Room Draw Policies 2008

The Room Draw process is as equitable a means for choosing housing assignments based on seniority as possible. Participation in Room Draw does not guarantee that you will receive a housing assignment. Housing is limited and is therefore only guaranteed for those students who have not moderated.

Many of the frequently asked questions about Room Draw are answered on this website or in the companion downloadable PDF, so please read it thoroughly. The information might already be at your fingertips. First-year students are especially encouraged to come to one of the Room Draw information sessions that will be held throughout the month. Please consult the schedule below for times and locations of those sessions. All questions and concerns that are not answered by reading the information listed in this Room Draw Packet should be directed to the Office of Residence Life at extension 7455 or (845) 758-7455(off-campus), emailing reslife@bard.edu or stopping into the Office of Residence Life in Annandale House. The Residence Life staff is happy to assist you in answering any questions you might have about the process.

Table of Contents of Room Draw Policies and Information

Available Rooms
Been there? Done that?
Checklist for Room Draw Preparations
Fall Registration & Accumulated Credits
Financial Clearance
Frequently Asked Questions
Intent to Live Off-Campus
Intersession Housing
Multiple Room Occupants
Personal, Academic, or Medical Leave of Absence
Room Draw Conflicts?? Here’s what to do if you can’t be there!
Room Draw Information Sessions
Special Circumstance Housing
Squatting
Student Obligation
Theme Housing
What Do I Do When I Get There?? Room Draw Procedures
What Does Your Class Level Mean?
What to Bring
Highlights of Policies in the Student Handbook
On Campus Living Agreement
Financial Clearance Cards
Note to Current First Year Students

Available Rooms

Students are encouraged to check the Room Availability section of this website to see if a particular room is still available. Keep in mind however, that just because a particular room exists, does not mean it will be available for assignment at Room Draw. Website: http://inside.bard.edu/reslife/by_password/

Been there? Done that?

So… you’ve been through Room Draw before? Great! Here are a few things to remember as you go through the process again:

In order to squat your current room (meaning that you would reserve the same room assignment that you currently have), the following two conditions must be satisfied:

1. Your room must be designated as a single occupancy room.
2. You must have chosen or been assigned this room in the 2007-2008 academic year.

NO room in the Village Dorms or Gahagen can be squatted. Squatting is restricted to students who presently reside in a room designated for single occupancy..

If you decide to live off-campus for the 2008-2009 school year you will NOT need to attend Room Draw, but you will need to pick up your Financial Clearance Card from the Student Accounts Office and sign it to indicate your intentions.

Haven’t moderated yet and looking to move off campus?? In addition to signing your intent to live off campus on your Financial Clearance Card, you must also have a completed and approved Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student on file with the Office of Residence Life by Friday, April 25th.

Checklist for Room Draw Preparations

Mark your calendar with all of the important dates listed on the Room Draw Time Line.

Student Accounts: Make the payment for your $500.00 Housing and Registration Deposit. Check your student account to be sure that you are financially cleared.

Registrar’s Office: Contact the Registrar’s Office if you feel your credit level is inaccurate on your Room Draw booklet. Be sure that all of your incompletes and credits from other institutions are properly recorded.

Attend a Room Draw information session: There will be sessions scheduled in most of the Freshman residence halls, as well as in the Campus Center, and in Kline.

Make a list of rooms that you are interested in and bring it to Room Draw. Look at the display of the floor plans, which will be available on this website and at Room Draw itself, to assist in deciding which rooms are best suited for you.

Pick up your Financial Clearance Card: Cards will be available to be picked up beginning Friday April 25th and continuing through Friday, May 2nd during regular business hours.

Planning to live Off-Campus? Sign the declaration of intent on your Financial Clearance Card and return it to Student Accounts.

Unmoderated and planning to live off-Campus? Complete an Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student and return to the Office of Residence Life along with your signed Financial Clearance Card.

