HOUSING PROCEDURES
HOUSING SIGN-UP PROCESS
Students sign up for housing during the spring term. The sign-up is based on a point system that determines the order in which students choose housing. Groups having the most points have first choice, and within each point total the sign-up order is based on randomly drawn lottery numbers.
Points are awarded based on the number of credits at the end of the current spring term. Students registered for the following fall term will receive one point. Points are lost when students receive disciplinary sanctions. A negative point status is possible. Points do not carry over from one sign-up period to the following year’s sign-up period.
Class Standing:
Post-Bac and Graduate.................................................. +7 points
Undergraduates with 90+ Credits.................................. +6 points
Undergraduates with 60-89 Credits.............................. +5 points
Undergraduates with 30-59 Credits............................... +4 points
Registration for fall term......................................................... +1 point
Disciplinary Sanctions:
No Sanction/Warning..................................................... +2 points
Written Reprimand.......................................................... -1 point
Social Probation.............................................................. -2 points
Disciplinary Probation.................................................... -3 points
The housing sign-up process begins in the spring term. The Residence Life staff will provide students with information and specific sign-up dates. Students without full housing groups will not be permitted to select their fall housing assignment, but rather will be assigned to apartments by the Residence Life Office over the summer.
The procedure for the housing sign-up process is as follows:
1. Students select their roommates for the following year.
2. Students get their housing packet consisting of contracts and a tally sheet from the Residence Life Office.
3. The group of roommates submits the completed housing packet (signed contracts and tally sheet) to the Residence Life Office by the assigned deadline. It is recommended that all students have their parent or guardian read and sign the housing contract. When the housing packet is returned, the group leader draws a lottery ticket to determine the group’s place in the housing lottery.
4. Point totals are posted outside the Residence Life Office. Residence Life strongly recommends that each group reviews its posted point total. Concerns should be addressed BEFORE students begin selecting their housing at the start of the housing sign-up meeting. Signup order is subject to change based on housing point adjustments until the sign-up meeting begins. Please note: Students will not be able to dispute their point total once students begin selecting their housing assignments at the sign-up meeting.
GUIDELINES FOR HOUSING SIGN-UP
Residence Life strongly urges students to find roommates and to have a complete group, as Residence Life assigns all incomplete groups over the summer. In addition, incomplete groups will be assigned additional roommates to fill vacancies.
Students will be provided the opportunity to attend a meeting to assist them in finding roommates.
Any group caught deliberately falsifying information in their housing packet, including, but not limited to, forging signatures or reporting inaccurate housing points, may be placed at the end of the lottery, regardless of their group’s point total. Individuals found responsible for deliberately falsifying such information may also be adjudicated through the student conduct system.
Preferred housing is limited.
Groups not obtaining preferred housing need to regroup as a standard apartment and resubmit their revised housing packets.
Any student not receiving housing during the housing sign-up process will be assigned by the Residence Life Office over the summer.
SOPHOMORE LIVING AREA SIGN-UP
Rising sophomores select their housing at a separate sign-up meeting for housing in the designated sophomore area. All second-year students are required to live on campus unless they are classified as nontraditional or designated by admissions as a “commuter student” living at their permanent address.
HOUSING DEPOSIT REFUND POLICY
The housing deposit is refunded to the student’s account after the student graduates or withdraws from the College at the end of the occupancy period. If the student’s account has an outstanding balance, the housing deposit will be applied to the balance and only the remaining portion of the deposit will be returned to the student. Damages to the living space, outstanding student conduct fines or community restitution, or pending disciplinary action may affect the student’s refund of all or part of the housing deposit.
Residents who need to leave the College for an extended period of time but who intend to return during the occupancy period (e.g. academic hiatus, medical hiatus, study abroad, etc.) will be charged 1/3 the normal housing rate to hold a specific housing assignment.
If, after submitting this contract, the student decides to leave campus housing at any time or withdraws from the College, the student will be responsible for a $500 breach-of-contract charge. If a student withdraws or leaves the College during a term within the occupancy period, housing and board charges are refunded according to the following schedule.
On or before the first day of classes for the term....... 100% refunded
Up to and including calendar day 8................................ 90% refunded
Calendar days 9-15......................................................... 80% refunded
Calendar days 16-22....................................................... 70% refunded
Calendar day 23 and later................................................. 0% refunded
HOUSING CONTRACTS
Prior to being assigned to College housing, students are required to sign a Housing Contract. The Housing Contract, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of both student and College, is a legal commitment for the full academic year beginning with the fall term and ending with the spring term.
Students signing up for housing for a summer session require a contract covering that particular period.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
All first- and second-year students are required to live on campus unless they are classified as nontraditional or designated by Admissions as a “commuter student” living at their permanent address.
