2012 - 2013 Residence Hall Handbook

4.1 Contract for Room & Board Accommodations

A sample copy of a 2012-2013 Academic Year Agreement can be found here.

4.2 Request For Release from University Housing Contract

The Contract for Room and Board Accommodations (residence hall contract) signed with the University of Arkansas is an academic year contract beginning four days prior to the first day of classes in the fall semester and ending at noon on the day immediately following commencement at the end of the spring semester.

The Academic Year contract terms for the Duncan Ave Apartments is from August 13, 2012 until pm on the day of commencement at the end of the spring semester (noon on the following day for graduating seniors).

The University Housing contract release request is a lengthy process and requires very specific information and documentation. Release from your University Housing contract is not automatically approved and you should not expect an immediate decision.

If your request is approved, your charges (room, board, and/or apartment) will continue to accrue until you are officially notified of the approval in writing and you have completed an official check out from your room or University apartment. Your contract terms remain in effect (and charges continue) even if you have chosen not to use your meal plan or if you have not been living in your assigned residence hall or University apartment. Requests for release from contract must be based on one of the following:

• Significant unexpected change in financial situation that occurred after checking into a University Housing facility; or
• Documented medical or psychiatric condition that has been worsened by living in a residence hall or University apartment.

You may print the request for release from room and board contract packet at http://housing.uark.edu. Once you have completed the appropriate portion(s) of the Request for Release from University Housing Contract and attached all required documentation, you should do one of the following:

1. For Board Contract only:

• a. Submit the completed packet of information to the office of the Director of Business Services located in the Arkansas Union, Room 603. The Director of Business Services may contact you to discuss your dietary needs or to request further documentation.
• b. After a thorough review of your request, the Director will determine whether your request meets the criteria for release from your board plan. You will then be notified, in writing, of the Director's final decision.

2. For Residence Hall, Greek House, or Duncan Ave Apartment Contract(s):

• a. Submit the completed packet of information to the University Housing Central Office, 410 N. Arkansas Ave., between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday.
• b. After you submit the form, an appointment will be made for you to meet and discuss your request with the appropriate staff member. If you bring your form to the office and the person taking the forms is out, you will be contacted via your university email address the next business day with an appointment time.

The official written notice approving or denying your request will be sent to your official University email address. Check your email frequently. Contact University Housing at 1-479-575-3951 if you have not received written notification or a decision within 10 business days after your meeting. The appropriate staff member will follow-up with the University Housing office to determine the nature of the delay and will provide that information to you.

NOTE: Cases are decided based on the documentation provided. Evidence of deliberate falsification of information or the submission of any materials, which provide false or erroneous information in connection with an attempt to be released from a contract, shall be grounds for disciplinary action against the student.

Students will be obligated to pay all room and board charges until the contract release is officially approved in writing and the student has officially checked out of the residence hall room, greek house, or apartment.

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4.3 Billing and Payment

Billing: University Housing does not send billing statements. All billing transactions are processed and billed through the University Treasurer's Office. Charges are placed on student accounts by semester; however, you are financially and legally responsible for the entire contract period of the full academic year.

Your $200 advance prepayment will be applied toward your Spring Housing charges. Credit for your advance prepayment will be given by placing room charges of $200 less than the stated semester rate for your assigned room on your University student account for Spring 2013.

Payment: Payment for the fall semester is due on or before August 24, 2013 and payment for the spring semester is due on or before the fifth day of class in the spring, 2013 semester. Installment plans are available for room and board payment. You may complete an installment agreement at the Cashier's Office or online. There is a $25 non-refundable university charge assessed for the processing of an installment plan.

Send your payments directly to the University of Arkansas Cashier's Office, P.O. Box 1404, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Be sure that your name and University ID number are written clearly on all checks. Room and board charges for the Fall Semester of the 2012-2013 academic year will not be placed on your account until approximately July 15; thus, you should not send any payments for room and board to the University until after July 15. Spring charges will be added in early December.

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4.4 Occupancy - From Opening to Closing

CHECK-IN PROCEDURES

Check-In

Check-in involves several steps which typically include:

1. Leave student ID at check-in table or front desk and receive room key / FOB set
2. Complete and sign:
   • Emergency Information Sheet if not previously completed.
   • Room Condition Form--Complete your room condition form and return to your front desk. It is your responsibility to insure that all damage is noted on the Room Condition Form.
   • Safety Addendum
3. Pick up student ID and mailbox combination

HOLIDAYS/BREAKS

Garland St. House, Markham St. House, Holcombe, Northwest Quad, Gregson, and the Duncan Avenue Apartments are open throughout the academic year. All other residence halls close at semester breaks and spring break. During the time that the halls are closed, you must vacate your hall and are encouraged to take valuables home, but other items may remain secured in your room. During holidays and breaks the residence halls will be locked.

Very few staff members will be in the open buildings during breaks and each resident who remains must assume responsibility for the security of the building as well as reporting any problems. Normal services will be reduced. Some break housing may be available to students who must remain on campus, however it is not guaranteed. Contact University Housing for details.

STORAGE BETWEEN SEMESTERS

You may leave your belongings in your room between fall semester and spring semester if you are returning to classes for the spring semester. All belongings must be removed at the end of spring semester and summer session. It is advisable to take anything of value with you between semesters. The University does not provide storage space and does not assume responsibility for theft or casualty losses of personal property. Check with your parent's insurance company about the coverage you receive while at school. If your parent's insurance does not cover your belongings, you should obtain renter's insurance.

RESIDENCE HALL SCHEDULE 2012-2013

Summer school housing information will be available on the Housing webpage in late February or March.

