Policies on Use of Hostos Facilities

POLICIES ON USE OF HOSTOS FACILITIES

The Hostos Athletics and Recreation Complex, a showcase for our institution, offers numerous recreation and fitness programs for students, faculty, and staff.  The various centers within the Complex offer recreation and fitness programs to increase the knowledge and skills to enhance appreciation for health and a healthy lifestyle. 

Hostos encourages the use of the various centers in pursuit of wellness. To ensure your safety and appropriate use of the centers, users must adhere to the following policies and procedures.  These policies are consistent with nation-wide standards of quality and excellence. For scheduling, rates and more information, please contact Felix Arocho, Theatre Manager, Telephone 718-518-4477 or e-mail Farocho@hostos.cuny.edu.

 ACCESS TO COLLEGE FACILITIES

 CAMPUS FACILITIES

Hostos Community College is a commuter school; there are no residences or dormitories on campus. To date, there are no off-campus student organizations. The College opens at 7:00 am and closes for business at 10:30 pm, Monday through Saturday and 7:00 am through 6:00 pm on Sundays. Access to campus buildings is limited to faculty, staff, students, guests and visitors who are conducting official college business.

 All students, faculty and staff should possess a College ID card which must be used to access the main campus buildings through the access control turnstile systems but must be either displayed and/or presented upon request by a College official or Public Safety personnel.  The Library is open to students, faculty, staff, as well as other CUNY students. Library hours are posted in the calendar/hours tab on the web at http://commons.hostos.cuny.edu/library/. During midterms and finals, the Library may have extended hours to accommodate students. The College reserves the right to refuse entry or remove anyone regardless of status for rule infractions or safety reasons. 

Identification Cards

New students, faculty and staff can obtain an identification card inside the Public Safety ID Office, room BC-042A, in the basement of the B-Building. While on campus students, faculty, and staff must possess a Hostos Community College ID Card. The ID card is the property of the College and must be presented upon request of a College official. If your card is lost/stolen please go to the Bursar’s office, Savoy Building, 120 Walton Avenue, Room B-105 to pay a replacement fee of $10.00. Upon payment, bring your receipt to the Public Safety Office, Room BC-042A.  Please note that all currently enrolled students must have a validation sticker affixed to their identification cards. All employees of the college who are no longer employed and students who are no longer registered will have their identification cards deactivated in the system.  

College Issued Keys

Administrators, faculty, and staff are issued keys to their respective offices and/or buildings. It is your responsibility to safeguard the keys issued to you. If you lose College keys it must be reported to Public Safety so an incident report can be filed. All buildings are locked after scheduled classes or special events. During non-business hours, when the College is closed, entry to buildings is not allowed except with prior written authorization and approval by Department Chairperson. 

Guests

All visitors are expected to comport themselves in a manner consistent with an academic environment. Guests must identify themselves to Public Safety at the entry gate upon arrival. Public Safety will require a valid identification and the guests will be signed in. Guests will only be allowed in if they have official business. Guests are subject to the instruction of Public Safety personnel as well as Administrative staff. A guest attending an event will be asked to leave if they appear to be intoxicated or refuse to follow directives given by Public Safety or Administrative staff. Permission to enter onto the college property is revocable at any time. Persons not having a legitimate purpose to be on campus may be asked to leave by Public Safety personnel. Trespass warnings are posted at all common entrances. All vehicles parking on campus must display a valid parking permit. Vehicles without permits should stop at one of the entrance gates to be granted permission on campus.   We ask for your cooperation in promoting a safe and secure college environment. If you see something unusual or someone acting suspiciously, please report it to Public Safety immediately. 

Security Considerations Used in the Maintenance of Campus Facilities

The Public Safety Department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Central operations are located in the basement of the C-Building, 450 Grand Concourse, where Public Safety Officers monitor approximately 237 interior/exterior surveillance cameras, an intrusion detection system, a key control system, a fire alarm system, a public address system, the emergency phone line, and maintain a log book of all the reported incidents, events and campus conditions. While conducting patrols, officers must report potential safety and security hazards as well as entry door problems, elevator malfunctions and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) operating conditions to the central operator. 

The central operator keeps accountability of the officers/supervisors that are on duty and dispatches them as needed to different areas of the campus. The central operator is responsible for contacting appropriate personnel if a campus condition is reported (i.e. Buildings and Grounds, Environmental Health and Safety, Information Technology, etc.). Any conditions which appear unsafe should be directly reported to any Public Safety Officer as soon as possible. All Public Safety personnel carry two-way mobile radios programmed through a repeater to enhance effectiveness. A special two-way radio is also located at Central Operations that can communicate with other CUNY campuses. All Public Safety supervisors’ radios can communicate with the local precinct during emergency situations. In addition, the campus has a public address system with approximately 300 interior/exterior building speakers to communicate with the College. These speakers are tested weekly by the Public Safety Department. 

Along with the Office of the Senior Vice President of Administration and Finance, Campus Facilities, and Physical Plant Services, the Director of Public Safety conducts ongoing reviews of campus grounds and facilities. Special emphasis is placed on the need to ensure safe accessibility to buildings with special attention to landscape hazards as well as inadequate lighting. In addition, all Public Safety personnel report potential safety and security hazards as well as entry door problems, elevator malfunctions and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) operating conditions while on patrol. 

Safety Escort Service

The Department of Public Safety provides safety escorts to any member of the college community who requests such an escort. Escorts are provided within the geographical confines of the institution.  Escorts provided outside the confines require approval from the Public Safety Director. 

Public Address System

A Public Address System is available in the C-450, A-475, B-500, D-120, and M-429 buildings. Announcements can be made from each respective lobby as well as the public safety dispatch center. 

Emergency Phones

There are several telephones located on the exterior of campus buildings that may be used to report emergencies.