Questions or comments? Contact the dean of students office at deanofstudents@hampshire.edu.
Personal Vehicles on Campus
The College is not responsible for, nor will it pay any claims for, damages to student-owned vehicles resulting from falling ice, snow, tree limbs, or any other natural occurrence or event on its property or elsewhere, whether or not the possibility of such an event is warned against. The College is not responsible for, nor will it pay any losses, claims, or other damages, to student-owned vehicles resulting from vandalism, collision, or other acts by any person, other than damage caused directly by its employees. See the personal vehicle section [1] of the Five Colleges Inc. website for more information. Reckless driving and driving on walkways, fields, and other areas of campus not intended for regular auto traffic is prohibited. Students reported for reckless driving will be referred to the office of student rights and responsibilities.
Registering Your Vehicle
In order for Campus Safety & Wellbeing to regulate and manage motor vehicles on campus students who want to bring, operate, or park a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or moped on the Hampshire College campus must do the following:
Five College Students
Non–Hampshire College students enrolled in classes on our campus who are requesting a parking placard must complete a proof of registration form and bring it to the central records office [3] on the first floor of the Lemelson Center for Design to obtain a signature. Bring this signed form, your student ID, and your vehicle registration to the parking office at the rear of the Dakin Student Life building to obtain a parking placard. These placards are free of charge. The Five College student placard is valid for any Hampshire College student parking lot.
For more information, please contact Campus Safety & Wellbeing at 413-559-5345 or email csw@hampshire.edu [4]
Accessible Parking
Accessible parking is located throughout the Hampshire campus. A valid Hampshire parking placard is required in addition to a handicapped placard to utilize accessible parking in any lots requiring a decal. Any student in need of long-term or permanent accessible parking should visit their state’s motor vehicle department to learn about acquiring a placard for accessible parking. More information about applying in the state of Massachusetts can be found with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. [5]
Students with ADA placards issued by the RMV can park in any accessible space in any parking lot on campus.
Temporary Accessible Parking
Students in need of temporary accessible parking due to an injury or other short-term, disability-related circumstance may request a temporary parking pass through the office of accessibility resources and services (OARS). [6]
Vehicle Registration Requirements
Students are not allowed to have any unregistered vehicle(s) on campus. Student vehicles must be registered within ten (10) business days of arrival on campus. A valid driver’s license and a valid vehicle registration are required in order to receive a parking placard. Insurance must have your name on the policy. A student can have only one vehicle registered on campus at a time.
All student vehicles must be insured and registered with a state (MA or state of permanent residence, if different) to be kept on campus. MA registered vehicles must display a current inspection sticker to be considered registered. Vehicles registered out of state must comply with all requirements of that state and clearly display any required decals or placard.
Vehicles approved must be able to park completely within one standard size parking space. Large campers, trailers, or buses are not allowed. Students are not allowed to reside overnight in their vehicles.
Placard Fee
As of the 2024-2025 academic year, parking decals will be issued to students free of charge. Vehicles must be registered every academic year. Parking placards are good from September 1 - August 31 the year they are issued. The replacement placard fee is free. A vehicle is not considered registered until the parking placard is affixed to the vehicle according to the placard placement sheet you will receive when obtaining your placard. Vehicles not registered within 10 business days are subject to being ticketed and towed with warning at the owner’s expense. All parking issues should be directed to csw@hampshire.edu [4]
Placard Returns
Parking placards are non transferable and must be affixed to the vehicle for which they are issued. When you change vehicles or license plates you will need a replacement placard. If you sell or dispose of your vehicle, you must first deactivate the previous placard and then register another vehicle on the hub.
Parking Lots and Usage
Student vehicles must be parked in the designated student parking lots identified by a parking sign that reads "student parking only." Student vehicles will be cited when parked in other parking lots/spaces. Each student lot has a section for faculty/staff and visitors. These are not student parking spaces. Only registered student vehicles can be parked in the student parking spaces. Students should not park in areas marked "snow removal."
Student vehicles may need to be moved at times throughout the year, for reasons including maintenance and snow removal. Clear instructions will be provided for moving these vehicles a minimum of one day in advance.
