Bonfire night

Saturday 5th November is bonfire night – or Guy Fawkes night. Bonfires and fireworks displays take place all over England to commemorate the foiling of the “gunpowder plot” plot to blow up the King and Parliament in 1605. 

Remember, remember the fifth of November: 

Gunpowder, treason, and plot. 

I see no reason why gunpowder treason 

Ever should be forgot.

Bonfire night parties often include activities like apple bobbing, and foods associated with bonfire night include parkin, toffee apples, jacket potatoes, and hot chocolate.

For more information about Guy Fawkes night: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night.
And the gunpowder plot: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpowder_Plot.

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There will be bonfires and fireworks displays around London this week. Some will be on 5th November; others will take place on Friday or Saturday. Here is a listing of displays:

• timeout.com/london/things-to-do/bonfire-night-fireworks-displays-in-london 

The closest display to Connaught Hall will be at Coram's Fields on Friday 6th November, and we expect this to be quite a traditional display:

• timeout.com/london/kids/corams-fields-fireworks-display

It's also free of charge!

Another free thing you can do is climb Primrose Hill (goo.gl/maps/WVa27KZK8PC2) on Friday or Saturday night. Although there is no display at Primrose Hill, from that vantage point you can often see the fireworks from displays all over London.

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* The Multicultural Students' Forum (McSF, connaught-hall.org.uk/pages/community/mcsf.html) recommended in October 2015 that we publish through our social media channels an explanation of all the cultural events we celebrate in Hall, as well as significant celebrations that are unique to the UK. The idea is that all our residents will understand what is going on and be equally able to participate in events, festivals, and celebrations.

FAQ: Postgraduates' frequently asked questions - noise, room allocation, age

Questions frequently asked by postgraduates

What is the average age of Connaught Hall residents?

The median age in Hall is usually 19 years. In 2014-15, we had 47 residents aged 21 or over; 29 residents were postgraduate students (out of 230).

I understand most residents are first-year undergraduates. Is it noisy? Will I be able to study?

Our Hall handbook has this to say about noise:

Noise disturbance generally creates the most dissatisfaction with Hall life. The Halls are large halls of residence of mostly first-year undergraduate students in a busy part of London. Nowhere in the Hall can be completely silent. Most staff and residents find that occasionally they need to wear earplugs at night, even if the only noise they can hear is traffic noise. Some people are particularly sensitive to even low levels of noise and we would advise that a mainly undergraduate hall of residence in central London may not be suitable accommodation in this case. It is not always reasonable to restrict others’ activities to meet the expectations of someone who is especially sensitive to noise.

There is a lot of traffic noise. There is a fire station, police station, ambulance station, and hospital all within less than a mile radius of the Hall (this is also true for College Hall and International Hall; I think Lillian Penson Hall and Nutford House may be slightly quieter in this regard). On the positive side, this must make us one of the safest places in the world!

It’s probably true to say that almost everyone experiences some noise from their neighbours occasionally. 

Of course, we do have effective procedures for dealing with this if it is serious or recurrent (http://noise.connaught-hall.org.uk).

Is there a part of the Hall reserved for postgraduates?

We have 230 residents living on 6 floors. The ground and lower ground floors are quite small. From 1st to 4th, each floor has about 48 rooms arranged along a single, long corridor divided into three sections by fire doors. There are staircases at each end and in the middle of every floor. Each floor has a male and a female toilet/shower block (three toilet stalls and three shower cubicles in each). Most floors have three or four en suite rooms.

We are a predominantly first-year undergraduate hall. We do try to accommodate most of our postgraduates on the second floor – so you would almost certainly be allocated a room there, unless you have an en suite room (with only four en suite rooms on the second floor, there are sometimes more postgrads who want en suite than there are rooms available on the second floor). But this does not mean that the second floor is necessarily any quieter than anywhere else. We haven’t enough postgrads to fill a whole floor, so there are undergrads on the same corridor, and of course the rooms above and below are occupied by undergraduates.

Aside from putting postgrads together on the second floor, the accommodation office do not allow students to request specific rooms.

Are there separate study facilities?

