UNDERGRADUATE HOUSING FOR 2008-09

CHANGES AND NEW POLICIES FOR 2008-09

A number of changes and new policies have been incorporated into the assignment process for 2008-09. Please read the following information carefully and thoroughly. If you have any questions, please contact Undergraduate Housing at (847) 491-7564 or at housing@northwestern.edu.

Room Selection Is Now Online
Students will be selecting their rooms for the 2008-09 school year online.  It will be possible to search for available rooms. Any available room will be displayed for room selection.  Rooms not visible are either assigned or held for entering students.

There will be three primary assignment rounds:

• The Kemper suites of single-occupancy rooms will be assigned in the first round.  These are the singles in the suites with kitchens.  In this round, men may pull in women, and vice-versa.  This is the only time this is possible, and only for the suites of singles in Kemper.

• The Foster-Walker Complex singles.  Up to four people (including the controlling priority number) may go in on one priority number, and all members of the group must be of the same gender.

• All available double-occupancy and single-occupancy rooms in the residence halls.  During this round, only those with valid roommates may select a double room.  One person may not select a double room and have it filled by a random person.

Assignment Order
Students will be broken down into assignment groups based upon priority number and allocated a specific login time.  All numbers within an assignment group will be granted access simultaneously to the self-assignment room selection process.

For example, if Assignment Group #1 contains priority numbers 1 through 25, anyone with a priority number 1 through 25 will be able to select their rooms at the same time.  Therefore, it is possible for a person with priority number 25 to self assign into a more desirable room than a person with priority number 1.

Assignments will progress in assignment group order until all available rooms have been assigned. Roommating groups controlled by rising senior priority numbers will be assigned first, then those groups controlled by rising junior priority numbers, and finally those roommating groups controlled by rising sophomore priority numbers.

Students without priority numbers who have not been pulled in to a room assignment as a roommate/suitemate will still have the opportunity to assign themselves to any remaining rooms/spaces after the assignment period for those with priority numbers.

Controlling priority numbers wishing to pull in roommates/suitemates will need the NetIDs and roommating passwords (not University NetID passwords!) for those individuals to be pulled in.  Passwords may be created by signing into the Student Web Self-Assignment beginning Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at 9:00am.  Those with controlling priority numbers must have these passwords in order to pull anyone into his/her roommate/suitemate group.

Building Updates

584 Lincoln

For 2008-09, the residence at 584 Lincoln will be designated as an upperclass-only hall.  No freshmen will be assigned to this unit.  All assignable rooms will be single-occupancy rooms.  584 Lincoln will remain coed by floor.  In addition, the meal plan requirement for residents at 584 Lincoln will be reduced to the 8 meal/week option.

Foster House

For 2008-09, the residence at Foster House will be designated as an all-class hall.  Freshmen and upperclassmen will be assigned to this unit.  All assignable rooms will be single-occupancy rooms.  Foster House will remain an all-male residence hall. 

Goodrich House

For 2008-09, Goodrich House will be designated as an upperclass-only coed residence.  No freshmen will be assigned to this unit.  All assignable rooms will be single-occupancy rooms.  Both men and women will be assigned to Goodrich House, and the building will be coed by floor.

Foster-Walker Complex

For 2008-09, all single-occupancy rooms, with the exception of those contained within the Interfaith Living-Learning Unit, will be designated for upperclassmen.

The rooms in Foster-Walker formerly designated as triples will be classified as double-occupancy rooms for the 2008-09.  This set up consists of a two-room suite (one large room and one smaller room) and a bathroom contained within the suite.  There are four double rooms in Foster-Walker, and these rooms will be available during the third primary assignment round.

Interfaith Living-Learning Unit

The first floor of House 6 in the Foster-Walker Complex will again be designated as the Interfaith Living-Learning Unit. Assignment to this wing will be based upon an additional application procedure. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Tim Stevens, University Chaplain, at tstevens@northwestern.edu.

Kemper Hall

Kemper Suites of Single-Occupancy Rooms

The number of people that may be pulled into a suite of single-occupancy rooms in Kemper Hall remains unchanged from last year. The controlling priority number may pull in no more than two other people into adjacent singles in a Kemper suite, for a total of three students on one priority number (controlling priority number plus two other students). This will allow more groups of students the opportunity to live in Kemper Hall.

Men may pull women into adjacent singles, and women may pull men into adjacent singles. It is possible; therefore, that each of the suites of single-occupancy rooms in Kemper Hall may be coed. There is no way to predict the gender distribution within each suite, and the likelihood that men and women will be living in the same suite is very high. Please take this into consideration when applying for singles in Kemper Hall. Even if your suite starts out entirely one gender, it may become coed at any point during the academic year.

Assignment to the suites of single-occupancy rooms will be based upon priority number and not by gender. It is possible that all controlling priority numbers for the suites of single-occupancy rooms could be either all male or all female.