Vehicles must be in operable condition at all times while parked on campus. Students may not perform maintenance on vehicles owned by themselves or others when parked on campus property.
If a student must utilize a student parking space for some reason other than normal driving/parking/storage of said vehicle, it must first be approved through the Student Project Approval Process [7].
Parking Regulations
Vehicle residency is prohibited
No recreational vehicle, camper shell, bus, automotive or similar device shall be used for living or sleeping quarters on Hampshire College property.
Can’t Find a Space?
Contact Campus Safety & Wellbeing at 413.559.5424 if you cannot find a space in your designated lot. Do not park illegally.
Summer Parking
There is no summer parking available for students who are not housed or working on campus. Vehicles may not be stored on campus at any time. Vehicles displaying evidence of non-use will be ticketed and towed.
Winter parking is available for students; instructions for where to place your vehicle over the winter break will be provided with other winter break instructions. Student vehicles not moved to designated areas may be towed and/or plowed in.
Loss of Parking Privileges
Students who show a continual disregard for parking and/or driving regulations risk losing the privilege of having a vehicle on campus. The Division of Justice, Equity, and Antiracism (JEA), upon recommendation by campus safety & wellbeing staff [8], may make this decision.
Citations
Vehicles are ticketed when parked or driven contrary to the Norms for Community Living. Citations range from $20.00 to $100.00, depending on the violation. Fines are billed directly to a student’s account. Non-students, visitors and anyone with unregistered vehicles who have their vehicles ticketed should mail their payment to Hampshire College, Campus Safety & Wellbeing, 893 West St., Amherst, MA 01002. As of August 1, 2024, the vehicle citation schedule will operate as follows:
Hampshire college is not responsible for damages to vehicles towed because of violations of these regulations.
Restricted Parking
Vehicles parked in restricted areas (e.g., fire lanes, bus stops, on grass, on walkways), unregistered vehicles, or vehicles that are parked in violation of parking regulations are subject to being towed without warning at the owner’s expense.
Appeals
Citations may be appealed by completing a parking appeal form on TheHub [9] within five (5) business days from the time the citation was issued. Questions can be directed to the Campus Safety & Wellbeing office at any time.
Visitor/Guest Temporary Parking
All visitors and guests are required to provide Campus Safety & Wellbeing with the vehicle’s make, model, color, and license plate number to be issued a temporary parking permit. The permit must be visibly displayed in the vehicle. If you are visiting a student, the host student must be present (with a valid student ID) when applying for a temporary parking permit. There is no cost for a visitor temporary parking pass. To submit an application for a temporary parking permit, please submit the form linked here [10].
Parking business is conducted at the Campus Safety & Wellbeing office.
Campus Safety & Wellbeing administrative office is on the ground floor of the Dakin Student Life Center (accessible from the rear entrance). Contact 413.559.6151 or csw@hampshire.edu [4].
Family/Gym Members
Any member of the gym not affiliated with the college may receive a gym parking pass valid for 1 year from the date issued. The gym member must show their issued Hampshire College ID or Hampshire College gym membership to obtain the permit.
Disabled Vehicles
Improperly parked disabled motor vehicles must be reported to Campus Safety & Wellbeing at 413.559.5424 immediately, along with plans for their removal. Vehicle owners must have improperly parked disabled vehicles removed within (3) hours or will be subjected to towing. Campus Safety & Wellbeing reserves the right to tow a vehicle if it blocks fire access or is a safety concern.
Abandoned Motor Vehicles
Will be towed at owners expense in compliance with Massachusetts General Law. The towing and subsequent storage and or disposal cost are the responsibility of the vehicle owner. The owner of the vehicle may also suffer the penalties of law under MGL Chapter 90 section 22B. Vehicles may be towed at the Direction of the Assistant Director of Campus Safety & Wellbeing. Hampshire College accepts no liability for any vehicle abandoned on College property and vehicles that do not display valid registration plates and or parking decal may be considered abandoned.
