2015-2016 Housing Room Selection GuideHousing & Dining Programs

Table of Contents

1

Note from our Assistant Director; Introduction to Selection Process.............

Rising Sophomore Housing...........................................................................

Rising Upperclass Housing...........................................................................

Living Learning Community and Special Housing Communities...................

Room Selection Process & Policies..............................................................

Housing Application Step-by-Step Guide...................................................

“Pending Assignments” Status.....................................................................

Examples: Room Selection Scenarios...................................................

Housing Rates for the 2015-2016 Academic Year.......................................

Meal Plan Rates for the 2015-2016 Academic Year.....................................

Important Dates and Timeline......................................................................

2

3

4

5

6

7-9

10

11-12

13

14

15

Residence Hall

Rising Sophomores

Rising Juniors & Seniors Room Types

Anderson

Cassell

Centennial

Hughes

McDowell

Nebraska

Roper

Berkshire Apts.

Single Traditional Rooms

Suite Style

Semi-Suite Style

Traditional Rooms

Traditional Rooms

Apartment Style

Traditional Rooms

Housing Options Available to Returning Students

Studio, Small & Large One-Bedroom Apts.

Note from our Assistant Director:

There are three steps to the 2015-2016 Room Selection Process:STEP 1: Online Housing Application. Complete the online housing application and Housing License Agreement at american.edu/roomselection by Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET– No exceptions.STEP 2: Group Declaration. Students must declare their roommate groups by February 20, 2015 at 5:00pm ET, no exceptions. This is required for everyone, including individual students (group of 1) and groups of 2 or more.STEP 3: Room Selection. Select a space during the online room selection process between February 25 and March 5, 2015.

Important Dates and Timeline listed on page 15.

Room Selection Overview and Timeline

Happy New Year! We are excited that you are interested in on-campus housing for the 2015-2016 academic year.

I want to share a few tips with you:

2

• Apply early! Deadline to apply is January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET• Start talking to friends now to determine your roommate/group pairings. • Due to the high demand for on campus housing, we are not able to accommodate all students into their first choice residence halls and room types. Prepare for the selection process with alternate hall preferences.• Students who are considering studying abroad in the fall should still participate in this process.• Finally, it is important to remember that upon selecting a space you are committing to campus housing for a full academic year. Review the Housing License Agreement so that you are knowledgeable about the policies and the housing cancellation fees.

We are excited to welcome you back to live with us next year!

Sincerely,Sasha GamburgAssistant Director for Assignments and Dining Programsroomselection@american.edu

Rising Sophomore HousingA rising sophomore is defined as a student who has lived on campus for three or fewer semesters, including Spring 2015.* Housing is guaranteed for rising sophomores who complete all three stages of this Room Selection Process.**

Centennial HallA suite-style living environment with double and single occupancy rooms joined by a semi-private bath. This will be an exclusively sophomore residence hall for the 2015-2016 academic year. Centennial Hall houses approximately 400 students.

Hughes HallA traditional residence hall with corridor-style rooms and shared floor bathrooms. There will be a limited number of spaces available in this hall.

McDowell HallA traditional residence hall with corridor-style rooms and shared floor bathrooms. This option is available to rising sophomores. The hall also features Residential Community Clusters in suite-style living with semi-private bath (McDowell suites are reserved for Residential Community Cluster applicants only; see page 5 for more details). McDowell Hall provides accomodation for approximately 370 students.

Roper Hall A traditional residence hall with corridor-style rooms and shared floor bathrooms. This option is available to rising sophomore, junior and senior students participating in the Social Justice Living Learning Community. See page 5 for further details on this community. There are approximately 30 spaces available for returning students in Roper Hall.

**Note for transfer students: First year transfer students with junior or senior academic standing should contact roomselection@american.edu prior to January 30, 2015.

Housing Options Cassell HallA suite-style living environment with two or three double occupancy bedrooms and suitemates share a bathroom and a living area. Specific floors will be designated for rising sophomore students. Cassell Hall houses approximately 350 students.