More explicit instructions about this assignment process will be available shortly.  Please check back on the Undergraduate Housing website (http://www.northwestern.edu/housing/application_procedure.html) prior to the beginning of the assignment rounds for more details and information.

Kemper Suites of Double-Occupancy Rooms

The assignment process for the suites of double-occupancy rooms remains unchanged. The occupants of a double-occupancy suite must be either all male or all female, and the controlling priority number may only pull a roommate into a suite.

Kemper Suites of Large Single-Occupancy Rooms (Meal Plan Required)

Two of the double-occupancy suites will remain converted into suites of single-occupancy rooms, with each suite now being comprised of four single rooms. This reduces the number of students assigned to these suites from eight to four. The gender of these two single-occupancy suites will remain single-gender. Assignment to these suites will be based upon gender, with one female and one male suite.

The controlling priority number may not pull in anyone else into the suite. In this instance, one person is applying for one room in a suite of four singles in Kemper.

Unlike those assigned to the suites of single-occupancy rooms with kitchens, students assigned to singles in these converted singles are required to be on the University board plan.

Lindgren House

For 2008-09, the residence at Lindgren will be designated as an upperclass-only hall.  No freshmen will be assigned to this unit.  All assignable rooms will be single-occupancy rooms.  Lindgren will remain coed by floor.

Rogers House

            For 2008-09, Rogers House will not be an option for University Housing.  It will offline, and anticipated to return to the University housing pool for 2009-2010.

UNDERGRADUATE HOUSING

Northwestern University will be able to accommodate about 4250 unmarried undergraduate students in its residence halls during the 2008-09 school year. Approximately 2025 spaces must be reserved for entering freshmen. If you will be an undergraduate student in September 2008, you may apply for a room or suite in any of the halls listed below, in accordance with the room selection policies and procedures detailed in this document.

It is anticipated that space exists for all returning students with a sincere desire to live in University housing. While it is not possible to guarantee a specific room or hall assignment, the procedures have been designed to increase the level of student participation in the selection of his/her assigned room and decrease the level of application complexity. Northwestern reserves the right to limit the number of upperclassmen returning to any residence hall so that an equitable distribution of freshmen will be maintained among the residence halls.

If you are a member of a residential college, Interfaith Living-Learning Unit, Phi Mu Alpha (626 Emerson) or Sigma Alpha Iota (720 Emerson), a fraternity or sorority, and have already been assigned to your residential college/house/wing for the 2008-09, you are ineligible to participate in the process.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

A. Apply Online for your Randomly Generated Priority Number

Beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2008, and continuing until 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2008, any returning student wishing to live in a residence hall for the 2008-09 school year should apply for a randomly generated priority number by visiting the priority number application website. You will need your NetID and password to access this page and be asked to provide some basic information. The web site will become inactive at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2008.

Anyone having not applied for a priority number may be pulled into a roommate/suitemate group by someone with a priority number, and must go online to select a roommate password in order to be pulled in.

Those individuals without a priority number and not being pulled in by someone with a priority number will be able to self select an assignment after all those with priority numbers have chosen their rooms.

B. Obtain your Randomly Generated Priority Number

By Monday, April 14, 2008, those students having applied for a priority number will receive an email containing the priority number that has been randomly generated. You must record this number on your application card in the appropriate space. Priority numbers can and will be verified during the assignment process. Priority numbers are non-transferable.

The numbers are priority weighted according to the following scale:

Rising Seniors: Seniors are given the highest priority and receive the lowest randomly generated numbers.

Rising Juniors: Juniors are given the next highest priority and receive numbers higher than rising seniors.

Rising Sophomores: Sophomores are given the next highest priority and receive numbers higher than rising juniors.

(For example, if 2,000 returning students apply for priority numbers online (500 seniors, 500 juniors and 1,000 sophomores), the seniors would receive numbers 1 - 500, the juniors would receive numbers 501 - 1000, and the sophomores would receive numbers 1001 - 2000. The numbers are then randomized within each priority group.)

Class standing will be determined by the number of quarters a student has been registered at Northwestern University rather than number of course credits. Consideration for transfer students and HPME students will be applied prior to receiving their priority numbers.

C. How Priority Will Work

Students applying to live together as either roommates or in adjacent singles are called “roommating groups.” For purposes of assignment, a roommating group will be awarded the same priority number as that of the person with the best priority number from amongst the roommating group's members. For example, if a roommating group consisted of a rising senior and a rising sophomore, then this roommating group would be assigned according to the rising senior's priority number. In short, the best priority number belonging to any member of a roommating group is that roommating group's priority number, as well.

Hall officers and RHA Executive Officers will be awarded senior priority, regardless of class standing, to insure placement into the required residence halls. Adjustments will be made based upon lists submitted by the Office of University Residential Life.

