Residential Life
Most of our students live in residence halls. A student Community Advisor (CA) lives on each floor in our traditional halls so that your son or daughter has easy access to advice and assistance. The residential life program is coordinated by a full-time Director who, along with the Area Coordinators (AC) and CA, is available to provide students and parents assistance as necessary. We have three AC's, one for upper campus, lower campus and our Transitional Living Area's (TLA's) which are dedicated to juniors.
Students are required to live on campus through their junior year unless they receive special permission from the Office of Residential Life. Most first-year students reside in our traditional residence halls, most of which are co-ed by floor. These halls have restrictions on visitation and prohibit the consumption of alcohol. Housing selection for sophomores and juniors is coordinated by a lottery system. Juniors usually choose to live in our Transitional Living Areas which have open visitation and permit alcohol for residents 21 years of age and older.
There is a variety of environments to meet individual needs in the residence hall system. If your son or daughter has a significant need for special housing arrangements, please contact the Director of Residential Life (x2686). We have been able to successfully accommodate students who needed air conditioning, bathtubs, handicap-accessible rooms or special diets. If we cannot accommodate your needs, we will issue an off-campus release for your son or daughter to obtain housing in the surrounding community.
The residential environment is governed by a variety of rules and regulations. Behavioral standards, regulations concerning appliances allowed in the residence halls, security procedures, how to build a loft, housekeeping, guest policies and storage opportunities are just a few of the items covered in detail in the Residential Life handbook, Inside Our Halls and Houses. If you have questions about anything in the residence halls, please discuss it with your son or daughter, using Inside Our Halls and Houses as a reference, and then call the Residential Life Office (x2686) if you need more information.
If your son or daughter has a roommate conflict, first suggest the assistance of the CA, who has been trained to work with roommates to resolve conflict. If resolution cannot be reached, the AC is available for further mediation and assistance. In some cases-if an open bed is available-students may be allowed to move. Many students wait for open room-change periods, during which only AC permission is required to move. These are scheduled for a two-week period after the first week of the term.
One of the most common calls to the Office of Residential Life concerns maintenance issues. If your student is unsure about whom to call regarding a problem, please refer him/her to the CA, AC, hall service desk, or in emergency situations to Security (x7711). Service is prioritized, but any undue delays should be reported to the AC. Heating and cooling of our large buildings can be problematic, especially during spring and fall, when temperatures can fluctuate dramatically. Students equipped with fans and electric blankets are best prepared to accomodate weather changes. During cold weather, room tempera-ture dropping below 55 degrees is considered an emergency and immediate assistance will be summoned.
Damage Assessments
When students leave campus housing, their rooms are inspected for damages and cleanliness. This can be done before or after the student departs. While much quicker, the latter case--referred to as the "Express Check-Out option"-restricts the opportunity for billing appeals. The traditional check-out process, where damages are assessed by the Community Adviser in the presence of the resident and parents, can be immediately challenged with the AC, but requires that the resident schedule an appointment in advance and remove all possessions from their room.
During the course of the school year, vandalism and other unassignable damages can occur. Residential staff members make concerted efforts to find the perpetrators; when damage is excessive the Rock Island Police Department is summoned for additional assistance. When these efforts aren't successful, residents are notified on a monthly basis of charges to their floor, which are later divided among them when they check out. This portion of the charge, combined with any individual room damage found in the room at check-out, will appear on your June billing statement from the college.
This practice is commonly used by most housing programs across the nation, and often-especially when parents receive the bill-are effective in ultimately identifying the perpetrators. In these cases, billing statements are amended to reflect the charge reduction.
Parking
Parking decals are available by mail over the summer for proximity and remote lots; however, many first-year students will be placed on waiting lists due to the number of students who bring cars to campus. If you have questions, contact Facilities Services at x7160.
Commuter Students
Just under 10% of our students commute from home. Parking decals are available to commuter students by mail during the summer. Many commuter students eat lunch at the snack bar located in the College Center, although partial meal plans are available from the cafeteria. The Director of Dining Services (x7250) can answer questions about meal options. For further information contact the Dean of Students (x7533).
Since commuter students do not have the convenience of meeting students in the residence halls and having a room on campus, it is particularly important that commuters initiate involvement in campus activities. Joining organizations, attending evening and weekend events and inviting students to lunch and dinner are important to becoming part of the Augustana community. For more information, contact the Dean of Students.
