Housing Reservation Process Overview

Housing Reservation Process Overview Room selection for the 2011-12 academic year begins in March with the Housing Reservation Process (HRP). We recommend that you begin thinking seriously about where and with whom you would like to live next fall. To help you prepare, we provide this short description of the process with detailed information posted to our web site in mid- to late-january. The Housing Office strongly encourages you to participate AND secure a room through one of the phases of the HRP. For students not obligated to the two-year housing requirement, failure to participate and select a room or apartment could result in you not securing University housing for the coming year. Until completion of the HRP, we will not know if we will be able to accept housing applications from returning students. NEW Features 2011-12 On-Line Deferment Requests Students whose financial aid awards (grants, loans, scholarships) total 70% of University room, board, tuition, and fees for the spring 2011 semester may request a deferment of the advance housing payment on-line through MySlice-Student Services-Housing and Meal Plans beginning January 20, by noon EST. Requests for a deferment from SU students are verified for qualification immediately against your most current enrollment semester s financial aid records. SU students are sent an email confirming or denying your eligibility immediately following your request. If you are a SUNY ESF student, in addition to requesting the deferment on line, you must submit your financial aid information directly to the Housing Office (206 Steele Hall). If you are unsure of your eligibility, you should plan to submit a deferment request. Allow sufficient time to meet the payment deadline in the event your request is denied. HRP Video An HRP informational video by fellow students showcasing the ins-and-outs of the Housing Reservation Process is in production for viewing this spring, prior to the start of the HRP Process. HRP candidates will be notified via their syr.edu email when the video is available for viewing. Skyhalls Renovated bathrooms Each floor s group bathrooms will be renovated and replaced with 6 individual private bathrooms and 2 half bathrooms. Room type change Skyhall 3 open double rooms will be designated as large singles and furnished with a full-size bed. Meal plan requirement As with all residence halls, a meal plan is required in accordance with meal plan class standing requirements. Closed during winter break period Skyhall residents will be required to vacate their assigned housing during the winter break period. All upperclassmen only designated locations The following locations will be offered to returning students only: Ernie Davis 5 th floor Kimmel and Marion Halls Oren Lyons Hall Skyhalls Lawrinson Hall Renovations This summer the 3 rd through the 8 th floors will be renovated similarly to the 9 th through the 20 th floors each floor s group bathrooms will be renovated and replaced with 6 individual private bathrooms. This allows for coed floors replacing the

single-gender floor arrangement. There will also be laundry facilities on each renovated floor. Updated floor plans will be provided at http://housingmealplans.syr.edu/facilityinformation.cfm before the start of the reservation process. ANTICIPATED NEW Features 2011-12 SU Housing plans to introduce four additional housing options: Park Point on Comstock and UVA on Colvin Students who have fulfilled their two-year housing requirement by the conclusion of the spring 2011 term will be eligible to select from a limited number of 4-person apartments in either Park Point on Comstock, or UVA on Colvin. These apartments will be selected as University housing arrangements subject to Syracuse University billing through a student s Bursar account and to Syracuse University Terms and Conditions of Student Housing agreement. Phase 3 is specifically designated for selection of these apartments. The semester rate will be announced in March. Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center Students will be eligible to select from a limited number of double rooms on one floor in the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center. These rooms will be subject to Syracuse University billing through a student s Bursar account and to Syracuse University Terms and Conditions of Student Housing agreement. Similar to a residence hall, students will be required to vacate these rooms during semester break and be required to have a University meal plan. These rooms will be made available during Phase 6 of the HRP. If still available, they will be offered during phases 7, 8 and 9 until filled. The semester rate will be announced in March. Please Note: Check-out must occur by 12 noon, Thursday, May 10 due to Commencement reservations. Park View Hotel on Genesee Students will be eligible to select from a limited number of double rooms on three floors in the Park View Hotel on Genesee across from the Syracuse Stage and on the Connective Corridor bus route. These rooms will be subject to Syracuse University billing through a student s Bursar account and to Syracuse University Terms and Conditions of Student Housing agreement. These rooms will be made available first to students in VPA drama and design students - during the Learning Community phase of HRP. Rooms remaining following the learning community phase will revert to NON-learning community rooms and be offered during Phase 6 of the HRP. If still available, they will be offered during phases 7, 8 and 9 until filled. The semester rate will be announced in March. Two-Year Housing Requirement What happens if you do not select a room? Syracuse University first- and second-year students are required to live in University housing. A limited number of exemptions are allowed for those moving to fraternities and sororities in fall 2011. Information about this process is available from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. If you have lived with us for less than three semesters (fall/spring semesters), you have a housing requirement for an additional year. You are expected to participate in the HRP. If you fail to select a room during the HRP and register for classes for the coming year, you will be assessed the residency requirement fee - comparable to a two bedroom apartment rate for EACH OF THE REMAINING SEMESTERS OF YOUR TWO-YEAR HOUSING REQUIREMENT.

