Residence Life, Housing Services and Black Bear Dining
2007-2008 Room and Board License Terms & Conditions
1. First-year residence requirement: Living on campus maximizes students' opportunities for social, cultural and extracurricular involvement and is positively linked to students' persistence toward attaining a degree. Because the University of Maine believes that residence hall living is an educational opportunity that all new students should experience, living on campus is required for all newly admitted first-year students who are: aged 20 or younger; do not live within easy commuting distance (30 miles); and do not have exceptional circumstances that prevent this option.
All first year students living on campus sign a room and board license, which requires them to live on campus for the entire academic year as long as they remain registered students. To be eligible to live on campus, undergraduate students must be matriculated and enrolled for a minimum of nine University of Maine credit hours at the beginning of each semester. Graduate students must be enrolled in a graduate program.
2. Academic Year Term: The Room and Board License is nontransferable and covers the entire academic year, and is payable in two installments; one each semester. The license is for the balance of the academic year if one enters after the start of the fall semester.
3. Change of Assignment: Room changes are not permitted until after the end of the first week of classes each semester.
4. Room Cancellation (Fall): All students who cancel the Room and Board License and remain students at the University of Maine, prior to August 1, 2007, will be assessed a room cancellation fee of $150.00. If the student cancels on or after August 1, 2007, or if the student fails to move in when the residence halls open on August 31, 2007, they will be assessed a room cancellation fee equal to ¼ of the semester installment for a double room, or $475.00. Students who cancel after the residence halls open in the fall will be assessed a room cancellation fee of $475.00 plus the room per diem rate based on the room charge for this license. It is the student’s responsibility to notify Housing Services in writing, or by email, and provide documentation, if necessary , of their intent to cancel the Room and Board License. There are no adjustments or refunds made during the last two weeks of the semester.
5. Room Cancellation (Spring – Upper-class students): Upper-class students ONLY may request from Housing Services, in writing, or by email, cancellation of their Spring 2008 room assignment and meal plan by November 26, 2007. The room cancellation fee for this request is $475.00, if the student removes their belongings, and vacates the residence hall by the end of Final Exam Week, December 21, 2007. For cancellations received after November 26, 2007, the room cancellation fee is the entire Spring Semester housing charge of $1887.00. Since there is a First-Year Residence Requirement, all First Year Students will be responsible for the Spring Housing installment of $1887.00.
6. Withdrawal from the University: If a student completely withdraws from the University before the end of a semester, room and board refunds apply as follows: Room refunds prior to 1st day of class 100%; prior to the end of the 1st week 100%, prior to the end of the 2nd week 75%; prior to the end of the 3rd week 50%; prior to the end of the 4th week 25%; and after the end of the 4th week 0%. No refunds on room rates can be made for short term absences from the residence halls. Board will be calculated by the meals consumed or at the per diem rate of the plan, whichever is greater at the time of moving out of the residence hall. Any remaining balance for the board plan will be refunded.
7. Termination of Room and Board License: This License will terminate for those students who are suspended, stop attending classes (remain enrolled); or are dismissed from the University. The student will be liable for all applicable room and meal plan fees as described in this document. The student must vacate their room within 24 hours. Failure to vacate within that time and/or removing their belongings, will result in the student being held liable for all room and/ board (meal plan) charges accrued beyond the date of License termination to such date as all personal belongings and the individual have been removed. In these circumstances Federal Aid is not permitted to cover charges beyond the last day of class attendance.
8. Charges and Adjustments: The fall semester residence room and board rates will be available in the spring for the next academic year after Board of Trustees approval as per this Room and Board License in clauses #4, #5 and# 6. Current room and meal plan rates are posted at: http://www.umaine.edu/housing . Limited dining service may be available during break periods in the retail locations during these times. Single rooms and double rooms with single occupancy, when available, are always charged at a higher rate. The financial requirements of the University, changing costs, state legislative action and other factors may require an adjustment of the charges and expenses. The University reserves the right to make such adjustments to the estimated charges and expenses as may be necessary in the opinion of the Board of Trustees up to the date of final registration for a given academic term. The applicant acknowledges this reservation and agrees to the financial terms and conditions of the University by the submission of an application or by registration.
9. Occupying Rooms: First-year students may occupy their rooms at the start of fall orientation, August 31. 2007. Upper-class students may occupy their rooms beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the day prior to classes, September 3, 2007. Students may return to their room for the start of spring semester 2008 at Noon Sunday, January 13, 2008. Graduating seniors and graduate students receiving advanced degrees may remain in their rooms until 5:00 p.m. on the day of graduation. All other residents must check out of their rooms within 24 hours of their last class or examination.
