What are my rights in a college dorm?
College students suffer from an unfortunate lack of privacy rights in many situations. At a state school, the dorm is the property of the state and can generally be searched at the discretion of school officials or campus police. Similarly, at a private school, the dorms belong to the school and can be searched at its discretion as well. College students still have 4th Amendment rights that apply in other situations, but because you don’t own your place of residence, you have no authority to assert a 4th Amendment claim in regards to your room. Campus policies vary from one school to the next, so it’s best to check the policy at your school so that you know what to expect. Some schools offer better privacy protection for students than others, but there’s generally no harm in attempting to protect your privacy by refusing searches and refusing to incriminate yourself.