3

*This includes current Washington Mentorship Program, International Gateway Program, and transfer students.

Rising Upperclass HousingA rising Upperclassmen student (junior/senior) is defined as a student who has lived on campus for four to seven semesters, including Spring 2015. A semester abroad is considered one semester of on-campus housing. Residence hall space will be available to a maximum of 400 rising juniors and seniors via the Room Selection Process.* Once those spaces are selected, any remaining juniors and seniors may request to be placed on a waitlist.

Anderson HallA traditional hall with shared floor bathrooms. There will be 18 single occupancy rooms available for rising upperclass studdents.

Hughes HallA traditional residence hall with corridor-style rooms and shared floor bathrooms. There will be a limited number of spaces available in this hall.

Cassell HallA suite-style living environment with two or three double occupancy bedrooms and suitemates share a bathroom and a living area. Specific floors will be designated for rising sophomore students. Cassell Hall houses approximately 350 students.

Nebraska Hall Apartments Nebraska features two, three and four-person apartments, with single occupancy bedrooms. The most common housing option in Nebraska Hall is a four-person apartment. Students will select from approximately 250 available spaces in this hall.

Housing Options

Roper Hall A traditional residence hall with corridor-style rooms and shared floor bathrooms. This option is available to rising sophomore, junior and senior students participating in the Social Justice Living Learning Community. See page 5 for further details on this community. There are approximately 30 spaces available for returning students in Roper Hall.

4

*Note for transfer students: First year transfer students with junior or senior academic standing should contact roomselection@american.edu prior to January 30, 2015.

Hughes Hall

Berkshire ApartmentsStudio and one-bedroom, small and medium/large sized, apartments are available in university-leased spaces at the Berkshire Apartments. All apartments are two person occupancy (no single occupancy). Rising juniors and seniors may select from approximately 60 spaces in the Berkshire Apartments. Please note: Basic furniture, cable and internet will be provided.

The Social Justice LLC is designed for students interested in better understanding and practicing social justice. Students will engage in a wide variety of topics from civil rights, women’s rights, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender rights, and other social justice movements. The community is open to both new and returning students of all majors. To participate, complete the housing application indicating the LLC option*. Students applying for this program will select a room during the LLC room selection day on Wednesday, February 25, 2015.

American University offers a number of special living environments known as Living Learning Communities (LLC) where students live together and explore a common interest or academic pursuit.

The Residential Community Cluster (RCC) is a living and learning environment, located in the McDowell Hall suites, created and implemented by students based on a shared theme, purpose or partnership. They are completely student driven and the community can take a number of different forms based on community goals and interests. Students interested in participating in a Residential Community Cluster must complete a separate application by Friday, February 6, 2015 at 5pm ET in addition to the housing application due on Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET. A link to the application will be available at www.american.edu/housing. Once accepted into the RCC, students will be assigned by Housing & Dining Programs to their new room, no further action by the students is necessary.

5

Second-year students in the Honors Program, Community Based Research Scholars (CBRS) or the American University Scholars Program (AU Scholars) are invited to participate in a second year community, located in Hughes Hall. Interested students should sign up or apply with the Honors, CBRS or AU Scholars office respectively by January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET.* Students should also complete the online housing application. Students will then select a room during the LLC room selection day on Wednesday, February 25th, 2015.

*Students who select the Social Justice LLC on their housing application or who apply for the second year Honors, CBRS or AU scholars program, will only be able to select housing in their respective LLC during room selection.

Living Learning and Special Housing Communities

Please contact roomselection@american.edu with any questions.

Room Selection Process & PoliciesAssociated Deadlines

Requests for room/assignment changes will be reviewed after the first two weeks of classes in September 2015.

Students who complete the room selection process are bound by the schedule of cancellation fees found in the Housing License Agreement. Fees start at $500 and increase periodically after June 1st.

The University reserves the right to reassign and/or consolidate spaces where necessary.