D. No Room Reservation Deposit Required

Returning students will not be required to pay a room reservation deposit in order to apply for University housing for the 2008-09 school year.

E. “Squatter's Rights”

There are no “squatter's rights.” As well, specifically designed for medical/mobility impaired needs and blocks of freshmen rooms will not be available to roommate groups.

F. Where You Wish to Live and Your Proposed Roommates

After receiving your priority number, you will have a few days to determine your choices of residence halls, rooms and roommates. Discuss your preferences with all parties involved and make sure that everyone in your group has read over this information. Make a list of your choices of where you wish to live and with whom.

If you are applying for a double-occupancy room, you must have a roommate in order to be assigned. The same holds true when applying for a triple; you must have two other students of the same gender applying as your roommates. It is in your best interest to identify a roommate(s) in order to make the best use of your priority number. Students without roommates wishing an assignment to University housing will be accommodated after those with roommate choices are assigned, at the conclusion of the assignment process.

You will need to set a “roommate password” in order for you to be pulled in by a controlling priority number.  Those with controlling priority numbers will need the NetID and roommate password for those within the roommate/suitemate group in order to pull them in.

The following list details which residence halls can accommodate which size roommating groups:

Four-person Accommodations

• Foster-Walker Complex (4 singles of the same gender)

Three-person Accommodations

• Allison Hall triples (2 male triples, 1 female triple)
• Bobb Hall Connection triple (male)
• Foster-Walker Complex (3 singles of the same gender)
• Kemper Hall (3 singles, may be mixed gender)
• McCulloch Hall Connection triple (female)

Two-person Accommodations

• Allison Hall
• Bobb Hall
• Foster-Walker Complex (2 singles of the same gender, or double with private bath)
• Kemper Hall (2 singles or 1 double)
• McCulloch Hall
• North Mid-Quads
• Sargent Hall
• South Mid-Quads
• 1835 Hinman (double)

One-person Accommodations

• Foster House
• Foster-Walker Complex
• Goodrich House
• Lindgren House
• Kemper Hall singles (if available)
• North Mid-Quads
• Sargent Hall (1 male, 1 female)
• South Mid-Quads
• 1835 Hinman

ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURE

A. The student web self assignment process will be held online beginning on Thursday, April 24, 2008, at 9:00am.

The following times are good for the second assignment round (Foster-Walker singles) beginning on Monday, April 28, 2008.  This assignment round will continue on Friday, April 25, 2008.  When all the singles in Foster-Walker have been assigned, this session will be concluded.  A message notifying users that there are no more rooms available in this assignment round will greet those attempting to sign on until the beginning of the next assignment round.

The following times are good for the third assignment round (all double-occupancy rooms and available singles) beginning on Wednesday, April 30, 2008.  This assignment round will continue on Friday, May 2, 2008.  When all the rooms have been assigned, this session will be concluded.  A message notifying users that there are no more rooms available in this assignment round will greet those attempting to sign on.

NOTE: Please check this site regularly, as times may be adjusted daily.

B. Room Selection

Students will be selecting their rooms for the 2008-09 school year online.  It will be possible to search for available rooms. Any available room will be displayed for room selection.  Rooms not visible are either assigned or held for entering students.

There will be three primary assignment rounds:

1)  The Kemper suites of single-occupancy rooms will be assigned in the first round.  These are the singles in the suites with kitchens.  In this round, men may pull in women, and vice-versa.  This is the only time this is possible, and only for the suites of singles in Kemper.

2)  The Foster-Walker Complex singles.  Up to four people (including the controlling priority number) may go in on one priority number, and all members of the group must be of the same gender.

3)  All available double-occupancy and single-occupancy rooms in the residence halls.

During this round, only those with valid roommates may select a double room.  One person may not select a double room and have it filled by a random person.

C.  Assignment Order

Students will be broken down into assignment groups based upon priority number and allocated a specific login time.  All numbers within an assignment group will be granted access simultaneously to the self-assignment room selection process.

For example, if Assignment Group #1 contains priority numbers 1 through 25, anyone with a priority number 1 through 25 will be able to select their rooms at the same time.  Therefore, it is possible for a person with priority number 25 to self assign into a more desirable room than a person with priority number 1.

Assignments will progress in assignment group order until all available rooms have been assigned. Roommating groups controlled by rising senior priority numbers will be assigned first, then those groups controlled by rising junior priority numbers, and finally those roommating groups controlled by rising sophomore priority numbers.

Students without priority numbers who have not been pulled in to a room assignment as a roommate/suitemate will still have the opportunity to assign themselves to any remaining rooms/spaces after the assignment period for those with priority numbers.

