Housing & Dining Agreement 2012-2013

The Office of Residence Life seeks to develop an atmosphere that stimulates growth; encourages individual responsibility in decision-making; provides for acceptance of others as persons of worth; role models good citizenship; helps people understand the meaning of responsibility, and recognizes the rights of others.

In order to operate the residence hall and dining services at the lowest possible rate for the students, the University of Mary Washington must provide these services on a Agreement basis for the full academic year (or for the spring semester only for students entering for that term). Students residing in Eagle Landing have the opportunity to select a full-year lease period. All students must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the expectations of the University as stated in the Student Handbook, Academic Catalog, and the Housing and Dining Services Agreement. The University reserves the right to enforce any restrictions or regulations necessary for the general welfare of residents and/or the maintenance of its property. Violation of said regulations or restrictions may subject the individual to disciplinary action, including restitution, fines, and/or dismissal from the residence halls and possibly the University.

The student and parent/guardian are therefore urged to read the contents of the Housing and Dining Services Agreement carefully. When the official Housing and Dining Services Agreement is submitted either electronically or via paper copy to the University of Mary Washington, it becomes a binding Agreement between the student and the University. The terms and conditions of this Agreement are outlined below. By signing the Housing and Dining Services Agreement you agree that:

Terms and Conditions

1. Application Process: This agreement, unless otherwise stated, is binding for the full academic year and is made for a space in UMW-operated residence areas with the individual student named on the Agreement. Thus, the student agrees that s/he will live in the residence halls, take meals in campus dining facilities, and said space may not be sold, loaned, or sublet by another student for the entire period of the Agreement.

• Upper-class Student Applicants: If you were a first year student in the 2011-2012 academic year, you do not need to submit an Agreement for the upcoming year. The Agreement you signed is for two academic years and you are required to reside on campus during your second year. All other current students and students returning from approved leave for the fall, including those studying abroad for the spring semester, wishing to participate in Housing Selection will need to fill out a Housing and Dining Services Agreement by the published upper-class deadline of January 31, 2012. Current on-campus students who will need to electronically submit their Agreements will not need to submit the $250 non-refundable deposit as the deposit submitted for the previous year will remain on account to cover the 2012-2013 deposit. Students currently on approved leave, including study abroad, will need to submit a completed copy of the Agreement either online or via mail and may need to submit a non-refundable deposit of $200 if one is not already on file. Those doing so will qualify for a housing selection number drawing that will allow them to participate in Housing Selection.  The $250 non-refundable housing deposit is kept on the student’s account and is rolled from year to year so long as the student is living in UMW residence halls. The deposit is refunded once the student has graduated or is no longer a residential student. The deposit will be forfeit for anyone who enters into the Agreement and later cancels or is released for any reason.

Individuals who submit an Agreement but do not select an on-campus housing assignment during the housing selection process will remain responsible for the terms and conditions of the Agreement and will be assigned to campus housing by the Office of Residence Life after general housing selection is complete.

• New Student Applicants: Eligible new students are strongly encouraged to submit the application/Agreement page of the Housing and Dining Services Agreement by the New Student Deadline of June 8, 2012.
• Incoming students may electronically submit the Housing Agreement after May 9, 2012 and are not required to submit an additional $200 housing deposit. (New incoming students submit their housing deposit at the same time as their admissions deposit.)
• Individuals who need a paper copy of the Agreement should contact the Office of Residence Life.  Paper copies can be submitted via mail or fax. Faxed and electronically submitted copies are legally binding.
• No assignment will be made without a submitted Housing and Dining Services Agreement on file with the Office of Residence Life.
• Applications received after June 8, 2012 will be processed on a rolling basis.
• In the event of full occupancy, the University will assign students to transitional/temporary housing. Students will be required to vacate transitional spaces when permanent housing becomes available. The Office of Residence Life will make every attempt to minimize any disruption to the students involved.
• All new incoming first year students are required to live on campus for two academic years. Room and board rates are subject to change in between the first and second year of the Agreement.

• All Student Applicants: If you arrive late or leave early, or are required to leave for disciplinary reasons, you remain financially bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement (except as explicitly outlined in section 4 of this document).