Changes and Cancellations

Room Selection for 2015-2016 is limited to students currently living on-campus or in university provided off-campus housing at the Berkshire Apartments. Students who are currently studying abroad and have lived in campus housing during the semester prior to studying abroad are also eligible.

Students who have previously opted to move off campus or have more than eight semesters in residence are not eligible to participate in the Room Selection Process. These students may complete a waitlist application and will be housed on a space available basis.

Cassell, Centennial, Nebraska, and Roper halls, and McDowell Hall suites are communities where students may select a roommate(s) regardless of sex or gender. Please note that in order to select open gender housing, students must completely fill the room/suite/apartment they are selecting.

Housing Eligibility

The Online Housing Application must be completed by Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET –no exceptions.

Students who would like to request housing accommodations based on a disability should contact the Academic Support & Access Center (ASAC) for information in advance of the housing application deadline (asac@american.edu, 202-885-3360, www.american.edu/asac). All accommodation requests must be initiated through ASAC and not through Housing & Dining Programs. Students requesting accommodation are required to submit the housing application by Friday, January 30 at 5pm –no exceptions.

Students who have questions about gender identity or expression pertaining to campus housing should contact Housing & Dining Programs or the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) prior to the housing application deadline.

6

Completing the Housing ApplicationOnce logged into the AU Housing Portal, students will see the 10 sections of the 2015-2016 Room Selection Process. During Step 1: Online Housing Application, you will complete sections 1-7. During Step 2: Group Declaration, you will complete sections 8-9. During Step 3: Room Selection, you (or your group leader) will complete section 10.

Step 1: Online Housing ApplicationAll students interested in living on campus MUST complete a housing application. The application will go live Monday, January 12th. It must be completed by Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET. Students who miss this deadline will no longer be eligible to participate in the Returning Room Selection Process.

7

All students interested in selecting housing must “declare a group” between Monday, January 12 to Sunday, February 20, 2015 at 5:00pm ET.

Groups Of Two Or More:Students can create a roommate group in the AU Housing Portal. Each group must select a group leader. Group leaders will be responsible for selecting housing for ALL members of their group.

Students in a group of two or more, can “Create a new group” or “Add yourself to a group” that someone else has created. Students also have the option to “Browse Potential Roommates”. See illustration below.

Groups Of One (Individual Selecting Students):Students without a roommate, must declare a group of one and select themselves as group leader. Students should do this regardless of the room configuration they plan to choose (single or double occupancy spaces). Students establish a group of one by first selecting the “Create a new group” option. See illustration below.

Step 2: Group Declaration

8

Following group declaration, Housing & Dining Programs will email groups on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 to indicate the date and time groups will select housing. Selection dates and times will be randomly assigned, however priority is provided to groups that can completely fill a living unit.

Important Notes:

Students selecting the Social Justice Living Learning community or the students selected for the second-year Honors Program, Community Based Research Scholars (CBRS) or the American University Scholars Program (AU Scholars) will select on Wednesday, February 25, 2015. Rising Juniors & Seniors will select on Wednesday, February 25 or Tuesday, March 3, 2015.Rising Sophomores will select on Thursday, February 26 or Wednesday, March 4, 2015.

By selecting a room during Step 3, students understand that they agree to and accept the terms of the 2015-2016 Housing License Agreement.

Step 3: Room Selection

9

Students will select housing between February 25 and March 5, 2015.

Groups will be emailed a specific date and time to select housing. Housing can be selected at or after the appointed time on that date only. Upperclass (Junior and Senior) housing is limited, so missing your selection period will limit your housing options/availability.

Group leaders can pass the group leader role to another group member at any time using the “reassign group leader” tool in the AU Housing Portal.

On February 25 and February 26, 2015 only group leaders will be eligible to select housing. Group leaders will be required to select housing for all group members during this time. Additionally the group leader may only select spaces for group members within the same room or suite.

March 3 and 4, 2015 all group members can select housing for their group. If there is no longer housing that accommodates all group members, groups can decide to separate and make selections individually.

