Your room and your belongings
The College seeks to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the security and safety of all Fellows, staff and students, as well as visitors and contractors, whilst on College premises. Ultimately responsibility for security and personal safety rests with everyone who studies, works, lives in, or visits Selwyn.
Please familiarise yourself with the following information.
4.4.1 Access to the College
On coming into residence, every student living in College accommodation is issued by the Porters with a key to their room (also known as a ‘Late Key’). A deposit of £40 (refundable when you graduate) is charged for this key. As well as your room, it also give access to various gates and common areas around the College, such as the main front gate, the pedestrian gates to Ann’s Court and the Ramsay Murray Gate, Cripps Court and the JCR. It must therefore be kept carefully.
Please take all precautions to avoid the loss or theft of keys. If you misplace your room key, you can sign out a spare from the Porters’ Lodge. If you lose your key or fail to return the spare within a week, a non-refundable charge of £40 will be added to your College bill as the College will need to cut a replacement. Students must return keys to the Porters’ Lodge before they go down each term.
4.4.2 Personal Possessions
Students have responsibility for their own possessions; personal belongings are not covered by the College’s insurance. Students should explore the possibility of adding their possessions to their parents’ household insurance, but if this is not possible, the College strongly advises students to take out their own insurance cover. The College does not accept liability for any loss or damage, including accidental damage by College staff.
The College has limited storage space which is reserved for students who live abroad. Details of how to apply to use the storage will be circulated each term in good time for the vacation. Please note that all stored items are left entirely at the owner’s risk. The College will accept no responsibility or liability for any damage to any item, no matter how such damage is incurred. All items must be clearly named and dated. Items contained in plastic bags will not be accepted. No other general storage is available and students are asked to be mindful of the quantity of possessions they bring to College.
4.4.3 Access to Student Rooms
While students are in residence, their room is their home. Everybody – staff, Fellows, and other students – should respect this right to privacy. From time to time however, it may be necessary for a College Officer or member of staff to gain access to student rooms as a matter of urgency, whether or not they are present. For example, there might be a potential danger to people or to the fabric of the building; or people from outside the College, such as window cleaners or electrical contractors, may need to carry out approved work; or a College Officer or staff member may need access in order to perform their duties.
Whenever practicable and reasonable, an attempt will be made to arrange a mutually convenient time (usually giving three days’ notice), but if the matter is urgent, access must be granted without undue delay. Most staff wear identifying badges, and visiting contractors are issued with identification badges. Porters who access students’ rooms un-announced will leave a form to advise the student that a member of staff entered their room and the reason why access was necessary.
4.4.4 Security of Buildings and Rooms
The main College gate and the metal gates are closed at around 7.30 pm. After this time access to the College is via the Porters’ Lodge. The smaller wicket gate remains open until 2.00 am in term and 12.00 midnight out of term. The gates are re-opened at 6.30 am. The Cripps Court gate is generally kept locked for security reasons but can be opened using your University Card or late key. The gates at the Old Library, Ann's Court, Ramsay Murray and Sidgwick gates are open from around 07.30 daily, until around 18.00. Otherwise, access may be gained by ringing the bell at the Porters' Lodge, though a delay may result if the Porter is out on patrol.
After gate closure, members of the College are expected to accompany departing guests to the main gate.
Porters lock the Library at approximately 2.00 am during Term and at midnight outside of Term.
It is very important that all security gates and other doors accessed via a late key remain closed at all times, and that security combinations to rooms or buildings are not given to strangers or, indeed, any non-resident of the College.