First Year Students

First-year (new “freshmen”) students will live in Living Learning Communities (LLCs), which are clustered together based on the First Year Seminar (FSEM) course in which they are enrolled.  The positive effect of learning communities on students’ academic success is well documented with significant gains observed in academic performance.  Students who live together and share meaningful academic experiences form friendships and boost out-of-the-classroom learning.  Because of this substantial benefit, first year students will live with or in close proximity to their LLC in the residence halls.

After accepting UMW’s offer of admission and paying their deposit, incoming first year students will be emailed (beginning in late February) a link to the First Year Student Questionnaire, an online survey which helps staff identify their FSEM preferences.  UMW will work to match students to seminars of their choice.  Each of the FSEM courses is associated with a residence hall.  Therefore, when students are placed in an FSEM, they will be assigned to a residential community. Because UMW strongly believes living and learning work together, students may not select their neighbors, or suite-mates.  Students may indicate a preferred roommates.  On the First Year Student Questionnaire, students may preference a roommate, and UMW will do its best to match them accordingly.  The ideal way to ensure preferred roommates are assigned together is to submit the same rankings of FSEM courses so both students are in the same class and can easily be housed together in the LLC.

Some circumstances will necessitate an assignment outside of the Living Learning Community.  Some of the following are examples:

  • students approved for housing accommodations (efforts will be made to provide approved accommodations within the LLC when possible)
  • students with roommate requests where the roommate is not in the same FSEM
  • students desiring gender-neutral housing
  • female students desiring an all-female residence hall

Residence Life staff will work with students who have committed to UMW in person if they attend the Destination UMW: Admitted Student Days (March 21 or April 18).  Students not attending either of these two days should still complete their First Year Student Questionnaire and must submit their housing application (please note if any of the above exceptions are applicable); UMW staff will use that information to make LLC assignments.  Students do not need to attend Destination UMW: Admitted Student Days to finalize their housing assignment, provided they have taken the necessary steps below.

Needed Action Steps

1)  After being admitted to UMW, accept your offer of admission by submitting your $500 enrollment deposit with the response form enclosed in your offer packet or depositing online at http://admissions.umw.edu/youarein/. The deposit consists of a $250 tuition deposit and a $250 housing deposit.  The tuition deposit will be reflected as a payment on your first bill.  The housing deposit is held until you graduate or move off campus your junior or senior year, and it is used to cover miscellaneous housing or outstanding fees that may be on your account.

2)   If you will need a housing accommodation, for full space consideration, submit your request to the Office of Disability Resources by March 6, 2015 (see http://academics.umw.edu/disability/accommodations/housing-accommodations).

3)   Complete the First Year Student Questionnaire, which includes your five FSEM course preferences.  Visit http://academics.umw.edu/fsem.

Also, for a listing of the FSEM courses grouped by building, visit:  http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/fsemsbybuilding

4)   Freshmen may select only the Anytime Meal Plan with $200 Flex Dollars Per Semester, which is $2,495 per semester.  Review dining information at http://www.umwdining.com.

5)   Review the first year residence halls at http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/residencehalls.  Review the 2015 Housing and Dining Services Agreement at http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/agreement2015.

6)   Complete your Housing and Dining Services Agreement application (see instructions below).

a)  Log into Symplicity Residence at URL:  https://umw-residence.symplicity.com. Select “Student” and then enter your UMW NetID and Password.

b)  Following your successful log-in, locate the appropriate application and click “Get Started.”

  • If you do not see an application listed or you encounter difficulties, email Assistant Director of Residence Life Brittany Harper at bharper2@umw.edu so she can assist you. Note: applications will not be made available until your housing deposit is paid.

c)  Complete each prompt and submit your application.

Air-Conditioned Housing

After the building assignments have been made, if a student is in a building without air-conditioning but requires it for major health reasons, he/she may complete a request to have a window unit installed. See http://students.umw.edu/residencelife/airconditionedhousing for more information.

Housing Assignment Communication

Students will initially know what building they are assigned to, but not the exact room number. This allows for staff to shift spaces based on the number and gender of students in the LLC, etc. before finalizing the room numbers in late-May. Students will be emailed their room number, roommate information, etc. at the end of May.  Students submitting their housing application after this date will be assigned housing on a rolling basis.  Note that Residence Life staff will send only to UMW email accounts, so students must periodically check their account.