SPRING 2019
HOUSING SELECTION GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES
CONTENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
About Housing Selection Important Dates Special Interest Housing Housing Rounds Explained Lottery, Time Slots, Administrative Housing Assignments How to Form a Group Housing Options Room Rates and Important Dates Frequently Asked Questions
RESIDENTIAL LIFE CONTACT Website: reslife.wustl.edu Email: reslife@wustl.edu Phone: 314-935-5050
@wustl_reslife
@WashU ResLife
@wustl_reslife
@WUResidentialLife
ABOUT THE PROCESS The 2019-2020 Housing Application begins on February 1st. The Housing Application must be completed by February 8th, 2019 to be eligible to participate in the process. Students are guaranteed housing as long as their application is completed by the deadline of February 8th. Understanding Eligibility Only students currently living in Residential Life managed housing are eligible to participate in the Housing Selection Process. All Fraternity Houses have an occupancy requirement. Student’s eligibility to participate in Housing Selection process is contingent on their Fraternity meeting their occupancy requirement regardless of the student being a current or new member. Visit the Greek Life website here for more information. Students who are currently abroad (Spring 2019) are eligible to participate in the 2019-2020 Housing Selection process as long as they lived with Residential Life prior to going abroad (Fall 2018). Students are able to complete the Housing Application through the WashU Housing Portal starting on February 1st, 2019. Website: https://reslife.wustl.edu/apply-for-housing/ If students have questions about their eligibility or are not able to submit a housing application through the WashU Housing Portal, please instruct them to contact our office. Housing Accommodations: The university approves students for housing accommodations based on a medical need and/or disability status. If they have needs that make it necessary for a specific assignment we want to make sure they have enough time to make appointments and gather the supporting documentation required when submitting the request through the Disability Resource Office. The deadline to submit a request for Housing Accommodations passed on December 7th, 2018. Students still in need of an accommodation should contact Cornerstone at (314) 935-5970.
IMPORTANT DATES Information Sessions and Student Mixers Residential Life offers Information Sessions to help students understand the Reapplication and Room Selection Process. During these Information Sessions, students will learn everything they need to know about the process and have an opportunity to ask the operations team any questions. PURPOSE
DATE
TIME
LOCATION
Info Session
Wed. Jan. 30
6:00PM - 7:00PM
Danforth House Classroom (South 40)
InfoSession
Thurs. Jan. 31 5:00PM - 6:00PM
Liggett Seminar Room (South 40)
Student Mixer Fri. Feb. 1
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Mudd Multipurpose Room (South 40)
Student Mixer Mon. Feb. 4
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Lopata Great Hall (The Village)
Info Session
Wed. Feb. 6
6:00PM - 7:00PM
College Hall (South 40)
Info Session
Wed. Feb. 6
7:00PM - 8:00PM
College Hall (South 40)
6:00PM - 8:00PM
College Hall (South 40)
Student Mixer Tues. Feb. 12
SPECIAL INTEREST HOUSING Living Learning Communities Living Learning Communities (formerly known as the BLOCs) are themed based communities that intentionally place students into a community where living, learning, and leading is dynamic and constant. The Living Learning Community is experienced through programs and activities planned by RAs, Faculty, and particularly, residents on these floors. This experience is Residential Life’s opportunity to continue to provide intentional support and programming more tailored to the student and their interest. Sophomore students participating in this process will be placed in modern, 4-person single suites. Juniors and Seniors participating in this process housing placement will vary among our Residential Life managed housing options. Eligibility for Living Learning Communities: students participating in the Living Learning Community process must be continuing students who currently live within residential life. Available LLC’s for 2019-2020: • Hamsini Living Learning Community • Women in STEM Living Learning Community • Design Your Own Living Learning Community Special Note: By participating in this process, students are committing to living in a Living Learning Community if accepted and assigned. If students choose to deny their acceptance, they will be placed administratively by our department and not eligible to participate in Round 1 or Round 2 of Housing Selection.
Fraternity Housing Residential Life and the University owns and operates nine University facilities that fraternities have been granted the privilege of occupying located near the Athletic Complex and the Village Green on the Danforth Campus. Of the two additional fraternities that make up the group of 11 Washington University IFC fraternity chapters, one occupies an off-campus non-University owned house, and the other will be moving into an available University house in Fall 2019.
