About On-campus living

Why do students live in the residence hall?
Living in a residence hall provides students with enhanced opportunities to become involved with the university, to meet and develop relationships with a greater variety of people and to participate in a living experience that is unique to university life.

For these reasons and many others our students enjoy living in the residence hall. Studies show that students who live on campus as compared to those who decide to live off campus:

• Have Higher Rates of Graduation
• Achieve Greater Academic Success
• Utilize Campus Resources more often
• Are move involved in Campus Life
• Have a Higher Satisfaction level with their Collegiate Experience
• Have a Higher level of Personal Development
• Develop Relationships with a more Diverse Group of People

Who lives in Residence Hall One?
Resident students and student staff members known as Resident Assistants, (RA’s), live in the residence hall.  The RAs are individuals who serve as leaders in their floor community and in the building, and are available to assist residents. Additionally, a full-time staff member, the Residential Life Coordinator, who oversees the facility and staff, resides on campus in Residence Hall One.  

Freshmen, upper-classmen, and graduate students are all eligible for housing. Please refer to our Housing Contract for specific eligibility information. 

Residence Hall One is unable to accommodate married or family housing. 

 

Advantages of Living On-Campus

What are the advantages to living on-campus?
The Housing Contract is an academic year contract (Fall/Spring semesters).  Often in an off-campus facility, a student will be expected to sign a twelve month lease.  Residents are offered the opportunity to submit a separate contract for summer housing.  Residence Hall One is closed over the winter break (December – January).

Our housing rental rate is listed as a lump sum for the academic year and the student pays in one installment, depending upon financial aid options.  The room rates are listed below and include all utilities, water, trash services, local telephone service, in-room Ethernet connection, and cable television. Living off campus you will likely have separate bills for each, including set-up fees for each service.

Residence Hall One residents receive additional basic amenities such as bedroom and common area furniture, and access to laundry, vending and lounge areas inside the residence hall.  The student doesn’t need to worry about purchasing these items on their own.  Living on-campus is great too because there is no commuting to class, which saves time and money in gasoline expenses.

Another plus is that residents on-campus pay for an individual space in a residence hall suite so if a roommate should leave, the resident isn’t left in the position of worrying about how to pay the remaining bills or trying to divide the bills with roommates.

Living in the residence hall provides additional advantages. The Resident Assistants (RAs) offer an array of educational, recreational, multicultural and social programs and activities in the community.  The RAs are available to assist residents in meeting each other on their floors and in the building. 

About Rates & Payments

How are residents charged for housing?
The lump sum payment is required on the same timeline as other university fees.  Deferment options are available but the student must make arrangements with the Financial Aid Office at (727) 873-4128.  For specific questions regarding housing payments contact the Department of Residential Life and Housing at (727)-873-4117.  Charges will be added to the resident’s student account prior to the beginning of the semester.

ROOM COSTS FOR 2008-2009 ACADEMIC YEAR:

Hall Name	Suite Type	Bedroom Type	Cost Per Semester Per Student
Residence Hall One	Dolphin Suite	Double Occupancy Bedroom/Double Bathroom	$2,477.00*
Residence Hall One	Manatee Suite	Single Occupancy Bedroom/Double Bathroom	$3,066.00*

*  The rates indicated above were  approved by the USFSP Campus Board. 

What is the term of the Housing Contract?
The contract term is for one academic year and covers the fall and spring semesters.  If the student signs a contract after the academic year has started, the student will contract for the duration of the academic year.  Contracts with varying lengths are also available to coincide with the summer sessions, though residents may be required to move to a new room assignment during the summer term(s).  The contract excludes the time between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester, though students do not have to remove their belongings.  The residence hall is closed over this period and we do not offer Winter Break Housing.  The Housing Contract is a legally binding document between the Student and the University (Department of Residential Life and Housing). 

What technology services are provided in the room rate?
Local traditional land line telephone service is provided to each resident in the residence hall.  Each resident must bring their own telephone. Features included at no extra charge: caller ID (this feature must be supported by the analog telephone the resident brings), call waiting, call transfer and call forwarding. Long distance calls may be placed from the room telephone line when the resident uses their own credit card or prepaid calling card.

Each resident hall room has an Ethernet connection per resident and a cable TV connection which allows for basic cable television; generally over 40 channels are available, including the four major broadcast networks, ESPN and more. Wireless access points in the residence hall are available in the first floor lobby and lounge on each floor. 

