Fitchburg State College desires to provide on campus housing
for its students at the lowest possible rate and, for that
reason, must operate the residence halls on a contract basis
for the FULL ACADEMIC YEAR. The following terms and conditions
are the basis for which all residence hall students must abide.
Please read them carefully. If you do not understand any portion
of these terms, please contact Housing and Residential Services
at (978) 665-3219.
Eligibility
To qualify for college housing a student must be an undergraduate
degree seeking student, with less than 120 earned credit
hours, who is registered for at least 6 credit hours and
who is without academic, disciplinary, or other infractions
warranting exclusion from college housing. Students who
have applied for May graduation will not be eligible to
sign up for housing or participate in room selection
events for the following academic year.
Students who reside in the towns of Fitchburg, Leominster,
Lunenburg and Westminster will not be eligible for on-campus
housing. An exception to this policy will be made for
recipients of Admissions’ merit scholarships. Current
residents are exempt from this policy as long as they
maintain continuous residency on campus.
Occupancy Agreement Period This agreement financially obligates you, the student,
as long as you are enrolled for the entire academic
year (fall and spring semesters). If you enter
into this agreement for the spring semester only, you are
obligated to perform on this agreement through final closing
of the residence halls for the spring semester.
Students may occupy their assigned space from the date designated
as the opening of college housing to the date designated
as the end of each semester in the college’s academic
calendar.
Unless students are notified otherwise, residence halls
will be closed during the winter break (between fall and
spring semesters). Should selected residence halls remain
open for the winter break, students who reside in that facility
will be notified of this option and would be required to
pay an additional fee if they choose to extend the agreement
period to include winter break housing. When residence
halls are closed for breaks, residents of these and other units who are not under an occupancy agreement will be required to vacate
their rooms.
Occupancy is defined by issuance of a key/card access to
the student for a specified room and does not require actual
physical presence by the student and/or his/her possessions.
Acceptance of this Occupancy Agreement
The signature of the student on his/her housing agreement
signifies that the student has read these terms and conditions
and agrees to abide by all conditions, terms and policies
specified in this agreement and binds the student to this
agreement upon acceptance by Housing and Residential Services.
Assignment of Space
Assignment All eligible returning residents who apply
for housing by the published deadline are guaranteed
college housing. Returning residents who applied late
and did not meet published deadlines will be placed
on a waiting list. Current students who reside off campus
will be placed on a waiting list, and will be assigned
pending availability of space. Incoming students who
meet agreement/deposit deadlines are guaranteed college
housing and will be assigned on a first-come-first-served
basis. The receipt date of the housing application/occupancy agreement
and reservation/security deposit determines priority;
the last receipt date will determine priority, if sent
separately.
While every attempt will be made to honor building preferences
and mutual roommate requests, the College reserves the
right to reassign students to other rooms and/or buildings
for cause(s) deemed sufficient by Housing and Residential Services. This occupancy agreement is for a space, not a particular
room. Roommate requests must be mutual and will be assigned
based on the receipt date of the last student to apply
for college housing.
If a student fails to occupy his/her assigned space
before 5:00pm on the first day of classes without notifying
Housing and Residential Services of a delayed arrival, the
space may be reassigned and the student declared a no-show.
Students declared to be a no-show forfeit their reservation/security
deposit and students who continue to enroll in classes
at Fitchburg State College will be held financially
responsible for their occupancy agreement.
Expanded Occupancy If the words “EXPANDED OCCUPANCY”
appear on your room assignment letter, the student is
eligible for regular spaces unclaimed by the assignees,
provided the student checked into the “expanded
occupancy” assigned space. Moves out of
“Expanded Occupancy” spaces are based on
receipt date of housing occupancy agreement, except where extenuating circumstances may necessitate deviation from that order.
If a student is assigned to “expanded occupancy”
beyond the consolidation period, the rental fee for
all residents in the expanded occupancy will be reduced
by 20% according to the guidelines established by the
Massachusetts State College Building Authority.
Occupancy A room may only be occupied by the person(s)
properly assigned
to the room. Neither room assignments, nor the occupancy agreement,
are
transferable and occupancy by a student or other person
without
authorization is not permitted. Room changes are not
permitted
during the first two weeks of classes of the fall and spring semester.