• All students entering housing who do not have a deposit on account will need to submit the $250 housing deposit before receiving an assignment.
•  The $250 non-refundable housing deposit is kept on the student’s account and is rolled from year to year so long as the student is living in UMW residence halls. The deposit is refunded once the student has graduated or is no longer a residential student. The deposit will be forfeit for anyone who enters into the Agreement and later cancels or is released for any reason.
• You are requesting that the University enter into this Agreement with you. You accept responsibility to pay all resultant charges for these services, even if you do not make use of some or all of the services noted. The University agrees faithfully to provide those services unless events beyond its control prevent it from doing so.
• Updates of student-provided Agreement information must be submitted in writing. Phone requests will not be honored. Email from a student’s UMW email account will be honored for the purpose of updating information.

2. Eligibility: Eligibility is usually limited to full-time undergraduate degree-seeking UMW students. You must be a current student in order to participate in the returning student housing selection process. BLS students are not eligible for campus housing unless the Director of Residence Life or his/her designee has given special permission. In the event that a BLS student feels s/he has extenuating circumstances, s/he must submit a letter of request to the Director for consideration. Students who have part-time status for documented medical reasons or who have completed a “Request for Reduced Course Load” from the Office of Academic Services and have received approval from the Dean of Student Life or his/her designee, may be allowed to retain eligibility for residential living. Non-students are not permitted to live in the residence halls.

Please Note: Course load reduction below 12 credits DOES NOT automatically constitute an approved reason to cancel the Housing and Dining Services Agreement.

3. Period of Occupancy and Dining Services Provided: The student may occupy an assigned room each semester at the time published by the University. Failure to occupy the room by 5:00 p.m. on the first day of classes can result in assignment of the room to another student. If the student fails to occupy space, or removes all of his/her belongings during the course of the semester, the assignment will be considered abandoned and may be reassigned to another student. Failing to occupy the space or abandoning a space does not release the student from the Agreement or from financial obligation for a space. No storage for personal belongings is available outside of the individual student room. Students are not required to remove their belongings during Winter Break between the Fall and Spring semesters unless a student is granted an end of fall semester room change. If a student is granted such a room change, s/he is required to move his/her belongings to the new assignment before leaving campus or to take belongings home over break. Occupancy of the room must be terminated at the completion of the Agreement (24 hours after your last final or by the published residence hall closing date – whichever comes first) including Eagle Landing residents who have signed an academic year Agreement. For those residents who have submitted a full year Agreement to live in Eagle Landing, your Agreement ends one week before the early arrival date for the next academic year. Entry is prohibited when buildings are closed. Limited housing options are available in traditional housing and the UMW Apartments during Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring Breaks. Eagle Landing will remain open during all University break periods. University dining facilities are not open during Thanksgiving, Winter or Spring Breaks, however, off-campus outlets who accept EagleOne are available. Students in traditional housing or the UMW Apartments requiring housing for special circumstances during these periods must apply for permission to remain through the Office of Residence Life at least two (2) weeks prior to the posted closing date. Students in Eagle Landing are not required to apply to remain during break periods. The halls will remain open for Fall Break; however, no meal service is provided. Please refer to the University website for a full updated schedule of residence hall openings and closings. Housing is available during summer school and is contracted separately. The University of Mary Washington determines and publishes the calendar for the year, prior to the start of each fall semester. The University reserves the right to change the calendar due to weather, class calendar changes, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Notice of Early Arrival and Late Departure Charges: No early arrivals will be permitted prior to the posted opening for the Fall semester unless in connection with a University-sponsored activity. If you fail to vacate your room by the published dates that the residence halls are officially closed or return early for the Spring semester, you will be assessed a charge of $50 per day unless you are part of a University-sponsored activity. Students who return early/depart late without prior permission will be subject to the $50 per day charge as well as applicable cleaning/packing fees and/or disciplinary action.

• Room Rental Refunds: Students will be entitled to a refund based on the University’s tuition and refund policy upon withdrawal from the University. The refund schedule may be viewed on the Student Accounts website.
• Students who are suspended from the residence halls for disciplinary reasons will not be entitled to a refund of room fees. The student is financially responsible for the stipulated period on the Agreement.
• Students who vacate the residence halls but remain registered for any course(s) at the University will be charged for their room and board Agreement for the full contract period.
• Students who are assigned and have failed to notify the University they will not attend as planned by the posted opening date for any given semester will be charged on a daily prorated basis until a signed statement of intent is received from the student.
• Room and board rates will be established and announced for the upcoming academic year by the University in late April/early May of each year. Rates for individuals in a two year Agreement are subject to change in between academic years. Differential rates may be charged for rooms with other than standard occupancy and bills adjusted accordingly. Differential rates immediately revert to the standard rate when a room changes to the designated occupancy for that room.