Campus Computing Services offers an information page on their website specifically for students who live in the residence hall. For more information:
http://www.stpete.usf.edu/computing/student_housing/internet_access.htm

If someone is under 18 years of age what do they need to do to sign a contract?
If a student is less than 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must co-sign the contract.  When the appropriate signatures are in place, the student may submit the contract and prepayment.

What is the Florida Prepaid Program?
The Florida Prepaid Program allows parents in the state of Florida to begin paying for college before their children enroll. The program is a 529 investment plan managed by the Florida Prepaid College Board. If you are unsure if you have contributed to the plan or if you are unsure of to which plan you have contributed, (Tuition, Dormitory and or Local fee) please visit the The Florida Prepaid College Plan web site

 

About Room Assignments

What is the room assignment process? 
All first time in college freshmen students are required to live in the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Residence Hall One.  The residency requirement is listed in the Housing Contract. 

Room assignments are made based on the date the completed contract (contract, administrative fee and pre-payment) is received by the Department of Residential Life and Housing.   

The earlier a student returns the Contract and payment fees, the better the chances of receiving the preferred room assignment.  Every effort is made to assign the student according to his/her indicated room preference; however, roommate choices and specific room preferences are not guaranteed.  Roommate preferences must be mutual and submitted prior to the assignment process or the assignment request cannot be honored.

Students who will be away from campus (for the spring semester) for a University-sponsored/approved academic program activity, such as student teaching and/or interning or students who will graduate in December may request cancellation of the Housing Contract.   Please review your copy of the Housing Contract for specific information concerning cancellation guidelines.

After the academic year begins, residents who wish to cancel the contract may do so by "buying out" the remaining portion of their Housing Contract balance. Please review your copy of the Housing Contract for specific information concerning cancellation guidelines.

All residents and their guests are expected to abide by all Federal, State, University and Housing regulations. A complete copy of the University and Housing policies and regulations is provided to each student upon check-in at Residence Hall One.

Room assignment notification is mailed on June 25th, 2008 and every two weeks thereafter to the permanent address of each resident.  Residents will receive roommate(s)/suitemate(s) contact information when they receive the room assignment notification.

There is a ten-day room freeze at the beginning of each semester to ensure adequate time for all residents to arrive and check in.  We are unable to make room changes or room transfers until the completion of the room freeze and room assignment verification period.  Flyers will be distributed to the residents notifying them of the room transfer/room change dates and timeline.

What about students with disabilities?
If the student has a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and would like to request a reasonable accommodation of disability in room assignment, the student will need to contact the Office of Student Disability Services (OSDS) at (727) 873-4990.  The student will need to follow OSDS procedures for requesting such an accommodation as to allow OSDS to coordinate the request with the Residential Life and Housing staff.  Students who request a single bedroom for medical reasons must provide appropriate documentation to OSDS. As with all students, we recommend a visit to our campus to be familiar with Residence Hall One.

When will I be notified of my room assignment and roommate?
For the Fall semester, we will mail out assignments beginning on June 25th and every two weeks thereafter.

How do you make room assignments?
The room assignments process is complicated and takes into account when your housing contract was submitted, who you selected for suitemates/roommates and suite. In addition, we look at areas of the building which may be special interest areas which may dictate learning community eligibility and/or acceptance into a specific program. Assignments are automatically done using housing software and then reviewed by our professional staff to minimize potential conflict

If there are other questions regarding Residential Life and Housing, please contact us at (727)-873-5101. 

I've already applied for a room assignment, what is the next step?
Room assignments will be mailed on June 25th, 2008 and every two weeks thereafter. Your assignment notification will include your room assignment, roommate contact information (where available) and information regarding check-in procedures.  Move-in day/Opening Day for Residence Hall One is Friday August 22, 2008 from 8:00 am– 5:00 pm.  August 22nd, 2008 is considered the beginning date of the contract.  Spring and summer semester dates will be announced during the fall semester.

 

Housing Policies

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The Rooms

May I see the residence hall suite floor plans?
Click here for a link to suite floor plans and diagrams of the building.

Are the residence hall rooms furnished?
The following furniture is provided in each bedroom for each resident: one bed, mattress (twin extra long), chest of drawers, desk, and desk chair.

In the 4-person, single bedroom suites the following furniture is provided in the common area: one lounge chair, one sofa, one kitchen table, storage cube, and four kitchen chairs.

In the 4-person, double bedroom suites the following furniture is provided in the common area: one kitchen table and four kitchen chairs.

Students may bring additional approved furniture into their suite; however, university-owned furniture may not be removed at any time and is to remain in the room within the suite.  There is no student furniture storage in the residence hall or on campus.