Importance of Your University E-mail Syracuse University s e-mail policy requires that all official University e-mail communications be sent to your syr.edu e-mail address. You are personally responsible for maintaining your email account within the allotted space quota. If you exceed your quota all of your incoming mail will be bounced back to senders. You are expected to maintain your account and check your e-mail daily so new mail is properly received and read. Your failure to receive and read University communications mailed to your official e-mail address in a timely manner does not absolve you from knowing and complying with the content of such communications. E-mail is used extensively (25+ emails) during the HRP. We must emphasize your responsibility to monitor your e-mail s quota, ensuring receipt of all official e-mail, and reading all such email in a timely manner! For information on your e-mail s quota, visit: http://its.syr.edu/ecomm/sumail.html Opt Out Not planning to participate? Don t want a bill for $400 sent home? Don t want to receive all those e-mails? Opt-Out! Upperclassmen who will have fulfilled their University housing requirement at the end of the spring 2011 semester and know they will not require University housing for the 2011-12 academic year can Opt-Out of participation in the HRP. By opting-out you remove your name from eligibility for participation in the HRP and all HRP mailings ($400 advance housing payment billing sent to your billing address in late January, and e-mailings (25+) sent to eligible participants throughout the process). HOW TO OPT-OUT Students eligible to opt-out of the HRP will be identified and notified via e-mail to their syr.edu email when the on-line opt-out process is made available January 20 by noon. The opt-out process will be accessed through MySlice-Housing and Meal Plans. Eligible students will simply select Opt-Out from the MyHousing page index. A confirmation of your opt-out decision will be emailed to your syr.edu email address. PLEASE NOTE: This feature is disabled during each roommate and room selection period. Gender Neutral Housing Option Syracuse University offers limited gender neutral housing for returning second, third, and fourth year students. This means students may select roommates of the same or different gender as their roommate during the roommate selection period for Phase 5 of the HRP. This opportunity is limited in compliance with the following conditions: Gender-Neutral Housing Policy This is offered as a choice for students participating ONLY during the roommate selection period for Phase 5: 2-Person Suites and Apartments. Students must be eligible participants in the HRP. Students must meet all scheduled deadlines for Phase 5.