All bicycles on campus must be registered. Registration is free of charge and can be completed on TheHub [11] [305] anytime. The decal will be sent to you via campus mail. The registration decal will expire upon the student’s graduation date no longer than five (5) years from original registration.
All bicycles on campus must be stored in approved outdoor bike sheds and secured to a bicycle rack. Bicycles may not be secured to fire hydrants, trees, parking signs, ramps, railings, or left in the path of egress in any building on campus. Bicycles that are inappropriately secured may be immediately removed and/or confiscated.
Bicycles must be removed from campus during the summer break. Bicycles left over the summer will be considered abandoned and will be confiscated and discarded.
The College must continuously remove unregistered bicycles from campus to make room for registered bicycles. Any bicycle in violation of the College’s bicycle policy or unregistered will be confiscated and, if not claimed within thirty (30) days, will be discarded.
Stolen bikes, like any theft on campus, should be reported to Campus Safety and Wellbeing 413-559-5425 csw@hampshire.edu [4] immediately. The college is not responcible for any bicycle brought or left on campus, whether secure or not.
Use of College Vehicles
College vehicles are not available for personal use; this includes personal transportation to and from classes at other institutions. Pool vans can be reserved for College business and College-approved student programs. Please be sure to carefully read all information on the checking out Pool Vehicles webpage [12] [306]. Student groups must contact the student engagement [13] [274] office. For offices and academic departments, a department budget manager or designated assistant makes the reservation. A vehicle request can be made three days or more in advance.
Members of the College community who want to be eligible to operate a College vehicle must attend a defensive driver class [14] [307], and have a clean driving record. Credential forms must be filled out via Five College risk management [15] [308] for insurance purposes by everyone who will drive a College-owned or personal vehicle on College business.
All drivers of pool vans or personal vehicles driven on College business, are expected to follow the rules in the pool vehicle handbook [16] [309] and abide by all campus regulations and all local, state, and federal laws.
Travel Accident Insurance
The College provides limited travel accident insurance, including medical evacuation and repatriation to students traveling on College or academic business, worldwide. Worldwide travel assistance services are also available. For details or see the Five Colleges Inc. website [17] [310].
Auto Use
The College purchases auto liability insurance, which protects both the College and the driver from third-party liability and third-party property damage arising from the use of College-owned, hired/rented, and non-owned vehicles. The Five College risk management website [17] [310] has more detailed information on this coverage.
For College-owned vehicles, the student driver must be credentialed and have permission from a faculty member, a dean, a coach, or a department head to drive a College vehicle. For details on becoming a credentialed driver, visit Five College risk management policies [15] [308].
To rent or drive a rented vehicle for College business, the student must be credentialed and have written authorization from an authorized person (see owned vehicles, below) and be a scheduled driver with the rental company. Most car rental agencies prohibit persons under the age of 25 from driving rented vehicles. The College policy is to waive coverage for liability and collision coverage on domestic rentals; however, students should follow departmental guidelines with respect to waiving the rental company insurance. If the College insurance is used, a certificate of insurance should be obtained as proof of insurance.
If a student drives their own vehicle on College business, such use must be specifically authorized in writing by the department head or chair before the use occurs. The College policy is excess of the student’s own policy with respect to liability coverage. No coverage is provided for any physical damage to the student’s vehicle, nor will any deductible amount be paid by the College, whether or not the vehicle is used for College business, and regardless of any liability of the driver or other parties.
The College auto insurance policy may not cover unauthorized drivers. Unauthorized drivers may be personally liable for claims brought against them. The College may also have a right to claim against unauthorized drivers.
Weather Conditions
Trips may be canceled due to adverse weather conditions. The Campus Safety & Wellbeing [8] [112] Assistant Director has the authority to cancel pool vehicle reservations due to the adverse weather conditions and will utilize all available weather information to determine the advisability of allowing vehicles to leave the campus. As a matter of policy, the College expects drivers to interrupt their trips when weather conditions deteriorate, find a safe place to wait, and to resume the trip once the weather improves.
OPRA Van Use
Outdoor Programs and Recreation and Athletics vans are only for the use of College staff for transporting people to OPRA programs, courses, and events.
