Effective Date
July 1, 2019
Office of Primary Responsibility
Office of Residence Life
Summary of Policy
Residence life is deeply committed to helping all students have a positive experience in the residential communities. Perhaps one of the difficult adjustments that students have in their residential communities is sharing a room/space. We know through years of experience that the most successful roommate pairings are the ones that effectively communicate with each other. We have staff in the residential communities that are willing to help students communicate but ultimately the students must talk through any issues. When communication fails, or when changes are needed, we have a process for residents to follow.
The Office of Residence Life maintains the roster of student assignments living in College housing. For communication, safety and billing purposes, it is important that these be accurate and that students move only with the knowledge and permission of Residence Life. Students must apply and be approved for early arrival and late stay by the dates in the Housing Agreement. Approval may be granted to students who are working on campus or participating in a College-sponsored program. In order to properly prepare College-owned residences for student move-in and summer programs, as well as address ongoing maintenance, cleaning, and general upkeep in our buildings, the College must adhere to a schedule for student occupancy to allow times for staff to have access to facilities during transition periods.
Policy Statement
The student may occupy their assigned room during the time periods listed on the Residence Life website and in their housing agreement. Room assignment changes must be initiated and approved by the Office of Residence Life. Unapproved room occupancy may be referred to student conduct.
The occupancy period may be subject to change by the College based on unforeseen alterations in the academic year calendar or for other reasons, including, but not limited to, a severe weather event or campus emergency. The student agrees to occupy only the room assigned.
Early Arrivals/Late Stays: Students may not arrive before or stay later than their occupancy period without approval from Residence Life. All requests must be made by a College employee (coach, advisor, supervisor); Residence Life will communicate with the College employee if the request is approved, adjusted, or denied. Students who arrive before their approved date or on the incorrect date, or who stay after their approved date may be subject to additional fees and the conduct process.
Check In: Students must check in to their room assignment upon arrival to campus. Students are responsible for the bedroom they were assigned; students may not switch keys, including bedroom keys without the permission of Residence Life. Students must complete a Room/Apartment Condition Report (RCR/ACR) for their space; failure to complete this form forfeits the right to appeal any damage charges. Each space should have the correct number of pieces of furniture for the capacity of the space. All appliances should be fully operational. The space should be clean (floors and surface areas free of debris) and have no visible damage. Any exceptions should be noted on the RCR/ACR. Students are responsible for ensuring that the RCR/ACR is completed accurately by the deadline.
Check Out: Students must complete a check out at the end of the academic year or at the end of their occupancy (due to graduation, leave of absence, withdrawal, approved cancellation, and room changes). Check out requires that the room is returned to its original condition (the correct amount of furniture, floors and surfaces clean and free of debris, no visible damage, free of personal items), the keys are returned to the designated key return location and all paperwork completed. Failure to complete this process may result in an Improper Check-Out fee, Damage fees, and/or Lock Change Fees. Students are responsible for the damage that occurs within their assigned spaces. For students who share a bedroom and those who have a common space (apartments, suites, houses) the fees will be assessed to all occupants.
Occupancy Location
Students may only reside in the bedroom assigned to them. Any housing moves must be approved thru the Office of Residence Life.
First-year students are housed in first-year buildings and spaces and are not generally matched with an upper-class student. Residence Life reserves the right to assign upper-class students and first-year students to available spaces in a residence hall.
Room Changes
Requests for hall or room changes are generally permitted if there are valid reasons and vacant spaces. To complete a room change, a student should contact the office of Residence Life. If no space is available students may request to be added to a waitlist. The staff can provide information about rooms that are available in that hall and others. Note - There are several times throughout the year when Residence Life cannot accommodate room changes. Some of these times are while Residence Life prepares for the arrival of new incoming students for winter and spring terms, and while we prepare assignments for the following academic year:
During the Semester: Students may not change rooms during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure that all students have arrived and are in their assigned place. Student-initiated room changes may begin 2 business days after add/drop period ends.
Students may not change rooms at the end of each semester due to billing, placement of incoming students, and end-of-year processes. Student-initiated room changes must be approved and completed as outlined in the Housing Agreement.
Between Semesters: Students who wish to change rooms between the fall and the spring semester should look to the Residence Life website for appropriate dates. If approved, the student must completely vacate their fall assignment by the date and time directed by Residence Life via email and/or listed on the Residence Life website. If the spring assignment is open and available, the student may move to their spring assignment by the date and time directed by Residence Life via email and/or listed on the Residence Life website; if the spring assignment is not available, the student must store their belongings off-campus at their own expense until spring semester move in.
Consolidation Process
Residence Life reserves the right to consolidate students who have open bed spaces within their room/apartment/house. Students who are in a space with an open bed may receive a roommate at any time and are required to keep that space open and available. When a space (bed, closet, etc.) in a room becomes vacant after a student moves out, residents still in the room must keep that space unoccupied should another resident(s) be assigned to that space. Residents still in the room are encouraged to keep the space reasonably clean to help create a positive roommate dynamic with the new resident(s). Residents can only move into a vacant space in a room after being granted permission by Residence Life.
Traditional and Apartment Spaces: Students may be required to move to another space within one week. Students may not block another student from moving in, nor may they refuse to move during the consolidation process. Selection of which students will move is at the sole discretion of Residence Life and will be based on location, overall needs of the housing process, and desirability of the space (e.g. if there is a waitlist). Residence Life reserves the right to move or consolidate students due to extenuating circumstances at any date as determined by the Co-Directors of Residence Life.
Houses: Students residing in houses that fall below 100% occupancy may be assigned to another space on campus (including traditional and apartment spaces), at any time, and the new space is not guaranteed to be with the student’s current housemates. Students will have one week to vacate their house, complete the check-out process, and move to their new assignment upon notification from Residence Life.
Temporary Housing
In certain extenuating circumstances (including, but not limited to the College being over standard occupancy or a specific assignment is under repair) students may be assigned to a temporary space. These spaces will include the standard furniture of a traditional residence hall room. Once a permanent space is available, students must move to their assigned space as directed by Residence Life.
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