What is the occupancy standard that houses must maintain?
What is the role of Facilities Services in Fraternity and Sorority Housing?
What is the role of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs in Fraternity and Sorority Housing?
What is the role of Residential Services in Fraternity and Sorority Housing?
What is the University's expectation for houses at academic year-end?
Who is required to live in the house?
Who is responsible for providing bedroom furniture in the houses?
Who is responsible for the common area furniture in the house?
How are room charges, meal plan rates, and house and parlor fees set?
Is the personal property of the Fraternity and Sorority residents covered by the house or University insurance?
What right of entry to the leased premises does Lehigh (landlord) have?
What type of insurance must the Fraternity and Sorority houses have?
What type of Lease and Housing Agreements are required by the University?
Who owns the fraternity and sorority houses?
Are air conditioners permitted in Fraternity and Sorority houses?
How is student damage processed?
What are the guidelines for painting individual bedrooms and common areas?
What contracted services does the University provide to the fraternities and sororities?
What inspections does the University perform throughout the academic year?
Who develops long-term facilities maintenance and capital renewal plans?
Who is responsible for custodial services in the houses?
Who is responsible for maintenance and repairs in the houses?
Are there penalties for tampering with fire safety equipment?
Whose responsibility is it to keep the Fraternity and Sorority Houses secure?
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Fraternity and Sorority Housing
What is the occupancy standard that houses must maintain?
The occupancy standard for fraternity and sorority houses beginning with the 2005-2006 academic year is 90% based upon newly established house capacity counts. Only chapter members living in the house and exempt members living outside the house will be counted toward the occupancy number. Chapters falling below the 90% occupancy rate for 3 semesters in a row will lose group housing privileges.
What is the role of Facilities Services in Fraternity and Sorority Housing?
The Office of Facilities Services reports to the Vice President for Finance and Administration and is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of our Greek Houses to ensure a safe and healthy living environment for our residents.
What is the role of Fraternity & Sorority Affairs in Fraternity and Sorority Housing?
Fraternity & Sorority Affairs work closely with chapter alumni and actives in promoting fraternity and sorority life on campus. They are responsible for advising houses on issues such as recruitment, membership, education, leadership, meeting University standards, and accreditation.
What is the role of Residential Services in Fraternity and Sorority Housing?
The Office of Residential Services is part of the Office of Student Auxiliary Services that reports to the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and has the responsibility of acting as landlords for the University. All leases with alumni corporations and housing agreements with residents, originate in the Office of Residential Services. Residential Services works closely with the Office of Facilities Services to ensure that these University assets are well maintained. Residential Services also provides billing services for all fraternity and sorority student charges related to room charges, board rates and house and parlor fees.
What is the University's expectation for houses at academic year-end?
The University expects students to maintain a clean and safe environment throughout the year. It is, therefore, the expectation at year-end that the facility will be clean and in good order and condition; reasonable wear and tear is expected. This condition holds true for common areas as well as bedrooms. In addition, students must remove all personal property from their student rooms, including beds and lofts if they were supplied by the resident. The only items remaining in the room should be the University supplied furniture. The University reserves the right to remove and dispose of any personal property that remains. Students shall pay any charges or expenses incurred in the disposal of such property.
Who is required to live in the house?
As of 2005-2006, all second-year students are required to live on campus. If they are a member of a Greek organization, they are required to live in their fraternity or sorority house as a second year student. Although junior and senior members will not be required to live in the houses, it will be an expectation that they will, unless the chapter is at the required occupancy. It is felt that the privilege of membership and of independent group living on the campus should carry responsibilities for sustaining continuity and stability within the chapter. Making the commitment to live in the chapter house should, therefore, be a fundamental expectation of membership, with exceptions allowed. Each fraternity and sorority has a particular set of rules and regulations which may affect which members are required to live in a house. Additional information can be obtained from individual fraternities or sororities regarding this question.
Who is responsible for providing bedroom furniture in the houses?
The University is responsible for providing all bedroom furniture in all University owned houses.
Who is responsible for the common area furniture in the house?
Common area furnishings (furniture, area rugs, draperies, etc.) are the collective and shared responsibility of the chapter, including alumni, but must be reviewed and approved by the University through the Office of Residential Services, prior to any additions to the house.
How are room charges, meal plan rates, and house and parlor fees set?
Room charge - The room charge for all fraternity and sorority members is set by the University and it is the same amount for all residents of our Greek housing system. All fraternities and sororities as well as the residence halls are now included in a common residential financial system. The University projects the costs for such items as; building maintenance, custodial services, utilities, insurance related to Lehigh's role as landlord (this is not to be confused with insurance procured by each house, the costs of which are included in House/Parlor fees), trash removal, cable television, exterminator services, etc. These costs are absorbed by the single room charge set for fraternities and sororities. Board rate, House and Parlor fees - Meal plan rate, House and Parlor fees are all set and billed by the house leadership. These rates and fees cover the cost of supplying a meal plan to the house, as well as other important fraternity and sorority costs. These costs include: content insurance for house owned items and other insurance costs related to lease required coverage, recruitment, house supplies, business meeting expenses, misc. expenses, composite photography, national organization expenses, etc. The costs are then charged to all members as determined by the house.