This “freeze” period allows Housing and Residential Services to identify “no shows” and
stabilize occupancy records. Changes of room assignments
are permitted according to the guidelines outlined in
the College Housing Handbook. If a student completes
an unauthorized room change, that student will be required
to return to his/her originally assigned space, may
be denied the opportunity to participate in any other
room changes, and will be assessed a $25.00 administrative
charge.
If the unit occupied is a disabled-accessible unit,
and the student is not disabled in a manner which requires
him or her to have a
disabled-accessible unit, the student agrees to transfer
to a non-disabled-accessible unit if the accessible unit
is needed for a
disabled student.
Consolidation
Students who are in a double occupancy room, but who find
themselves without a roommate for whatever reason, may
be
required to consolidate. Consolidation involves either:
1) moving
to another room, 2) finding someone else in the same
situation
to move in with you, or 3) paying the private room rate.
In cases
where none of the consolidating parties wishes to move,
priority
to remain will be determined by (1) length of room occupancy,
(2) length of enrollment by credit hours, and (3) date
of receipt
of occupancy agreement. Students who willfully do not participate
in
consolidation efforts will automatically be charged
the private room rate.
Non-Discrimination Policy The College prohibits discrimination on the
basis of religion, race, creed, age, gender, veteran
status, color, disability, sexual orientation or national
origin in the assignment of persons as roommates.
Meal Plan Requirement All students electing to live in college housing,
except for Townhouse, North Street Apartments and Cedar Street residents, are required
to select one of the following meal plans.
5 Meal Plan (Apartments and Cedar Street House ONLY) — 5 meals per week, plus $50 Falcon Dollars
per semester
10 Meal Plan — Any 10 meals per week, plus $75 Falcon Dollars per semester
15 Meal Plan —Any 15 meals per week, plus $100 Falcon Dollars per semester, and 5 guest meals per semester
Freedom Meal Plan —Unlimited number of meals per week, plus $125 Falcon Dollars per semester, and 10 guest meals per semester
There is no refund for missed meals or carry over to the
next semester. Changes in the meal plan selected may not
take place after the third week of classes. Meal service
is not provided during Thanksgiving, Winter or Spring Breaks.
Students may also add additional money to their Falcon Dollar
account which can be used to purchase food at any of the
campus vending and food operations. Falcon Dollars are not refundable.
On-campus dining service and all retail food units are operated
by Chartwells Inc. on behalf of the College.
Meal cards are not transferable and may not be loaned. A
non-refundable
charge of $25.00 is assessed for each replacement card.
Deposit and Agreement Payment
Deposit A reservation/security deposit of $150 is
due at the time the student submits a housing application
and signed occupancy agreement, if a deposit is not already on
file with the College. The deposit will be refunded
upon proper completion of this occupancy agreement or subsequent
occupancy agreements. Upon satisfactory completion of the occupancy agreement
per current release terms, the deposit will be refunded/applied
to the student's Fitchburg State College account.
Payment The room and board charges at the prescribed
rate per academic
semester are payable in full at the time of payment
of tuition and
fees for each semester. All other charges must be paid
in full upon notification of charge. If payment is not
made by the stipulated deadline, a $10.00 processing
fee will be assessed. In addition, failure to pay all
outstanding charges will result in the student’s
name being placed in the Housing debit file, which may
prohibit further registration, issuance of transcripts
and other records, and face removal from student housing.
If charges are not paid and the college requests assistance
from a collection agency, the student is responsible
for any additional collection fees.
Residence hall and meal rates for the 2008– 2009
academic year
will be announced during the Spring of 2008.
Refund A student who withdraws or is required to withdraw
from the College during a semester, or whose occupancy agreement is
properly cancelled (see section XV Occupancy Agreement Release), may
receive a prorated refund of housing and meal plan fees,
determined by the date the student removes all personal
belongings from the assigned room, returns key(s), and officially
checks out of the residence hall. No refunds will be made
after the 10th week of classes, for a fractional part
of a week, or if the student is removed from housing for
disciplinary reasons.
Residence Hall Facilities and Policies This agreement is not intended to create a usufruct
or convey any tenancy or other property interest to the
student, the intent being instead to create a licensor/licensee
relationship subject to the terms and conditions stated
herein. The residence halls are considered private property,
reserved for the exclusive use of resident students, invited
guests, and authorized College
personnel. Residents are responsible for abiding by all
College and residence hall policies and for informing their
guests of said policies. Residents are held responsible
for the behavior of their guests and all activities originating
from their assigned rooms. Violations of any of the provisions
in this occupancy agreement or those outlined in The Student Handbook,
College Housing Handbook, or any other College policies will
be considered violations of the occupancy agreement and grounds for
removal from college housing. Violations will be referred
to appropriate College personnel for disciplinary action
and also may be referred to law enforcement officers for
investigation and prosecution under applicable
criminal laws.
