Frequently Asked Room Selection Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions that often come up regarding Room Selection. We've tried to organize them by category a bit, so please be sure to visit each of the links below for information about each topic.
As always, if you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Housing Office at 605.274.5215 or by email at reslife@augie.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions About...
Room Selection
Q: When can I sign up for Theme Houses?
A: Theme House Applications will be made available in early February in the Housing Office. The applications will be due in March and students will receive notification of houses awarded approximately one week later via campus mail.
Q: When can I sign up for Apartments and Residence Hall rooms?
A: This year, both processes will occur simultaneously. So, on Room Selection Day you will be able to select from whatever spaces are available, in both Apartments and Residence Halls.
Q: How will I know when I can choose a space on Room Selection Day?
A: In March, you will receive a letter from the Housing Office that gives you your Room Selection Number and indicates at which time you will be able to go through on Room Selection Day. These numbers are assigned randomly, based on your high school graduation date.
Q: Can I live in the same place next year as I did this year?
A: Yes! We call this Homesteading. Anyone living in an Apartment or Residence Hall room has the opportunity to select that space before Room Selection Day and, therefore, secure it before anyone else can. In Apartments, you will need a majority of the apartment to Homestead in order to keep the apartment. So, a four-person apartment will need at least 3 people who plan to stay in order to Homestead.
Q: What if my roommate wants to Homestead our room? Where do I go?
A: While we absolutely expect that this will be a joint decision between you and your roommate and that both will be comfortable with whomever has chosen to Homestead that room, don’t panic. In this case, you would be a Displaced Student and would be allowed to pick a new room in a Residence Hall before Room Selection Day, securing your ability to get something you want as well.
Q: I am currently studying abroad. How do I sign up for housing for next year?
A: For students studying abroad, we will be utilizing the Proxy system. A Proxy is someone who you have designated to choose your space for you on Room Selection Day. You’ll receive, via e-mail, information regarding how the process will work and what you need to do to identify a Proxy. If you don’t have a Proxy in mind, the Housing Office staff will be able to assist you in selecting a space during Room Selection Day.
Q: I will be studying abroad Fall Semester, what should I do?
A: You will not need to go through the Room Selection process this Spring. However, we will need to get some information from you before you leave to go abroad. Please contact the Housing Office, preferably before Room Selection, to let us know of your plans to study abroad.
Q: What happens if I can’t make my designated time on Room Selection Day?
A: Don’t panic! We have created a Proxy system that will allow you to designate someone who can attend in your place and choose for you. For more information, please see the Glossary of Terms.
Q: We have a group of four who want to live together in an apartment. Can we go through Room Selection Day together and use the best number in our group?
A: Yes! You absolutely can. Just make sure that whoever has the best (lowest) number is either in attendance, or has designated one of your roommates as a proxy and you will be able to go through at that time.
Q: My roommate for next year has a better (lower) Room Selection Number, but can’t make the designated time on Room Selection Day. Can I use my roommate's number?
A: If the two of you are planning to room together, you will be allowed to go through Room Selection Day together, using the better of the two numbers. In this instance, you would be allowed to go through without your roommate, as long as he/she filled out a Proxy Form and gave you permission to do so. When you go through on Room Selection Day, you will need to have the Proxy Form, a Housing Contract signed by your roommate, and your roommate’s Room Selection Number in hand.
Q: How do I sign-up for housing if I don't have a roommate?
A: If you are having trouble identifying a roommate for the coming year, please visit with the Housing Office. We will be keeping a list of all students who are struggling to find a roommate and may be able to make suggestions about possible pairings.
Q: What happens if there aren’t any rooms left when I go through on Room Selection Day?
A: Don’t panic! We fully anticipate being able to house everyone who wants to be housed next year. Every year, we enter into the summer with a waiting list of current first-year students who haven’t been assigned a room. That is perfectly normal. And, usually, by mid-June to early July, we have housed everyone on our waiting list. Furthermore, we are usually even able to grant a majority of requests for specific locations. There is never a guarantee, of course, that you will get exactly what you want when we are able to offer you a space, but we try very hard to get as close as possible.