GENDER INCLUSIVE HOUSING EXPLAINED: Refers to individual rooms or suites where the gender of the roommates is not taken into consideration when the room is assigned through the assignment process. While this is intended to support students who identify as LGBTQIA, this is available to all students who feel they would be more comfortable in a gender inclusive room/ suite or feel they could provide a safe and inclusive space for another student regardless of gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, or any other factor. For more information about Special Interest Housing, visit: reslife. wustl.edu
ROUNDS EXPLAINED Round 1: Residential College Round
Current residents wishing to live with students from their current Residential College will have the opportunity to participate in the Residential College Process by submitting an Online Housing Application by February 8, 2019. Only students that currently live in the Residential College can participate in the Residential College process for that Residential College. In this round, up to 60% of upper-class suites in the Residential College will be available for assignment to groups of students who all currently reside in that college. • • •
Friday, February 1, 2019 Housing Application and Group Formation Opens Friday, February 8, 2019 Housing Application Closes
•
Monday, February 18, 2019 Approved Group Petitions will be notified of time slot after 5pm
•
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 Residential College Round Selection Night
Friday, February 15, 2019 Group Formation for Residential College Round Closes
Round 2: General Housing Selection
During this round, the following spaces will be available: • Millbrook, Village East, Rosedale Court, Greenway Place, University Drive, The Lofts, 520 Kingsland, 6665 Washington, and 6678 Washington • The South 40 and Village & Lopata Houses. • • • •
Friday, February 1, 2019 Housing Application and Group Formation Opens Friday, February 8, 2019 Housing Application Closes Friday, February 22, 2019 Group Formation for General Round Closes Sunday, February 25, 2019 Approved Group Petitions will be notified by email.
•
Thursday, February 28, Group Reformation for General Round Closes • Friday, March 4, 2019 All approved Group Petitions will be notified of time slot after 5pm • Wednesday, March 6 - Friday, March 8, 2019 General Round Housing Selection Night
LOTTERY, TIME SLOTS, AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSIGNMENTS Lottery and Time Slots A time slot is the date and time at which the group leader is able to select a suite or apartment for their group. For example, if their time slot is February 25, 2019 at 10am, their group leader is able to log onto the WashU Housing Portal to select a suite or apartment and assign group members to bed spaces at or after the time slot. Only groups from which all students have submitted their housing application by the deadline of February 8, 2019, will be eligible for a time slot. In the General Selection Process, time slots are assigned using the number of semesters each group member has lived in Residential Life housing. Students who have studied abroad are not penalized for not living in Residential Life housing while they were abroad. For groups seeking apartments, earlier time slots are given to groups with students who have lived in Residential Life housing the longest, e.g., rising seniors who’ve consistently lived with Residential Life will receive the earliest time slots. Among groups with an equal quantity of semesters lived in Residential Life housing, time slots are randomly assigned. For groups seeking suites (including Lopata and Village Houses), earlier time slots are given to groups with students who have lived in Residential Life housing the shortest, e.g., rising sophomores will receive the earliest time slots. Similarly, among groups with an equal quantity of semesters lived in Residential Life housing, time slots are randomly assigned.
Administrative Assignments The administrative assignment process is designed to place students who may not have been able to form a group for any reason; for students who did not receive a time slot; or for students who choose to participate in the process as an individual. Being administratively assigned means students will be placed in a housing assignment by our office. For individuals hoping to remain with their groups, every effort will be made to keep groups of students together. The administrative assignment process will begin April 1, 2019 through June 1, 2019. The Residential Life Office will be in consistent communication with students apart of this process as assignments are in process.
FORMING A GROUP The Importance of Forming A Group We want students to form their group based on who they want to live with and what style of room they are petitioning for. It is important for students to talk with, meet with, or get to know their potential roommates for next year. We encourage them to have these conversations early. Our office will be hosting information sessions and roommate mixers (please see important dates page for more information), and will have a roommate finding feature on the application as they apply.
Step 1: Identify a Group Leader
The Group Leader is the person who creates a group for others to join. The Group Leader will be able to select for the group in Round 2: Room Selection process. Before registering, groups should discuss whom they wish to assume the responsibility of being the group leader. Find individuals they would like to live with based on the area they would like to live in. Assign a group leader and petition the group and the groups housing preference. Group Troubleshooting Each group member should check their selection on the Housing Selection page of the Housing Application. If all process selection preferences are matching between all members, the Group Leader should be able to form the group.
