The University of Memphis

Residence Hall Contracts and Deposits



POLICIES

Issued: August 16, 2004
Responsible Executive Officer: Vice President for Student Affairs
Responsible Office: Student Affairs / Residence Life

Policy Statement


 

All students living on campus must apply, submit deposit, and sign the housing contract. Fall assignments/contracts are for the full academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Application/reservation deposit, submitted with the application, covers initial term of occupancy, and all subsequent terms of occupancy. No financial penalty will accrue if written cancellation is received prior to the published deadline for any specific contract period.



Purpose


 To identify the process and responsibilities for application, terms of contract, assignment procedures, and consolidation for residence hall occupants. 


Contents

Definitions
Procedures
FAQs
Links

Definitions


ConsolidationConsolidation is the process that takes place after room change at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. Residents paying for double rooms, but who do not have a roommate, will be required to either move into a room with another resident, or another resident will move into the room with them.

Contract PeriodThe contract period is determined by the type of contract entered into by the student. It will include the academic year (Fall and Spring terms) and may or may not include break periods. A separate contract period is set for summer semester.


Procedures


Contract Period

The period of occupancy for each semester covered by your rental payment, with the exception of the extended contract. is as follows:

Fall semester: From the official opening day and hour of residence halls through twenty-four (24) hours following the resident's final examination, or if applicable, 3 PM on the day of commencement exercises, or according to the terms of an extended contract. Fall assignment/contracts are for the full academic year. Release from the spring semester portion of the contract must be requested in writing by the date specified in the "Cancellation and Deposit Refund Policy" of the Residence Life and Dining Services Information Brochure.

Spring Semester: From the official opening day and hour of the residence hall through twenty-four (24) hours following the resident's final examination, or if applicable, 3 PM, on the day of commencement exercises, or according to the terms of the extended contract. All residence halls will be closed during the week designated by the University as Spring Break, with the exception of Carpenter Complex and Richardson Towers. Notification of the Saturday closing and the Sunday reopening hours of Spring Break will be posted on the official bulletin board in each hall.

Summer Semester: From the official opening day and hour of the residence halls after the official opening day and hour of check-in for the specific summer term(s) for which housing is requested and extended through twenty-four (24) hours following the resident's final examination, or if applicable, 3 PM on the day of commencement exercises, or according to the terms of the extended contract.


Extended ContractFrom the official opening day and hour of the extended contract facilities through the official closing date designated by the Department of Residence Life and Dining Services following the resident's final examination for the Spring Semester. Notification of the closing date will be included on the extended contract and posted on the official bulletin boards. The housing accommodations will remain open during the times designated as Semester and Spring Breaks.

Rent RefundsRefunds of residence hall rent after registration will be prorated on a weekly calendar basis when the student is forced to withdraw from the residence hall: (1) because of personal medical reasons confirmed in writing by a licensed physician, or (2) at the request of the institution for other than disciplinary reasons. Full refund will be made in the case of death. NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE FOR OTHER THAN THE ABOVE CONDITIONS. For reasons other than the above stated, the following procedures shall apply: seventy-five (75) percent of rent will be refunded to residents withdrawing from the residence halls for a period of fourteen (14) calendar days beginning with, and including, the first official day of check-in; twenty-five (25) percent of rent will be refunded to residents withdrawing from the residence halls after the expiration of the seventy-five (75) percent rent refund period; the twenty-five (25) percent period ends upon expiration of one-fourth of the semester for which rent is due.

Security Deposit

An application/reservation deposit is required of each applicant for University housing and retained by the Department of Residence Life and Dining Services until such time as the residence hall space is vacated and is requested in writing. Full deposit will be refunded if: (1) the institution is notified by the following cancellation deadlines for the first semester in which the contract is in force: July 1-fall residents, December 1-new spring residents, May 1-summer residents; (2) the student is prevented from entering the University because of personal medical reasons confirmed in writing by a licensed physician; or (3) residence hall space is not available; (4) if the applicant has not been assigned to a room at the time written cancellation is received by the Office of Residence Life and Dining Services; or (5) the student is denied admittance or readmittance to the University. Full refund will be made in the case of death.

Assigned residents who fail to cancel by the deadline referred to in #1 above, but cancel before the completion of check-in, will forfeit 50% of their application/reservation deposit. (This is applicable to the fall and spring sessions.) All cancellations must be made in writing and submitted by the specified deadline to the Department of Residence Life and Dining Services, 011 Richardson Towers, Memphis, Tennessee 38152.