Gender neutral roommate selection will NOT be offered after the completion of the roommate selection period for Phase 5: 2-Person Suites and Apartments. A mutual roommate selection (matching roommate choice) between students of opposite genders and the selection of a room or apartment during Phase 5 of the HRP acknowledges that both students agree to abide by the gender-neutral housing policies as stated here. If unassigned at the end of Phase 5, roommate selections are reset and students are no longer allowed to select gender-neutral roommates for the remainder of the HRP. ONCE ASSIGNED to a gender-neutral apartment or suite: If, after selecting a room with an opposite-gender roommate, a student cancels their housing or moves from the assigned room or apartment, the remaining student has the opportunity to identify a friend to fill the vacancy. The remaining resident must communicate with the Housing Office the identity of their friend in a timely manner. The timetable for this will vary, dependent upon the time of year and housing priorities in effect at that time. In the event the remaining student does not identify a roommate of their choice in a timely manner, the Housing Office will reassign the vacancy to a student of the same gender as the remaining resident. Students are encouraged to communicate their decision to live in gender neutral housing with their family. Eligibility to Participate The HRP is a privilege afforded to residents of University housing, students returning from SU Abroad programs or SU COOP/Internships who meet the qualifications listed below. Eligible participants choose their housing for the upcoming academic year ahead of applicants. Students residing off campus, or not attending (on leave of absence) during spring 2011 are not eligible to participate. Four conditions must be met to qualify for participation in the HRP. Failure to meet all criteria and the deadlines associated with them prevents access to the on-line HRP: 1. YOU MUST BE A CANDIDATE: Candidates are from three possible groups A. Spring 2011 registered University housing residents. B. Spring 2011 participants in SU Abroad/COOP/Internship programs who resided in University housing in the semester immediately preceding their SU Abroad/COOP/Internship semester. Fall 2010 residents who cancelled their spring 2011 housing to participate in their program away from campus were asked to identify their desire to participate by checking the appropriate box on the housing cancellation form completed prior to their departure. If they did not check the box on their cancellation form, they must email housing (housing@syr.edu) to request participation. The Housing Office will confirm eligibility and they will participate along with current residents. They must also complete step 2 and step 3 below. C. Fall 2011 new SU student. You may name a specific incoming SU first-year, or SU transfer student as your roommate. SU first-year students may NOT be indicated as future roommates in

Walnut, Washington Arms, Watson, Ernie Davis, Skyhalls, Kimmel, Marion, Oren Lyons or South Campus apartments. Additionally, once approved, no freshmen will be allowed as pull-ins in the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center, Park Point on Comstock, UVA on Colvin, and Park View Hotel on Genesee You may include an SU transfer student in your roommate groupings in any undergraduate student housing. New students (incoming freshmen and transfers) must submit an e-mail to housing@syr.edu indicating their preference to reside with the returning student. They must include their SUID number - or the last for digits of their social security number if they do not know their new SUID number, your name and your SUID number. Housing Office staff will act as their proxy and be responsible for making their roommate selection(s) on-line and making them eligible for you to select as your preferred roommate. HOWEVER If you are anticipating requesting a room with additional roommates, (i.e. a 4-person suite or 3-bedroom apartment) they (your new student) must also email the names of the other individuals in order for us to select them on your new student s behalf as preferred roommates. Returning students must come to the Housing Office and complete a pull-in information sheet instructing us which phase(s) you will participate and with whom. Roommate requirements vary among the phases so you must provide the names and SUID numbers of all possible roommate combinations you wish to have us request on your new student s behalf. 2. YOUR $400 ADVANCE HOUSING PAYMENT MUST BE POSTED BY TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011: With the exception of candidates who indicate they wish to Opt Out of participation, notices are mailed in late January to the billing address of each eligible candidate. Payments posted during business hours by the Bursar Office are recorded by the Housing Office the following morning. Payments posted on Fridays during business hours are recorded on Monday. See below for alternate payment options. 3. YOU MUST AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF STUDENT HOUSING: This is a one-time requirement done on-line through MySlice. You will have access to this screen once you are a confirmed candidate. When you agree, the date and time is recorded. Each phase of the process has an associated deadline for agreeing to the Terms and Conditions. There is no exception to posted deadlines associated with each phase. 4. YOU MUST NOT ALREADY HAVE A ROOM ASSIGNMENT FROM AN EARLIER PHASE: Once assigned to a bed, you are no longer eligible to participate. $400 POSTED by March 1 to Participate During the third week of January a bill for the $400 advance housing payment will be sent to the billing address of each University housing resident and those eligible participants in SU Programs Abroad, on COOP or Internship who, prior to their departure, indicated they wished to participate. The advance housing payment must be posted to your MySlice account, or your deferment request (see below) must be approved by the Housing Office, NO LATER THAN MARCH 1 to allow participation.

