Residential Life 2016-2017 Wildcat Room Selection Process Guide Returning Students
2016-2017 Wildcat Room Selection Process Guide Contents Process Overview & Requirements 3 Required Steps Course Registration & Financial Payment Plan Deadlines Room Assignment Cancellation Process Process Timeline At-A-Glance.4 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 Step 1: Housing Deposit 6 Deposit Period & Deadline Online Payment Option Paying at Student Financial Services Acceptable Forms of Payment Bounced Checks Step 2: Housing Application.7 Accessing the Application Application Deadline Step 3: Room, Roommate & Meal Plan Selection 8 Your Room Selection Participation Date & Time Assigning Roommates to Your Selected Room Residence Hall Options Meal Plans.10 Pet Friendly Housing 11 Centennial House. 12 Gender Inclusive Housing...13 Stand-By & Guarantee-Me-A-Bed Spaces..14 What is a Stand-By or Guaranteed Space? How to Secure a Stand-By space FAQ s..15 Requesting an Assignment Change Did Not Secure a Room/Missed the Process Spring 2016 Enrollees 2
Process Overview & Requirements Overview The Wildcat Room Selection Process for returning students for the 2016-2017 academic year begins February 16, 2016 and concludes April 8, 2016. Students must complete the following steps at JWULink in order to be eligible to selection a room on campus next year: 1. Make the $150 housing deposit anytime between February 16 & March 11, 2016. 2. Complete the online housing application between February 17 & March 21, 2016. Note: Access to the application is granted after the deposit has been paid and processed. An email will go to your wildcat email address when access is granted. Room selection is based on random lottery by class year (based on credits earned at the time of room selection) and will take place April 5-April 8, 2016. In other words, rising seniors will select first (in random order), rising juniors will select next (in random order) and rising sophomores will then select (in random order). Only students who have completed the steps above will be eligible to receive a date and time for room selection. Should housing become full prior to a student s opportunity to select a room during their assigned date and time, they will have the option to selection a stand-by space in a hall of their preference or a guaranteed bed space (see page for more information on stand-by & guaranteed spaces). Room Assignment Requirements For those who secure a room for the 2016-2017 academic year, the following requirements must be met in order to retain the housing assignment. Register for September 2016 term classes by May 20, 2016 (this includes internships). o Failure to register for classes or internship by this deadline will result in the cancellation of your room assignment. o The only exception is for rising juniors who may choose an optional internship- their registration must be completed by August 1, 2016. Meet the payment deadline of August 5, 2016. o Failure to fulfill financial obligations to the university by this deadline will result in a hold placed on your account, immediate and permanent deletion of your September 2016 term course schedule, AND removal of your housing assignment (room and meal charges will still apply). Room Assignment Cancellation When a student selects a room on campus and completes the online Room Terms Agreement (housing contract), they understand and agree to all the terms and conditions in that agreement and that it is BINDING for the entire 2016-2017 academic year, similar to any other landlord/tenant agreement. In the event unforeseen circumstances affect a student s ability to live on campus, an On-Campus Housing Contract Release Request form, available at JWU Link > Student Life Tab> On-Campus Housing, can be submitted to reslife.pvd@jwu.edu prior to the start of the academic year. Requests for release will be reviewed and termination of the agreement is not guaranteed. Please note: Moving in with friends/relatives or committing to a lease off campus is NOT considered grounds for release from your JWU housing contract. 3
Process Timeline At-A-Glance January February 2016 March Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Housing Deposit Period Opens Pay online at JWU Link or at SFS Cashier 17 Housing Application opens (access granted after deposit has been processed) 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Notes: Housing deposit can be made online at any time between February 16 and March 11. 4
February March 2016 April Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Housing Deposit Period ENDS 11:59 PM 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 12 20 21 Housing Application must be completed by 11:59 PM 22 23 Room Selection Date and Times Emailed 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Notes: March April 2016 May Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 Housing Selection Begins 6 7 8 Housing Selection ENDS 11:59 PM 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 5
