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Room Assignment Policies & Contracts

The Housing and Food Service Contract

When accepting a room assignment on campus, each student signs a Housing and Food Service contract binding them to living on campus for the entire academic year. The purpose of the Housing and Food Service Contract is to assure maximum usage of available housing facilities. Every effort is made to provide the best possible facilities at a reasonable cost. At the beginning of the fall semester, WPI often receives more requests for housing than can be filled, and must turn some students away. In addition, once the semester begins, very few students look for on-campus housing. Therefore, it is difficult to replace residents who leave university housing during the year, and it is for this reason that WPI must insist on complete compliance with the terms of the Housing and Food Service Contract. Only students who wish to withdraw due to transferring or withdrawing from WPI will not be penalized for breaking their contract.

If a student wishes to break his/her housing contract he/she must submit a "Request for Contract Release" form to Residential Services. The Associate Director will review this request. Contract releases are granted only under rare and extenuating circumstances, and are considered on a case by case basis. Students who are granted a release from contract will be required to pay a cancellation fee of $300.

In addition, if a release is approved prior to taking occupancy at the start of Term A, the student will forfeit the advance payment. Students released from their housing contract after taking occupancy will have reduction in charges processed according to WPI's established withdrawal policy.

Contract Cancellation and Termination

The Housing and/or Dining Services Contract may be terminated in response to the following:

• Violation of WPI or residence hall regulations or policies
• Violation of civil laws
• Conduct or existence of such conditions that would reasonably affect the health, safety, and welfare of the students or others

When a contract is terminated for violation of WPI or housing policies, or civil laws, the student forfeits any unused portion of the room and board fees. In addition, WPI is under no obligation to provide alternative housing.

Check-In/Check-Out and Room Condition Sheets

Whether you are arriving at your new room for the first time, making a room change, or moving out of your room, it is important that you see your RA to help you check-in/check-out of your room. The Residence hall staff has inspected every room on campus to assure that things are in good shape for your arrival. A "room condition sheet" has been completed for each room which serves as a record of the exact condition of the room at the time that you move in. Each student who moves into a room on-campus is expected to sign this sheet as an agreement that the room is in the condition stated on the sheet. Upon arrival to your new room, be sure to inspect it yourself. Please speak to your RA if there is anything on the room condition sheet that needs to be added or removed.

When you move out of your room a RA will again complete an inspection of the room. At this time, they will note any changes that may have occurred in the room. These conditions will then be noted on the same form. The room condition sheet assists Residential Services in billing only those individuals who are responsible for damage in individual rooms. Therefore, if your roommate should damage anything in the room after your departure - you will not be held responsible for payment.

Temporary Assignments

Often there are more students who desire housing than can be accommodated, and each term some students fail to attend or withdraw shortly after the term begins. Therefore, Residential Services may need to make temporary assignments at the start of A term (i.e., placing three students in a double room). Those assigned to temporary space are notified in writing of their assignments, and permanent assignments are made at the earliest possible date.

Consolidation

Residential Services reserves the right to reassign students at any time in order to make the most efficient use of available accommodations and reserves the right to require residents without roommates to relocate to consolidate space.

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Last modified: November 06, 2007 11:17:29