Living in the Residence Hall

Ground Rules:

JCMU is a living learning facility in which students are living alongside JCMU faculty and staff as well as Japanese students from the English language program and others engaged in teaching and scholarly activity. To promote a healthy balance of private, social and intellectual life, we request that respect and consideration for all residents and the building to be maintained at all times.

Keeping the residence hall lobby and TV room neat is both a courtesy to your fellow residents, and helps maintain a good public image for JCMU. Guests and tour groups that visit the Center base their impression of the residence hall and its residents on the appearance of the residence hall’s common areas. Do not leave glasses, cups, or other kitchen items on the lobby tables or in the TV room.  Please dispose of any garbage in the appropriate containers (e.g. burnable, non-burnable, cans, and bottles).

Some of the basic JCMU rules are as follows:

• The possession and consumption of alcohol is forbidden in all Common Areas.
• Please keep the volume of stereos and other amplified sounds at a level that cannot be heard beyond the confines of the individual’s room.
• Please refrain from excessive noise or disruptive activities in the corridors, the Lobby, and near the exterior of the buildings.
• Unauthorized social events should not be held in the Residential Building Lobby.
• JCMU is a smoke free environment. Smoking in all buildings is prohibited.
• Daily Quiet Time is observed between the hours of 10 PM and 8 AM. Visitors must leave by 10 PM.

The residence hall doors will be locked from 10:00 PM until 8:00 AM. The doors can be opened from the inside but shut and lock automatically from the outside. Faculty and students wishing to enter the residence hall after hours must use the residence hall side entrance using a push-button combination lock.  Students will be given the combination and are expected not to give the combination to non-residence hall residents.

Students are provided with housing from the Move in Day through the Move out Day(s). Students are not permitted to stay at the Center outside these dates unless they are staying on for the next program in which case they may stay during the break. This policy is strictly enforced.

A small computer lab is located in the JCMU residence hall and is accessible to residents 24/7. Larger computer labs are located in the academic building. Detailed rules are posted in the computer labs. Some of the basic computer lab rules include:

• Do not use the kitchen or bathroom in the computer room.
• Do not download or view pornography.
• Do not change the computer settings, or install software without authorization.
• Do not keep personal files on the machines. Unauthorized software (including personal files) may be deleted without notice.
• Laptop users: Do not connect directly to the hub at the laptop station.

Important Note on Utilities: Each student room is supplied with a fan for the summer and a space heater for the winter. There is also a built-in air conditioner/heater unit. However, electricity in Japan is very expensive, so students are asked to only use the air conditioner/heater unit when they are in their room. Basic utility use is factored into the housing/program fee, however, students will be charged for excess utility use in their room.

Learning to use less electricity is a difficult adjustment for many students – the adjustment can feel extremely frustrating at times, but keep in mind; it is part of the cultural experience. People in Japan are careful to only heat or cool the room they are in, and have learned to layer their clothing up or down to stay comfortable.

Guests:

JCMU does not allow guests to stay in the residence hall. Friends or family members visiting Japan will need to find alternative lodging. The Hikone View Hotel, located next door to the Center, is available for guests of JCMU students. In a community like Hikone, visitors who cannot speak Japanese will require an escort at all times. Assuming the role of chaperone, tour guide, and interpreter places an enormous burden on JCMU students; at the very least, it will be an impediment to participation in the Program and academic progress. For the students’ own welfare, visits from family and friends are strongly discouraged until the program is over.

Answers to commonly asked questions:

• Your girl/boyfriend cannot sleep over in your room.
• Having an extra bed in your room does not entitle you to let people spend the night.
• Crashing in the lobby (or the TV room, laundry room, hallways, etc.) constitutes spending the night in the residence hall, and is not allowed.
• Home stay students may only spend the night in the residence hall (with authorization from the Resident Director) in the event of a typhoon, snowstorm, or other extreme weather conditions.  Missing your last train because you were out partying with friends is not a valid excuse to stay in the residence hall.
• Allowing someone stay in your apartment without authorization will result in penalties and/or sanctions.
• Guests must leave the residence hall by 10 pm so the genkan (front entrance) door can be locked.

Garbage Sorting:

The Japanese have an extensive garbage and recycling sorting system. In fact, residents and citizens are fined for not properly sorting trash. We ask that all students are sensitive to this and adjust to sorting their trash while living at the Center. Sorting will be described and explained during orientation. You must separate your trash and throw it away in the appropriate bins behind the residence hall.

Apartment Furnishings:

Student apartments at the Center come furnished with the following equipment, assuming double occupancy. You may find some minor variations.