Group members will receive an automated email when anyone in their group is assigned housing.

Students currently abroad should complete all steps of the application by all deadlines. If unable to make your housing selection at designated time either: 1.) Designate a group member (if applicable) to select your room or 2.) Email roomselection@american.edu by February 23, 2015 to have a Housing & Dining Programs staff member select for you.

Pending Assignments: No spaces available during your selection period?

Due to the high demand for on-campus housing students may not be able to select a specific room during Step 3) Room Selection. Students that have successfully completed Step 1) and Step 2) but discover no spaces are available during their assigned selection date/time will have the opportunity to complete a “pending housing application” to indicate their continued interest in on-campus housing. Housing & Dining Programs will administratively assign these “pending assignment” students as space becomes available. Pending Assignment students can expect to be assigned by July 31, 2015, and are committed to the full terms of the housing license agreement.

10

Room Selection TipsStudents will be most successful with room selection when they create roommate groups that match room/suite size they wish to select.

Due to the high-demand for on-campus housing, students’ top choice building or room type may no longer be available at their selection time. Students should make contingency plans for a second and third housing choice and possible changes to their group size to obtain their optimal housing choice.

Students should plan to select a space at the start of their designated selection time to have the best chance at their top housing choice.

Room Selection Scenarios

Scenario 1: Rising SophomoreNick, Michael, David and Chris, all sophomore students, wish to live together. They declared a group by February 20th and selected Chris to be their group leader. Housing & Dining Programs emailed Chris’ group on February 24th to share that they were selected to participate in room selection on Thursday, February 26nd at 2pm. Chris could not select at 2pm on that date, so he passed group leadership responsibilities to David (through the AU housing portal). The group had discussed that their first choice was to live in Cassell hall, and their second choice was to live in Centennial hall. When David logged on at 2pm, there were no four person suites available in Cassell, he opted to select Centennial hall instead.

Scenario 2: Rising Upperclass Marisa, Courtney, Rachel, Jasmin, Liz and Alicia, all junior and senior students, wish to live together. They declared a group by February 20th and selected Courtney as their group leader. Housing & Dining Programs emailed Courtney’s group on February 24th to share that there were not randomly chosen to select a room together. They were encouraged to form smaller groups by March 2nd in order to participate in room selection on March 3rd. Marisa, Courtney, Rachel and Jasmin decided to form a new group of 4. Liz and Alicia formed a group of 2, declaring Liz their Group Leader. Courtney and Liz’s group were emailed on Monday, March 3rd with a new time and date to select for their new group. Courtney selected a four person apartment in Nebraska hall on Tuesday, March 3rd at 10:30am. Liz selected a double room in Cassell on Tuesday, March 3rd at 11:45am.

Please review the below scenarios as a guide for how to successfully navigate the room selection process. If you have any questions, please contact roomselection@american.edu or attend an information session (page 15).

11

Scenario 3: Individual StudentJoel is a junior student without a specific roommate preference. He is very interested in living in Nebraska hall. He declared a group of 1 by February 20th. Housing & Dining Programs emailed Joel on February 24th to share that he would select housing on Tuesday, March 3rd at 11am. Joel logged on at 11am and selected a bed in a partially vacant room/suite/apartment.

Scenario 4: LLCJulia and Mashaal, both sophomore students, wish to live together. They declared a group together and selected Mashaal to be the group leader. During Step 1: Online Housing Application, they decided they wishes to be part of the Social Justice LLC. Housing & Dining Programs emailed Mashaal and Julia that their selection time was February 25th at 10:30am. Mashaal logged in at 10:35am and selected a room on the Social Justice floor.

12

Scenario 5: Open GenderLindsay, Jim, Martha and Robert, all rising sophomores, all wished to live together in Cassell Hall. They knew that in order to live in a mixed gender suite they needed to be able to fill the entire suite. They declared a group by February 20th and selected Jim to be their group leader. Housing & Dining Programs emailed Jim’s group on February 24th to share that they were selected to participate in room selection on Thursday, February 26th at 3:30pm. During his time slot, Jim noticed that all the four person apartments in Cassell were filled. He told his group and they decided to select housing in Centennial Hall. Jim assigned Martha and himself into one half of the Centennial Suite and placed Robert and Lindsay into the other half.