Step 1: Make Housing Deposit February 16- March 11, 2016 NOTE: The date you submit your deposit does not determine your date and time for room selection. A $150.00 deposit is required in order to be eligible to apply for on-campus housing. The $150 will be directly applied to your student account upon receipt (it is treated like a payment) and is non-refundable- even if you do not return to the university. The deposit must be paid in full anytime between Tuesday, February, 16 2016 and Friday, March 11, 2016. Deposits will not be accepted before February 16 or after March 11. Students who miss the deposit period can submit a housing request form via JWU Link. An existing credit on a student s account CANNOT be used to make the deposit or for any part of the deposit; however students can utilize their JWU source card. Online deposits can be made using, credit, debit, JWU source card, checking or savings account. Students who return to JWU or enroll at JWU for the first time during the spring 2016 term do not need to make a deposit. They will be automatically eligible to apply for fall 2016 housing during the application period: February 17-March 21, 2016, and will receive an email with instructions on how to apply. To make a deposit go to JWU Link. (Please note: this site can only be accessed with student log-in credentials). 1. Click on the Student Life tab then go to the On-Campus Housing section. 2. Click on the Housing Application and Room Selection Link; this will bring you to the Wildcat Housing System. 3. Select Click here to make your 2016-2017 housing deposit. 4. On the next page, be sure the following information is correct: Your name Your student ID number Your campus School year for which you are applying: 2016/2017 5. Enter your credit/debit/jwu source card or checking/savings account information, depending on the method of payment you choose. While the online deposit method is preferred, deposits will also be accepted at the cashier station of an SFS location in the Friedman Center on the Harborside Campus or the Student Services Center Downcity, during business hours, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm. 1. In-person deposits can be made by credit/debit card, check, money order or cash. 2. You must indicate to the cashier that the deposit is for the 2016-2017 Wildcat Room Selection process so it can be directly applied correctly to your account. 3. Please do not mail deposits as on-time delivery cannot be guaranteed. Bounced checks will not be re-deposited. If your deposit is returned for any reason (insufficient funds, account information error), you must resubmit your deposit within 48 business hours to qualify for the application process. 6
Step 2: Complete Online Housing Application February 17- March 21, 2016 Note: The date you submit your application does not determine your date and time for room selection. In order to access the online housing application, students must submit their housing deposit between February 16 & March 11, 2016 (step 1). The application will open on February 17, 2016 and will be available to students whose $150 room selection deposit has been received and processed. Once you submit your deposit (between February 16 & March 11, 2016) you will receive an email in your wildcat account when the application becomes available to you. Searching for and selecting roommates is OPTIONAL. You do not have to have a preferred roommate in order to participate in room selection. If you wish to live with a particular student, you can search for that student within the housing application. That student must have made a deposit and completed a 2016-2017 housing application in order for you to request them or vice versa. To accept a roommate request, a student must log into the housing application, go to the Roommate Preference page and then click Accept in the pending request section. Please understand that any student has the right to decline or disregard a roommate offer. You can continue to search for, request, or accept potential roommates up until your room selection date and time. The student whom you have requested to be your roommate must accept your request prior to actually selecting a room to be able to select a room together. All potential roommates must show in the Accepted section of the Roommate Preference page before a hall selection is made. Please note that not all students are eligible for the same rooms or halls. One student will selection a room on behalf of the other(s), provided the other(s) have agreed to reside with that student. If you do not have a particular roommate in mind, you can search through student profiles to find a compatible roommate then message them to determine if you would like to room together. The online housing application must be completed in its entirety by 11:59 pm (EST) on Monday, March 21, 2016 in order for students to be eligible to participate in room selection. Students who complete the online housing application by March 21, 2016 will receive their room selection participation date and time on Wednesday, March 23, 2016 in their JWU email account. 7