We have two rooms for studying in: the Lang room, which is intended primarily for group study, and the Convocation Trust study room, which is for quiet, individual study. Both are on the lower ground floor; both are open 24 hours a day; and both can accommodate 6 to 8 students. It is very unusual for the study rooms to be full; on the contrary, they are often both empty, except around the spring/summer exam season!

FAQ: Can I have deliveries to the Hall before I move in?

If you need to have letters or small packets delivered to the Hall before you arrive, email info.connaught@london.ac.uk to let them know. Reception can hold on to small items for you (i.e. items that can easily fit into an envelope up to C3 size). You must let us know to expect a delivery, or else reception will return items to sender with the message "not in residence".

Regrettably, there isn't any storage capacity for larger items like trunks, boxes, or suitcases. So we cannot accept delivery of large items until after you move into the Hall.

If you are flying to London and cannot carry all the items you need in your luggage, we recommend that you send items in boxes or cases via courier one or two days before your flight. Then, your couriered boxes should arrive within a few days after your own arrival in Hall, and we will be able to accept the delivery for you.

New - Hall Facebook group community guidelines published

The Hall Facebook group has been set up by the Warden to make your time in the intercollegiate halls safer, more enjoyable, better informed, and more sociable. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/connaughthall20162017/

We hope our residents will use the group for getting to know other residents, asking questions, or sharing your own events that others might want to join in. The Hall staff and the elected students on the Residents' Club Committee will post important information and social events on the group as well, so residents can stay up to date with what's happening at Connaught Hall.

Only current Hall residents and staff are allowed to be members of the group. We have just four very simple golden rules that you must follow when using the Hall Facebook group, plus some guidelines for how to make the most of it.

FOUR GOLDEN RULES

1. Be respectful.

Please help us ensure our online community remains a safe and welcoming space for everyone, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

It's ok to voice a complaint or disagree with another post, but please do so in a polite and constructive manner. Never violate the privacy or dignity of another person. Obscenities, sexually explicit material, personal attacks and defamatory comments about any person, group, organisation or belief will be removed.

2. Don’t post anything that is illegal or unlawful, nor which breaches the University’s Ordinances, accommodation Licence Agreement, or Hall Handbook.

In particular, Ordinance 17 (Code of Student Discipline) and Ordinance 21 (Equality Policy) – available at www.london.ac.uk/977.html.

You also must not post anything that might promote or encourage others to behave in a manner that that is illegal, unlawful, or in breach of the University’s Ordinances, accommodation Licence Agreement or Hall Handbook.

3. Don’t infringe copyright, data protection, or intellectual property rights.

4. Don’t spam, nor use this Facebook group for commercial purposes.

If you break any of these four golden rules, the offending post(s) will be removed and you may be suspended or permanently blocked from the group. Serious breaches will result in disciplinary action.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HALL FACEBOOK GROUP

• Be careful not to allow others to use your Facebook login. 
• Think before you post and consider your audience. 
• Protect your own and others’ privacy, but be transparent and honest about your identity. 
• Be a valued member of the community and be accurate in your posts. 
• It is ok to complain about Hall facilities and services on the group, but please remember this is not a recognised channel for reporting problems to us. A member of staff might or might not see your post. If you want us to take action about something, please speak directly to a member of staff, email us, or use the dedicated systems for reporting maintenance or catering problems. 
• If you feel a post, photo, video, or other contribution on the group has breached these guidelines, please bring it to the attention of the Warden or a Senior Member as soon as possible.

