Room Change Policy and Procedures
The Office of Residence Life is dedicated to fostering an environment where students may grow and learn. Many resident students have one or more roommates, and most find their roommate situations to be very positive. If you experience a concern with a roommate(s) relationship, speaking to her honestly about it usually resolves the concern. The residence life staff is available to assist and is committed to taking a proactive role in developing a positive living situation among roommates in the residence halls. All students in multiple occupancy rooms or apartments are required to fill out a Roommate Contract within the first two weeks of the term.
The following guidelines have been established regarding room assignments, occupancy and room changes:
- Changes in room and/or roommate assignments will not be made during the first four weeks of the academic year. Students cannot move without the permission of the Office of Residence Life.
- Rooms designated as doubles, triples and quads will remain as such throughout the academic year unless otherwise determined by the University.
- The director of residence life establishes room assignments for new students who enter the University.
- Any room with fewer occupants than is designated to accommodate will be considered as having available space for additional occupants. Students who occupy a room that is not at capacity may, at any time during the term, be assigned a roommate(s). The director of residence life will assign new students as needed to vacant spaces at the beginning of the second term or at any other time during the academic year. Before a vacancy is filled, a residence life staff member will notify the current resident(s) of the room about the change via e-mail and/or voicemail as timing allows.
- Room change requests will be permitted only if one of the following conditions is present*:
- Medical problems (documentation required)
- Personal extenuating circumstances
- Conflict between roommates which cannot be resolved (GRD and director of residence life discretion). Roommate mediation with an RA, senior RA, GRD and/or AC must occur, and a good faith effort must be made by the requesting roommates before a room change is granted for this reason. No exceptions.
- One to one change (see details below)
- The room change procedure is as follows (Due to housing constraints, room changes or special requests may not always be possible.)
- A resident student must discuss with her resident advisor the reason she desires a room change. If the reason is (a) a medical problem or (b) a personal extenuating circumstance, the RA should refer the student to meet with the graduate resident director. If there is a conflict between roommates, the resident student(s) will be required to meet first with the RA who will attempt to assist the resident students in resolving the conflict.
- If a conflict resolution meeting with the RA and the residents does not resolve the problem, the students will meet with their graduate resident director to attempt to work through the conflict.
- Only after these steps have been completed, all residents have made an effort to resolve the concern, and a graduate resident director or area coordinator believes that the concern is one that cannot be resolved, will a room change be granted contingent upon available spaces. Residents are responsible for making time for the appropriate roommate meetings to occur with residential life staff. Students failing to make time for these important conversations will either not be approved for a room change or may have a final decision made by the Office of Residence Life without their input.
- A graduate resident director or area coordinator will initiate a room change if she determines that it is in order. At this time, the director of residence life and residential space will work with the graduate resident director and resident moving and place her in an available space as soon as possible.
- A one-to-one room change is a room switch where a student finds another student who is willing to switch rooms. As long as all students involved in the room change (and their roommates) agree to the proposed switch, a one-to-one move may take place between individuals living in the residence halls. However, the four-week room change freeze does apply to one-to-one room changes as well. Students who would like to complete a one-to-one switch must meet with their GRD for an approved room change. Students with open spaces may also pull another student into that space after the four-week room change freeze, with the permission of the Office of Residence Life.
- If a sophomore, junior or senior would like to move into an available single room, she must inform her roommates and then meet with her graduate resident director who will complete with her a room change request form. The GRD or AC will then make sure that the student is placed on the singles list. The singles list operates on a “first come, first served” basis; a student will be notified when a single becomes available for her. If a student chooses to decline the single available to her, she will be taken off the singles list for the rest of the academic year. First-year students are not permitted to sign up for the singles list without following the medical accommodations policy.
- Unauthorized room changes are not permitted. All changes must have prior approval of the graduate resident director and the director of residence life.
- Room changes will not be approved during the month of December so proper planning can occur for new residents for the spring term.
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