Students shall have equal rights to use of lounge areas,
hallways, baths, and other common spaces and agree to respect
the rights of other students in such areas. These facilities
include, but are not limited to, study lounges, main lounges,
recreation rooms, laundry rooms, bathrooms, etc.
Student Rooms/Furnishings Any room furnishing added by a student must
be free standing, and no part of one’s personal
furnishings may be attached, wedged, or secured in any
manner to the ceiling, floor, walls, or college furnishings
in the room. No item may be located so as to obstruct
direct access to the door or windows so that evacuation
is hindered. No college room furnishings may be altered
from their intended design or removed from the room
by the student or his/her guest(s).
No common area furniture may be taken from the lounges
or other areas and placed in student rooms or moved
to other locations. No personal property may be stored
in public areas.
Appliances/Equipment Residence halls have varying design and construction
and as such the College reserves the right to impose
reasonable requirements with respect to the use of appliances
or equipment in the residence halls. Some examples of
items not permitted in the residence
halls are listed below; however, this list is not all-inclusive.
Refrigerators with internal dimensions larger
than 4.0 cubic feet.
Air conditioners or ceiling fans.
Waterbeds
Halogen Lights
Hot plates, toaster ovens, deep fat fryers, open
flames, or open coil appliances.
Microwaves with wattage greater than 1000.
Kerosene heaters or electric heaters, electric
blankets, burning candles and/or incense, or explosives.
All permitted units and cords must be UL approved. The
College reserves the right to determine the danger of
electrical appliances/cords and to require their removal
or to permanently confiscate them if a student fails to
remove the designated item in a timely manner.
Pets Pets are not permitted in the residence halls
except fish in tanks
not larger than 20 gallon capacity and trained guide
dogs for visually/hearing impaired residents or guests.
Community Policies Because the residence halls comprise a unique
community living
situation, policies that provide for the health, safety,
and security
needs of all residents are a necessity. These policies
foster a
cooperative living environment and prohibit behaviors
which
adversely affect the residence hall community.
Rights of Others: In order to
maintain the academic atmosphere of the residence
halls, students are expected to conduct themselves
in a considerate manner with regard to the rights,
safety, and needs of others. Accordingly, students
are obligated to live in a cooperative manner with
roommates and other residents. Students are expected
to recognize and respect the authority of College
staff and to comply with requests they make in the performance of their duties.
Fire Safety and Other Safety Issues:
(A) Possession or use of
fireworks, explosives, flammables, hand guns, rifles,
shotguns, weapons of any kind, including BB guns, stun guns,
knives,
martial arts equipment, laser pens, bows and arrows,
etc., or
other objects with the potential to cause bodily
harm are prohibited. (B) Burning candles and/or incense,
use of grills,
any open flame apparatus, or explosive devices are
prohibited. (C) Fire fighting, detection and alarm equipment
is provided
for the protection of all residents. Misuse of or
tampering
with this equipment is a violation of College regulations
and state criminal statutes, and may result in any one
or combination of the following: immediate termination
of this occupancy agreement, College disciplinary action, and
criminal fines and/or imprisonment. (D) Students
are required to evacuate a residence hall when a
fire alarm is activated or during other emergencies.
(E) No objects are to be thrown or dropped from
balconies, roofs or windows. (F) Propping open corridor
or stairway fire/smoke doors, opening a secured
outside door of a residence hall or improper use
of emergency exits is prohibited. (G) Threats or
acts of bodily harm are prohibited. (H) Blocking
or obstructing corridors, breezeways or stairways
is prohibited.
Alcohol and Drugs: Students 21
years of age and over are
permitted to possess and consume alcoholic beverages
in
accordance with State and College policies and regulations.
Fitchburg State College policy permits students
21 years of
age and over to consume alcoholic beverages only
within the
confines of their own residence hall room or residence
hall
rooms in which invited guests of students 21 years
of age or
older are present. Common containers (ie. Kegs,
party balls,
punch bowls, or other large containers) are not permitted
within the residence halls. The possession or consumption
of
alcoholic beverages in public areas is not permitted.
