial cable jack in their room. To learn more about the Xfinity Cable TV offering be sure to visit our site about Cable TV on campus.

What You Need to Connect

Students must provide their own coaxial cable cord; which can be obtained at any electronics store or on-line retailer.

Your TV must be able to accept a coax cable input and be equipped with a QAM digital tuner. Most major brand flat screen TVs manufactured after 2006 come equipped with a QAM digital tuner. QAM is used to receive digital channels without use of a cable box. If your TV isn't supported, you may choose to purchase a set-top QAM Tuner, replace your TV, or elect to exclusively use XFINITY On Campus.

What if I have trouble with my service?

If you have an issue with your cable TV or need assistance in tuning it, please email UNIT User Support or call the UNIT Help Desk at 610-519-7777.  

The University’s property insurance only covers property that is owned by the University. It does not cover damage to students' personal property. It is highly recommended that students insure their own personal property via their parent’s homeowners insurance or a renters/tenants insurance policy. It is important to confirm with your homeowners insurance carrier that student’s property (including computers and other electronics) will be fully covered for loss while housed outside of the family dwelling.

As stated in the Student Handbook and the housing contract, the University assumes no legal obligation to pay for loss of or damage to items of student’s personal property occurring on campus or in its buildings or storage areas.

Remove Decorations and Personal Items

• All decorative items, including but not limited to corkboards, mirrors, shelving, posters, hooks, decals, stickers, etc. must be removed.
  
• Decals, stickers, marks, tape, adhesive, nails, "Stick-Up" Air Fresheners, and lettering on ceilings, doors, furniture, walls and windows should be cleaned off and/or removed.

Walls

• Do not attempt to repair and/or paint damaged walls in your room or apartment. Doing so usually results in additional repair costs to the University and student.

Furniture

• All University furnishings present in your room at the time of check-in must be in your room at departure. Replacement costs will be assessed for missing furniture.
  
• Furnishings and other items that are the personal property of residents, such as couches, chairs, rugs, shelves, headboards, etc., must be removed from your room/suite/apartment prior to departure.
  
• Dumpsters will be located near residence halls to assist with  disposal.
• Do not un-bunk or re-bunk your beds. Professional movers will complete these tasks.

You will be assessed a labor charge for the removal of all personal items left in your room/suite/apartment.

Leave Your Room/Suite/Apartment Clean

• Prior to departure, please remove all trash from your room/suite/apartment and sweep the floors.
  
• Students who leave trash in their rooms/suite/apartment will be assessed a Custodial Service charge for trash removal.

Storage is not available on the University campus. Additionally, drop-off storage pods are not permitted on campus due to parking and space restrictions. Off-campus storage facilities are available in the local area.

Students may choose to contract directly with a company that provides residence hall pick-up in the spring, storage for the summer, and delivery to a new residence hall in the fall. Students will work directly with the chosen company and all questions or concerns should be directed to the company.

Because of University insurance requirements, the companies below are the only businesses permitted access to campus and University residence halls. The names are provided for your convenience at the request of the outside vendors. Please note that the University does not endorse any of the companies listed.

• A-Plus College Storage
• College Butler
  
• Storage Scholars
• Ship My Room
• Campus Storage

• Students participating in Commencement or individuals unable to vacate their residence halls by the closing date must register for Extended Stay Housing.

• Students who have registered and been approved for Extended Stay Housing will be permitted to remain on campus until the specified date and time.
  

• Students registered for Summer Housing need to depart residence halls by the closing date, unless otherwise approved by Residence Life. Summer Housing residents will receive additional information at a later date.

If you've rented a MicroFridge for the year, Campus Specialties will pick up the unit at the end of the spring semester. Students do not need to move the MicroFridge from their room upon move-out.