Step 3: Selecting a Room and Roommates April 5-April 8, 2016 Note: You must complete steps 1 and 2 in order to be eligible to select a room. On March 23, 2016 room selection participation date and times will be emailed to all eligible applicants (those who have completed steps 1 and 2) to their JWU email accounts, along with instructions on when to log into JWU Link to select a room and roommates. Your selection date and time is the precise moment you can log into JWU Link to select a room, roommates and meal plan choice. Selection date and times are assigned according to your rising class year (your classification noted on the welcome screen in the Wildcat Housing system will reflect your class year for room selection)- rising seniors will select first, then rising juniors, then rising sophomores. Date and times will be assigned randomly within each group. Once selection begins, students have until the last day of selection, April 8, 2016 at 11:59 PM (EST) to choose a room, assign roommates- provided space is available- and select a meal plan. Students are encouraged to select a room as soon as their selection time begins since housing fills quickly. Students who have accepted roommates in their housing application can utilize the group s best selection date and time to pull the others into the same room. If space does not exist to accommodate a roommate, that roommate must select their own space during their assigned selection time. Please not that not all students are eligible for the same room or residence halls. Once a student has been assigned to a room by their roommate, they must complete the online Room Terms Agreement (housing contract) during their assigned selection time to lock in the assignment. Failure to complete the agreement could result in removal of the assignment. Students who decide not to participate in room selection cannot transfer/give their selection date and time to another student. Housing spaces per hall for each eligible student classification can be limited. Even though a student may see spaces open in particular hall, all available spaces for his/her student classification may be taken. Room assignments are NOT locked in until the Room Terms Agreement (housing contract) has been completed. This final step is critical to securing a space on campus. 8
2016-17 Returning Student Residence Hall Options Residence Hall Open To Tier Centennial House Rising Sophomores & Juniors Tier 2 Cove Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Apt. Tier 1 Harbor View Seniors Rising Sophomores, Rising Juniors Tier 1 Harborside Village Rising Juniors & Seniors Apt. Tier 1 Imperial Hall Rising Sophomores Tier 1 Single: Floors 2&3 singles Tier 1: Floors 2&3 doubles and first floor singles Tier 2: First floor doubles & triples Tier 3: First floor quads Renaissance Hall Rising Sophomores & Juniors Apt. Tier 2 Snowden Hall Rising Sophomores Tier 1 Washington Rising Sophomores, Juniors & Apt. Tier 2 Apartments Seniors Xavier Hall Rising Sophomores Tier 1 (singles only) Room Rates for 2016-2017 Tier Cost Term Cost Apartment Tier 1 $13,032 $4,344 Apartment Tier 2 Tier 1 Singles Tier 1 $11,322 $9,948 $9,243 $3,774 $3,31 $3,081 6 Tier 2 $8,268 $2,756 Tier 3 $7,272 $2,424 Earned Credits Needed for Each Classification Your student classification for room selection is determined by the number of credits you have earned as of the end of the winter 2016 term. Earned Credits as of 2016-17 Classification Room Selection Senior 118.49 or more Junior Greater than 74.99, less than 118.50 Sophomore 75 or less 9
Meal Plans There are a variety of meal plan options depending on where a student opts to live on campus. Returning students living in traditional halls (where they do not have a kitchen in their room) will be required to carry a minimum 10 meal per week plan. They will have the option to upgrade to 14 or 18 meals per week if they choose. Students living in apartment-style housing (where a kitchen is provided in the apartment) will not be required to carry a meal plan; however, they will be able to selection from ANY of the offered plans. Every plan offers Flex Dollars or cash value which is loaded onto the student ID and can be used at any JWU dining location and Liberty Market locations. This allows students to make smaller purchases without having to use a full meal swipe. The balance will decline as flex dollars are used. 2016-17 Providence Campus Meal Plan Options Meals Per Week Flex Dollar Amount Total Cost of Plan Available to 18 Term: $100 Year: $300 Term: $1,468 Year: $4,404 All residents 14 Term: $200 Year: $600 Term: $1,409 Year: $4,227 All residents 10 Term: $200 Year: $600 Term: $1,066 Year: $3,198 All upper-class residents 7 Term: $100 Year: $300 Term: $704 Year: $2,112 Apartment-style residents only 10