The University acts as the billing agent for all fraternities and sororities and works with the Bursar's office to apply all charges to individual student accounts for room charges only.
Is the personal property of the Fraternity and Sorority residents covered by the house or University insurance?
Personal property of the residents living in fraternities or sororities is not covered by the house or University insurance. Residents should cover their personal property through renter's insurance purchased by the resident at his/her option, or their parent's homeowner's insurance.
What right of entry to the leased premises does Lehigh (landlord) have?
In addition to all the rights of entry, lessor (Lehigh) has by-laws and under other provisions of the house lease, lessor may enter the leased premises at any time in case of emergency and otherwise at reasonable times for any of the following reasons:
- to inspect the condition of the building;
- to inspect for fire and health hazards;
- to make repairs, installments, additions, or alterations to the rooms or to the building, to paint same, or to perform housekeeping functions;
- to remove personal property, equipment, placards, signs, fixtures, alterations, or additions to the leased premises that are in violation of the lease;
- to verify room occupancy, and
- to search by authorized University officials when there is cause to believe that a violation of University regulations is being, or has been, committed. (See lease agreement for more details on this.)
What type of insurance must the Fraternity and Sorority houses have?
Fraternities and Sororities are required to carry insurance coverage (e.g. Commercial Liability, Fire Legal Liability, Loss of Income, Extra Expense etc.) as outlined in the Lease between the House Corporations and the University. Please refer to the Lease for more detailed information.
What type of Lease and Housing Agreements are required by the University?
The University requires a Lease to be signed between the University and the Fraternity/Sorority House Corporations or Alumni Associations. This lease is for the academic year and is renewable on a yearly basis. The University requires a separate housing agreement to be signed between the residents living in fraternities and sororities and the University.
Who owns the fraternity and sorority houses?
Lehigh University owns all the fraternity and sorority houses. All University owned houses are leased to Greek Alumni Associations on a yearly basis through the Office of Residential Services, which acts as landlord in coordinating billing services and managing leases, among other services.
Are air conditioners permitted in Fraternity and Sorority houses?
Any student who has a medical condition that requires air conditioning in his/her room as part of their prescribed treatment must have a Medical Request for use of an Air Conditioner Form completed by the Primary Care Physician, Allergist, Pulmonologist, or Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist on file with the Office of Residential Services.
Students should have submitted this form prior to assignment so that they could be accommodated in an air-conditioned space by the house leadership. Forms submitted after assignment will be discussed by house leadership and alumni. All students living in an air conditioned space must fill out an Air Conditioning Policy and Contract. Any student with a Medical Request for use of an Air Conditioner Form on file who is not placed into an air conditioned space must fill out an Air Conditioning Waiver.
Air conditioning is permanently installed in 6 rooms of each house as selected by the alumni and the house leadership. There will be no installation fee charged directly to the student.
All air conditioners are owned and installed by Lehigh University hired staff and will remain in windows year round. Maintenance concerns regarding the air conditioning units are to be reported as a work order to Facilities Services. Air conditioner filters will be checked and changed as necessary over breaks.
Air conditioners are not to be removed or tampered with by the resident(s) under any circumstance. Unauthorized air conditioner units will be removed and the resident responsible will be fined.
How is student damage processed?
Residents of the house, coordinated through the house manager, and University personnel report work orders for maintenance concerns in the house. Work orders are reviewed by University personnel and those that fall out of the realm of normal “wear and tear” are sent to House Leadership as student damage. The house leadership will assign the charges to those individuals responsible for causing the damage. In the event that those individuals cannot be identified, the cost of the repair will be shared among the residents of the fraternity/sorority. It should be noted that the student damage billing process described above will only be initiated for University property. Any costs associated with Fraternity/Sorority property must be recouped outside of the University billing procedures and done through the House Corporation.
What are the guidelines for painting individual bedrooms and common areas?
The Offices of Residential Services and Facilities Services have been charged by the Board of
Trustees to address the physical features of each house so that those students living in fraternities will enjoy a clean, well-maintained, and safe environment. We are charged to ensure that these facilities remain in good repair so that each year, entering second year students and returning upper-class members will find their rooms and the house in satisfactory condition. While it is paramount that fraternity and sorority houses maintain their unique qualities that separate them from residence halls, ensuring that houses remain safe, clean, and in good repair is our prime responsibility to our residents. Therefore, we present the following painting policy that will enable Lehigh University to manage its housing system while still providing each house the ability to remain unique.
