Residency Requirements (undergraduate students)
All full-time, matriculated undergraduate students who do not meet the criteria of a "commuter" student or who do not live with their spouse are required to live in one of the University's student residences. Full-time undergraduates admitted to the University as resident students are required to live in the University's student residences for the four, traditional undergraduate years. No undergraduate student can be less than full-time (e.g. taking less than the 12-credit minimum) and remain in housing. Only the Office of the Dean of Students or the Office of Residence Life can make exceptions to this policy.
Full-time undergraduate students select housing on campus through a lottery process with preference given to seniors, followed by juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Seniors may live in townhouses, apartments, or residence halls, based upon availability. Juniors may live in residence halls or townhouses and apartments, based upon availability after seniors have chosen. Sophomores and freshmen are required to live in residence halls.
Depending upon class year, students' choice of residence halls may be limited. Seniors (and juniors depending upon availability), in accordance with the housing lottery and selection process, may request an exception to or release from their University residency requirement in order to live off-campus. Approval of such requests is at the sole discretion of the University. Agreeing to or signing a lease to live off-campus does not cancel a student's residency obligation to the University. If a student is granted an exception to or release from their four-year residency obligation, the University no longer has an obligation to provide housing for that student in the future. All students released to off-campus status must provide their local address and phone number to the Office of the Dean of Students and may be required to attend additional informational sessions or meetings before or during the academic year.
Students may cancel their "Residence Life Agreement" only if they graduate, withdraw from the University, are granted commuter status, or participate in a study program away from the campus. Requests for other reasons must be made in writing to the Office of Residence Life.
The University reserves the right to restrict students from participating in housing lotteries on the basis of prior or current disciplinary sanctions, such as disciplinary probation, or that the student's presence in a particular student residence may be disruptive to the community. In such instances, the student will be assigned housing by the University, or restricted from University housing altogether.
Changing from Commuter Status to Resident Status:
Students who are admitted as commuting students are expected to remain in that status throughout their undergraduate enrollment at the University.
Commuting students may request a change to resident status by demonstrating substantial or extraordinary need. Such requests must be submitted in writing to the Office of Residence Life.
If a commuting student becomes a resident student, he or she assumes the same residency obligations as other students
Changing from Resident Status to Commuter Status:
Commuting students must live at the primary home of parents, guardians, or spouse, within approximately a 35-mile radius from campus. Students who wish to change to commuting status must demonstrate substantial or extraordinary need. If a resident student becomes a commuting student, the University no longer has an obligation to provide housing for that student in the future.
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