Housing Rates for the 2015-2016 Academic Year*

Traditional Triples Traditional Doubles Centennial Suite

$3,585/semester $5,093/semester$4,804/semester

Cassell/McDowell Suites/ Nebraska Double Apt. Traditional Singles Suite/Apt. Singles

Anderson TripleClark TripleHughes TripleLeonard TripleLetts TripleMcDowell TripleRoper Triple

Anderson DoubleClark DoubleHughes DoubleLeonard DoubleLetts DoubleMcDowell DoubleRoper Double

Centennial Double

Cassell DoubleNebraska DoubleMcDowell Suite

Anderson SingleClark SingleHughes SingleLeonard SingleLetts SingleMcDowell SingleRoper Single

Cassell SingleCentennial SingleNebraska Single

$5,285/semester $6,383/semester$6,140/semester

Berkshire Apartments Rates:

13

*Final Housing Rates for the 2015-2016 Academic Year have not yet been set by the AU Board of Trustees. Students should expect a 3-5% increase from

the current 2014-2015 housing rates.

Current 2014-2015 Housing Rates:

Studio Apartment (Double Occupancy) $5,347 per person/semesterSmall 1-Bedroom Apartment (Double Occupancy) $5,940 per person/semesterMedium/Large 1-Bedroom Apartment (Double Occupancy)$6,832 per person/semester

Meal Plan Rates for the 2015-2016 Academic Year

Meal Plan Selection: Students will have an opportunity to select a meal plan following the comple-tion of STEP 3. Once a room is selected for a student, students will return to the AU Housing Portal to choose a meal plan. Students required to be enrolled in a meal plan and do not self-select a plan will be assigned the minimum required.

250 Block Plan $2,850

Block Plan Price per Plan

225 Block Plan

200 Block Plan

175 Block Plan

125 Block Plan

100 Block Plan

50 Block Plan

$2,623

$2,536

$2,287

$1,760

$1,498

$650

First and second semester residents are required to enroll in a meal plan at or above the 175 Block Plan.

Third and fourth semester residents are required to enroll in a meal plan at or above the 100 Block Plan. Fifth semester and higher residents may select any meal plan.

All Meal Plans include $200 Eagle Bucks and $200 Dining Dollars, except the 50 Block Plan, which includes $100 Dining Dollars.

Meal Plan Notes:

14

Current 2014-2015 Meal Plan Rates*

*Final Meal Plan Rates for the 2015-2016 Academic Year have not yet been released by the AU Board of Trustees. Students should expect a 3-5%

increase from the current 2014-2015 rates.

Room Selection Information Sessions:For All Students: January 20, 2015 at 6:30pm ET location: Nebraska HallFor Transfer Students only: January 22nd at 6:30pm location: The Hatch, Leonard HallFor All Students: January 28th at 6:30pm location: Letts Formal

STEP 1: Online Housing Application Opens Monday, January 12, 2015 at www.american.edu/roomselectionApplication closes Friday, January 30, 2015 at 5pm ET. No exceptions.Note: All students must complete an application in order to participate in room selection

STEP 2: Group Declaration Opens Monday, January 12th www.american.edu/roomselectionGroup declaration due Friday, February 20, 2015 at 5pm ET. No Exceptions.

STEP 3: Room SelectionTuesday, February 24th: Room Selection timeslots emailed Wednesday, February 25th: Living Learning communities select Wednesday, February 25th & Tuesday, March 3, 2015*: Rising Upperclass groups select Thursday, February 26th & Wednesday, March 4, 2015*: Rising Sophomore group select

*Students in declared groups of 1 will select on these days

Important Dates and Timeline

15

Go to www.american.edu/roomselection for all housing and room selection information or email roomselection@american.edu.