CLOSINGS & CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES

If you are withdrawing from the University or moving to another residence hall or apartment at the end of the fall semester, you must complete the check-out process prior to leaving. At the end of the spring semester everyone, except residents with an Academic Plus apartment contract, or a summer school contract who are currently assigned to the designated summer housing hall, must check out of his/her hall.

You must check out with an RA prior to the time and date designated for closing the halls. Non-graduating students may remain in the halls at the end of the semester for twenty-four hours after their last scheduled examination. Graduating seniors needing to stay until commencement and persons with other special requests to remain beyond the twenty-four hour period must contact their CRE in order to pre-arrange a different check-out date or time.

You must meet with a staff member to complete the Room Inventory form before checking out of the residence hall or apartment. You and your roommate or suitemate(s) will be charged for any damages done to the room up until the date of check-out. RAs make recommendations concerning charges but they do not make the final decision. In addition, you could be billed for damages found during the follow up inspection conducted by the hall management staff within ten days of check-out, providing that the room has not been reoccupied during that time. The room must be left in the same condition it was at the time of check-in and it should be clean: trash removed, floors swept, closets and drawers clean. If the room key / FOB set is not returned a lock change will be ordered and your student account will be charged. Please refer to Section 5.3 for lock change and other damage costs.

Under no circumstances are you to move out of your assigned space without checking out with a staff member. Failure to complete an official check-out will result in a charge for improper check-out ($125) in addition to any other damage or fine and any other charges for remaining portions of the contract term.

Other closing procedures include schedule an appointment for check-out at least 24 hours prior to check-out. Provide a forwarding address and empty your mailbox.

ABANDONMENT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY

Personal property left in a room, apartment or temporary storage area after you have moved out, whether by proper or improper check-out, shall be deemed to have been abandoned and will be removed at your expense. The University shall not be responsible or liable for any losses of or damages to any abandoned property.

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4.5 Room Assignment Policies and Procedures

FRESHMEN RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

The University of Arkansas recognizes the benefits students receive from living on campus their first year. Therefore, all single freshmen under twenty-one (21) years of age are required to live on campus in a residence hall, or in their parent or legal guardian's permanent home. Students who are admitted to the University of Arkansas as a transfer student from another post secondary institution, and who have completed at least 24 credit hours at that institution are not required to live on campus.

NEW FRESHMEN HOUSING ASSIGNMENT PRIORITY

New freshmen will be given priority with regard to campus housing due to the fact that their developmental level and familiarity with the campus puts them at greater risk of not succeeding academically if they are not housed on campus.

SINGLE ROOM REQUEST

If you wish to be placed on a waiting list for a single room or double room, you may do so by going to the University Housing web page beginning the 11th day of classes. Single rooms usually do not become available until later in the academic year. Single rooms will not be offered until the double room waiting list for that hall has been exhausted. New student waiting list requests for a single room or double room will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis and will depend on the hall you have requested and the date and time your name is added to that waiting list. Remember that requests to move to another room, single or double, in a different hall will not be accepted until after the 11th day of classes.

CONSOLIDATION

If, because of room changes, move outs or other circumstances, you are in a double room without a roommate, you will have three options

1. Keep your room as a single and pay the additional single room charge
2. Select a roommate of your own choice who is assigned to the same building and who is willing to move into your room, (the hall secretary can provide you with a list of students who are without roommates), OR
3. Have a roommate assigned through the consolidation process. You may be required to move into another double room on your floor that is occupied by only one student (based on number of semesters lived on campus and housing contract date).

You will not be asked to begin the consolidation process after November 1 for the fall semester, or after March 1 for the spring semester. If you are sent consolidation forms with deadlines prior to these dates, you must complete the process and consolidate or be charged. Specifics of consolidation may be different depending on the hall where you are assigned and may affect different halls from year to year. Contact your Coordinator for Residence Education or hall secretary for more details.

ROOM AND HALL CHANGES

Room Change

If you wish to change rooms within your current assigned hall, you must receive authorization from your Coordinator for Residence Education before beginning any room changes. The following guidelines may be helpful:

• Your Coordinator of Residential Education must approve the room change BEFORE you move.
• No room changes may be approved or done on Monday, August 20.
• Race, national origin, or religion will not be considered in making roommate reassignments.

If you change rooms improperly, you will be assessed a charge and you may be required to return to your original room.

Hall Change

Once you have checked into your assigned residence hall in August, all requests for change in residence halls will be handled via University Housing's web page. If you wish to be placed on a waiting list for a single room or double room in a different residence hall, you will have that opportunity by going to the Housing web page beginning the 11th day of classes. We will consider these requests on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on the hall you have requested and the date and time your name is added to the waiting list. If space becomes available, we will begin to offer reassignments after September 6.

Remember, if you have a Resident Reserved Parking permit, it may NOT transfer to your new parking zone.

ROOM SIGN UP (PRIORITY RECONTRACTING)

During the spring semester, a special room selection process (Shop-N-Swap) is held for currently enrolled students whoe completed priority contracts to select a room and residence hall for the following academic year. Students participate in this process online in the early part of the spring semester. Information pertaining to the process can be found on our website at http://housing.uark.edu in the spring.

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4.6 GPA Requirements for Residents in Honors Halls

POLICY SUMMARY

Students wishing to reside in Pomfret Honors Quarters or the Northwest Quad "B" must meet academic requirements as prescribed below.

POLICY OVERVIEW

1. Incoming freshmen who wish to reside in PHQ or North West Quad "B" must graduate from high school with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5.
2. University students residing in, or wishing to reside in PHQ or Northwest Quad "B" must have an earned 3.125 cumulative GPA.

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