Pet Friendly Communities For the 2016-2017 academic year, Residential Life will continue to offer pet-friendly communities for upperclassmen in Washington Apartments and Harborside Village Building F and now the ground floor of Harbor View. Types of animals permitted will be dogs *(up to 40 pounds and at least 1 year old), domestic cats (over 1 year old), small caged mammals limited to rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs (cage no larger than 16 sq. ft.). No more than one approved pet per person is allowed. Restricted dog breeds include: Pit bulls, Akitas, German Shepherds, any wolf hybrid, or any breed not permitted by city or county ordinances. Space in these communities is limited. Not all residents are required to have a pet in order to live in pet-friendly communities-all students must understand and accept that pets could be living in their room or on their floor and agree to abide by the rules and policies of the community. For students wishing to have a pet approved to live on campus, the following will be required before approval will be considered: Proof animal is fully licensed in accordance with state and local law (if cat or dog) Documented proof of all required vaccinations (if cat or dog) Documented proof animal is spayed or neutered (if cat or dog) Signed Pet-Friendly Community Agreement, outlining the rules and policies of the community (all pets) Non-refundable fee of $250 paid to the university to cover the cost of cleaning and repairing the room to a state where there is no evidence of the pet s presence in the room once the pet leaves housing (all pets) Students interested in Pet-Friendly Communities should indicate they are interested to the pet-friendly question in the Living & Learning Community section of the housing application. By selecting Yes, Interested to the pet friendly question, you will be able to search for pet-friendly rooms during your selection time. 11
Centennial House Centennial House, which opened its doors in September 2013, is a non-traditional university housing option available to upper-class Johnson & Wales students. For the 36 residents who live there, this special community residence offers a unique cooperative-style living environment focused on self-governance and volunteerism. Students work together to manage their own close-knit community and share a common interest in volunteerism, completing one major community service project each term. Along with house officers, house members: Determine house rules and participate in daily operations, including routine cooking, cleaning and small maintenance projects as needed. Gather weekly to meet and eat meals together. Make decisions affecting the house democratically during regular meetings. Have the opportunity to stay in the house until they graduate. The house features a mix of single and double bedrooms, large open kitchen, spacious dining room for house meals, common spaces for gatherings and house events, updated bathrooms on each floor, a study lounge, laundry room, outdoor space with the potential for a garden and on-site parking. The house is fully furnished and offers amenities such as flat screen TVs, appliances, cable and internet. Who Is It For? Centennial House is for students who want to live and be involved in a small, self-governing community. Qualified students must be full-time day school upper-classmen with a minimum GPA of 2.75 and no significant conduct history. Student Selection Interested students can email centennialhouse.pvd@jwu.edu. Applicants must still make a deposit for Wildcat Room Selection during the deposit period. Selected applicants will be invited to interview with current house members. Students selected to live in Centennial House will participate in training on how to manage the house and bond with each other prior to the start of the year. 12
Gender Inclusive Housing Gender inclusive housing is an on-campus housing option that places no restriction on the gender of roommates. This means that students can live in the same room/suite or apartment with a person(s) of a different biological gender. Gender inclusive housing will be offered in all of our residence halls for 2016-2017. JWU offers this option to help create an environment which acknowledges, appreciates and respects the diverse nature of the JWU student body, while giving students more flexibility in finding a roommate who is truly compatible. Residing in gender inclusive housing is a choice; no student will be assigned to a gender inclusive living option without applying for that option. Interested students must indicate they are interested to the gender inclusive question in the Living & Learning Community section of the housing application. By selecting Yes, Interested to the gender inclusive question, you will be able to search for gender inclusive rooms during your selection time. There are a limited number of gender inclusive rooms available. If you are searching for a gender inclusive room but none are available, please contact Residential Life at 401-598-1141 or reslife.pvd@jwu.edu to discuss potential options. 13