Step 2: Form The Group
A group may contain 1 to 8 group members. Students who wish to register for room selection as a group should be aware of the following information: • Up to 8 students can join a roommate group. • Students may only register as part of one group at a given time. • Only one person within the group will create the group name and password and thereby is designated the Group Leader. The Group Leader will be able to select for the group in Round 2: Room Selection process. • Each member is responsible for adding themselves to the group created by the group leader. To add themselves to a group, they will need the group name and password, which should be provided by the group leader. • All members of the group will receive the same selection time. Only the Group leader will select the rooms at the room selection time.
HOUSING OPTIONS The South 40
The South 40 is home to primarily first year students and houses communities of sophomore residents as well. includes ten residential colleges located at the southwest end of the Danforth Campus. The South 40 is a “small town” with its own fitness center, dining facilities, technology center, meeting rooms, intramural fields, basketball and sand volleyball courts, recreation and game rooms, and music practice rooms. In addition, Bear Necessities, a gift shop; Paws & Go, a convenience store; the mail room; and several student-run businesses are located nearby. Upper Class communities are bolded. • • • • • • • • •
Shanedling Hall and Rutledge Hall (JKL Residential College) South Forty House (USoFo Residential College) Hitzeman Hall and Myers Hall (HIG Residential College) Thomas Eliot House B (Thomas Eliot Residential College) Mudd House (Park/Mudd Residential College) Nemerov House (Wayman Crow Residential College) Liggett House (Liggett/Koenig Residential College) Gregg House (Robert S. Brookings Residential College) Shepley and Wheeler Houses (William Greenleaf Eliot Residential College)
The Village The Village is home to primarily rising sophomores. This community is located in the Northwest corner of campus and is comprised of Village House and Lopata House, and dining facilities. Together, the two buildings house about 315 residents and each floor has one RA. Lopata House and Village House have mostly suites with four single bedrooms and two bathrooms, connected by a private hallway.
Apartments South
Apartments North
• • • •
• • • •
Greenway Apartments Millbrook Square Apartments University Drive Apartments Village East Apartments
The Lofts Apartments and Town homes Rosedale Court Apartments 520 Kingsland Avenue Apartments Washington Avenue Apartments
STUDENT MEAL PLANS 2019 - 2020 Platinum Plan* Annual: $6,639 Semester: $3,320 Gold Plan* Annual: $6,097 Semester: $3,049 Silver Plan* Annual: $5,250 Semester: $2,625 Bronze Plan Annual: $4,389 Semester: $2,194 Apartment Plan Annual: $1,974 Semester: $987 Off-Campus Annual: $1,228 Semester: $614 *First year students are required to purchase no less than the Silver Plan. For residential students, the Silver Plan is the most popular: adequately meeting the dietary needs of most students.
ROOM RATES 2019 - 2020 Modern South 40 Housing Rates
Mudd, Shepley, Wheeler, Gregg, Nemerov, Thomas Eliot B, Liggett, South 40 House
Room
Annual Semester
Single
$12,948 $6,474
Double $11, 650 $5,825 Triple
$11,650 $5,825
Traditional South 40 Housing Rates Hitzeman, Myers, Shanedling, Rutledge
Room
Annual
Single
$12,608 $6,304
Semester
Double $11, 176 $5,588 Village and Lopata House
Room
Annual Semester
Single/ Double
$12,948 $6,474
University Drive Apartments
Millbrook Apartments
Room
Annual Semester
Single (3 $13,678 or 4 Bed)
$6,839
Village East Apartments
Room
Annual Semester
Single (3 $15,760 or 4 Bed)
$7,880
Greenway Apartments
Room Single (1,2 or 3 Bed)
Annual Semester $13,484 $6,474
Rosedale Court Apartments
Room
Annual Semester
Single (1 $10,928 $5,464 or 2 Bed)
Room Single(2,3, or 4 Bed)
Annual Semester $12,948 $6,474
The Lofts Apartments
Room
Annual Semester
Single (1, 2 or 3 Bed)
$13,484 $6,742
Kingsland and Washington Avenue Apartments
Room Single (3 Bed)
Annual Semester $15,450
$7,725
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS General
Will I receive housing? All returning students who currently live with Residential Life or students who lived with Residential Life the semester before studying abroad or taking a medical leave will be guaranteed housing. Do I have a lottery number? No. This year we will be using time slots. What is a time slot? The time slot is a random computer-generated time when your group will be able to log in and select a room assignment. What is the WashU Housing Portal? The WashU Housing Portal is the online portal where all aspects of housing selection take place. Students will need to access the WashU Housing Portal to submit the housing application, sign the housing agreement, pick a meal plan, form groups, and select a room. You can access the WashU Housing Portal through your WebSTAC account. Why can’t I apply for housing? If you are unable to apply but feel you meet the eligibility requirements listed above, please contact our office at (314) 935-5050. Students who forgot to apply on time are eligible for the wait list once it is made available. What is the best browser to use for the WashU Housing Portal? The WashU Housing Portal is available on all browsers, however we recommend using Google Chrome. What do I do if I need housing accommodations? Students need to submit their accommodations request to Disability Resources within Cornerstone. Students should submit their requests by December 7th, 2018. What does it mean for the South 40 to primarily house First Year students? Will sophomores be placed on the South 40? Approximately 300 rising sophomore students will be living on the Northside. 