Usage Policy & Fines

SAIC maintains resources for the benefit of the entire campus community, for now and for the future. When a borrower returns resources late or damaged, or fails to return them, other students and faculty are deprived of opportunities. Some resources are not easily replaced. You accept responsibility for borrowed resources immediately upon receipt from the circulating facility and will be accountable to this and all SAIC circulation and access policies. You contribute to the benefit of the SAIC community by being responsible with your use of valuable communal resources.

You will not be able to borrow from the Media Centers if you have an unpaid Media Center fine. Avoid fines by verifying that your return time is correct on the system generated email you receive at the time of checkout or by checking your Patron Portal profile.

The SAIC Media Centers honor and enforce fines at the MacLean, Sharp and 280 Media Centers. We do not honor fines from any other SAIC checkout center.

Personal Responsibility

Please be aware of your responsibilities when you borrow resources from SAIC Media Center. School equipment and resources are not insured against loss or damage by borrowers.

  • You are financially responsible for the safe return of all borrowed resources.
  • Don’t loan resources that are checked out to you to anyone else.
  • If anything is missing or damaged, you will be charged for the cost of repair or replacement.
  • You are liable for replacement of lost resources—EVEN IF LOST ON SAIC PROPERTY and EVEN IF STOLEN FROM YOU.
  • You must return borrowed resources to the correct department by the due date and time to avoid late fines and other penalties.

Double check your record (email received from WebCheckout and the MY Account page on Patron Portal) to confirm that the resources listed as checked out to you are correct. Report errors immediately.

Be very careful with borrowed resources. Consider your personal safety when using expensive equipment in public. Be alert to your surroundings. Avoid dangerous situations. Avoid non-recommended usage.

While every step should be taken to safeguard SAIC borrowed resources, you should never prioritize equipment value over your own personal safety. Do NOT fight a robber or attacker for SAIC property. Equipment can be replaced; you cannot.

 

Late Fines

Everyone must return borrowed resources to the correct Media Center by the due date/time to avoid late fines and/or other penalties.

Grades/Hourly Rates

  1. $.10 flat rate (Unserialized resources)
  2. $.50/hour (Resources valued at less than $100)
  3. $1/hour (Resources valued at less than $1000, but $100 or greater)
  4. $2/hour (Resources valued at more than $999, Production Spaces and Computer Labs)

Value is determined by the container resource (the value of contained components and accessories add to the total value of the container resource).

Fines are charged on a per resource basis and fine maximums are capped at the value of a resource.

Fines are prorated to the time of return and the hourly rate is charged only while the Media Center is open (fines do not accrue during Media Center closed hours).

Fine grades can be found listed within the description of every Resource Type on Patron Portal. (Rates will be applied based on the current information listed in Patron Portal and are subject to change to reflect the Media Center current policies and operation.)

The amount of a fine is not final until all items on a checkout have been returned. Patrons receive an email notification once a fine is finalized that indicates the total amount of a fine.

Abuse/Abandonment Fines 

A $10 per item fine will be issued for abandoned resources.  Departmental resources or facilities may issue additional fines.   Repeated abuse can lead to suspension of access. This fine is final and can not be appealed.

Abuse: Patrons receive this abuse fee for overly reckless and dangerous treatment of Media Center resources or for severely abusing Media Center policy/protocol.

Abandonment: If a patron is responsible for leaving resources abandoned in an unsecured space, for ANY amount of time we confiscate it & charge an abandonment fee.

 

Payment and Appeals

Fines that have been paid are not subject to appeal in any circumstance. No refunds will be given for paid fines, unless a fine has been found to have been incorrectly charged.

Fines can be paid at the Media Center with ARTICash or the Bursar’s Office (Sharp 245).

Late fines $15 and greater may be appealed.

Late Fines less than $15 may be appealed only in the event the fine was caused by extenuating circumstances out of your control. Appeals of fines less $15 require documentation of the condition out of your control such as a doctor’s note, airline ticket, etc…

An appeal results in one of two outcomes:

  1. The fine is adjusted to reflect the appeal
  2. The fine is upheld in full

There is no cap on how many times you can appeal, but you can not appeal the same fine more than once. 

In the case of extenuating circumstances a fine may be waived completely if proper documentation has been provided.

In order to submit an appeal all the equipment must be returned. Fines must be appealed within 30 days of incurring the fine (receiving a fine notification email from the Media Centers) or before graduating, whichever comes first.

To submit an appeal, please complete the form here: https://forms.gle/ayHtdfeFsjRmFeGAA

Late fine appeal decisions are made by the Media Center Fine Committee. Late fine appeals are evaluated as they are submitted and late fine appeal decisions will be communicated via email within 72 business hours of submission. Business hours run Monday-Friday.

While the appeal is being considered by the Media Center Fine Committee, the late fine will prevent any reservations or checkouts from occurring, this includes pre-existing reservations.

Appeals of Lost/Stolen/Damaged Resources

All fines for the cost of replacement for an item or damages will be handled by the institutional appeal process where there is, in most cases, a $300 minimum to appeal. For fines over $300, patrons have the option of appealing their fine to a committee consisting of representatives of SAIC’s administration, division chairs, SAIC security, and student affairs, who will make a final determination of financial responsibility. Patrons interested in Appeals should be in contact with the Associate Director of Media & Instructional Resources, who will coordinate the meeting. Patrons should be prepared to present evidence demonstrating the reason why they should not be accountable for the loss or damage. Exceptionally large fines may be transferred to Student Accounts. While the case is in Appeals or if the fine is still being determined, the student retains access to the Media Center until a decision is rendered.

For lost/stolen items the fine amount is determined either by fair market value of the lost/stolen resource, or SAIC’s insured deductible to replace the item. Fines for damage are charged by the actual repair cost. Repair costs are added to a patron’s account after the repair is complete.

 

Reporting a Crime

On Campus

  • Notify SAIC Security. A desk or patrol officer will help you file a report with SAIC and the Chicago Police Department.
  • Notify the manager of the facility from which you borrowed the resources. They will request a copy of the police report.

Off Campus

  • Notify the Chicago Police Department. Obtain a copy of the police report.
  • File a report with SAIC Security. They will want to keep track of police activity.
  • Notify the manager of the facility from which you borrowed the resources. Provide a copy of the police report

You may still be charged for replacement of lost or damaged resources. The police report will be taken into account in determining liability.