Fall Registration & Accumulated Credits

Your credit based class level determines your lottery number in the Room Draw process. It will also determine the date and time that you need to attend Room Draw this year. Any unresolved incompletes or outstanding transcripts from other institutions should be taken care of as soon as possible with the Registrar (Ludlow 201, x7458). The number of credits that you are taking in the current semester does not have an effect on your class level.

Class Level Determination Chart

Senior

Earned Credits: 92+

Junior

Earned Credits: 60-91

Sophomore

Earned Credits: 28-59

First-Year

Earned Credits: 0-27

By paying the required $500.00 enrollment deposit and having a financially cleared account, you are not only eligible for Room Draw participation, but also for fall registration. You have until Friday, May 2nd to correct any mistakes made in your class level assignment.

Financial Clearance

Anyone who wishes to participate in Room Draw must be financially cleared and must pay their $500.00 enrollment deposit by Friday, April 25th. Being financially cleared means that you have all tuition, room and board, library, bookstore bills and other fees paid in full!

You are also expected to maintain your account and keep it in good standing, meeting each quarterly tuition or Bard Plan installment. Failure to meet payment deadlines may result in the loss of your housing assignment at any time following Room Draw.

It is your responsibility to be sure that you are financially cleared and, therefore, eligible to participate in the Room Draw process. If you have any concerns about the status of your account, please visit the Student Accounts Office (located in the Building and Grounds facility, x7520).

Validated Financial Clearance Cards are required to participate in Room Draw. Financial Clearance Cards may be picked up in the Office of Student Accounts starting Friday, April 25th and continuing through Friday, May 2nd during regular business hours!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I sell/trade/switch/buy/get/beg/steal a new Room Draw number?

A: Nope. The number you have been assigned is your number and the only number you will get! The only way to get a new number is if your class standing is not correct.

Q: What if my class standing is wrong?

A: Go to the Registrar’s Office and notify them of your problem. Get signed, written proof from them of your correct standing and bring it to the Office of Residence Life. You will then be assigned a new number. If your class standing was not accurate, it does not mean that your newly issued number will be a good one! There are blank spaces built in to the randomization process that offer high and low numbers. Your new number will be just as random as your old number, but appropriate to your class standing.

Q: What’s the deal with Special Circumstances Housing?

A: Contact the Office of Residence Life by Monday, April 21st with your concerns! Note: Special Circumstances Housing does not guarantee single occupancy!

Q: I have friends I want to room with… what should I do?

A: You and the buddy (or buddies) you plan on rooming with should meet and discuss several different housing options. The person with the best Room Draw number should be the one to sign-up for the room, however, if you are a first year student with Sophomore standing attempting to live with another first year, the roommate with first year standing must choose the room. All of your roommates must be present with you at Room Draw to sign up for the room!

Q: Should I check with Financial Aid/Student Accounts to make sure I am cleared?

A: Definitely.

Q: How do I and can I squat?

A: Check with the Office of Residence Life to see if you are eligible to squat your room. If you are eligible, bring your Student ID and your Financial Clearance Card to the Office of Residence Life (on the days listed on your Room Draw Time Line) to secure your room!

Intent to Live Off-Campus

Students intending to live off-campus must sign the declaration on their Financial Clearance Card. Unmoderated students planning on living off-campus for the 2008-09 academic year must also have a completed and approved Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student on file. These forms are available at the Office of Residence Life.

Intersession Housing

Villages A and C will be used to house athletes and student employees during the Intersession period. If necessary, Village A may also be used for student employees. Please keep in mind when choosing your room that this will be taking place and decide whether you are comfortable or not with another student using your room during the intersession period.

Multiple Room Occupants

If you plan on living in a suite or double next year, the roommate with the highest-class level and lowest Room Draw number in each pair or group should choose the roommate(s) of her/his choice. Students wishing to obtain multiple student housing units (doubles, and suites) must have all prospective occupants present and all must be financially cleared at the time that you make your housing request at Room Draw. Note: If you are planning on living in a suite, single rooms are available to Juniors and Seniors only. Doubles in suites are open to Freshmen only. We strongly recommend that you confirm your eligibility to draw for a suite before the Room Draw Event. Students without the proper class level will be barred from suite placement and no suite will be assigned without all members present or accounted for.