10. Break Housing: The following residence halls will run as Continuous Housing for the 2007-2008 academic year, and will be available to residents during all breaks: Doris Twitchell Allen Village/Patch Hall, Estabrooke Hall, Hart Hall and Knox Hall. The remaining halls that close will be unavailable from 5:00 p.m. Friday, December 21, 2007 until Sunday, January 13, 2008 at Noon. They will also be unavailable for Spring Break from 5:00 p.m. Friday, February 29, 2008 until Noon Sunday, March 16, 2008. The halls that close are Androscoggin, Aroostook, Balentine, Cumberland, Colvin, Gannett, Hancock, Kennebec, Oak, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, Stodder and York Halls.
11. Board Refund: Any student who moves out of the residence halls but remains in classes; is suspended; stops attending classes (remains enrolled); or is dismissed from the University will be charged the number of meals consumed, or at the per diem rate of the plan purchased, whichever is greater, plus a $150.00 administrative fee. All requests for refunds must be in writing, or by email. No refunds will be issued after March 1, 2008.
12. Meal Plan Changes: Students may change their dining options once during the first four weeks of the academic year. New students assigned for the Spring Semester may change their meal plan once during the first four weeks of classes.
13. Insurance: The University of Maine provides no insurance for personal possessions. Students must have their own insurance coverage or be included under their family’s insurance policy.
14. Room assignments and consolidation: The University, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to make room assignments and reassignments as it deems necessary. Sometimes, through no fault of their own, students lose their roommate during the semester. Students in double rooms whose roommate leaves will have the option, space permitting, to purchase the double room at the single rate for the remainder of the current semester. In order to assist students who do not wish to assume the additional cost of occupying a double room as a single, those students will be consolidated with other students who do not wish to assume additional cost. Students cannot occupy a double room by themselves at the double rate while other students are paying a double as a single surcharge. If a student loses their roommate, their room charge will change to a single rate after ten (10) days unless the student contacts Housing Services to seek consolidation with another student who also does not wish to pay a single rate. At times, it may be necessary to house students in emergency spaces. Students will be made aware, upon occupancy, that their assignment is temporary. They will be given a minimum of 48 hours to move when permanent assignments are made.
15. Room Changes and Check out Procedures: All room changes must be authorized and approved by either the Community Coordinator of your hall or by the Office of Housing Services. Unauthorized room changes may result in a conduct hearing and a fine of $100. All residents are expected to follow proper check out procedures as outlined in the Student Guide to Living on Campus. Failure to follow proper check out procedures will result in an administrative fee of $100.00.
16. Use of Rooms: Residence rooms shall be used only as student-living rooms. No commercial operation is allowed in residence halls. All University owned furniture must remain in student rooms. There is no storage space available on campus.
17. Guest Policy: The University permits visitation but not cohabitation. Guests are permitted to remain in a student room for no more than 2 consecutive nights in a one week period and may only reside in a room with the consent of both roommates. Residents are responsible for informing their guests about campus regulations and may be held accountable for the behavior of their guests. Guests should be escorted throughout the residence halls and not permitted to remain in a student room without the host present.
18. Safety inspections and maintenance: The University reserves the right to inspect residence hall rooms, apartments and suites for health and safety reasons without notice. Auxiliary Services’ authorized routine and emergency repairs may be made during the normal working day without notice. Rooms are normally inspected at least three times per year.
19. Financial responsibility: Students assigned to given room(s) will be held financially responsible for damages beyond normal wear and tear to the room(s) and furnishings.
20. Damages to community areas: Students assigned to a given hall will be financially accountable for damages in common areas of the hall such as elevators, lobbies, lounges, corridors, stairwells, etc. Where excessive or frequent damage or the need for excessive cleaning occurs, Auxiliary Services reserves the right to hold the occupants of an entire section, floor, or hall responsible for such damages.
21. Payment of fees: The student agrees to pay all fees specified, to comply with all rules and regulations of the University of Maine, the provisions of the Student Handbook, (http://www.umaine.edu/handbook), the Terms and Conditions of this license, the Student Guide for Living on Campus (http://www.umaine.edu/rlp), the Student Conduct Code, and any addendum, as well as other University policies and procedures. Failure to fulfill any of the terms of the above may lead to termination of this agreement, removal from University-owned housing, and referral to the Office of Community Standards, Rights and Responsibilities. The University may immediately remove a student from the residence halls if the student presents a danger to safety or property. Students removed from university housing for disciplinary reasons will be subject to the standard room cancellation fees as those students who choose to cancel their Room and Board License agreement.
The University of Maine does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation including transgender status or gender expression, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran status. The University will provide upon request reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.