THE SMALLPRINT

• The University of London cannot guarantee that your Hall Facebook group will be available at all times and cannot be held liable for any loss or damage (including consequential loss) resulting from or arising out of use or non-use of the group. 
• By posting any comments, links, or other material in your Hall Facebook group, you give the University of London the right to reproduce, distribute, publish, display, edit, modify, remove, delete, create derivative works from and otherwise use your submission for any purpose in any form and on any media.
• Membership of the Hall Facebook group may include:
  the Warden, the Hall Manager, the Assistant Hall Manager, Senior Members, the Head of Residential Accommodation, the Deputy Head of Residential Accommodation, and members of the Housing Services and Accommodation Finance teams.
  Not all these staff groups may be members at all times, and not all will be regular users of the group. 
• We strongly recommend that you do not use the group to report problems in the Hall: your post(s) may not be seen by the relevant member of staff. Instead, use the channels of communication explained in your Hall Handbook for reporting any problems to members of staff. If we do see a complaint posted on the group about something in Hall, our usual action will be: (1) If the complaint is obviously about something very serious that clearly requires action, the member of staff who sees the post will copy & paste it into an email to the member of staff who would be responsible for dealing with that problem; he/she will then comment on the post to say they have forwarded it. (2) If the complaint does not obviously require immediate action, then we will comment on the post to tell you what you can do or whom you can talk / write to if you want us to act on your complaint. 
• We know that sometimes, you might feel frustrated by something that has happened and you simply want to vent your frustration to others, without necessarily wanting us to do anything or talk to you about it. That’s why we will give you the choice of whether or not to take up your complaint through an official channel. 
• Your Hall Warden is the chief moderator of the Hall Facebook group. Day-to-day moderating duties may be delegated to another member of the Halls team – usually a Senior Member. 
• In the event that there is a dispute about whether or not a post, photo, video, or other contribution is in contravention of these guidelines, the Warden shall be the arbiter of the matter and his/her decision shall be final. 
• Responsibility for any posts, photos, videos, or contributions uploaded using your Facebook login lies with you personally. We will not accept an argument that another person used your login unless this can be clearly proven to the satisfaction of the Warden. 
• We also draw your attention to the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Data Policy, and Community Standards: www.facebook.com/policies.

FAQ: What day & time can I arrive in Hall?

Your room should be ready for you to move in any time after 2pm on the first day of your contract.

You can arrive any time on any day/date after that.

When you check in, reception will have your key and everything else you need. Reception is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You don't have to tell us if you're arriving later than your official contract start date - but please remember that accommodation fees are charged from the start date of your contract, not from the date you move in.

If you want to arrive EARLIER than your contract start date, you must tell Housing Services well in advance. See this separate FAQ: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/faq-arriving-earlier-than-datetime.html.

If you are having problems with your accommodation offer, personal details form, or any other of the welcome arrangements, see this FAQ: http://connaughthall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/faq-augustseptember-problems-with-offer.html.

FAQ: What can I do if I’m being disturbed by noise?

We have a whole web page with detailed instructions to help you deal with and report noise problems – whether it’s a banging radiator pipe or a neighbour playing music at 3am.

Visit noise.connaught-hall.org.uk for help.

FAQ: I’m feeling unhappy / lost / lonely / homesick. How can I find help?

It’s very normal to have some of these feelings some of the time, when you have moved to a new home to study something new. But if these kinds of feelings are severe, prolonged, or persistent, you should definitely ask for help.

It’s OK to say you’re not having the best time of your life!

There are lots of people around to support you as a student. Think about using some of these options:

• Talk to the Warden or a Senior Member – for contact details and how to book an appointment, visit http://warden-contact.connaught-hall.org.uk.
• Speak with your personal tutor at college.
• See one of the student counsellors at your college welfare service.
• Make an appointment to see your GP.
• Check our list of more help providers at http://bit.ly/1mIBcpn.

FAQ: Is there WiFi in Connaught Hall?

We have WiFi throughout the building.

If you attend a college that is signed up to EduRoam, you must use your EduRoam login to access the internet through our WiFi. Your EduRoam login is normally the same as the login for your college (.ac.uk) email address. If you are unsure about your login details, contact the IT department at your college.

Only if your college or institute is not signed up to EduRoam, we will provide you with a login for the UoL Resident network. Contact Network Services at swan.support@london.ac.uk for help with this.

FAQ: How can I get help with the internet connection in my room?

University of London network services can help if your wired or wireless internet connection isn’t working. 

Call 020 7862 8092 or email swan.support@london.ac.uk.

FAQ: How can I get repairs done in my room / in the bathroom?

If you spot something that needs to be repaired or replaced, write a request in the maintenance book at reception. We can normally respond with three working days.

If it’s an urgent problem (like a flood, electrical fault, or gas leak), report it to the security officer so we can deal with it immediately.

Guidance for residents who have been the subject of noise complaints

If you have been the subject of more than one or two noise complaints, you should recently have received a letter from the Senior Member on your floor. The back of the letter includes some tips on how to avoid any more complaints from your neighbours.

