Linfield's Office of Residence Life

HOUSING REGISTRATION PROCESS for 2008-2009

How does the process work?

1. Read this information packet.
2. Determine what type of room you want to live in and with whom you want to live. Check the Residence Life Bulletin Board in Melrose for floor plans. (Please note floor plans are subject to change and are not to scale; buyer beware.)
3. Prioritize your housing preferences. Have several back up options available in case your first choice is taken.
4. You must have enough eligible people to fill a room or apartment to register for that room or apartment.
5. All students who have registered for fall classes 2008 will be sent a housing registration card, which indicates the number of credits you have earned by end of spring 2008. You must bring this card to housing registration. If you disagree with the number of credits listed on your card, please see Kelly Bowe in Student Services prior to registration.
6. To live in the suburbs (College owned apartments) each student must have a minimum of 62 credit hours or be 21 years of age by the start of Fall Semester.
7. Add the total credit hours of those students you want to live with. This will determine your housing priority.
8. Come to the upper gym on the date designated above, depending on what type of room you want next year. You must bring your current student ID and your housing registration card.
9. Students will be put in order according to total credit hours and will be allowed to choose a room. You will register for the specific room you will live in next year.
10. You may not “hold” a space open for any student who is either ineligible to register for that location or for any student who will not be on campus fall semester (ie a student who will be studying abroad for fall semester).
11. You will sign a contract when you sign up for a room. There will be a $200 contract cancellation fee assessed to any student who does not honor that contract. The cancellation fee will increase to $450 on August 1, 2008.

Credit Hour Priority for Housing Selection
Housing registration priority is determined by the TOTAL number of COMBINED credit hours accumulated by the end of Spring Semester 2008 by the students wishing to occupy the room. Ties will be broken by whoever has the most credit hours of the groups. Student ID number will be used as a final tiebreaker. If you believe the credit hours listed for you are incorrect, you must notify Student Services, Melrose 110 IMMEDIATELY so the numbers can be checked with the Registrar. NO changes to credit hours will be made once the housing registration process begins on May 1, 2008.

Fall 2008 Class Registration/Current Linfield ID/Housing Registration Card
To register for a room, you must bring your valid Student ID card and you must be registered for Fall 2008 classes. Course registration occurs April 21-25. If you are not registered for Fall 2008 classes, you will not be allowed to select a room. Students must be registered as a FULL TIME (minimum of 10 credits) student in order to be eligible for college housing. After you register for Fall 2008 classes, you will be sent a Housing Registration Card. This card will indicate your total credit hours earned by the end of Spring 2008. You must bring this card to housing registration.

Suburbs (Linfield-owned apartments and houses)
The Residence Life bulletin board in Melrose currently shows all Suburb properties and their capacities. In order to register for a house or apartment, a group must have enough eligible students to fill the property. Only those students who have a minimum of 62 credit hours or who will be 21 years old by the start of Fall Semester will be able to register for Suburb housing. Students who do not have junior standing (62 credits) or who will not be at least 21 may petition to achieve junior standing. Please pick up a Junior Petition in Student Services, Melrose 110.

Students Unable To Attend Housing Registration
If you are unable to attend room registration at your designated time, you must give your housing registration card and a signed note to someone who will select for you. The note must designate the specific person who will select your room. You must sign a housing contract in Student Services before 5 pm on the day following registration, or the entire group may lose the room, apartment or house. Students should not miss class to attend registration.

Students Currently Studying Abroad or on Leave of Absence
Designate someone who is on campus Spring Semester to represent you during the registration process. Notify Jeff Mackay in writing as to who the person is, and give that person a note or e-mail with your authorization by April 25, 2008. Have your representative pick up your housing registration card in Student Services. For students studying abroad, 15 credits will be added to the total cumulative credits earned after January Term to determine your housing registration priority. Your representative will go through the regular housing process to register for you. When you return to campus in the fall, stop by Student Services to sign a housing contract. If you plan to live off campus in the fall, you must file an exemption. If you apply but do not meet the exemption criteria, you will be assigned a place in college housing.