300 students in a community very similar to the size of Umrath House. All in single room suites. How does priority housing work for sophomores? Rising sophomores will be given priority housing in The Village. Rising Juniors and Seniors housing will vary among our Northside On and Off campus properties. How are students financial needs taken into consideration when assigning housing? We do not assign student housing based on finances, but we will work with students whose housing assignment does not work for them. Our office is more than open to working with students. Students should also consult with Student Financial Services who can assist.
Application Eligibility What if I am abroad during housing selection? All students who lived in Residential or Greek Life Housing before going abroad are able to participate in housing selection as long as they have access to the internet. What if I plan to study abroad? If you plan to study abroad in the Fall Semester, do not submit an application. Spring Housing Applications will openeon November 1st of the following fall sesmester. If you plan to study abroad in the Spring Semester, complete the application as described above. There will be no penalty for canceling your housing agreement due to studying abroad. What should I do if my roommate will be abroad for the fall? We do not hold rooms for students returning in the Spring Semester. Spring Housing Applications opened November 1st. What if I have an internship or COOP? Students who have an internship or COOP in the Spring Semester will need to provide documentation to the Office of Residential Life in order to be released without penalty. These students may choose to live with us in the Spring as long as they are still undergraduates pursuing their degree. What if I am graduating in December? Students graduating in December will be released from their agreement upon verification of their degree. Students should submit a Housing Cancellation Request form through the WashU Housing Portal. Students graduating in December cannot continue to live with Residential Life past the end date of the Fall Contract. December graduates are no longer eligible for Winter Housing. Exceptions will no longer be granted.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Housing Agreement What is the housing agreement? The housing agreement is an academic year legal and binding agreement that all residents sign when they apply for housing. Once this document is electronically signed, you are committed to campus housing for a full academic year (fall and spring) and it designates your financial responsibility for room and board costs. When do I sign housing agreement? When applying for housing you will have the opportunity to review the terms and conditions and electronically sign your housing agreement by clicking “I Agree.” In order for the application to be active, the agreement will need to be signed by the application deadline of Friday, February 8, 2019. You have the opportunity to print the agreement or to view it at any time through the WashU Housing Portal. Can I cancel my application without penalty? If you apply for housing but decide you no longer want to live with Residential Life, you may retract your application until March 29, 2019 through the WashU Housing Portal without penalty by using the Housing Cancellation Request Form. What if I want to cancel my application after March 29, 2019? Students who wish to be released from their housing contract after March 29, 2019 will be subjected to the housing cancellation and refund schedule. The Office of Residential Life will have the sole authority and discretion to allow a student to cancel the agreement and submission of a request does not guarantee a release from the agreement. Signing an off campus lease or commuting will not warrant a release from your housing agreement. Please do not sign your housing agreement if you are not certain you can live on campus next year. It is important to discuss all available options with your parent(s) or guardian(s) BEFORE signing the 2019-2020 Housing Agreement; once signed, you are financially responsible for room and board charges for the fall and spring semesters. What if I don’t/can’t select a room? Students not issued a time slot are still guaranteed housing, but will not be released from their agreement for this reason. Students in this situation will be contacted and administratively placed. We will make every effort to keep your group together. Choosing not to select a room does not warrant cancellation of the housing agreement. Students in this situation will be administratively assigned.