We understand that most of the time when people disturb their neighbours in Hall, it is unintentional – and often those making noise do not realise how loud they are being, or how much the sound might be travelling and disturbing others. So we are trying to raise awareness and help everyone get on better together, in the hope that none of these problems will escalate into disciplinary matters.
This is especially important as we move towards more exams and coursework deadline over the coming months.

NOISE: EXPECTATIONS AND RULES

Noise disturbance generally creates the most dissatisfaction with Hall life, and is the commonest reason for disciplinary action. Connaught Hall is a large hall of residence of mostly first-year undergraduate students in a busy part of London. So we do not expect complete silence all the time. But we do expect that everyone will be sensitive to the needs of their neighbours for quiet time.

We should all be able to study or rest without unreasonable disturbance from others at any time. Residents — or their guests — who are unable to adhere to these guidelines will face disciplinary action and possible removal from the Hall.

You must make no noise audible from outside your room between 11.00 pm and 7.00 am.

Excessively loud music and other noise are not allowed at any time of day. The Warden or his nominated Deputy (normally the Duty Senior Member) shall be the arbiter of whether noise is excessive, and his/her decision shall be final.

If your neighbour asks you to be quieter, you must respond politely and cooperatively.

SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU GET ON WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS

Most of us have at least eight immediate neighbours: one either side, three above, and three below. But when you’re thinking about noise, you should consider everyone on your section of corridor to be a neighbour, too.

Talk to one another

Respect others’ needs for quiet time: they may want to sleep or study at different times from you. Being unable to sleep or work when you need to can make you annoyed and stressed, and can seriously impact on your quality of life.

So agree on quiet times with your neighbours, and other times when it might be ok to make a bit more noise. You can only do this by asking them: “Am I too noisy sometimes? How can I make it better for you?”

Be polite and try to help if your neighbour knocks on your door and asks you to quieten down; next time it might be you asking for quiet!

Think carefully about how sound travels

Our walls, floors, and ceilings are quite thin and transmit sound readily. You don’t have to be having a huge party to be making too much noise.

It’s easy to cause noise for your neighbours without realising it, especially for anyone who lives underneath you: something dropping on the floor can make a really loud bang downstairs!

Please, whenever you are up after 11pm, think very carefully if what you are doing might be keeping your neighbour awake, especially if you have visitors in your room. 

Take your friends to a common room at night

If you have more than one visitor after 11pm, it’s best to go to one of the common rooms, so as to avoid disturbing anyone.

Be extra quiet when you’re in the corridors after 11pm

Noise travels further than you think, so talk quietly in corridors; and don’t run or shout in hallways or stairwells. One loud shriek or giggle could wake up everyone on the corridor.

Close doors quietly

Pull doors closed quietly and push the handle down so the lock doesn’t click, especially at night. Slamming doors (especially when you have several friends in your room, maybe going to and from the bathroom) are one of the commonest noise complaints.

Be quiet when you’re outside the building, too

In the garden, keep noise down at all times: even a little noise here echoes around the courtyard and can disturb people in rear-facing bedrooms.

Outside the front of the building, don’t shout late at night: you can wake up almost half the Hall whose bedrooms face onto the square.

Contacting the Warden

How to request an appointment

Check this calendar for my availability:

http://schedule.connaught-hall.org.uk

Choose the week, month, or agenda tab at top right - whichever view you find easiest to read –

My available time is divided into half-hour slots. 
You can choose any "available" slot that is convenient for you. 
If you need to talk about something very sensitive or complex, it's a good idea to request two consecutive slots, so we can spend an hour together.

Send an email to request the appointment time you want: warden@connaught-hall.org.uk.

Please give me at least 12 hours' notice for the appointment slot, so I can make sure I am in the Hall at that time (although I am available, if no one requests an appointment, I may not be in Hall).

My "open office" sessions (where I would sit for an hour or so in my office with the door open, usually in the evening) were not well used this year. Many sessions, I did not see a single resident. But residents were still asking for appointments to see me at times outside my open office sessions.

So my open office sessions are cancelled for the rest of this year. The Warden role is not office-based, so if no one comes to my open office sessions, I am left sitting with nothing to do. That isn't a good use of my time or your accommodation fees.