Dining Services Agreement: Dining policies for the 2012-2013 school year:

• Dining Plans: All residential students are required by the University to participate in a full meal plan. First year students must subscribe to either the 275 block, the 225 block or the Super Meal plan, which is a full eating program with unlimited access to Seacobeck dining facilities. Upper-class students also have the option of choosing the aforementioned plans or the 150 block plan. Residential students in traditional housing are not eligible for commuter or apartment meal plans. Residents of the Apartments at UMW and Eagle Landing as residential students, are required to participate in a meal plan and are eligible to choose the 90 Block plan, or greater at the time of assignment to a space in the apartments. All residential meal plans include up to five guest meals. For more information regarding meal plans, please visit the Dining Services website.
• Dining Plan Charges: Rates for the various meal plans are set each year (in late April) by the Board of Visitors of the University. All residential students will be billed for both semesters according to the meal plan they have declared. Once the Agreement has been submitted to Residence Life, any meal plan changes should be conducted through EagleNet or directed to the Office of Student Accounts. Students may change plans through the first two weeks of classes each semester.
• Flex: Each meal plan has Flex associated with it. This amount is included in the initial charge for the plan. If students use all their flex money, they can add EagleOne Dollars to their card at any time during the semester. Flex is designed to be used for eating opportunities other than those scheduled each week or when a student exceeds his/her contracted meals. Flex may be used in any of the dining service locations on campus. It may also be used by guests of the students or for the catering of student events. Flex is maintained and the balance identified through the student EagleOne ID cards. Flex carries over from fall semester to spring semester; however, at the end of the academic year any unused Flex from the original plan amount is forfeited. EagleOne Dollars which have been added by students can be refunded through the student’s account balance upon graduation or withdrawal from the University.
• Rates will be established and announced for the academic year by the University in late April/early May.

4. Procedures for Cancellation: This Agreement is the equivalent of an off-campus lease for one full academic year, or for a full year if you have selected to agree to a full year Agreement in Eagle Landing. Because the Housing and Dining Services Agreement is a binding Agreement, there is a precise procedure you must follow in order to receive consideration for cancellation. A student making a request to be released from the Housing and Dining Services Agreement is asking for an EXCEPTION and approval of the petition is NOT automatic.

Written requests for cancellation go directly to the Associate Director of Residence Life for Operations and Housing. If you are a first year student who is required to live on-campus for two years and are asking to be exempt from that requirement, you need to review the policy outlined in the student handbook and submit a signed letter to the Housing Committee at the Office of Residence Life in Marye House. Email requests will not be honored.

Cancellation of the Housing and Dining Services Agreement will be confirmed or denied within three (3) business days of meeting with the Associate Director of Residence Life for Housing and Operations, or designee, to discuss the request. The meeting will be scheduled upon receipt of the written request for cancellation. Please note that vacating the premises does not release the student from contractual obligations. Release from the on-campus living requirement will be communicated immediately after the committee has met to review the request.

The housing deposit is non-refundable. Any student applying for release of Agreement after June 1, 2012 (for Fall 2012) and December 1, 2012 (for Spring 2013) may be held responsible for all or part of the housing fee for the balance of the Agreement period. Students who do not notify the Office of Residence Life of their intent to leave the University prior to the start of classes will be charged a daily rate for both room and board up until notification or the last day of drop/add, whichever is earlier.

• In order to be considered for a possible Housing and Dining Services Agreement cancellation, you must meet one of the following criteria:
• By the student:
• If the student withdraws from the University, the Agreement will be suspended after the student has officially withdrawn from the University upon appropriate notification to the Associate Director of Residence Life for Operations and Housing. A prorated refund of room and dining fees will be made. Refund amounts are determined according to the schedule listed in the Academic Catalog and Student Handbook. Due to space considerations, residence hall rooms/spaces cannot be held in anticipation of a student returning to the University the following semester.
• If the student notifies the Associate Director of Residence Life for Operations and Housing in writing of the intent (and verification) to complete degree requirements in December.
• If the student notifies the Associate Director of Residence Life for Operations and Housing in writing of the intent to transfer to another institution.
• If the student notifies the Associate Director of Residence Life for Operations and Housing in writing of the intent to be married and verifies that the marriage has taken place.
• If the student is completing his/her student teaching requirement or an internship outside of the Fredericksburg area.
• In the event of financial hardship that is verified as a significant, uncontrollable, and unforeseen change in the financial status of a student’s family or background that occurred since the Agreement was submitted.
• For reasons other than those listed the applicant must be very specific and extensive in his/her explanation of the significant, uncontrollable, and unforeseen change that has occurred, since the time that the Agreement was submitted that now requires release from the Agreement. Incompatibility with a roommate(s) or suitemate(s) or involvement in a lease off-campus are not in and of itself reasons for release from the Agreement. Students are strongly encouraged to gain Agreement release approval prior to making any commitments off campus.
• By the University:
• If the student is removed from University housing as the result of disciplinary action, the student will receive a prorated refund of dining fees only.
• If the student fails to meet the University’s academic requirement and is suspended, the University reserves the right to terminate the Agreement and refund the unused room and dining fees.

