Updated August 2026
4.37 | Prohibited Items
4.37.A | Air Conditioners: For safety, and electrical concerns, no student may install an air conditioner or water cooler in their room. This includes portable air conditioning systems. Fans are permitted.
4.37.B | Appliances: Electrical appliances must be plugged directly into a wall outlet and are not permitted to be plugged into a power strip. Electrical appliances that are not allowed include, but are not limited to: heat lamps, camping stoves, electric skillets or woks, griddles, "Insta-pot" or similar multi-cooker, pressure cooker, deep fryers, convection cooker (air fryer), "George Foreman" type grills, any halogen torchiere lamp or lamps that use halogen bulbs, potpourri pots, hot oil popcorn poppers, hot plates, oven broilers, any appliance with an open coil, space heater, toaster ovens, or chest freezers. Any appliances that produce grease-laden vapors or smoke are prohibited under fire code. Allowed appliances include coffee pots, rice cookers, blenders, ice makers, and slow cookers that are marked as FM, UL, or ETL certified.
4.37.C | Only university issued refrigerators and microwaves are permitted. The hall staff confiscate unauthorized or misused appliances, and the individual(s) responsible will be subject to Student Conduct proceedings. If additional refrigerators or microwaves are medically needed, students can apply through the Office of Student Accessibility for special approval to be provided these items.
4.37.D | Electrical Power Strips: Use of multiplugs and electrical power strips is permitted, as long as the item is surge protected, and FM, UL, or ETL approved. Appliances may not be plugged into these units; they can only be plugged into the wall directly.
4.37.E | Extension Cords: Extension cords of any type are not permitted in the halls. Only Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL), or FM Global (FM) rated surge protectors are permitted. The UL/ETL/FM sticker on the surge protector must note, "surge protected device." They must be plugged directly into the wall. Those listed as, "relocatable power taps" or otherwise are not permitted. Daisy chaining (connecting multiple surge protects together) is a fire safety hazard and prohibited.
4.37.F | Electronic Transportation: Hoverboards, electric scooters, and other electronic transportation devices may not enter the residence halls or any university buildings. Any electronic transportation devices needed due to accessibility may be approved through the Office of Student Accessibility, located in the Classroom Center, Room 106. When staff becomes aware of electronic transportation found in university housing, the owner will be contacted and asked to immediately remove the device from the premises. Staff unable to identify or reach the owner of the device will remove the item from the building and secure it to the nearest outside bike rack. Contact Residential Living staff to assist in retrieving your confiscated item.
4.37.G | Explosives and Dangerous Materials: The possession, use, or storage of fireworks, explosives, or dangerous chemicals on university premises or in university housing is prohibited. In addition, use of any such item, even if legally possessed, in a manner that harms, threatens, or causes fear for others in prohibited. All authorized use must comply with safety protocols and applicable laws.
4.37.H | Heat-Producing Devices: For safety and electrical concerns, no portable heating units, heat lamps, or light fixtures with halogen lamps are allowed within the residence halls. Flame-producing devices such as butane torches or lighters are prohibited in any university building. Storage of any flammable liquids or gasses is prohibited.
4.37.I | Weapons: Unauthorized possession, use, or storage of weapons on university premises or within university housing is prohibited. A weapon is any object or device designed or used to inflict injury, threaten injury, or incapacitate, includes, but is not limited to firearms (except as permitted by Texas law), pellet or air guns, projectile tasers, slingshots, martial arts weapons, knives with blades longer than 4 inches, switchblade knives, clubs, and devices that launch or project objects. These items, or those similar in nature, may not be used for display or decoration in the residence halls. Personal pepper spray and personal non-projectile stun devices may be possessed solely for lawful self-defense. Any unlawful or reckless use or display of these or any other weapon, whether legally possessed or not, is prohibited.