Consequently, instead of open office sessions, I have developed this new way of requesting an appointment to meet with me, using a calendar that shows when I am available - so you can choose a time that is most convenient for you.

Other ways of getting in contact:

How the Warden's time is used - February update

I can only say that my previous post did not have the desired effect, and an updated view of how I have been spending my time this term so far looks like this:

This is not what I enjoy about my role as Warden. Residents this year have not seen me working with them at social events and community building because all my time has been tied up with disciplinary issues. I am sorry this has been the case and once again, would like to ask everyone to help me. The Hall community as a whole this year could be getting much better value for money out of the service I can provide!

• Help me rebuild a positive Hall community. 

• Contribute to our events.

• Help us work out what activities you want organised in Hall, and work with us to organise them.

• Talk to your neighbours. Find out if there is anything you can do to make their time in Hall better. Have you been doing anything that annoyed them all last term? Tell them if you need their help with anything.

• Use our Hall bar. It's a valuable social space, but it won't survive without your custom and support. Don't drink your own alcohol in the bar, Bell room, or garden.

• Only smoke in the designated smoking area (in the garden), or on the pavement outside, well away from the main entrance.

• Keep quiet after 11pm.

• Don't go out onto balconies on the first floor.

• Be respectful of everyone around you. Remember our positive diversity message:

This is a safe space for everyone. Please join us in respecting and celebrating all our residents, staff, and guests, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

Finally, let me draw your attention to our goals & values statement. Help us work with you to deliver these for you.

We aim to provide a secure, supportive, and friendly environment in which our residents can study and socialise.

We hope that all our residents will call Connaught Hall “home”, and take many positive memories and good friends with them when they leave.

By encouraging our residents to participate in and contribute to the Hall community, we hope that they will learn to be self-directed and self-disciplined in their behaviour.
We aim to promote a spirit of neighbourliness and togetherness in our Hall community: an attitude that we can all take with us when we move on to other, wider neighbourhoods and communities. 

The needs of our residents, within the necessary limitations of good order, finance, and safety, take priority over other considerations at all times. 

We endeavour to help residents wherever we can. If we can reasonably say “yes” within the rules, we will not say “no”. 

We always strive to act fairly, honestly, and transparently. 

We deal with any problems sensitively and confidentially.

We do not tolerate personal harassment, nor discrimination against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

How the Warden's time is used in Hall - and how to improve your Hall experience in terms 2 & 3

There has been a significant change this year in how my time at Connaught Hall is spent. The graphic below is based on the amount of new correspondence in my email folders about different activities. It compares how much time I have spent on eight different areas of activity in term 1 of 2014-15, compared with the average year.

Discipline (investigation, meetings, disciplinary panels & hearings, appeals, letter writing, and fine administration) and responding to formal complaints have taken up much more of my time this year than is usual.

The amount of time have to spend on the Hall is fixed, so other activities lose out from this increase in complaints and disciplinary work. Some areas of activity are pretty fixed (like recruiting and training senior members, and attending central University meetings) so the two major things that I've had to cut this year are:

• service improvement projects. Facilities Committee, suggestion box, and responding to residents' routine enquiries; and
• Hall community & social life activities (organising & attending events, supporting the Residents' Club Committee).

Ultimately, you, the residents, pay for the service I provide for you in Hall, through your accommodation fees. I should much rather use my time to support you through difficult patches, improve the overall service we provide in Hall, and promote a positive, supportive, social community that everyone can benefit from, than trawl through one disciplinary case after another. I am usually a community leader here in Hall; this year, I feel like a policeman. I don't enjoy that relationship with our residents, and I am sure it is not the best use of your accommodation fees.

If you share my view that it's better for me to spend time on activities that benefit all our residents, rather than issuing fines, responding to complaints, and chairing disciplinary panels, I need your help!

• From the start of the new term in January, work with me and my team of Senior Members. We're here to help you make the most of your time in London and at Connaught Hall. We're not the "bad cops"! (Unless you decide that's what you want us to do with your fees.)

• Help me rebuild a positive Hall community. 

• Contribute to our events.

• Help us work out what activities you want organised in Hall, and work with us to organise them.

• Talk to your neighbours. Find out if there is anything you can do to make their time in Hall better. Have you been doing anything that annoyed them all last term? Tell them if you need their help with anything.