No adjustments or refunds will be made of unused portions of the dining fee plan due to academic scheduling, co-curricular activities, or other non-academic work schedules.

Meal plan exemptions: All residential students are required to participate in a meal plan. Meal plan exemptions are unusual and considered only for those with medical dietary requirements that can not be accommodated by UMW Dining Services. In order to be considered, a student must submit a letter of request accompanied by specific documentation from his/her medical practitioner. Once received, the student will be required to meet with a representative of Residence Life and a representative of UMW Dining Services in order to review the request. Students will not be reimbursed or otherwise compensated for unused meals or flex.

Withdrawals: When a student withdraws from the University, either during the semester or at the end of the fall semester, the room must be vacated within 48 hours of the date of withdrawal.

Enrollment or Agreement Termination: A student whose enrollment is terminated for any reason must vacate the residence halls within 48 hours unless a temporary extension is granted by the Director of Residence Life or his/her designee. A student whose Agreement for room and dining fees is terminated by the University for violation of the terms and conditions, for health or disciplinary reasons, or for reasons deemed sufficient by the Vice President for Student Affairs (or his/her designee) must vacate the residence halls within 24 hours. There are no room fee refunds for students whose enrollment or Agreement has been terminated.

5. Housing Reassignment, Removal, or Suspension: The University reserves the right to reassign, remove, or suspend (pending review) from the residence halls any student whose conduct exhibits disregard for the residential community, who violates the terms and conditions of residence hall occupancy, or who violates other University rules and regulations. The Vice President of Student Affairs and/or designee will make such determinations.

During the academic year, if a vacancy occurs in your assigned room, you will have the opportunity to indicate a preferred roommate during designated “open room change” periods as space permits. You must accept a new occupant as assigned by the Office of Residence Life. It is imperative that you keep that space clean and available at all times. The Office of Residence Life may not have time to notify you that you will be getting a new roommate or suitemate. Behavior which discriminates against or impedes an interested student or assigned occupant will be considered sufficient grounds for disciplinary action, including reassignment or removal from the residence halls, without refund, as determined by the Director of Residence Life or his/her designee.

A. University Disciplinary or Administrative Removal: The University may terminate this Agreement and take possession of the room at any time upon (A) violation of the provisions of this Agreement; or (B) the direction of a duly authorized judicial body, dean, or other officer of the University; or (C) suspension or expulsion from the University.

B. CONCEPTual Living: This program is designed for students to create their own communities. A key element of all the communities is the requirement to integrate an academic/educational component into the community.

Reassignment: The University reserves the right to reassign/consolidate residents of a community within CONCEPTual Living when a community loses recognition or fails to fill its vacancies. It further reserves the right to reassign individuals who have not met the agreed upon conditions for CONCEPTual Living or to re-appropriate space to accommodate new or existing communities. CONCEPTual Living communities are encouraged to maintain an alternate list with Residence Life for filling vacancies over the summer and during the academic year.

C. The University reserves the right to change room assignments at its discretion at any time, including but not limited to consolidation of room assignments.

Consolidation: The Office of Residence Life reserves the right to consolidate space/vacancies in order to accommodate any student. In the event of increased housing demand, the occupancy of certain designated rooms may be increased. Students in these situations would be charged the corresponding room rate so long as the room has been overfilled. Once the room reverts to the original occupancy the room rate will be adjusted accordingly. Assignments made for increases in occupancy will receive priority for relocation to regular assignments, as vacancies occur. First-year students may be assigned to upper-class areas as needed. Upper-class students and incoming transfers may also be assigned to first year housing areas when necessary.

6. General Provisions and Conditions of Occupancy: Students are responsible for observing all regulations contained in the Academic Catalog, rules and procedures of University of Mary Washington, the Housing and Dining Services Agreement, Student Handbook, and notices from the Office of Residence Life.