Application/reservation deposit amounts are established in accordance with rental policies and procedures. Current rates are available through The Department of Residence Life and Dining services.


Refund/ForfeitureWhen a student believes there are extenuating circumstances compelling the late cancellation of a residence hall contract or premature withdrawal from a residence hall, the student may appeal the forfeit of the deposit or request the refund of the unused portion of the paid rent by writing a letter of explanation to the Associate Dean of Students for Residence Life and Dining Services.

Residence Hall Room and Hall Assignments

Room/hall priority assignment procedures are as follows:

  1. Assignment is dependent upon space availability.
  2. First priority is extended to residents of each hall who wish to retain their present room assignments.
  3. Second priority is given to residents who wish to move to another room within their particular hall.
  4. Third priority is given to present residents who wish to move to another hall.
  5. Incoming residents will be assigned based on the date that their properly completed application/contracts are received with the application/reservation deposit and their place of residence according to the following list: Residents of Tennessee outside of Shelby County; Residents outside of Tennessee; Residents of Shelby County outside the Memphis city limits; Residents of Memphis.
  6. Priority for single rooms is given to students with at least fifty-five (55) cumulative credit hours earned at the end of the previous term with the exception of Carpenter Complex. If space is available after check-in, residents of double rooms may be permitted to pay the single rate and live alone in a double room.
  7. The University reserves the option of consolidating occupants within a hall or charging the sole occupant of a double room the single room rate after the room change period for each semester.
  8. Specific rooms are designated for smokers. Residents may smoke in designated rooms, but smoking in bed is prohibited by a city ordinance. Smoking is prohibited outside those rooms.

 

 


Residence Hall Room Keys

At check-in each resident is issued a room key. The loss of a resident's key must be reported to the Assistant Area Coordinator. The room locks will be changed, and the student will be charged for re-keying the room. At the end of each semester, students must have their rooms checked by a staff member to surrender their keys. Failure to personally surrender your room keys to the appropriate staff member may result in an additional charge to re-key the room.

All fees have been established within the parameters set by the Board of Regents and available through the Department of Residence Life and Dining Services.

Link to fees : http://www.people.memphis.edu/~reslife/pricellst.htm



FAQs


Have I been assigned a room?After room assignments are made for a particular semester, assignments are mailed in a packet of information to your permanent address.

Who is my roommate?

You may obtain your roommate's name and home telephone number by calling the Residence Life and Dining Services Office; however, this information could possibly change before you come to check-in.


How can I change roommates or rooms?Room change is conducted about a week after check-in at the beginning of each semester. You will be given room change information when you check-in.

Can I get a room after classes start?Room assignments are made at anytime during the semester, as long as space is available. Rent is prorated for residents moving in after the first week of check-in.

What happens if I don't have a roomate after check-in?If you do not have a roommate after check-in, you will have the opportunity to find a roommate during room change. If you do not find a roommate at that time, you will be required to participate in consolidation.

Is there a deadline to apply for housing?There is no deadline to apply for housing; however, assignments are made by date of application.

How much does it cost to live on campus?

Prices are available on the Internet and are also included with the Residence Life and Dining Services Information Brochure and application for housing.

Link to fees: http://www.people.memphis.edu/~reslife/pricellst.htm


How do I get an installment plan or deferral?Installment plans and deferrals are available for the fall and spring semesters the week prior to check-in at the Residence Life and Dining Services Office.

I can't check-in by the check-in date. What do I need to do?Call the Residence Life and Dining Services Office and be placed on the Late Arrival List. Residents not checking in by the end of the check-in period will forfeit their room assignment and their $100 application/reservation deposit if they have not notified the Residence Life and Dining Services Office that they will be checking in late.

Whom do I contact with further questions?

Residence Life and Dining Services

011 Richardson Towers

Memphis, TN 38152

Phone: (901) 678-2295

Fax: (901) 678-5219



Links


Residence Life and Dining Services Websitehttp://www.people.memphis.edu/~reslife/index.html


Revision Dates


 UM1599 - Issued: August 16, 2004 supercedes procedures 2E:20:01A, 2E:20:01B, 2E:20:01G, 2E:20:01I


Subject Areas:

AcademicFinanceGeneralHuman ResourcesInformation TechnologyStudent Affairs
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