Residents
who choose to consume alcoholic beverages are responsible
for their actions and should their behavior detract
from the living environment they will be held accountable
through the discipline process. The College prohibits
the illegal or abusive use of drugs. Please reference
The Student Handbook and the College Housing Handbook
concerning use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
Quiet Hours Policy: Students
shall observe and respect the
rights of other students occupying College housing.
Students
will avoid excessive noise levels and will observe
quiet hours
for study established in each residence hall.
Visitation: The College permits
visitation of guests in a student’s residence
hall room at certain times and under certain conditions
as specified in the College Housing Handbook. Residents
are responsible for the behavior of their guest.
Overnight stays are limited to two (2) overnight
stays within a ten (10) day period.
Other: The living and studying
conditions at an educational
institution are unique and must be adjusted from
time to time
for the mutual benefit of the College and all of
its other students. Therefore, Housing and Residential Services may make
changes in official administrative policies as deemed
necessary
in the interest of health, safety, discipline of
students or College employees, or for educational
purposes, and the student shall abide by such changes
in policies. Campus policies and regulations are
published in The Student Handbook, the College Housing
Handbook, this Agreement Booklet and other documents
which address particular operations of the College.
Solicitation No solicitation is allowed in college housing.
No student may operate a business or other commercial
enterprise from his or her residence hall room or any
other part of the campus without expressed written consent
of the College.
Damage Charges Students are responsible for loss or damage to
furnishings or equipment in the residence hall room to which
they are assigned. When damage occurs to any part of the
public area of your community (hallway, lounges, bathrooms,
etc.), all residents of the living community will be notified
and held responsible for cost of the repair. Students will
be billed for the replacement or repair of any College property
they damage or lose. For more information on the community
assessment process, refer to the College Housing Handbook.
At the time a student occupies a room, a Room Inventory
& Checkout Form must be completed. This form establishes
student responsibility for the room condition, furnishings
and room key/One Card. It includes a check-in inspection section
which must be checked and signed by both the occupant and
a staff member upon moving into the room and when vacating
and checking out. Any damages, beyond normal wear and tear,
upon check-out will be charged to the student. Students
vacating rooms are expected to vacate rooms and remove all
trash and personal belongings from rooms and be officially
checked out by the Building Director or Resident Assistant.
Keys/One Card Students are issued keys/One Card at the time of occupancy
at no charge. If the keys/One Card is lost, the students will be charged
to replace the core and cut the new keys/One Card. When a room is vacated,
it is the responsibility of each student to turn in the
keys to the Building Director or Resident Assistant and
see that the check-out form is reviewed. If the room keys is
not returned by the resident, it is considered an
improper check-out and the lock will be automatically re-combinated
at the student’s expense. It is the responsibility
of all residents to keep their keys/One Card with them at all times.
It is not the responsibility of the residence hall staff
to unlock doors.
Right of Entry/Search and Seizure Policy The College reserves the right to enter the student’s
room in the following instances: (A) when there is sufficient
reason to believe that an occupant of the room may be physically
harmed or endangered; college property is being endangered;
college policy is being violated; (B) to make periodic health,
safety, and maintenance inspections; or (C) to make routine
physical repairs
to College property. If there is some specific reason to
suspect that a criminal offense has taken place or that
evidence of that offense may be secured in that room, the
warrant requirement shall be followed. If in the course
of entry as described above, illegal materials are found
in plain view they will be removed and the student will
be notified of the confiscation and face
possible disciplinary action.
Liability Residents are responsible for their belongings.
The College does not assume responsibility for loss of,
or damage to, personal articles through fire, water, theft
or any other cause. Additionally, the College is not responsible
for personal property left by students during vacation periods;
after the date of their withdrawal, transfer, departure,
suspension or dismissal from any
room in a College residence hall. The College suggests that
students insure their personal property.
Utilities The residence hall fee charged under this agreement
includes the following utilities: electric, sewer, water,
gas, local telephone service, basic cable TV and data access
to the College computer network. Residents shall use utilities
in a conservative, economic, and efficient manner. Failure
of utility services will not render the College liable for
inconvenience to residents or damage to
property, nor abatement of agreement residence hall charges
owed, nor relieve residents of obligation under this contract.
Utility services may be reduced or cut off during prolonged
vacation periods in the interest of energy conservation
or maintenance and safety.
