Community Rights, Responsibilities & Standards
Living in a residence hall at Texas Tech University means living within a community of students. This community is a dynamic place, composed of various people with different values, cultures, lifestyles and attitudes. As members of the community, we must strive to understand the individuality and life choices of those among us. We can best learn from one another in an atmosphere of positive encouragement and mutual respect. We must possess a genuine desire to learn from those around us, as well as give the respect and tolerance we desire from others. Each person has a role to play in our residence hall community, and should be allowed to do so.
Your community rights include:
- To sleep, study and socialize in your room without disturbance
- To live in a safe, secure, healthy and clean environment
- To be an active member within a supportive and stimulating community
- To gain access to a variety of programs and services
- To grow and develop as a citizen of Texas Tech University through interaction with other members of the community
Your responsibilities in the community include:
- To consider the needs of other residents and to balance them with your own needs
- To provide open communication with other community members and Residence Life staff
- To become involved in the community through participation in the community's government, the planning of events and caring for the facilities and the community environment
- To promote individual and community safety
- To demonstrate dignity and respect for all individuals
The Residence Life staff in each hall/complex is present to assist students in creating a positive living community. They work hard to create a residence hall environment that is conducive to academic, social and personal pursuits that lead to a student's success and graduation from Texas Tech University. By organizing floor meetings, educational interactions and social events, students and staff come together to enjoy all of the benefits and conveniences of living on campus.
Living on campus at Texas Tech University affords you many opportunities to face challenges, achieve success in a variety of areas and grow as an individual. These things only happen when you actively participate and support your residence hall community.
Adapted from In Search of Community, Ernest Boyer, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Community Standards
Housing and Residence Life staff members believe that for residents to be an important part of their residential community, everyone should have the privilege of shaping and building the community. We consider the creation of community standards as a guide for developing communities.
At a floor meeting during the first few weeks of the semester, residents will discuss and determine the standards they would like for their community. The community members discuss how they want to live together, how they will treat one another, how they will utilize their common space, etc. The outcome of developing community standards is for the members to create goals for the year. After the community has determined these standards, they are posted throughout the floor for all the residents and guests to review and follow. Community Standards are considered "living" documents, which means they can be modified if the community agrees to the modifications. These documents are reviewed frequently to make sure they continue to meet the needs of the residents who developed them.
The Community Standards process is a support piece designed to assist residents who live and study in a diverse community. By openly discussing and making group decisions about negotiable items, all students have the opportunity to participate as members of a greater whole.