Funding

Each quarter every student is assessed fees on their housing bill called "social dues" and "maint. fees." The social dues and maintenance fees are determined by the hall government's constitution. If your hall government would like to change the amounts of your social dues and/or maintenance fees, please refer to the procedures for changing social and/or maintenance dues.

The minimum amount a hall government is able to charge students in their hall for maintenance fees is $9. Of the $9, $2 is placed into the maintenance account, $2 is placed into the damage account and $5 is used to pay for the readership program. The readership program provides newspapers (Chicago Tribune, New York Times, etc.) in the dining halls for all residential students.

After calculations are made to determine how much money should be allocated to the proper accounts, 10% is held by the Accounting Department until they can ensure the exact amount actually collected each quarter. The adjusted 10% is then deposited in the social account the following quarter.

RHA/RCB dues

All hall governments pay dues to either the Residence Hall Association (for students living in residence halls) or the Residential College Board (for students living in residential colleges). Dues are collected every quarter at the rate of $5.00 per student per quarter. In addition to quarterly dues, if hall governments do not send a representative to their governing body's weekly meetings, the governing boards may assess fines at their discretion.

Maintenance accounts

The maintenance and damage accounts are managed by University Residential Life (Assistant Director for Community and Leadership Development and the Department Assistant).

The maintenance account is used to pay for improvements, additions, and services that are available to all building residents, such as:

  • microwaves
  • kitchen appliances and equipment
  • TVs
  • furniture
  • extra recycling bins
  • magazine subscriptions which would be available to all residents
  • pool tables
  • printers and cartridges

If you are interested in major purchases such as gaming tables, furniture, new carpeting, or painting, you must contact your area coordinator (AC) regarding your ideas. The AC will help you connect to the appropriate individuals within University Housing Operations to gain approval, estimates, and/or assistance. After the AC, University Housing representative, the hall government and Master staff (only applicable to residential colleges) have all approved of the purchase(s), submit all invoice(s), contract(s), and receipt(s) to Joei Allen in Scott Hall.

Services

Services are ordered through the University Residential Life Office. This may include:

  • bolting down microwaves and TVs
  • equipment repairs
  • Facilities Management labor
  • piano tuning
  • summer storage

To process such requests for services, email Joei Allen with your service request.

Summer Storage

Each year the hall governments are contacted to store their common area equipment (e.g., TVs, pool tables, ping pong tables) in summer storage. This is to protect the equipment from possible damage by people attending summer conferences.

Mid-May each hall government president is contacted with instructions on how to request summer storage. University Residential Life (URL) strongly recommends that hall governments use summer storage. The items are stored in a secure location through the summer months and are returned to the lounges before the students return to campus.

Damage Accounts

The damage accounts are used to pay hall damages that are not attributed to individuals. Each quarter, presidents and treasurers receive a bill for the damages from the previous quarter. These bills include unaccounted for student-initiated damages, not normal wear-and-tear. Officers will have a specified time period to review the charges and, when possible, ask the responsible individuals to come forward and be held financially responsible for the damage.

Any questionable charges may be appealed by e-mailing URL. Appeals are submitted to University Housing Operations, and that office approves or denies the appeals. Appeals that are approved will be removed from the hall government's bill; appeals that are denied will be deducted from the hall government's damage account.

Public Area Condition Inventory (PACI)

PACI forms are completed by a hall government officer and a community assistant (CA) for the building. The PACI form provides an inventory of all common area furniture provided in the building at the beginning of the academic year. It is important for hall governments to complete the form and return it to their CA as a way to record the condition of furniture at the beginning of the year. PACI forms can be used to appeal damages, if necessary.

Social Accounts

The social account is primarily used for community development programs, events, munchies, firesides, and formals. Unlike damage and maintenance accounts, treasurers and presidents work directly with the Student Organization Finance Office to process transactions.