Occupancy Agreement Termination
Occupancy Agreement Termination by the College Upon reasonable notice and for good cause,
the College reserves
the right to terminate this agreement at any time. Examples
of good cause include, but are not limited to: 1) failure
to make payment of required charges by announced deadlines;
2) a change in student status, including academic or
disciplinary sanctions; 3) failure to attend classes;
4) failure to remain a degree seeking student; 5) failure
to comply with state or federal laws, residence hall
policies and regulations, or rules and regulations as
described in the Student Handbook, College Housing Handbook,
this agreement and/or terms, or any other published rules
and regulations of the college; 6) failure to admit
an officer or agent of the college for reasonable inspection
of the room for health, safety, sanitation standards;
7) failure to comply with the direction or order issued
by any officer of the college; 8) possession, sale or
use of drugs; 9) tampering with life safety equipment
or otherwise endangering the safety and/or security
of other residents; 10) failure to occupy the assigned
space before the established deadlines for each semester.
Should this agreement be terminated, the student will
be required
to vacate the residence hall within 48 hours unless
special permission, in writing, has been obtained from
the Director of Housing and Residential Services or a designee of the department.
In the event the student does not vacate within the
allowed time period, the room lock will be re-combinated
at the student’s expense, and any property of
the student remaining in the residence hall room or
building may be treated as abandoned property or stored
and held under limited access. All charges for removal,
disposal and storage will be assessed to the student.
Termination for any of the above conditions will result
in the student being liable for all charges assessed
during the term of this agreement and will not receive
any refund for current semester room and board fees,
forfeiture of their reservation/security deposit, being
financially responsible for any room damages and unreturned
keys, and be required to properly check-out with a residence
hall staff member.
Occupancy Agreement Termination by the Student The student may terminate this contract by
giving written notification to Housing and Residential Services under certain circumstances (refer to section
XV). If the student has occupied the assigned space,
he/she must follow proper check-out procedures as published
in the College Housing Handbook. Occupancy is defined
by issuance of the keys/One Card to the student for a specified
room and does not require actual physical presence by
the student and/or his/her possessions. Failure to check-out
properly will result in a $25 charge for resulting administrative
costs. Additional costs may be assessed for a lock recombination.
The student must contact Housing and Residential Services
directly to terminate his/her agreement.
Occupancy Agreement Releases and Cancellation
Occupancy Agreement Releases A student may request, in writing, a release
from this agreement under the following conditions with
no penalty if granted:
• Graduation • Student Teaching outside of Worcester County • Co-op/Internship outside of Worcester County
A student may request, in writing, a release from this
agreement under the following conditions, but will forfeit
their deposit if granted:
• Withdrawal from college
• Transferring to another school
Buy-Out of Occupancy Agreement A student wanting to be released from his/her
agreement for any other reason must participate in the
Buy-Out option by paying 35% of room charges for the subsequent
semester. A student cannot participate in the Buy-Out
option for the current semester. All Buy-Outs must be
filed by the published deadline. Students who participate
in the Buy-Out are not eligible for a refund of their
deposit.
Returning Student Cancellation Policy Current residents who complete an occupancy agreement, thereby reserving a space for the 2008 - 2009
academic year, may request, in writing, to cancel this
agreement by:
April 15 - to receive a refund of the reservation and/or security
deposit.
April 16 - June 30 will result in forfeiture of the deposit and being assessed a $50 cancellation charge.
July 1–July 31 will result in forfeiture of the deposit and being assessed a $150 cancellation charge.
August 1–Opening Day will result in forfeiture of the deposit and being assessed a $250 cancellation charge.
All cancellation dates will be established by postmark
or fax date
on the written request.
Incoming Student Cancellation Policy Upon receiving a signed agreement and deposit,
this agreement will be accepted by Housing and Residential Services
for assignment. A student may request, in writing, to
cancel this agreement by August 10, 2008 with no penalty.
Students who cancel their agreement after this date and
before opening will be assessed a $150 cancellation charge
and will forfeit their deposit.
Cancellation After Occupancy is Scheduled to
Begin - "No Shows" Cancellation after occupancy
is scheduled to begin, defined as opening day of the residence
halls on the academic calendar, will result in the student
being held financially responsible for their room charges
for the semester as long as they are enrolled at Fitchburg
State College.
Addenda Housing rules and regulations appearing in the
most recent Student Handbook, College Housing Handbook or
revisions thereto as may be periodically instituted by Housing and Residential Services, are made a part of this agreement.
