Housing
Policy
Recognizing the educational advantages of both classroom instruction and co-curricular
experiences, and the great extent to which residence hall living can contribute,
the Board of Trustees of the University has adopted a policy which requires
that entering students and soph-omores be housed in University residence halls.
Refer to the Code of Student Conduct, Undergraduate Rights and Responsibilities
for specific expectations, and for specific residency information.
Housing Assignments
The Housing Assignment Office, 235 Whitmore Administration Building, is responsible
for all assignments for undergraduate and graduate students to on-campus housing.
It also facilitates processes for assignment changes both during and between
academic semesters and manages the rent refund process.
To reside on campus, each student must sign a housing contract each year. This
contract will be active for as long as the student lives in the residence halls.
Upperclass resident students have the opportunity to select rooms in the spring
of the preceding year. Notification of assignment for entering students is made
in late August (or late January for the spring semester).
Students interested in living on campus should contact the Housing Assignment
Office, tel. 545-2100, or visit www.housing. umass.edu.
Exemptions
Exempt from this policy are married students; veterans of the U.S. Armed Services;
members of fraternities and sororities who have been authorized to reside in
their respective houses (within approved maximum capacities); juniors and seniors;
and students who live in and commute from the home of their parent(s) or court-appointed
guardian(s) within a 40-mile radius of the campus.
All non-exempt students requesting permission to live off campus are to submit
requests to the Housing Assignment Office, 235 Whitmore, tel. 545-2100.
Living Options
The University provides a variety of living arrangements. It offers four basic
systems: "traditional" residence halls, suite-style residence halls,
the sorority/fraternity "Greek" system, non-traditional aged, and
family housing. All plans offer opportunities for intellectual, cultural and
social activities and include coeducational units.
Residential Areas
The Central and Northeast Residential Areas consist of 18 coeducational
and single sex residence halls housing approximately 1,269 students. Halls in
Northeast and Central are generally smaller than those in other residential
settings.
The Orchard Hill Residential Area accom-
modates approximately 3,220 students in four coeducational residence halls.
Each of the units has staff and faculty residents who provide several cultural
and academic programs and who coordinate the collegiate aspect of the Residential
Academic Program.
The Southwest Residential Area houses 5,228 students in both high-rise
and low-rise buildings. A variety of academic and cultural programs are provided
within the "complex," tending to provide effective small-group identities
and maximum contact between students, faculty, and staff.
The Sylvan Residential Area houses 1,319 students in suite-type residence
halls, affording students an opportunity to build close living relationships
within small groups by sharing quarters in a suite-style arrangement.
All residential areas offer a wide range of edu-cational programs within the
halls including three-credit courses, workshops, and colloquia.
Residents of a hall may, in consultation with the Housing staff, work toward
establishing characteristics, programs, and facilities unique to that hall.
Residence Life Staff
Area Directors. Each residence area is administered by an Area Director
to whom hall staff in the area report. Area Directors are responsible for the
planning and direction of all student personnel administrative activities in
their assigned residence halls, for the supervision of professional and student
staff, for advising elected student officers and committee chairpersons, and
for appropriate individual and group advising.
Residence Directors are professionals who work with their hall
(or cluster) staffs, and Area Directors in the operation of residence halls
(or clusters). They provide leadership and support to the residence hall student
staff, facilitate the work of elected house government officers and committee
chairpersons, serve as resource persons and uphold University expectations;
provide individual and group advisement out of concern for the welfare of the
students within the residence halls; and carry out administrative responsibilities
associated with the operational aspects of residence halls.
Assistant Residence Directors are graduate students who share responsibilities
with the Residence Director and function primarily in the areas of supervision,
management of judicial caseload, community development, and general administration.
Resident Assistants are undergraduates who receive direct supervision
from the Residence Directors. Their duties include helping to establish a climate
in which students feel free to seek assistance and in which the educational
goals of the University are emphasized; advising individual students in personal,
social, and academic matters; working jointly with their supervisors and house
governments in providing for the daily operation of the residence halls; interpreting
and maintaining regulations with respect to student life on campus; and assisting
with administrative tasks in the residence halls.
Maintenance and Operations
Staff are responsible for the management of buildings in specified residential
areas. Opera-tions Managers coordinate facilities work in each residential area.
Maintenance and Opera-tions staff work collaboratively with Residence Life staff
in the coordination of maintenance and custodial activities, and on such matters
as interior design, residence hall openings and closings, furniture replacement
and inventory, key control, recycling, and project planning.
Furnishings
Students are assigned furnishings for use during the period of occupancy. These
furnishings may vary from hall to hall, but include at least a bed frame and
mattress, desk unit and chair, and wardrobe or closet.
All residence halls are served by a University telecommunications system that
includes local calling service, access to long distance telephone service, voice
mail, and high-speed data. Residents are required to provide their own telephones.
Insurance
It is not possible for the University to carry insurance to compensate students
or their families for losses suffered on the campus due to such hazards as fire,
theft, or water damage. For most families, insurance covering potential loss
is highly desirable, either as a rider to their current home insurance
policy or as an independent contract.
Room Rent
The halls are managed by the Housing Services Office, which provides for the
daily maintenance and cleaning of all facilities. Rents are set so as to provide
a fund sufficient to pay operating costs and capital repair costs. In order
to ensure the minimum possible room rent, the University endeavors to maximize
hall occupancy. This requires that a student be held financially responsible
for room rent once registering for and occupying a room in a residence hall.
Family Housing
The University owns and manages two apartment complexes for eligible students.
Apartments in North Village are unfurnished. Lincoln Apartments feature a small
number of furnished studio and one-bedroom units. These units would typically
include a table/desk unit, several chairs, a couch, a dresser, a bed and mattress.
The additional monthly charge for a furnished studio is $25 and $30 for a one-bedroom
apartment. All Family Housing apartments are equipped with a stove and a refrigerator.
Utilities are included in the rent. Assignment of apartments is made through
application (earliest application date given first consideration). A tenant
is expected upon commencement of the lease (one year) to pay the first month's
rent in advance, and a security deposit equal to one month's rent. Applications
and specific information may be obtained from Family Housing, Wysocki House,
911 North Pleasant Street, tel. 545-3115.
Off-Campus Housing
A card file of off-campus house, apartment and room rentals is maintained by
the Commuter Services and Housing Resource Center. Also provided is information
about local realtors, garden apartment developments, classified newspaper rentals,
and persons seeking roommates. Specific information may be obtained from the
Commuter Services and Housing Resource Center, 428 Student Union, tel. 545-0865.
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