It s important for you to communicate your housing plans with the person responsible for paying your University bill to ensure receipt by the deadline. We encourage you to check your MySlice account online for confirmation of receipt of the fall 2011 housing advance. The University reserves the right to restrict or withhold participation in the HRP to any student whose payment is received after the payment deadline of March 1. The Housing Office is not responsible for the accuracy of your billing address record(s). Deferment: An approved deferment of your advance housing payment means you are 70% financially supported with grants, loans or scholarship and are not required to make the advance housing payment of $400. In addition, you agree to abide by deferment and cancellation conditions as explained on-line through the deferment request screens. HRP candidates whose financial aid awards total 70 percent of their University room, board, tuition, and fees for spring 2011 must request a deferment of the advance housing payment on-line through MyHousing, accessed via MySlice. Requests for a deferment are verified for qualification immediately against your most current enrollment semester s financial aid records. You are sent an email confirming or denying your eligibility immediately following your request. If you are a SUNY ESF student, in addition to requesting the deferment on line, you must submit your financial aid information directly to housing. If you are unsure of your eligibility, you should plan to submit a deferment request. Allow sufficient time to meet the payment deadline in the event your request is denied. Credit: If you have a credit balance on your SU Bursar account which you would like to apply towards the 2011-12 advance housing payment: 1. YOU MUST request, through the Bursar Office, that a credit on your account be applied to the fall 2011 semester s advance housing payment. Your request is subject to Bursar Office confirmation a credit exists and they must authorize its allocation for the fall 2011 housing advance. 2. THE BURSAR OFFICE notifies the Housing Office via email of an approved credit allocation for the advance housing payment. Prior Semesters in Housing Determines Lottery Number A random lottery number will be generated for eligible participants based upon the number of prior semesters (fall or spring) the student resided in University housing. To have a semester count toward prior semesters in housing, a student must have resided in University housing for a minimum of 85 percent of the semester. The following DO NOT COUNT toward prior semesters in housing: Spring 2011 semester Summer sessions Semesters where residency terminated before satisfying the 85% residency requirement

The range of numbers associated with prior semesters in housing will be as follows: 8 or more prior semesters 1-150 7 prior semesters 151-650 6 prior semesters 651-800 5 prior semesters 801-2,100 4 prior semesters 2,101-2,350 3 prior semesters 2,351-5,350 2 prior semesters 5,351-5,650 1 prior semester 5,651-9,650 0 prior semesters 9,651-10,050 Lottery numbers are recorded in the Housing Office and are not transferable to another student. While you are an eligible participant in the HRP, your lottery number will be displayed on the HOME/OVERVIEW page. Keep in mind that the lottery number of one participant may provide a minimal advantage since the reservation process gives priority to filling rooms by averaging lottery numbers of roommates. NINE opportunities to select: The HRP consists of learning community and six-person suite placement, followed by eight online phases. Before the start of the reservation process and based upon the Office of Admission s projections, rooms are set aside for new students. PAPER FORM: (non-web based) Learning Communities and 6-person suites - this is a manual (paper) phase. Learning community and lifestyle options and the two six-person suites in Watson Hall - are assigned first. Students interested in communities must apply and be accepted to their requested learning communities or LIFE interest housing before submitting a Learning Communities Placement Request Form. Information and applications for learning communities are available in January from the learning community s web site: lc.syr.edu. If approved for residence in a learning community, the Housing Office will be notified of your eligibility for submission of a Phase 1 Request Form, available only from the Housing Office. Eligibility does not ensure space availability. Learning communities and lifestyle option rooms are not available after this phase. However, some rooms MAY revert to regular space (non-learning community designation) and made available during later phases of the lottery. WEB BASED: Phase 1: Graduate 1-person apartments Phase 2: Undergraduate Singles, 1-person apartments and 1-person suites Phase 3: Park Point on Comstock and UVA on Colvin (must fill to capacity) Students who have fulfilled their two-year housing requirement by the conclusion of the spring 2011 term will be eligible to select 4-person apartments.

