University of Rhode Island - Housing and Residential Life

For more information:

Roger Williams Commons
18 Butterfield Rd

Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: 401-874-2215

Fax: 401-874-2965
E-Mail: housing@etal.uri.edu

Department of Housing and Residential Life

Room Assignment Program

General Room Assignment Information

Overview

All first-year non-transfer students who submit housing deposits by May 1 are guaranteed on-campus housing. After May 1 freshman housing requests will be assigned on a space availability basis with emphasis on date of receipt of deposit. Due to the large number of requests for first year housing, it is not possible to honor all housing preference choices.

Existing students seeking to return to on campus living for the upcoming fall term submit housing deposits and applications during the preceding spring semester. Upper class student room assignments are determined based upon class standing and through the use of randomly generated and assigned room sign-up appointment dates/times. The returning student room assignment process is usually completed by mid-April.

Students with Disabilities

Accommodations in residence halls for students with disabilities vary and include rooms with modifications to doorways,bathroom accessibility, and furnishings and equipment. Students with disabilities should communicate their special housing needs to the Office of Student Life, Disability Services for Students, 332 Memorial Union, 401-874-2098. Please contact that office early so that appropriate accommodations can be made.

Smoking Policy

As of June 2001, all University of Rhode Island owned and operated on-campus student residences became smoke-free. Enactment of this University policy eliminated smoking in all residence hall community spaces and student rooms. Smoking is allowed outside of residence halls at a distance of 20 feet from the buidings.

Roommate Matching

All students will be assigned roommates based on the information submitted on the student's Application for Housing. It is the policy of the Department of Housing and Residential Life(HRL) to not assign roommates based on race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, or culture. While we cannot guarantee placement of all roommate requests, every effort will be made to honor mutual roommate requests. Therefore, student roommate requests must be reciprocal in nature with requested roommate names and social security numbers provided on the Application for Housing. In addition the applications must be received by May 1 in order for the roommate request to be honored.

Assignment Philosophy

Guidelines (subject to change)

Make every effort to match roommates based on the living preferences; however, given the multitude of interpersonal dynamics, roommate differences and disagreements may occur

If and when roommate conflicts occur, HRL staff will respond purposefully and with due process to mediate and resolve any such issues directly with the residents involved

Make every effort to assign freshmen with freshmen; however, available space may limit the ability to meet this expectation
Make every effort to honor freshman roommate requests made prior to May 1
Freshman housing deposits and applications submitted by May 1 shall result in stage one room assignments and notification (usually by mid/late July)
Freshman housing deposits and applications submitted after May 1 shall result in stage two room assignments and notification on a space availability basis
Priority of freshman room assignments is made based on date of receipt of deposit
HRL makes every effort to assign all students seeking to return to on-campus housing for the following year, but reserves the right to limit available upper class bed spaces based upon projected freshman housing needs
During periods when housing demand exceeds bed space capacity, HRL reserves the right to assign students to temporarily tripled double rooms (usually with a duration expected no longer than one semester) as an alternative to mandating off-campus housing (via lottery) of upper class students who otherwise seek to remain in on-campus accommodations

Roommate Conflicts

In well over 90% of our room assignments, roommates co-exist in a respectful and amicable fashion; often even becoming very close friends. However, sometimes roommates find it difficult to get along for a myriad of reasons. With so many current students coming from homes in which they enjoyed a private bedroom, it is reasonable to expect some challenges in sharing a 200 square foot space with one or two others. If and when these roommate issues occur, HRL staff require that the roommates discuss the specific issues with each other in an attempt to learn to respect the needs of each other, and to make a genuine and concerted attempt to make necessary behavioral adjustments sufficient to resolve problem issues. Every resident student at URI is afforded due process rights and, as such, HRL will not administratively move a student based solely on hearsay and unsubstantiated complaints. If reasonable efforts at dispute resolution and mediation fail, a room change request will be transacted. In situations where mediation is unsuccessful and no parties are willing to transact a room change, HRL reserves the right to change the room assignments of all impacted individuals on a last resort basis. Generally, room change requests are frozen until the third full week of classes for fall semester unless conducted as a specific room request or a room change due to an intractable roommate issue.

Triple Room Program Overview and Billing Policy

To insure an adequate number of bed spaces for all incoming students who desire on-campus housing for the fall semester, the University will assign as necessary a portion of its first year students to standard double rooms with two other roommates. This room configuration is referred to as a “triple” room. Residents of triple rooms who wish to move to a standard double room may do so, on a space available basis, during the open room change period beginning the last full week of September. Although the “de-tripling” room change process begins in September and continues throughout fall semester, many students voluntarily elect to remain in their triple rooms throughout the entire academic year.

Each triple room is equipped with specially designed furniture that maximizes floor space as well as three Internet cable connections. Each URI residence hall contains community lounge areas in which students may study and socialize. All residence halls are equipped with wireless Internet access as well. And, of course, the University Library is only a short walk from any first year residence hall for those who desire a more focused study environment. URI has assigned freshmen residents to triple rooms for the past five years, and it is important to note that these residents have been, and continue to be, successful in their various academic and extracurricular endeavors at URI.

When a triple room changes to a double room, the remaining residents may wish to keep the furniture that was originally in their room. University policy allows them to do so. In the event that residents wish to have some of the furniture removed from their room, they must formally make the request to do so by completing a Furniture Removal Request form, in person, in their residence hall staff office. To facilitate the removal of the selected items, residents (or their proxy) must be present in their room at the schedule furniture removal time. Failure to do so will result in a delay in removing the furniture.

Residents assigned to a triple room during the fall semester housing assignment period are initially billed at the triple-room rate as established by the Board of Governors for Higher Education of the State of Rhode Island. For billing purposes, a double room is defined as two residents living in a standard double room and a triple room is defined as three residents living in a standard double room. There are no standard triple rooms. The triple-room rate represents a fifteen percent reduction from the standard double-room rate. Any resident who lives in a triple room beyond October 1 will be billed at the triple-room rate for the entire Fall semester. However, any resident who is originally assigned to a triple room, but whose room occupancy changes from a triple room to a double room or who moves to a double room prior to October 1 will be billed at the triple-room rate through the last day of September and at the double-room rate for the remainder of the academic year. Also, any resident who is billed at the triple room rate for the entire fall semester, but whose room occupancy changes to a double room and/or who moves to a double room for the spring semester will be billed at the double-room rate for the entire spring semester; that room rate adjustment will be shown in the spring semester term bill.