OPRA does not lend or rent vans.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs are prohibited in OPRA vans.
The transportation of alcohol or illegal drugs in OPRA vans is prohibited.
Prohibited Items
A number of items are prohibited in the Hampshire College buildings. These prohibitions are in place to support the health and safety needs of all community members. Some of the prohibited items are specific to students living in the residences. This listing is not all-inclusive of specific items, but gives a comprehensive description of types of items not permitted and does include some specifics to guide student understanding of prohibited items.
An additional list of fire safety prohibited items can be found at the end of the fire safety policy [18] [167].
Weapons, Firearms, and Explosives
Students are prohibited from introducing, possessing, using, buying, selling, carrying, or displaying any weapon or replica. Weapons are defined as any device or substance that is designed, used, or likely to be used to cause bodily harm, or property damage.
Firearms are prohibited and defined as any gun, rifle, pistol, handgun or device designed to fire bullets, BBs, pellets, or shots (including paintballs), or other projectiles, regardless of the propellant used.
Other weapons include but are not limited to, mace, pepper spray, taser, stun guns, knives with fixed blades, switchblades, spring-loaded knives, pocket knives with blades longer than 4 inches, kitchen utensils not used for their intended purpose, martial arts weapons, bow and arrows of any type, swords, brass knuckles, sling shots, explosives, or incendiary devices such as firecrackers are strictly prohibited on campus.
All “prop” weapons used in plays, the theater, etc., must be registered and stored at campus safety. The policy also covers any other items deemed by campus safety & wellbeing [8] [112] to be dangerous, including hazardous chemical or biological material of any sort. Also included are displays/collections of the above-named items, ornamental weapons and ornamental ammunition.
Any prohibited items are subject to confiscation and permanent forfeiture without any expectation of return or reimbursement. Violators will be subject to criminal prosecution and sanctions up to and including removal from the College.
Trespass Policy
Campus Safety & Wellbeing Assistants/Advocates are authorized to give oral and written notices of trespass warnings to individuals based on their authority granted by the Trustees of the College and Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266, Section 120 to control the safety of students, faculty/staff, and visitors upon the property owned by or under the control of Hampshire College. Violation of this order will result in criminal prosecution up to and including arrest.
Campus Safety & Wellbeing Assistants/Advocates or other College employees may ask community members or visitors for identification. Failure to comply with such a request may result in removal from the Hampshire College campus and/or trespass for non-students. Students are required to carry their Hampshire College ID cards with them at all times.
Links
[1] https://www.fivecolleges.edu/riskmgmt/driver_credentialing/driving-personal-vehicles-to-events
[2] https://thehub.hampshire.edu/TheHub/TheHub?CONSTITUENCY=XWBEM&type=P&pid=ST-XWPS001
[3] http://www.hampshire.edu/offices/index_centralrecords.htm
[4] mailto:csw@hampshire.edu
[5] https://atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/_/
[6] https://www.hampshire.edu/oars/office-of-accessibility-resources-and-services
[7] https://studentprojects.hampshire.edu/?&SPJ_m=H&SPJ_id=
[8] http://www.hampshire.edu/studentlife/1831.htm
[9] https://thehub.hampshire.edu/TheHub/TheHub?CONSTITUENCY=XWBEM&type=P&pid=ST-XWPS003
[10] https://hampshire.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6DO7YebbDuYOilo
[11] https://thehub.hampshire.edu/TheHub/TheHub?TYPE=M&PID=CORE-WBMAIN&TOKENIDX=3109863039
[12] https://www.hampshire.edu/campus-safety-and-security/checking-out-pool-vehicles
[13] http://www.hampshire.edu/studentlife/1071.htm
[14] https://www.hampshire.edu/cpsc/defensive-driving
[15] https://www.fivecolleges.edu/riskmgmt/policies/driver_credentialing
[16] https://www.hampshire.edu/sites/default/files/css/POOL%20HANDBOOK%204.11.19.pdf
[17] https://www.fivecolleges.edu/riskmgmt
[18] https://handbook.hampshire.edu/node/204