Q: What if I don't get the kind of housing I wanted?
A: During Room Selection Day, we will be making waiting lists for all of our Housing Options. As shifting occurs, which inevitably happens every year, we will contact students on that list, in the order in which they signed up, and offer whatever spaces become available. If you have further concerns about housing for the next year, you should stop by the Housing Office and visit with our staff.
Residency Requirement
Q: Who is required to live on campus?
A: Augustana requires all first, second, and third-year students to live on campus. View Augustana's Residency Requirement for more information.
Q: How do I get approval to move off-campus next year?
A: If you are a fourth-year student or beyond OR if you are married or have children, you need only notify the Housing Office that you plan to live off-campus by June 1. If you are a first, second, or third-year student and plan to commute from an immediate family member’s home, you must contact the Housing Office to obtain approval to do so.
It is possible that a few third-year students will be waived to live off-campus next year. If you would like to be considered in that process, you will need to apply through the Housing Office. Once applications have been received, a drawing will be held and a waiting list will be created. Students will be waived to move off-campus in the order in which they are drawn and appear on the waiting list. As movement occurs, we may be able to offer off-campus approval throughout the remainder of the Spring and even into Summer. You will be contacted by the Housing Office if you are approved.
Housing Contract
Q: Do I have to sign a Housing Contract on Room Selection Day?
A: Yes! Everyone who signs up for a space on-campus will need to fill out a Housing Contract on Room Selection Day.
Q: Can I cancel my Housing Contract if I change my mind about living on campus?
A: If you are going to be a first, second, or third-year student, this will not really be an option. The only time you would be allowed to cancel a contract is if you have received permission from the Housing Office or the Dean of Students Office to move off-campus. If you have not received that permission, you will be expected to live on-campus.
If you are going to be a fourth-year student, you can cancel your contract before June 1 without penalty. If you cancel after June 1 you will be subject to a $400 cancellation fee and the forfeiture of your $100 Housing Deposit.
Housing Options
Q: Who can live in Apartments and Theme Houses?
A: Any current second or third-year student can choose to live in a Theme House or Apartment. Theme Houses are selected during February and early March, through an extensive application process. Apartments can be selected from all available options on Room Selection Day.
Q: How many Theme Houses are there?
A: For the 2012-2013 academic year, there will be 16 Theme Houses, ranging from 3 to 10 person houses, and the Global Education House, which houses 15 students who apply individually.
Q: What is the Global Education House?
A: The Global Education House, formerly the Ronald McDonald House, is a new living community that joins the tradition of Augustana theme communities. Twenty students will live together and develop a theme that facilitates and focuses on a global project. The intent is to engage students in service learning and volunteer projects. The project will change each year based on nominations made by Augustana faculty, staff, and students. Previous projects focused on Sharing the Dream in Guatemala, Sexual Ethics and Responsibility, and Helping Hunger from Here to Cameroon. Please contact the Dean of Students Office with questions about the house or how to apply.
Q: What if I get married or have a family? Can we live on campus?
A: Yes, you can! Costello Hall, our Adult Learner Housing, is an apartment complex designed with you in mind! Costello houses married students, students with families, as well as a number of other Adult Learners who are looking for something other than the traditional residential spaces offered throughout the rest of campus. If you are interested in Costello Hall, please contact the Housing Office to inquire about availability and the application process.
Single Rooms
Q: How do I sign up for a single room?
A: We are working to grant single requests for all third and fourth-year students who want one. However, every student who wants a single room will need to complete a Single Room Application. From the applications, we will hold a drawing and create a waiting list. Single rooms will be granted as space becomes available.
Please note that current first-year students will not likely be granted a single room for their second year, though they may still apply. If space allows, we will grant singles to second-year students as they appear on our waiting list.
