Living in College:
Rules and Conditions 2

Inventories are placed in all rooms before the start of the Michaelmas Term. They should be checked, signed and returned to the Housekeeper within the first week of occupancy. Furniture or carpets may not be moved from one room to another, or put in corridors, or moved outside the building, and curtains are not to be taken down. Mattresses are not to be used on the floor.

Remember that others will occupy your room after you, and that it must be maintained in an acceptable state. Nails and drawing pins, sellotape, Blu-tack and White tack damage paintwork and are therefore not to be used to fix posters, pictures, notices or anything else to the walls. Blu-tack and White tack may only be used on non-painted wooden surfaces. Most rooms have been provided with pin-boards and picture rails, and you can collect three pairs of poster-frames from the Housekeeper.

You will be charged for any damage to the fabric, decoration, furniture or fittings. Charges will reflect the actual cost of repair or replacement, and are therefore likely to be high; there may also be an additional financial penalty in recognition of the extra work caused for the College staff. Charges for damage to communal areas of a staircase or College house will be split equally among the students living there.

Do not leave your own shower attachments in bathrooms. On a number of occasions flood damage has been caused when shower attachments are left hanging over the edges of baths with taps not fully turned off.

Security

For the most part, a College is a relatively safe environment. However, thefts and other intrusions do occasionally occur, and it is important that you take all sensible precautions. Never leave your room unlocked, even when you are in an adjacent toilet or shower. Never let your keys go out of your possession. Avoid leaving valuable items on view, especially in ground-floor rooms. Never let people into your room unless you know them. Keep gyp rooms locked. If you live on the ground floor, never leave your room without locking the windows. At the Colony always ensure that the outer door of your house or hostel is kept locked. If you are inside a room which has electronic card access, do not open the door to anybody without a card. If you are concerned about any aspect of security, you should in the first instance draw it to the attention of the Porters. Report all crimes and suspicious persons or incidents immediately to the Porters. CCTV cameras are used within the College to deter crime and assist the personal safety of students.

The Gates to Old Court and Memorial Court are locked at 2.00 am during Full Term, and at midnight outside Full Term. After gate closure, Old Court residents can use their access card to enter and exit the Court via the side passage gate adjacent to Trinity Lane, beside the Chapel. (Access can only be gained via the gate on the Avenue in Queens Road.) Memorial Court residents can similarly use the W basement door. Residents of both Courts will be responsible for the entry and exit of their own guests.

Insurance

Your own possessions are your own responsibility. They are not covered by any College insurance, nor can the College accept responsibility for any loss or damage. Check whether you are, or can cheaply be, fully covered by your parents' insurance. If not, you are strongly advised to take out insurance yourself. Some companies run special schemes for student insurance, so it may be as well for you to shop around.

Storage Out-of-Term

During the Christmas and Easter vacations all personal possessions (other than those items that you are able to store in your own lockable area - lockable chest or part of wardrobe) must be removed. This applies to all students who have a Standard Lease. The housekeeping staff cannot be expected to package and label anything left in your room or in the gyp-rooms after your own occupancy has ended. Such things will be assumed to be surplus to your requirements, and will be disposed of. You will be charged for any additional work for the staff to clear and dispose of your possessions. The College can provide limited storage space for the possessions of some students over the summer vacation (eg for students living abroad). Students who wish to store their possessions should apply to the Housekeeper, in writing, at least three weeks before they are due to leave.

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Pets, Bicycles, Televisions, pianos, personal furniture, Cars.

Students may not keep pets of any kind in any part of the College.

Bicycles should be stored in one of the two secure cycle stores (one in Memorial Court and one in the Colony), accessed via the University card. Bicycles can also be secured to the outside racks provided.  All bicycles must be registered at the Porters' Lodge, and will be allocated a number. The College accepts no liability for the security of bicycles. Bicycles may not be taken into the Courts or into rooms, or left near doorways and entrances.

Television sets belonging to students must be licensed, unless they are battery-operated, in which case the set may be covered by the licence of the user's parents.

First-year students with pianos are housed on the ground floor, and pianists are expected to choose ground-floor rooms in their subsequent years. All student-owned and hired pianos must be removed from rooms no later than the last Thursday of the Easter Term (the Thursday of May Week, after the end of Full Term). This is to make space for the additional beds which are moved into student rooms over the summer. Cambridge Pianoforte Services (01223 424007) can store pianos over the vacation, for a charge.