Controlling priority numbers wishing to pull in roommates/suitemates will need the NetIDs and roommating passwords (not University NetID passwords!) for those individuals to be pulled in.  Passwords may be created by signing into the Student Web Self-Assignment beginning Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at 9:00am.  Those with controlling priority numbers must have these passwords in order to pull anyone into his/her roommate/suitemate group.

D. Choose Your Assignment

On the appropriate day and time, assignment groups will be permitted to access the Student Web Self Assignment website. The controlling priority number will be making the room selection and booking all rooms for the members of the roommate/suitemate group. 

To book your room online, you will:

1. Search for the room you want.
2. Lock the room you want.
3. Select the bedspace you want.
4. Select the roommate(s) you want.
5. Arrange bedspace for the selected roommate(s).
6. Confirm your decision.
7. Get receipt.

Residence and board contracts will be available about a week after completing the self-assignment.  You will receive an email notification to go online and sign your residence and board contract, and you will need your NetID and password (not roommate password) to access the Contract Website.

E. Assignments to the Waiting List are Made When All Available Space Has Been Filled

When all space available for upperclassmen throughout University housing has been filled, those without an assignment still interested in University housing for the 2008-09 school year should contact the Undergraduate Housing Office via email at housing@northwestern.edu.  The priority order will then be reversed, which will determine a person's waiting list position (i.e.: rising sophomores now have the highest priority for assignment from the waiting list).

F. Cancellation of Assignment

Cancellation: If You Were The Controlling Number:

If you are the controlling priority number responsible for a roommating group's assignment, canceling your assignment will result in the following:

Prior to Contract Signing: Your assignment, and all those in your roommating group, will be cancelled. The other members of your roommating group will be placed at the bottom of the waiting list.

Once You Have Signed Your Residence and Board Contract: You will be held financially responsible for the room portion of your residence contract for the entire academic year, regardless of whether or not a person can be found to take your space in University housing. There is no option for someone to take your space in order to release you from the contract.

Cancellation: If You Were Not The Controlling Number:

If you are not the controlling priority number, you may cancel your assignment at any time prior to signing your residence and board contract without penalty. Once you have signed your contract, canceling your assignment will result in the following:

Prior to July 1, 2008: You may cancel your assignment without penalty.

Between July 1 and August 31, 2008: You will be assessed a $500 cancellation fee. This fee will apply to all students, regardless of the amount of financial aid received.

Cancellation and Waiting Lists

If you receive an assignment from the University Housing Waiting List, meaning that you have not previously been offered any assignment for the 2008-09 academic year or signed a residence and board contract for 2008-09, you may cancel your assignment up to two weeks after your assignment from the University Housing Waiting List. After the two weeks have elapsed, you will be assessed a $500 cancellation fee, regardless of the amount of financial aid received.

If you are offered a reassignment or room change from the Room Reassignment List, meaning that you had an existing residence and board contract for the 2008-09 academic year and are now signing a new contract for a different room within University Housing, this new contract is considered to have been signed on the date you signed your original residence and board contract for your original assignment.  Cancellation of this new assignment is the same as canceling your original assignment, and will result in assessment of the $500 cancellation fee.

On or After September 1, 2008:  You will be held responsible for the Fall quarter room charge for your residence hall.  This fee will apply to all students, regardless of the amount of financial aid received.

If you receive an assignment from the University Housing Waiting List, meaning that you have not previously been offered any assignment for the 2008-09 academic year or signed a residence and board contract for 2008-09, you may cancel your assignment up to two weeks after your assignment from the University Housing Waiting List. After the two weeks have elapsed, you will be held responsible for the Fall quarter room charge for your residence hall, regardless of the amount of financial aid received.

If you are offered a reassignment or room change from the Room Reassignment List, meaning that you had an existing residence and board contract for the 2008-09 academic year and are now signing a new contract for a different room within University Housing, this new contract is considered to have been signed on the date you signed your original residence and board contract for your original assignment.  Cancellation of this new assignment is the same as canceling your original assignment, and you will be held responsible for the Fall quarter room charge for your residence hall.

If you fail to report to your contracted room at the beginning of the Fall quarter, this constitutes a cancellation after September 1, and you will be held responsible for the Fall quarter room charge for your residence hall.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS IF YOU ARE NOT ON CAMPUS

As the room selection process is a totally online process, anyone with internet access may complete the self assignment process.

If you are without internet access, or cannot complete the process for any reason, you should contact the Undergraduate Housing Office (housing@northwestern.edu).  Due to the delicate nature of NetID passwords, it is not recommended that you share your NetID password with anyone.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

The following information is considered by Northwestern University to be public information: (a) student's name, (b) school, (c) class, (d) campus address, (e) campus telephone number (f) home address, (g) home telephone number, and (h) e-mail address.

DISCLAIMER

The information contained in this document is tentative; Northwestern University reserves the right to make changes to its content at any time.