Phase 4: 4-person suites and 3-person living opportunities (must fill to capacity) Undergraduate 4-person suites, 3-person suites, open triples (Oren Lyons Hall), and 3-bedroom apartments Phase 5: 2 person suites and 2-bedroom apartments (must fill to capacity) Students will be permitted to select a roommate of the same or opposite gender during the roommate selection process for this phase only! Undergraduate 2-person suites and apartments. Phase 6: Splits and Open doubles (must fill to capacity) Current SU first-year students obligated to the 2-year housing requirement ONLY. This phase allows CURRENT SU first-year students, who can fill rooms to capacity with other CURRENT SU first-year students, to select open doubles and split doubles ahead of upperclassmen to ensure fulfillment of their twoyear housing requirement. Phase 7: Splits and Open doubles (must fill to capacity) Students with roommates select from a limited number of remaining open doubles and split doubles. This year a limited number of rooms at the Sheraton will be offered during this phase. LIMITED AVAILABILITY Phase 8: Students without roommates remaining spaces (DO NOT have to fill) Students without roommates select from a limited number of remaining rooms. Students wishing to participate in this phase with a roommate can select roommates during the on-line roommate selection period for this phase. Lottery numbers are NOT averaged for this phase. If you wish to select with a roommate, your selection time will be determined by the lowest lottery number of you and your roommate(s). LIMITED AVAILABILITY Averaging Learning Communities and 6-person suites For one-person accommodations, priority is given to lowest lottery number. For multiple-person accommodations, averaging of student s lottery numbers within the roommate grouping is calculated with priority given to lowest average. Student groups that can fill a room to capacity receive priority over groups or individuals who cannot. Phases 1 through 7 For one-person accommodations, selection times are allocated with earliest times going to lowest lottery numbers. For multiple-person accommodations, first, the average of the roommate grouping s lottery numbers is calculated, then, selection times are allocated with earliest times going to lowest averages. Phase 8 No averaging takes place for phase 8. Priority in selection times is given to lowest lottery number or lowest lottery number of you or your roommate if you identify a roommate during the roommate selection period for phase 8.

How do friends select rooms NEAR each other? Students hoping to live in close proximity to friends must coordinate their selection times. Each roommate pairing will have their lottery numbers averaged and a selection time assigned. Friends must share their selection times to determine an overlapping time when all are eligible to be on-line. Example: Group A wishes to live in a 2-bedroom apartment on South Campus, as close as possible to Group B. Group A has a selection time of 10 p.m. on April 7 that runs until the end of Phase 5. Group B has a selection time of 9 a.m. on. April 8 that runs through the end of Phase 5. In this instance, everyone is eligible to select as of 9 a.m. on April 8. Both groups could then view and select from the same pool of available rooms. Virtual tours, floor plans and room dimensions A virtual tour of South Campus two-bedroom apartments (Winding Ridge Road), three-bedroom apartments (Small Road), open doubles (Sadler Hall), split doubles (Sadler Hall), large open doubles (Walnut Hall), two-person suites (Booth Hall), and four-person suites (Booth Hall), are available on our web site: housingmealplans.syr.edu. Floor plans for each residence hall and some room dimensions are also available for your reference. Keep in mind that room type dimensions vary widely across campus as well as within each hall and your assigned room s dimensions could vary significantly from those provided at housingmealplans.syr.edu Roommate Finder In an effort to help students identify a roommate for the 2011-12 academic year, the Housing Office will open and monitor a Facebook account entitled Cusehousing Roommatefinder. This site will go live on Monday, February 14, 2011 by noon and will allow students the opportunity to search the site for a roommate before the phases of the HRP begin. During phases 2 through 7, priority is given to those students that can fill a room/suite/apartment to capacity. Therefore roommate(s) must be identified as matching (mutual) for participation in those phases of the process. To gain access, students may log into their Facebook accounts and submit a friend request to Cusehousing Roommatefinder. Housing Office staff will verify a student s eligibility for participation in the HRP before accepting a friend request. Once accepted, students are able to communicate with each other and send messages back and forth related to their housing plans and finding a compatible roommate. Note that any student who was previously a friend of the site will need to re-request for the upcoming year. Prior Year s Results Annual changes make prior years results misleading. Therefore we do not provide them. For example: (1) The lottery number ranges change annually to accommodate varying group sizes. (2) New student hold space varies annually based upon Admission s projections. (3) Annual renovation/construction venues skew annual selection. (4) Learning Community locations fluctuate from year to year.

Off-Campus Cancellation Students not obligated to the University s two-year housing requirement who reserve rooms during the reservation process may cancel their reservation to reside off campus through Monday, May 2. After May 2, the academic year housing commitment is financially binding regardless of class standing, unless a student withdraws from the University.