Student Handbook 2025-26 > Appendix > Campus Access Agreement

Campus Access Agreement

2025-2026 Campus Access Agreement
Residence Life serves as a resource to empower students toward self-actualization by fostering supportive environments that are safe and accessible to everyone.  On-Campus housing provides the foundation to the immersive student learning at the core of Olin’s student-centered founding precept.

Tasked with assuring all students are aware of campus polices, and holding responsibility for supporting all students, Residence Life maintains Campus Access Agreements with all students enrolled at Olin yet not living in on-campus housing.  Being an enrolled student at Olin comes with specific responsibilities. Students enrolled at Olin College are responsible for complying with Olin policies, for providing responsible stewardship, and encouraging a spirit of service to each other in an effort to further this commitment and achieve equitable rights and access within our campus community. The undersigned student’s adherence to this responsibility is required to retain eligibility to access the physical campus. 

Residence Life communicates directly with students via their @olin.edu email address and expect students to participate in communication via this address.  Specific information regarding Residence Life processes are communicated with students through this address including arrival, departure, closings, and maintenance activities.

PERIOD OF AGREEMENT

This Agreement pertains to the 2025-2026 Academic Year. The Agreement period begins the first scheduled date classes are held for the Fall semester and ends no later than the last day of final examinations Olin sets for the end of the Spring semester or the day of Commencement for graduating students, or at such other dates as announced by Olin, except as stated in this Agreement.

Access to the Olin campus is not available
• during the periods when Olin is closed for designated breaks,
• if the student is no longer actively enrolled in a full-time load of classes on campus at Olin College as defined by the Registrar’s office,
• if the College restricts the student from campus due to conduct, safety, or eligibility issues, or
• due to situations beyond the control of the College (as described in a later section of this agreement).
Students are to review the academic calendar for details as to openings, school breaks and closings.

The undersigned student who enters Olin campus for the Fall semester will be bound by this Agreement for the full academic year and a student who enters Olin campus for the Spring semester will be bound by this Agreement the for the balance of the academic year.

DINING SERVICES

Students who live off campus are able to participate in the Olin dining plan and will be automatically charged for and must pay the dining plan rate should they not decline the meal plan within the following form.  Students choosing the meal plan receive unlimited meals in the dining hall.  Each week the dining hall holds 19 meals times (i.e. breakfast or dinner).  Monday through Friday a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served except on holidays when Saturday/Sunday schedules are followed.  Saturdays & Sundays feature a brunch period with dinner.  Certain special occasions feature a continental breakfast, such as on the day of Commencement.  While specific dates can be found on the academic calendar, the dining plan availability is as follows:
 

• First Year Arrival Date – meal plan begins at Lunch for first year students
• Returning Student Arrival Date – meal plan begins at dinner service
• Thanksgiving break – meal plan pauses following hot breakfast on Saturday with no meals served for a full week, resuming with dinner service on Sunday.
• Residence Halls Close Date (December) – meal plan ends with brunch service
• Residence Halls Open Date (January) – meal plan begins at dinner service
• Spring Break – meal plan pauses following brunch on Saturday with no meals served for a full week, resuming with dinner service on Sunday.
• Move-Out Date (Non-graduating Students) – meal plan ends with Continental Breakfast service
• Graduating Students – last meal served is Continental Breakfast on day of commencement (no meals on graduating student move-out day)

The meal plan is not available during Olin designated break periods, in the event of situations beyond the control of the College, or if the College restricts the student’s access to the dining facilities due to conduct, safety, or eligibility issues.  Olin dining facilities are only open during the hours posted. During inclement weather closings, students should monitor their Olin email for any adjustments to the dining hall hours of operation.

Students may not use another person’s ID card for purchases, transfer their card to another person, or remove food or property from the Dining Hall.  Students who are sick are encouraged to communicate with the Dining Services team to have a friend deliver meals to their room.

Olin students with a meal plan can also utilize up to 20 meal swipes per semester at Babson’s Trim Dining Hall in place of the Olin Dining Hall meal that period.  This cross dining is designed to amplify options and build community connections.  At the start of each term, the dining services team will email out blackout dates where cross dining is paused for various reasons.