OFF-CAMPUS LIVING POLICY & PROCEDURE
Students exempt from the residency requirement outlined above are permitted to live off-campus provided they follow the proper procedure. The College’s procedure to move off-campus is as follows:
1. Students wishing to live off-campus must formally notify the College of their intent to move off-campus by completing the Off-Campus Housing Declaration, providing the College with information about their off-campus residence.
2. Any changes in off-campus residency must be reported to the Residence Life Office.
3. Students residing off-campus must adhere to all terms of the Student Handbook, Off-Campus Living Guide, Code of Conduct, and all applicable laws and ordinances.
4. Failure to adhere to the requirements of the off-campus living procedures may result in a student being billed for campus housing, being denied approval to live off-campus, adjudication through the Student Code of Conduct, and/or a registration hold being applied to the student’s account.
5. The College reserves the right to limit the number of students approved to live off-campus.
CHECK-IN/CHECK-OUT
When students begin occupancy of their residence, they are required to check in with Residence Life. At the end of occupancy (often at the end of the spring term), students are required to check out with Residence Life.
Students are checked into their residence by a member of the Residence Life staff, usually an RA. A Residence Condition Report (RCR) is completed which documents the condition of the residence upon check-in. When a student leaves the residence, the RCR is used to assess any damage done during the student’s residency.
At the end of the spring term, Residence Life will post the dates and times during which students check out of housing. A proper check-out requires that a student removes all personal belongings, cleans the living space, officially checks out with a residence life staff member, returns keys, and signs check-out paperwork. Students have the option to be present during an initial inspection to verify the condition of their residence upon check-out. Students who fail to check out with the proper paperwork, who have not followed the proper procedure, or fail to checkout during designated times will be charged a $75 improper check-out fee. Students who do not return assigned keys will be charged a $50 lost key charge. Residents who fail to move by the posted date and time for summer and temporary housing will be assessed a $100 fine per hour.
The housing contract that the student signed is for a full academic year. Students leaving at a time other than the scheduled check-out times (in the spring term) must notify the Residence Life Office and make arrangements (i.e. set up a time to check out) with their RA to check out of their residence properly.
HOUSING OVER BREAKS
As stated in the Housing Contract, freshman housing is closed over breaks. Only students authorized to stay may remain over the breaks. Students living in the freshman residential area must contact their Hall Director for permission to remain in housing or return early during the breaks.
Upperclassman students who plan to stay in their apartments over break must notify their RAs prior to the beginning of break.
Students with permission to remain on campus during a break should be aware that they are here as a courtesy and not because they have the right to stay. Students who act inappropriately or violate the Student Conduct Code over the break may be asked to leave campus for the remainder of the break and are subject to disciplinary action.
The College discourages leaving valuable belongings in your residence over breaks; the College is not responsible for any loss or damage. Students who leave campus should take their keys with them, enabling them to reenter their living space upon return.
ROOMMATES & RESIDENCE CHANGES
Students may not make room or apartment changes without the approval of their Assistant Director or the Residence Life Office. Adjusting to living with others takes time. Many students believe that a relationship will not work out before they have taken the time to communicate with their roommate(s) to try to work out the issues. Learning to work through problems and to communicate with others is a vital aspect of living in a community, and college is an excellent place to hone these skills.
The atmosphere residents choose to create in their residence will depend on their relationship with each other. Contrary to popular belief, roommates do not have to be best friends—a positive relationship with roommates depends much more on the mutual consideration of each others’ differences. Choosing to behave in a hostile and/or unfriendly manner toward roommate(s) is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Residents choosing to be uncivil will face a formal intervention and potential disciplinary action. If deemed necessary, an Assistant Director may mandate a specific resident be moved from the residence.
In order to give students time to become acquainted and to work through issues with their roommates, the Residence Life staff does not allow room changes for the first two weeks of each term, or during the consolidation process, except in cases of extenuating circumstances. When conflicts arise, the students involved are asked to discuss their concerns and issues. If informed of the problem, staff members will mediate and facilitate these discussions in order to resolve the issues or to make the situation more comfortable.
CONSOLIDATION POLICY
The Consolidation Policy was developed to make the best use of available residential space at Mercyhurst. In addition, it is intended to allow those students interested in having preferred housing the opportunity to obtain it (when available), to allow for students not presently living together the opportunity to share rooms, and to be fair to those students who have already paid for preferred housing. Therefore, due to the demand for campus housing, it will be necessary to consolidate spaces to accommodate housing requests and student housing needs.