Personal, Academic, or Medical Leave of Absence

Any student who is on an approved Non-Conditional Leave of Absence from the college is still eligible to participate in Room Draw, as long as they are financially cleared and have paid the $500.00 enrollment deposit. Students on non-conditional leaves can have the Office of Residence Life act as a proxy to choose their housing assignment if they cannot come to campus for Room Draw.

Room Draw Conflicts?? Here’s what to do if you can’t be there!

If you are unable to attend Room Draw, the Office of Residence Life will act as your proxy. Bring your top four housing preferences (with the name of the student you would like to live with, if applicable), and your Financial Clearance Card to the Office of Residence Life by Friday, April 27th to make the necessary arrangements.

Room Draw Information Sessions

Tuesday, April 22nd

8:00pm - 9:00pm Williams Lounge
9:00pm - 10:00pm Tewksbury Lounge

Wednesday, April 23rd

7:00pm - 8:00pm Kline Committee Room
8:00pm 9:00pm Robbins Lounge

Monday, April 28th

8:00pm - 9:00pm South Hall Lounge

Tuesday, April 29th

8:00pm 9:00pm Keen Lounge
9:00pm 10:00pm Cruger Lounge

Wednesday, April 30th

9:00pm 10:00pm Campus Center Lounge

Special Circumstance Housing

Anyone wishing to be considered for Special Circumstance Housing (due to medical, physical or psychological conditions), should contact the Office of Residence Life (Annandale House, x7455). Even if you have been granted Special Circumstance Housing in the past, you are still required to discuss your housing needs with the office for the upcoming school year. Monday, April 21st will be the last day for students to request Special Circumstance Housing.

Squatting

In order to squat your current room (meaning that you would reserve the same room assignment that you currently have), the following two conditions must be satisfied:

Your room must be designated as a single occupancy room.
You must have chosen or been assigned this room in the 2007-2008 academic year.

NO room in the Village Dorms or Gahagen can be squatted. Squatting is restricted to students who presently reside in a room designated for single occupancy. Students interested in squatting their room may sign up in the Office of Residence Life on the following dates:
Wednesday, April 30th (9:00am-5:00pm)
Thursday, May 1st (9:00am-5:00pm)
Friday, May 2nd (9:00am-3:00pm)
A valid Financial Clearance Card is necessary when squatting your room. Squatting is not permissible at Room Draw itself! If you wish to squat a room, it must be done beforehand.

Student Obligation

If you select a room at Room Draw and later decide to make off-campus living arrangements, you must notify the Student Accounts Office and the Office of Residence Life of your change in plans by Friday, May 30th. Failure to notify both offices by this date, will result in a $500.00 fine being charged to your student account. Remember: You have until Friday, September 1st to cancel your housing reservation… after this date, the full room and board charges will remain on your account!

Theme Housing

Theme Housing is designated in response to student demand for specific living environments. All students living in Theme Housing are required to adhere to the set community standards and to sign a Theme Agreement. Current Theme Housing is as follows:

Quiet and Women Only: All residents agree to 24 hours of quiet and all residents are female.

Quiet: All residents agree to 24 hours of quiet.

Quiet and Alcohol Free: All residents agree to 24 hours of quiet and that they, and their guests, will not use or possess alcohol.

Alcohol Free: All residents agree that they, and their guests, will not use or possess alcohol.

Co-Operative Housing: Student run hall in which all residents work together to maintain the house. All cooking, cleaning and mediation tasks are handled by residents. Note: Prospective residents for Feitler will not attend Room Draw, but will go through a selection process conducted by the co-op residents. Contact the Office of Residence Life if you have questions about this application process.