Residency Requirement
Students requesting a housing exemption for Fall 2008 must file an Exemption Request form in Student Services. If you are currently exempt, you must file a new request form. Listed are the criteria for an exemption:

Housing Exemption
- 21 years of age (must be 21 by September 3, 2008)
- 94 credit hours (senior standing)
- Married
- Living with Parents (within 60 miles of McMinnville, students must live in their parents’ house)
- $7,500 in subsidized loans and unmet need (Financial Aid can inform you if you meet this criteria)

Meal Plan Requirement
All students living in Residence Halls must be on a meal plan. Listed are the criteria for exemptions.

Meal Plan Exemption
Students living in the Suburbs or Fraternities

-62 credit hours
- 21 years of age
- $7,500 in subsidized loans and unmet need
Please note: There is no meal plan exemption available for students living in residence halls.

If You Would Like To Room With An Incoming Student, or Need A Roommate
If you have a friend in the incoming freshman or transfer class with whom you would like to live, that person must have paid their initial deposit and designated you on their housing preference card before April 25. In order to select a room with a specific, qualified incoming student, you must ask Admissions for a letter stating that the student has been admitted, paid a deposit, and designated you on their housing preference card. You must bring this letter to Student Services by noon on April 25. If you need a roommate for the 2008-2009 academic year, you may advertise on the "Want Ads" portion of the Student Services bulletin board outside of Melrose 110. It is up to you to find a roommate. You may NOT register for a double, triple, quad, etc., unless there are enough people in your group to fill the room. If you do not register for a room due to the fact that you cannot find a roommate, Student Services will place you with another returning student who also does not have a roommate at the end of housing registration.

Special Needs Housing
If you have special needs that require special housing, please contact Student Services before April 18, 2008. Special housing accommodations will be made with a recommendation from one of the following: Learning Support Services, the Counseling Center, the Student Health Center or Chaplain’s Office.

One Selection Per Person
Once you register for a room, you will not be able to register for a different room. For example, if you register for an apartment on Thursday, you cannot change your mind and register for a different apartment later in the process.

Students Studying Abroad Fall Semester or the Entire Year
Students studying abroad Fall Semester 2008 must file a special housing information card with Student Services. These cards are located in Student Services, Melrose 110 and must be filed by May 9. If you are going abroad with a non-Linfield program, please stop by Student Services for information.

Linfield International Ambassadors - International Exchange Students for Fall 2008 Housing
The program seeks to enhance cross-cultural understanding and awareness among students. Linfield International Ambassadors are students who are willing to room with an international student and participate in activities with them when appropriate/convenient. Please visit http://www.linfield.edu/reslife/forms.php for more information.
Linfield students may apply to the International Ambassador Program by completing a form available at Student Services, Melrose 110. You will be notified by April 25, 2008 whether you will be able to reserve a spot in your room for an International Exchange student. Ambassadors will receive priority for Fall Housing Registration. International Exchange students will be given 45 credits to add to your credits. Anyone registering to live with an International Exchange student may only select a standard double or triple residence hall room.

Housing Rates For 2008-2009

382 College (the White Apts.) are completely unfurnished. HP Park Apartments and Dana Hall are completely furnished. In addition, the HPs also have a washer/dryer. All other Suburbs have beds, dressers, desks & chairs, but no living room furniture.

Credit Hours Needed for Specific Housing Options
The following list is the minimum number of credits that were needed to register for the stated rooms or apartments from 2005 -2007. This number changes each year. Please use this only as a guide.

Meal Plan Options
Students will be asked to select a meal plan for next year. All students in the residence halls must be on one of the four meal plans: Super, Standard, Light or Mini. Suburb and off-campus students have options for Upper meal plan or the option to buy Wildcat Cash. Questions can be answered by Bill Masullo of Sodexho, ext. 2266, or by visiting http://www.linfield.edu/dillin/plans.html.

Summer Housing 2008
If you would like summer housing on campus for 2008, you must register in Student Services by Friday, May 9, 2008. Jane Failing Hall and Newby Hall will be used to house students this summer. There are no apartments available for summer housing. Rates vary according to the type of room. A double room is $850 per summer or $150 per week. Students employed by the college for at least 20 hours per week in the summer will receive free housing.