Group Formation How do I form a group? On the WashU Housing Portal application, you have the ability to request up to 7 students to live with. Your roommates must accept your request in order to be verified. Can I live with someone of the opposite sex? The Office of Residential Life aims to treat students as adults and encourages them to make well-thought-out decisions. We offer students a housing option where assignments are not based on gender. Gender Inclusive assignments are available in all Housing Selection processes. If your group receives a Gender Inclusive assignment, the suite/apartment must be filled for the entire academic year. Groups with members who intend to participate in the Spring Study Abroad Program must be prepared to replace members after the fall semester. If there is an unexpected cancellation, you will be offered the opportunity to secure a replacement, but Residential Life reserves the right to assign another applicant to the space or to reassign the remaining residents to same-gender accommodations. What do I do if I don’t have people to form a group with? Those who submit a housing agreement, but do not have a group will be administratively assigned. Students looking for roommates can use the WashU Housing Portal to find others to live with. Students can also talk to their RCDs and RAs about finding a roommate. Are students able to regroup in the middle of rounds? For example, if a group of 6 notice that their options are slim, can they regroup before entering the specific selection time to make a different size group? No. Once your group is formed and submitted, you can’t change your group. Is there a way to opt out of the Res College Round if they are all from the same Res College but want to go elsewhere? If a student does not want to participate in the Residential College Round, they can participate in the General Selection Round.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Group Formation Continued Is there a way for the designated group leader to change in case the leader can’t log in at the assigned time? Yes. The group leader can assign a new person that responsibility in the system. Since Lee/Beau can be a part of the WGE round, a mix of WGE and Lee/Beau residents works for the Res College Round? Yes.
Time Slots What is a time slot and how does it work? A time slot is a randomly generated date and time that allows the students to select a room based on their housing level. Transfer students and those who have studied abroad will have their housing level adjusted. Only students who apply by the deadline (February 8, 2019) will be eligible for a time slot. For example, if your time slot is February 25, 2019 at 10am, your group leader will be able to log onto the WashU Housing Portal and select a bed space any time after that point. How are time slots assigned? In the Res College Process, time slots are randomly assigned to members of the Res College. Not all groups will receive a time slot due to the fact that only 60% of beds can be filled in this process. In the General Selection Process, time slots are assigned using housing levels. For those seeking apartments, the earliest time slots will be given randomly to those who have lived with Residential Life the longest. For example, rising seniors who’ve consistently lived with Residential Life will receive the earliest time slots. For those seeking suites including Lopata and Village Houses, the earliest time slots will be given randomly to those who have lived with Residential Life the shortest. For example, rising sophomores will receive the earliest time slots. How many groups are assigned to each time slot? The number of groups assigned to each time slot will vary based on process. The number depends on how many groups apply for housing. For example, in the Res College Process each Res College will have an assigned day and time to log in and select a room. All groups applying for the same Res College will have the same times slot. In the General Selection Process, there will be between 20-25 groups in each time slot. How frequent are time slots? Students will have approximately 10 minutes to select their rooms before the next time slot opens. What if I have class during my time slot? During the Res College and General Selection Processes, if you are the group leader but will not be available at the start of your time slot you may assign another member to be the group leader. Are time slots only during business hours? During the Res College Process, time slots will be offered from 4-7pm. In the General Process, time slots will be offered from 10am to 4pm.
Special Interest Housing How does the Living Learning Community selection work? Once students apply, they are reviewed by Residential Education staff members in charge of the receiving the applications. Housing placement is at the discretion of the reviewers and is based on numbers and availability of space types. Is there a cap on Living Learning Community member applications? Women in STEM = 16; Hamsini = can fill all bed spaces in House; DYO = 12 people per group. What are the Living Learning Community locations this year? Women in STEM will be housed in Millbrook Apartments. Hamsini will be housed in House 5. DYO LLCs housing will vary. Sophomores are given priority housing for the Village and rising Juniors and Seniors housing will vary among our Northside On and Off Campus properties. If nonbinary students do not click inclusive housing are they only housed with other binary students? We don’t collect this information in our system. However, we work with students to ensure a good fit and will not force a student into an uncomfortable situation. We assist because we want all students to have a good experience.