Please Note: It is taken for granted, use of illegal substances or misuse of prescribed medicines is a violation of our Community Standards. This expectation is equally binding to all members of the Bard community, regardless of residence. All confirmed breaches of conduct in this regard will be met with the appropriate disciplinary response as outlined in your Student Handbook.

What Do I Do When I Get There?? Room Draw Procedures

Arrival at Stevenson Gymnasium
At your assigned time, you should be present in the gym with your Financial Clearance Card and Student ID. (For your assigned time, please see the Room Draw Time Line.)

Examine the Wall of Available Rooms
You will see floor plans indicating which rooms are still available. As rooms are chosen, you will see them crossed off of the floor plans. This will help you determine what your options are. Have at least three of your top choices for room options picked out before your lottery number is called! The more options, the better! That way, if you get to the sign-up table and your #1 choice has already been taken, you don’t have to risk losing more time going back to the Wall of Available Rooms to look for another option.

Lottery Number Called
When your lottery number is called, you will show your valid Bard ID Card and your Financial Clearance Card. If you do not have these two items, you will not be allowed to proceed!

State Your Room Choice
Your name and room choice will be recorded by the Room Draw Staff and you will receive an index card stating your assigned room number and extension.

Sign the On-Campus Living Agreement.

Sign a Theme Housing Agreement (if needed)
If you have signed up for housing in any of the buildings which have been designated as Theme Housing, you will be required to sign a Theme Housing Agreement.

Placement on the To Be Announced List does NOT Guarantee you On-Campus Housing.
If all available rooms are chosen prior to your number being called (including doubles and triples), you will be placed on the To Be Announced List for housing. You must have your Financial Clearance Card in order to be added to the To Be Announced List on the night of Room Draw. At this time, you will be asked to list your four top choices for housing, and two places you would not like to live. The To Be Announced List will be prioritized according to class level and Room Draw number. Please, keep in mind that once you have been placed on the To Be Announced List, your housing options will be limited. You will be informed of your housing assignment as soon as possible. The Office of Residence Life will do its best to accommodate your wishes, but cannot guarantee that your specific requests will be granted. If you are unsatisfied with your assignment, you are welcome to submit a Room Change Request at the beginning of the Room Change Period in September. If you are concerned about your Room Draw number, or placement on the To Be Announced List, it may be in your best interest to pursue other options for housing. Again, placement on the To Be Announced List does not guarantee you on-campus housing.

What Does Your Class Level Mean?

Freshman:Freshmen are not allowed to squat their rooms. All freshmen students will be able to choose from available double rooms. Current freshman students are guaranteed housing and are expected to live on-campus. Those students who are unmoderated and are wishing to move off-campus must complete an Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student. This form must be approved before you will be considered for living off-campus.

Sophomore:The number and location of beds we can make available for sophomores is predetermined. Once the maximum number permissible is reached, students desiring on-campus housing will be directed to sign up for the TBA list. Unmoderated upperclassmen wishing to move off-campus must complete an Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student. This form must be approved before you will be considered for living off-campus.

Junior:Current Juniors have the option of living on or off-campus. The number and location of beds we can make available for juniors is predetermined. Once the maximum number permissible is reached, students desiring on-campus housing will be directed to sign up for the TBA list. Unmoderated upperclassmen wishing to move off-campus must complete an Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student. This form must be approved before you will be considered for living off-campus.

Senior: Seniors have the option of living on or off-campus. The number and location of beds we can make available for seniors is predetermined. Once the maximum number permissible is reached, students desiring on-campus housing will be directed to sign up for the TBA list.

What to Bring

Your valid Student ID
Your Financial Clearance Card (REMEMBER: You must pick up your Financial Clearance Card at the Office of Student Accounts starting Friday, April 25th and continuing through Friday, May 2nd, during regular business hours.

Without these items, you will not be eligible to participate in the Room Draw process!

Highlights of Policies in the Student Handbook

The Student Handbook includes specific information regarding the policies that all students living on-campus are expected to be aware of and abide by. The procedures for enforcing those policies and for billing are also described in the Student Handbook. Student handbooks are distributed at check-in upon return for the fall semester.