Waiting Lists
If you do not get into the specific room, or type of room you want when you register, you may put your name on a waiting list available at housing registration and in Student Services, Melrose 110. The waiting list will be ranked according to credit hours. The list will close May 23. The Director of Residence Life reserves the right to override the waiting list in unusual circumstances, particularly in order to maximize the number of available beds.

ROOM REGISTRATION UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

• Total credit hours always designate priority. Ties will be broken by the student with the highest number of credits between the groups. If that is also a tie, the lowest student ID number will be used.
• You must be registered for Fall 2008 classes and a full time student in order to select a room.
• Once you register for a room, your name will be taken off the list and you may not register for a different room.
• You will not be allowed to register for a room unless you have enough people to fill the room.
• You must file a new housing exemption request each year if you plan on living off campus.
• Once you file an exemption request and are approved for off-campus living, you give up any right to campus housing priority should you choose at a later date to live on campus.
• People may not switch rooms or roommates, or register for rooms they do not intend to occupy, in an attempt to take advantage of credit hours. All such situations will be dealt with on an individual basis.
• If you have signed a housing contract or been assigned college housing there may be a contract cancellation penalty assessed if you do not live in campus housing according to the following:
  Prior to August 1 -- $200 Contract cancellation fee
  August 1 - last day of classes Spring Semester -- $450 cancellation fee + pro-rated fee for days of occupancy

Commonly Asked Questions and the Common Answers

Q: I am 20 years old and I have 61 credits. Can I live in the Suburbs (College Owned Apartments)?
A: Unfortunately you cannot. Only students who have junior or senior status can live in the suburbs. The college defines junior status as 62 or more credits. Students who will be 21 by September 3, 2008 can also live in the apartments. If students will be taking recognized course work over the summer that will get them to at least 62 credits, then students can petition to live in the suburbs. Petition forms are located in Student Services, Melrose 110 and must be completed by April 25, 2008.

Q: I am not a senior (94 credits hours or more) or 21, and do not have the financial need to live off campus. Can you make an exception?
A: No, Linfield is a residential college and requires all students to live on campus until they are 21, a senior, living at home or have sufficient financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office.

Q: I am a junior and want to live with another junior and two seniors. Will we get into the HP Park Apartments?
A: It is impossible to predict how many credits it will take to get into the HP Park Apartments in any given year. On page 3 of this document there is a list of minimum number of credits needed for housing types for the past three years.

Q: I do not have a roommate. Can I pay the difference to sign up for a double room and keep it for myself?
A: You must have enough students to fill the room. If you do not have a roommate, you cannot sign up for a multiple occupancy room during the housing registration process. Once the housing registration process is complete you will work with the Residence Life Office to select your housing and will be assigned a roommate.

Q: If I want to live in the same room or apartment, do I have a priority over other students to live there?
A: All rooms and apartments (with the exception of Residence Life Staff Rooms) will be open at the start of Housing Registration. Students will not be given a priority to live in their current room or apartment.

Q: Can I leave my stuff in my fall room or apartment over the summer?
A: No, summer conferences are held throughout the summer and the Residence Halls and Suburbs are used to
house the folks attending summer conferences.

Q: I never eat at Dillin, but will be living in the residence halls. Is there anyway I can be off the meal plan?
A: No, all students living in the Residence Halls are required to be on a meal plan. No exemptions will be given.

Q: If I still have declining balance points from spring semester will they carry over to next year?
A: Spring declining balance dollars do not transfer.

Q: If I do not need all the furnishings in my room or apartment, is there any place to store the furniture?
A: No, Linfield does not have a place to store furniture not in use. Removal of furniture is not an option.

Q: Where can I store my things over the summer?
A: The College does have limited storage for students who will be living in the Residence Halls in 2008-2009. Students store their belongings at their own risk. Storage is not available for students in the Suburbs. Students are encouraged to go together with roommates to rent storage units in McMinnville.