Hall Safety

Hall Safety & Expectations

We take the well-being and safety of our students VERY seriously. All of Walsh's principles and rules and boundaries can be traced back to the university's principles of Safety, Inclusion and Community. We'll talk more about it when you get here. Below are some highlights. Click here to familiarize yourself with all of Notre Dame's expectations for your behavior.

What are PARIETALS? Parietals policy refer to the times when people of the men are not allowed to be in women's bedroom areas (and vice versa) nor in half of the basement. The hours are: from midnight to 9 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, after 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. When parietals start, resident rooms and private areas in all halls are closed to members of the opposite sex, although each hall provides a space for men and women to study, talk, or hang out after parietals, called the "24 hour space."

How is HALL SECURITY managed? All doors are locked 24/7. In fact, they have alarms on them that go off if the door is propped (or held) open for more than 30 seconds. You can swipe your ID card to get into the Hall. All undergraduates have access to their own residence halls on campus 24/7. After parietals, residents must use their ID card AND their pin number to access their halls. Additionally, there are always two Hall Staff members on duty in the building every single night with an emergency duty phone and Hall Staff make regular rounds of the building each night starting at 8:00pm.

What is the SMOKING policy? All residence halls are smoke-free dorms, so smoking (INCLUDING VAPING) is not allowed anywhere in or near the front of the building or in the courtyard. The University of Notre Dame prohibits smoking within 25 feet of all buildings and stadiums, as well as in all vehicles owned, leased or operated by the University.

What is the ALCOHOL policy? Anyone under the age of 21 is considered a minor by Indiana State Law and is therefore prohibited from drinking anywhere on or off campus. University policy also states that no hard alcohol is allowed on campus and abusive drinking and drinking games are prohibited. You will be thoroughly briefed on the alcohol policy after you arrive. Students who are 21 years old and older are permitted to have beer and wine (and any alcohol under 14%) in their room, in reasonable quantities. Our value to promote healthy relationships with alcohol, that students can take forward with them even after graduation.

What are the rules concerning FIRE SAFETY? As you might suspect, every hall has extensive fire safety regulations which are strictly enforced. Consequently, hallways must be kept clear at all times, and most small electrical appliances are NOT allowed in the dorm rooms. These especially include microwave ovens, toasters and toaster ovens, crock pots, burners of any kind including coffeemakers, and popcorn poppers (not an exhaustive list). However, the kitchen is equipped with an oven, stove, and a microwave and is always open (if they are kept clean!). One small refrigerator per room is allowed.

EXPECTATION OF RESPONSIBILITY: Notre Dame considered itself a family, and we therefore expect our students to pay attention, to take care of each other, and to go the extra mile to help those in need. We even have an "expectation of responsibility" policy explaining this expectation and the consequences if a student FAILS to help another student in need.

Even outside of the hall (off-campus), we expect you to help each other! If you see someone who needs medical attention, always get them help. Indiana law provides protection for the person who has called for help, in order to increase the help that individuals can receive. The Indiana Lifeline Law (aka Good Samaritan Law) Senate Bill 227 was passed and signed in 2014. Section 2 of the bill (the Indiana Lifeline Law; Indiana Code 7.1-5-1- 6.5) states that a law enforcement officer cannot take a person into custody based only on an underage drinking offense, if the officer has determined that the person requested medical assistance for a person in need. The person who called for assistance must provide their full name and any other relevant information to the officer. In addition, the person must remain at the scene with those who need medical assistance until emergency services arrive and cooperate fully with law enforcement and emergency medical personnel.