Length of Commitment
The On-Campus Living Agreement is a full academic year commitment.

Fire Safety
The possession of candles is expressly prohibited in all residence halls and will result in a $500.00 fine. Smoking is not permitted in any residence hall; this includes smoke produced by, but not limited to, both cigarettes and incense. A fire alarm attributed to smoke will result in a $500 fine. Also, there is a $100 fine for not leaving a building when there is a fire alarm.

Theme Housing
All students living in Theme Housing (i.e. Quiet, Wellness, etc.) are required to adhere to the set community standards and to sign a Theme Agreement. The guests of those students living in theme housing are also expected to comply with the community standards, and all guests are the responsibility of the resident they are visiting.

Pet Policy
Most pets including dogs, cats, and birds are not allowed in the residence halls. Any pet you intend to keep on-campus requires advance approval from the Office of Residence Life.

Meal Plan
On-campus students are required to be enrolled in a campus meal plan.

Damages and Vandalism
Residents are responsible for property in their residence hall. Individuals involved in behavior that results in damage will be required to pay for any necessary repairs, be required to pay fines, may lose housing privileges, and may be suspended or expelled from the College. Should no one accept responsibility for damages, all residents will be held liable for the cost of repairs. Please see the Student Handbook for further details regarding this policy.

Loss or Theft of Property
The College will not accept responsibility for any thefts or losses in student rooms, storage areas, or anywhere on campus at any time, either during the school semester or during vacations. This applies to any damage from water, steam, soot, smoke, fire, or any other destruction.

Storage
No storage space is available to students. All college issued furniture and personal belongings must be kept in each student’s designated room.

Intersession and Summer Use of Residence Halls
Select residence halls will be used for conferences and groups, as well as athletes and Bard student employees needing accommodations on-campus during the summer months and intersession. Generally, students will not be allowed to stay in their rooms over intersession and will be notified in advance of the plans for use of their rooms.

On Campus Living Agreement

Every student who decides to participate in Room Draw will either choose a housing assignment or be placed on the To Be Announced List for housing. You will also be asked to sign an On-Campus Living Agreement at Room Draw, which will reinforce guidelines and expectations for dormitory life.

Remember…. once you accept a room on-campus, you have made a commitment to live on-campus for the entire academic school year!

Financial Clearance Cards

Anyone who wishes to participate in Room Draw must be financially cleared and must pay their $500.00 enrollment deposit by Friday, April 25th. Being financially cleared means that you have all tuition, room and board, library, bookstore bills and other fees paid in full!

You are also expected to maintain your account and keep it in good standing, meeting each quarterly tuition or Bard Plan installment. Failure to meet payment deadlines may result in the loss of your housing assignment at any time following Room Draw.

It is your responsibility to be sure that you are financially cleared and, therefore, eligible to participate in the Room Draw process. If you have any concerns about the status of your account, please visit the Student Accounts Office (located in the Building and Grounds facility, x7520).

Validated Financial Clearance Cards are required to participate in Room Draw. Financial Clearance Cards may be picked up in the Office of Student Accounts starting Friday, April 25th and continuing through Friday, May 2nd during regular business hours

Note to Current First Year Students

Your first Room Draw?? Relax… don’t let yourself be stressed out by the Room Draw process. This should dispel any rumors and soothe your nerves. Here’s some helpful information to get you started:

Go to a Room Draw Information Session! There will be sessions held in most first year halls, in the Campus Center and in Kline. Look for the schedule later.
All first year students are guaranteed housing for their sophomore year.
If you decide to live off-campus and you are an unmoderated student, you must complete an Off-Campus Living Request Form for Unmoderated Student and return it to the Office of Residence Life by Friday, April 25th. Both moderated and unmoderated students interested in moving off-campus must hand in a signed Financial Clearance Card indicating their plans.

If you will be living off-campus next year, you will NOT need to attend Room Draw.