• Use our Hall bar. It's a valuable social space, but it won't survive without your custom and support. Don't drink your own alcohol in the bar, Bell room, or garden.

• Only smoke in the designated smoking area (in the garden), or on the pavement outside, well away from the main entrance.

• Keep quiet after 11pm.

• Don't go out onto balconies on the first floor.

• Be respectful of everyone around you. Remember our positive diversity message:

This is a safe space for everyone. Please join us in respecting and celebrating all our residents, staff, and guests, of every age, race, religion, sexuality, nationality, disability, and gender identity.

Finally, let me draw your attention to our goals & values statement. Help us work with you to deliver these for you.

We aim to provide a secure, supportive, and friendly environment in which our residents can study and socialise.

We hope that all our residents will call Connaught Hall “home”, and take many positive memories and good friends with them when they leave.
By encouraging our residents to participate in and contribute to the Hall community, we hope that they will learn to be self-directed and self-disciplined in their behaviour.

We aim to promote a spirit of neighbourliness and togetherness in our Hall community: an attitude that we can all take with us when we move on to other, wider neighbourhoods and communities. 

The needs of our residents, within the necessary limitations of good order, finance, and safety, take priority over other considerations at all times.
We endeavour to help residents wherever we can. If we can reasonably say “yes” within the rules, we will not say “no”.
We always strive to act fairly, honestly, and transparently.
We deal with any problems sensitively and confidentially.
We do not tolerate personal harassment, nor discrimination against anyone because of their age, race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or sexual orientation.

Food theft from pantry fridges

Send us your ideas for tackling this problem to suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk.

We are aware that theft of food from pantry fridges is a problem. It is selfish, ignorant, and childish to say the least. And enormously frustrating for those whose food is stolen. A very small minority of residents are responsible for this, I know, but I still find it quite extraordinary and very disappointing that adults at some of the best higher education institutions in the world engage in such petty theft.

Sometimes, your fellow residents keep food in the fridge because they are unwell and can only muster an appetite for certain foods, or because they have special dietary requirements. They might have to go hungry if someone else takes their food. And whatever the reason for having food in the refrigerators, it is really upsetting to find it stolen by someone else. So please only take food or drink from the fridge if you bought it.

This has been a problem every year, at least since I lived at Connaught Hall in the 90s as an undergraduate. I know from speaking with wardens in the other intercollegiate halls, as well as LSE, UCL, Imperial, and Kings halls, that it is just as much a problem elsewhere.

Some halls have combated this problem by having fridges with lockable compartments. But this only works when a kitchen is shared by 5-10 people, not 30-40 people. We cannot have lockable fridges here, as there isn't enough space on each floor for fridges to contain 40 compartments.

CCTV is not the answer. We have tried it before, and it was completely ineffective at both deterring and detecting thieves: the thefts continued, and we didn't catch anyone.

But you might have an amazing idea that will help us stop this very frustrating problem. If you do, write to us at suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk.

Noise survey

I have received so many noise complaints recently that it's becoming difficult to track what exactly is a problem, where, and when. Please help by answering a few questions about noise in this survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/connaughtnoise

Even if noise is not a problem for you in Hall, please answer that one question to tell us that noise isn't a problem for you. It will take less than a minute if noise isn't a problem for you. Otherwise we'll have very skewed results only from people who find noise a problem.

Remember we have published guidance on how to deal with noise problems, as well as some tips on how to make sure you are not the subject of a noise complaint. Visit this page for more:

http://noise.connaught-hall.org.uk

WiFi in Hall - survey feedback

Some comments in last week's survey responses demonstrated that we perhaps have not been very clear about the WiFi provided in Hall. Some residents complained that their friends in Hall have WiFi but they do not.

There is no WiFi in study-bedrooms at Connaught Hall. The only supported internet connection in your room, paid for out of your accommodation fees, is the wired connection.

We do provide WiFi, through which you can access EduRoam if your college subscribes to this service, in most common areas, including:

• reception lobby;
• dining hall;
• Bell room;
• Bamforth room ;
• Convocation Trust study room; and
• Lang room.