In an effort to establish a baseline in each house the leadership for each Greek organization (e.g. actives, Alumni/ae house corporations, etc.) supplied the Office of Facilities Services with the following information:
Common Areas
- Hallways and Bedroom Doors - each Greek organization supplied a standard color "scheme" for hallways, including wall color, trim color, and bedroom door color. All fraternity hallways and bedroom doors will be painted the selected color and will be maintained each subsequent summer with patching and repainting as needed. This will ensure that all fraternity hallways and bedroom doors will be returned to excellent condition prior to fall arrival each year.
- Existing Murals - murals located in fraternity hallways, stairwells, and common areas were evaluated by Alumni/ae and administrators; and these members evaluated whether the mural should remain as part of the décor.
- Other House Common Areas (e.g. living room, dining room, kitchen, stairwells) - if it is determined during the facilities audit that a common room, such as a living room or a dining room, would be repainted during the summer months, a paint color scheme will be requested from the house leadership and alumni/ae.
Bedrooms
- Paint color in Greek houses is limited to chapter’s selected standard color in bedrooms and common areas. Upon chapter request, a mural of significance to the chapter’s identity, history, or culture may be placed on common area walls or one wall in bedrooms. This request requires submission of a House Project Request Form by the chapter, including documented approval from the chapter president, house manager, and alumni.
- If the painting of the mural is satisfactory at the end of the year, the paint may remain. An inspection will be completed by Residential Services and Facilities Services.
- Murals or other unique paint work already in place prior to the 2014-2015 academic year, will be “grandfathered in” and remain in place; however, no new paint, unless deemed as a mural of significance approved by the Director of Residential Services, will be permitted.
- If a student is returning to the same room for the following academic year and would like the room to stay painted in its alternate color, written notification must be supplied to the Office of Residential Services prior to the end of the academic year by submitting a Paint Transfer Request Form. This will ensure that the room will not be painted back to the chosen house color during the summer months.
- A room painted an alternate color can be passed down to the next resident of that space should that person request that the room remain painted the alternate color. Written notification of this must be supplied to the Office of Residential Services. It should be understood that at that point, the next resident assumes the responsibility maintaining the room at the end of that academic year or they will be held financial. If the person who is financially liable for repainting the room leaves school or is not available to bill, the organization will be charged to have the room repainted.
What contracted services does the University provide to the fraternities and sororities?
Contracted services provided by the University include the following:
- Annual cleaning of kitchen hood fans and duct work, as well as monthly hood filter service.
- Trash and recycling pick-up five times per week.
- Cable TV service
- Extermination Services
- Snow removal
- Cleaning/custodial services
- Grounds maintenance
What inspections does the University perform throughout the academic year?
The following inspections are performed by the University in all houses:
- Monthly-emergency lighting
- Monthly-fire extinguisher
- Monthly-Fire system – includes smoke and heat detectors, pull stations, horns and sprinklers
- Three times each semester-Cleaning inspections
- Bi-Monthly Life Safety inspections in common areas
- Once each semester-Room inspections.
Who develops long-term facilities maintenance and capital renewal plans?
The Offices of Residential Services and Facilities Services meet yearly to discuss the long-term facilities needs of each fraternity and sorority house. Input is solicited from maintenance staff and other University personnel, as well as from alumni and undergraduates. The VFA report (an independent engineering analysis) also used as a guide identified many facilities needs in each house.
Who is responsible for custodial services in the houses?
In fraternity and sorority houses, a professional cleaning contractor will supply full cleaning services in the common areas of the houses five days per week and general clean up and trash removal on weekends. This cleaning includes all hallways, stairwells, bathrooms, dining areas, and kitchens. NOTE: The cleaning in kitchens does not include pots, pans, dishes, and dining tables etc., which, along with other cleaning not handled by the contractor, are the responsibility of the house actives.
Who is responsible for maintenance and repairs in the houses?
As owner and landlord of the houses, Lehigh is responsible for all day-to-day maintenance and repairs in University owned houses. Facilities Services oversees a staff of maintenance technicians who perform maintenance services in the houses. The individual crafts include electric, carpentry, plumbing, locksmith, preventive maintenance and HVAC. On some occasions, outside contractors are also used. Fraternity and sorority members, usually through the house manager, are responsible for reporting repairs or maintenance that they are aware of in a timely fashion, but should not perform any maintenance repairs on their own. Students are responsible for maintaining a clean and safe living environment.
Are there penalties for tampering with fire safety equipment?
There are severe financial and disciplinary penalties for tampering or disabling fire safety equipment. Repeated offenses may result in individuals being removed from housing or groups losing their housing privileges. Detailed information is shared with residents and alumni through the Office of Residential Services and Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.
Whose responsibility is it to keep the Fraternity and Sorority Houses secure?
The security of the houses is a collective responsibility shared by the residents of the house and University personnel. Residents of houses are encouraged to keep all exterior doors, bedroom doors and security windows locked so that only residents of that community and their guests can have access. University personnel, including the University Police/Security Guards and University administrative offices all work together to keep the fraternities and sororities safe and secure.