In addition to their own meals, each Olin Dining Hall Plan comes with 5 guest meal swipes per semester.  This allows for students to bring a friend or family member to join them within the dining hall.

For inquiries about dining for students with special dietary needs related to a disability, please contact Disability Services at disability.services@olin.edu. For all other special dietary needs, please contact the Dining Hall directly at dining.services@olin.edu

LIABILITY, LOSS, DAMAGE, OR THEFT; PERSONAL INSURANCE

The undersigned student is solely responsible and agrees to accept full liability for the loss or theft of, and damage or injury to, Olin property and/or to the person or property of the undersigned student or of other individuals that is caused by or results from, in whole or in part, the actions of the undersigned student and/or the student’s guest, and Olin assumes no liability for any of the foregoing.

Door Locks & Access

All students are prohibited from lending room keys or Olin ID cards to any other person. All students are prohibited from duplicating college issued keys and ID cards.  All students are prohibited from modifying or tampering with building, apartment, or room door locks. Failure to comply with this directive constitutes a violation of this Agreement, and any such violation involving the actual or potential loss of safety or property may be grounds for Olin terminating this Agreement with forfeiture by the undersigned student of monies paid.

The undersigned student agrees to not provide building access to any persons they do not know.  No student shall enter resident bedrooms other than the one they are assigned to unless accompanied by a resident of that space.    Windows shall not be utilized to enter or exit the building except as an emergency egress. 

Residence Hall Access

Students with access to campus will be able to utilize their ID cards to enter residence halls for the express purpose of utilizing community spaces.  When inside the residence halls, students must adhere to all Residence Life polices and community standards.  Once entering a room or suite, students are guests of assigned student.  Guests, including non-residential students, are not permitted consecutive stays more than four nights within a 14-day period on campus.  No individual guest shall exceed a total of ten nights spent on campus in a given semester.

If a non-residential student is facing housing insecurity or needs further support, they are encouraged to reach out to Residence Life or Student Affairs staff to receive assistance.

SITUATIONS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF OLIN

There could be situations when Olin is prevented from or delayed in continuing operation of some or all access to campus or completing performance of any or all of its obligations under this Agreement as a result of

• a natural or manmade disaster, casualty, act of god (for example, without limitation, hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake), substantiated threat or actual terrorist attack, cyber-attack, violence, epidemic, or pandemic;
• the directives, actions, or policies of any federal, state, county or local governmental authority, including closure orders, quarantine regimes, or travel restrictions;
• strikes, labor shortages; or
• other events beyond the control of Olin.

(The foregoing are referred to as situations beyond the control of Olin.)
In the event of such prevention or delay arising from any situations beyond the control of Olin, Olin may take actions that it determines to be reasonable and appropriate (including, without limitation, closing some or all campus facilities, or restricting access for some or all students) and Olin shall not be liable to the undersigned student for any consequences arising from actions Olin takes to address any of the above types of situations beyond the control of Olin. Due to the nature of situations beyond the control of the College, Olin will be excused from performance of its obligations, in whole or in part, under this Agreement during the period of such disruption and any reasonable period needed to resume performance safely after the disruption has ended.

STUDENT CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO COMPLY WITH OLIN POLICIES

All Olin students are responsible for adhering to Olin policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, including without limitation,

• Olin Honor Code,
• fire safety expectations,
• all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations,
• Olin information technology policies and procedures,
• campus policies,
• ·official Olin publications (see, for example, www.Olin.edu),
• safety and health protocols,
• and new or modified policies that Olin makes from time to time, during the period of this Agreement.

All students have a responsibility to not cause, and to report to Olin any observation of, any threats to personal safety, compromise of the learning environment, and disruptions of students’ rights to live with a reasonable degree of peace, and to comply with community health and safety living standards.  All of the foregoing are referred to collectively as the “Olin Policies”. Olin students are responsible to engage in conduct in a manner consistent with Olin’s mission and the Olin Polices.

The undersigned student is responsible for complying with the Olin Policies, and for ensuring that their guests comply with the Olin Policies. The undersigned student’s failure to comply with the Olin Policies may result in the student no longer being eligible to access campus in addition to the undersigned student being subject to disciplinary actions and sanctions.