Do not bring your own furniture into any student accommodation. This includes curtains, mattresses, futons and hammocks. Do not remove any College furniture from your room.

If you wish to keep a car in Cambridge, you will need a permit from the University Motor Proctor. Permits are given only with the support of Colleges, and you should apply to the Steward (during his normal Tutorial hours). Parking spaces on College property are extremely limited, and on-street parking in Cambridge is mostly by Residence Permit. Graduate students in houses or flats can normally expect their applications to be successful, but permits for undergraduates are granted only where there is a demonstrable need.

Telephones:   An information pack will be available on arrival.  This will tell you how to access your land line.

Phone cards can be purchased from the Porters.

e-mail: All students are allocated an e-mail address. All College rooms have the facility for a computer connection, and there are e-mail terminals at all the main College sites (see the `Facilities and Amenities' Section of the Handbook). Internal memos and notices in the College and the University are increasingly sent by e-mail, so check your inbox regularly.

Safety

Fire is probably the biggest single danger in multiple-occupancy buildings. Failure to observe fire regulations and procedures can have potentially catastrophic consequences, for yourself and for many others.

Legislation under the Health and Safety at Work Act stipulates that you are responsible for the safety of all electrical appliances of any sort which may be connected to a College socket. Cables, connectors, and plugs must be visually checked regularly for signs of wear or poor connection. DANGER: Incorrectly wired appliances or faulty equipment can kill or cause serious injury. If you have any doubts as to the safety of your appliances, please notify the Buildings Manager immediately.  Maintenance Reporting system

Irons and ironing boards may only be used in the laundry rooms, where they are provided. For the regulations relating to cooking appliances (electric kettles, microwave ovens, toasters, sandwich makers etc), see the section on 'Food and Drink' in this Handbook.

You should have a "Fire Action Notice" in your room. Read it, and remember the Assembly Point. Ensure that you know the escape routes in the event of fire. ALWAYS respond promptly to fire alarms, even if you suspect it may be a false alarm or "merely" a fire drill. Fire doors should never be wedged open, or obstructed by furniture. Candles are not allowed in rooms. Never light fires in the grates of rooms with fireplaces. The fire escape route from rooms is down the nearest staircase.  In Old Court on H Staircase, there are also two alternative routes from rooms H5a and H13.

Never tamper with the fire alarms. Never tamper with the fire extinguishers. If you suspect you know of an empty extinguisher, report the fact immediately to the Support Services team, so that the appliance can be returned to working order.  Landings, stairways and all public areas which will be a route of escape in case of fire must be kept clear. Do not leave any personal property or other items whatsoever in such areas. Regular inspections will be made of these areas, and disciplinary action may be taken if this rule is broken as fire safety is of paramount importance.

Warning about the River Cam

For students' own protection, Clare College has banned entry into the Cam from any college property, including the bridge and river banks. In May 2006, there was a terrible accident in which a student nearly died after falling on to a broken punt pole hidden below the surface of the river. Students should recognise that the river is potentially extremely dangerous, because it contains submerged bicycles and other objects, is muddy and weedy, and can carry diseases; the risk of drowning is especially high after eating or drinking alcohol. In addition, it is illegal to swim in the river along the Backs apart from places that have been specifically authorised by the Cam Conservators; jumping into the river from a bridge or a boat is also illegal if it causes annoyance or risks injuring anyone. As this is a major health and safety issue, any transgressions will be regarded very seriously.

Environmental protection

(a) Sharp Boxes and Sanitary Towel Containers

Legislation under the Environmental Protection Act requires that sharp items which have been in bodily contact (eg needles used for first aid and by diabetics) must be disposed of separately from rubbish. Sharp boxes are available in each Porters' Lodge. The Act also requires that sanitary towels must be disposed of separately, and containers are provided for this purpose.

(b) Recycling

There are facilities for the collection of glass and tins in Old Court passage, near the secure compounds in Memorial Court and at the Colony. The Buildings, Amenities and Green Committee (BAG for short) urges you to use them. Glass and bottles must be sorted by colour and placed in the appropriate bin. Please keep these areas tidy.