Study bedrooms that are located near these areas may be covered with a weak signal, but this is not a supported service. In some other rooms, it is possible to pick up WiFi from the UCL and SOAS buildings that are our neighbours. But any WiFi signal in your study bedroom is, at present, there by luck rather than by design.

The University of London Computer Centre (ULCC) runs our internet and WiFi services. They are currently working on a project to deliver in-room WiFi across the intercollegiate halls of residence. So Connaught Hall will get in-room WiFi for every room, but it may be next year before this can be installed.

Discipline in Hall - survey feedback

82 per cent of respondents to our survey last week were either satisfied (29 per cent) or very satisfied (53 per cent) with the rules and enforcement of discipline at Connaught Hall. Of those who wrote comments, eight people said we have got things about right; seven people said we are too strict; and three people said we should be more strict (mentioning noise and smoking problems).

I have some perspective to add to this. In the first eight weeks of this first term of 2014-15, I have chaired more disciplinary meetings than I did in the whole of the last academic year. I do not yet understand why we are facing so many disciplinary issues this year.

So far this year, I have dealt with 21 disciplinary cases in eight weeks. That is extraordinary. I have never started a year like this before.

Discipline isn't why I do this job. No one enjoys the experience of a disciplinary interview - on either side of the table. And it's time-consuming. I should much rather spend my limited "Warden" time providing welfare support, promoting wellness initiatives, organising events, working with your elected Residents' Club Committee, and improving the social and community aspects of our Hall. 

But sadly, this year, I am spending nearly all my time on disciplinary investigations, letters, meetings, and administration of fines, etc. That detracts from the service I can provide to everyone else.

In general, I dislike financial penalties. In contrast to what happens in many other halls of residence, my practice has always been to arrange a face-to-face meeting with anyone who is alleged to have done anything more than the most minor infringement of the rules. That way, I can help people understand what the rules are and why we have them, give them a chance to explain themselves, and usually avoid imposing a fine. But I cannot keep this practice up this year, with so many relatively serious cases of misconduct. 

So it is with regret that I am implementing a policy of summary penalties for the following offences, with effect from midnight tonight (13 November 2014). If a senior member or staff member personally witnesses one of these offences, the penalty will automatically be applied in writing, without a disciplinary meeting being convened.

Offence	1st incident	2nd incident	3rd incident
Covering a smoke detector	£100 fine and final warning	Expulsion from the Hall	N/A
Smoking inside the building	£50 fine and written warning	£100 fine and final warning	Expulsion from the Hall
Smoking in other prohibited area	£25 fine and written warning	£50 fine and second written warning	£100 fine and final warning
Access to first-floor balcony	£75 fine and written warning	£150 fine and final written warning	Expulsion from the Hall
Access to other roof or ledge on the Hall exterior	£100 fine and final warning	Expulsion from the Hall	N/A
Having an open container of alcohol not bought from the bar inside the bar, Bell room, or garden when the bar is open	£25 fine and written warning	£50 fine and second written warning	£100 fine and final warning

You will note these are all offences that are very clear-cut: either you were seen doing it or you were not. Other complaints, like noise, bullying, and harassment are more subjective and I will continue to meet with people who are alleged to have broken those rules. We have to be fair, so if you receive a fine under this policy and you dispute the material facts of what happened, you will be able to request a meeting with me. If you are still unhappy with the penalty, then you have a right of appeal as set out in the Student Disciplinary Procedure: http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/documents/Handbooks/Intercollegiate-Halls-Student-Disciplinary-Procedure-2014.pdf.

My primary hope is that this policy will act as a deterrent so that I do not issue even one fine under this scheme. But at worst, it will reduce the amount of time I spend on disciplinary matters, so I can concentrate on improving other aspects of your experience in Hall.

In addition to this policy of automatic fines, we are upgrading the signage around the building that tell you where smoking is allowed / prohibited, reminds you not to go onto the balconies, and other pointers to help ensure no one breaks the rules out of ignorance of what the rules actually are. 

The best outcome would be that we get to the end of the academic year without any of these fines being issued. You can help me: make sure you know what the rules are, observe them yourself, and if you see your friends doing something they shouldn't, tell them to stop it. I should much prefer that the Hall community police itself and that I never have to invoke the Student Disciplinary Procedure for anyone.