Seton Hall students who live off-campus may be surprised to find out that the University Community Standards still apply to them wherever they live.
A misconception that students may have is that community standards do not follow them once they leave the Seton Hall gates or move into housing not affiliated with SHU.
However, students are expected to always uphold the standards regardless of where they are, according to Winston Roberts.
This includes off-campus houses and apartments.
Some students who live in their own apartments or houses are learning about this policy for the first time just now.
"It is about staying within a perimeter and maintaining a level of respect no matter where you go," he said.
It allows the University to require students to meet with the Community Standard Review Board over noise violations or other tickets received from the South Orange Police Department.
Students who meet with Roberts, about tickets face consequences ranging from warnings all the way to being banned from the recreation center.
Roberts pointed out that each case is taken into account individually and that he does not solely rely on the police report when making decisions about the consequences.
Generally, students who meet with Roberts for the first time over a noise violation will face a warning.
According to Roberts, consequences depend on the severity of the ticket and how many have been incurred.
Roberts said that it is the duty of Community Development to make sure students take responsibility for following community standards.
Seton Hall only acts upon reports that it receives. These reports are not limited to South Orange; if the University receives notice of a ticket issued to a student in another town, then that student would face the same consequences.
Two students who live off campus in their own apartments or houses said the policy is unreasonable.
"It's not fair for the school to interfere with off-campus living violations unless it is Ora Manor or Turrell since those are funded through the school," senior Chris Cashdan said.
Senior Sean Rirodan agreed with Cashdan.
"I don't necessarily believe that it is fair," he said. "I choose to live off campus in a non-funded Seton Hall apartment unless Seton Hall starts paying some of my bills or rent, I don't believe they should have the jurisdiction."
The students said that since Seton Hall has been in South Orange since 1856 that residents should expect there to be noise. Roberts does not agree with this.
"South Orange is not a college town," he said. "Yes, there is a college here but the culture of a college town is not infused in South Orange."
He said: "You are only here for four years; think about the residents who have lived here for 10 or 20 years, or the residence whose homes have been in their family since 1900."
Caroline Schwartz can be reached at caroline.schwartz@student.shu.edu.