Consolidation may occur at any time during the term though every effort will be made to implement consolidation at the beginning and end of terms. Information will be provided by the Residence Life Office. During the consolidation periods, no other student moves will be permitted. Residents who have vacancies should expect to be consolidated. When a vacancy occurs, the remaining roommates, at the discretion of the Residence Life Office, have the following options:
Retain their current housing with a new roommate of their choice who is involved in the consolidation process;
Be assigned a new roommate by the Residence Life Office;
Choose to move;
Be assigned to another living space by the Residence Life Office;
When space permits, retain the space at current occupancy at the preferred housing rate.
If consolidation is necessary, Residence Life will provide all students involved with the necessary information including the date of the move, the new location (if applicable), and the new roommate’s name.
Students given the opportunity to pay for preferred housing can do so only during the consolidation period, based on availability. Once the consolidation period is over, students having a vacancy will be eligible to receive a roommate; paying to retain the space as preferred housing will not be permitted.
Students living with a Resident Assistant must understand that if a Resident Assistant resigns, is terminated, or is reassigned; the roommates of the Resident Assistant will also be relocated to another apartment or reassigned to available open spaces on campus.
HOUSING PRIVACY AND SECURITY
Every effort is made to ensure the security and privacy of each student’s residence. Students are advised to lock their doors when they are in their residence and when they leave. If a key is lost it must be reported immediately to the Residence Life Office. The College is not responsible for loss of personal property due to theft, fire, or other causes. Students and their parents are advised to obtain insurance coverage on all personal assets. Any security concerns should be reported to Police & Safety.
Housing INSPECTIONS
The Residence Life Office reserves the right to enter and search a residence any time it is deemed necessary. College personnel working at the front desks of the residence halls have the full authority to inspect any package, box, book bag, etc. being carried into the halls. The College reserves the right to remove property belonging to the College or its agents found in a residence without the approval of the residents. Prohibited items will be confiscated in accordance with the Residence Life Office’s Confiscation Policy. Police & Safety will be given any items confiscated that are illegal (fireworks, firecrackers, drugs, drug paraphernalia, etc) or some items that are prohibited by College policy (kegs, party balls, weapons, etc).
A residence may be entered and searched if it is believed to be in the best interest of the College, for reasons that pose a threat to the community, or if it is believed that the law or College policy is being violated. When possible and appropriate, college personnel will ask residents for their consent prior to the search. If consent is not obtained, the residence can be searched with authorization from the Director of Residence Life & Student Conduct or designee. When possible, a Residence Life staff member will be present to ensure that the search is completed in a reasonable and proper manner. All contraband, weapons, or “fruits of crime” seized during an authorized search will be secured in the Police & Safety evidence room. Any “legal” items (items that are legal to possess but nonetheless restricted by campus rules and regulations) that are confiscated may be returned to the student if the student can prove ownership via documentation. Items falling into this category will be released to the custody of the student immediately prior to the student leaving campus.
Authorized College representatives have the right to inspect student residences for standards of maintenance, preservation of physical structure, and the identification of damage.
HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTIONS
Periodically the Residence Life and/or Housing Maintenance staffs will conduct Health and Safety Inspections in all residences. The staff will be looking for conditions that may pose a health or safety hazard. The date of inspections need not be posted in advance. Staff may enter with or without the presence of the occupants. Residents are required to maintain a safe, healthy, and hygienic living environment. If there is a problem or condition that needs to be corrected, the residents will be given an opportunity to make the necessary alterations or adjustments. Failure to comply with mandated adjustments will result in disciplinary action.
Any illegal or prohibited items found during these inspections will be confiscated in accordance with the Confiscation Policy and the residents of the residence will be adjudicated through the conduct system.
CONFISCATION POLICY
Certain items are prohibited in the residential areas of the College because of health, fire, or safety reasons; city, state, or federal law; or College policy. When these items are discovered by College officials, they are subject to confiscation. College personnel, including Police & Safety officers and Residence Life staff members, have the authority to confiscate items.
Items prohibited by College policy for health, fire, or safety reasons may be returned to the owner at the end of the term (or earlier by arrangement with the Assistant Director or Hall Director of the respective area) provided that the item be removed from campus immediately and not returned to the premises. Illegal items (such as controlled substances, drug paraphernalia, and weapons) are not items that can be released and will not be returned.
Prohibited use or possession of alcohol will result in its immediate confiscation and disposal. Typically, the resident in possession of the alcohol will be asked to dispose of it. In the freshman area, alcohol containers, whether empty or full, are prohibited and will be confiscated. Confiscated alcohol and alcohol containers will not be returned and will be disposed of.
Any confiscated item not claimed by the owner by the end of the academic year in which the item was seized (or at the end of the summer term if confiscated during the summer) will be disposed of without notification. When possible and appropriate, items will be donated to a local charity.