Stand-by & Guarantee-Me-A-Bed Spaces Should space become full in the hall of your preference during room selection, you could have the opportunity to opt for a stand-by space in that hall. Stand-by space is limited and available on a first-come, first-selected basis. When you select a stand-by bed, you will be immediately placed on a waitlist for a space in that hall and room charges will be assessed to your student account for fall 2016. As soon as a permanent space becomes available in that hall, you will be notified via JWU email. Roommates cannot be pulled in to stand-by spaces. Residential Life will make every attempt to place you in the hall of your choice; however, if we are unable to honor your stand-by hall request, you will have the option to cancel your housing contract. Consequently, room charges will be removed without penalty. If a stand-by space is not available or not available in the hall of your preference, you will have the change to select a guarantee-me-a-bed space; these spaces will be for ANY available housing (not in a particular hall). By selecting a guarantee-me-a-bed space, you are agreeing to live in any housing accommodation; anything from a traditional student room to a temporary space, including but not limited to: a recreation or study room, an RA room, an upsized student room. We will take your hall preference requests and will do everything we can to get you into the housing of your preference. Guarantee-me-a-bed students are assigned as spaces become available over the summer. 14
Room Selection FAQs I did not get my first choice of hall, can I request a change? Yes, to request a change to your selected room assignment, go to JWU Link > Student Life tab> On-Campus Housing>Room Change request form. Please be aware that we will try to make the requested change before the start of the academic year but it is not always possible. We will keep your request valid until we can offer you a new space that meets your request- even throughout the academic year. I made my deposit, completed my application and received a date and time for selection. During my selection time, I cannot find any rooms available. Can I still get on-campus housing? Yes, you can select a guarantee-me-a-bed space (see page 14 for details). This will allow SFS to create your financial package as a residential student and we will contact you via JWU email over the summer as soon as we have a space. What happens to my $150 deposit if I do not get a room? Your $150 deposit is applied directly to your student account as a credit. The deposit cannot be refunded; however, it will automatically be applied to whatever balance you have. I did not make a deposit for housing next year. Can I still get housing on-campus? You sure can! Beginning March 12, 2016 you can apply for the housing waitlist by visiting JWU Link > Student Life tab> On-Campus Housing> Housing Request form. We ll contact you to complete the housing application for a guarantee-mea-bed space so SFS can create a financial package as a residential student and we ll contact you via JWU email over the summer when we have a placement for you. I m new to JWU this spring term or I ve just returned to campus this spring. How do I participate in the Wildcat Room Selection process? You do not have to make a deposit to participate in the process for the 2016-2017 academic year. We will automatically set you up for access to the housing application during the application period of February 17-March 21, 2016. You must complete the application by March 21, 2016 at 11:59 PM to receive a selection date and time. I am planning on going on my internship or study abroad in the fall of 2016. Should I participate in this process? Yes, you should participate in the process and select a room assignment. September is long way away and sometimes unexpected things happen. We highly suggest you go through the process and select a room assignment. Once your internship or study abroad has been confirmed, we will remove your selected housing assignment and all charges. We will then set you up for a winter term return. We can t guarantee that your original assignment will be available when you return in the winter but you ll get to select from all the spaces that become available. What if I plan to transfer to another JWU campus for the fall 2016 term? Should I participate in this process? Yes, you should still participate in the process and select a room. Once your campus transfer has been approved, contact the new JWU campus Residential Life Office for housing. They will remove your Providence assignment and give you a new one on your new campus. For any questions you have that haven t been covered, please call us at 401-598-1141 or email us at reslife.pvd@jwu.edu. You can also find us on Facebook at Wildcat Housing at JWU Providence or snapcat @ jwupvdhousing! 15