How many people are assigned to each suite?
Four people share a suite.  Each resident is assigned to a specific space or room.  Each resident will share a bathroom with up to three other residents who are considered suitemates.

What appliances or other amenities are available?
There is a full-size refrigerator, a full-size stove/oven, a microwave, and a garbage disposal in each kitchen.  The residents bring their own cooking/dining utensils and items.  There are also laundry and vending machines located in the residence hall. If a problem arises, you will need to contact a Residence Life staff member to contact emergency maintenance staff.

Is room decoration permitted?
Students are encouraged to personalize their residence hall room. However, the suite must be in the same condition when the student checks out as it was when they checked in.  Room modifications and other permanent installations are not permitted.

 

About Roommates

Why didn't I get my first preference and/or 1st choice for the room I selected?
Assignment is on a first-come-first-serve basis, if your first-choice space is full when we receive your housing contract, we will proceed to your second choice. The process is continued until all assignments are made. If your preferred space is one of the most popular spaces, you may not get into the suite/room.

How does roommate matching work? Can I request to live with someone I know?
Roommates are matched based on the information you provided in the Personal Information section on the housing contract. We then match up people with similar responses on their housing contract. You may also request a specific roommate as long as the request is mutual and received by the roommate request deadline date. While roommate requests are important, we base actual assignments on many factors.

I viewed my future roommates profile on a social networking site and don't like what I see. Do you recommend I switch roommates before meeting in person?
We get it; first impressions are important, but using online networking sites to make complex generalizations about those we live, work and commune with is not the best way to make your first impression. We encourage contact with your new roommate before attempting to submit a room change request. It’s good to find out what you have in common and what can be learned from the other. If you are not convinced and the semester has not begun, you can always attempt to change rooms following the ten-day freeze process and using the Room Change Request Form.

Staff

Residential Life Staff
The Residential Life and Housing Staff assists in making the residence hall a positive environment supportive of residents’ academic pursuits.  Trained staff are located in the residence hall. 

A full-time, professionally trained staff member lives on-campus and supervises the residential life community.  RHO is staffed with Resident Assistants, upper division undergraduate and graduate students who have been specifically selected and trained to provide assistance and maintain a supportive academic community atmosphere.

Residential Life staff and Resident Assistants (RAs) reside within the building to assist resident students in building communities as they navigate the university.  These staff members assist in offering programming; educational, cultural, and social events in Residence Hall One. They serve as a valuable resource within the community.

The Rest of It - Miscellaneous Questions

How many credit hours must residents take in order to live in the residence hall?
Students must be enrolled for at least nine credit hours per semester at USF St. Petersburg to be eligible to live in the residence hall.  Summer credit hour requirements differ; please contact the Front Desk/Area Office for specific details at (727) 873-5101. If a resident falls below the minimum credit hour requirement, the resident will be required to move out of the residence hall.  For residents attending classes on other USF campuses, contact the Front Desk/Area Office for specific details regarding credit hour requirements.

Is the residence hall single-sex or co-ed?
It is co-ed by suite meaning residents of the same sex are assigned to the same suite. 

How do residents get their room keys?
Residents are issued a suite key/room key following completion of the appropriate room check-in procedures. 

Is parking permitted on campus?
Yes, however a residential parking permit is required.  USFSP offers designated parking spaces in the parking garage near Residence Hall One.  For more information regarding Parking and Traffic Services, visit the Parking Services website at http://www.stpt.usf.edu/parking_services/index.htm. Resident students are encouraged to purchase the parking permit prior to their arrival on campus. Permits can be purchased during summer orientation sessions.

Is smoking permitted in the residence hall?
All campus facilities are designated as “smoke free” by Florida Statute.  Smoking is not permitted inside any campus facility including all housing rooms. 

Are pets permitted?
Pets are not permitted in Residence Hall One.  Only fish, in tanks up to 10-gallons, are permitted.  No other “pets” are permitted; this includes an animal or reptile that could live in a 10-gallon tank. If the “pet” can survive outside of water, it is not a fish and therefore can not be permitted.

Is the residence hall open during break periods?
The residence hall will close for the following breaks:  between the fall and spring semesters, between the spring and summer semesters, and the break period between summer and fall semesters. During periods when the residence hall is closed, residents are not permitted to remain in the residence hall. 

Are laundry facilities provided?
Laundry facilities are available on each floor of the residence hall.

Do residents in the residence hall have a mailbox? 
Each resident is issued a mailbox in the residence hall.  Residents are expected to check their mailbox regularly for pertinent information.  The University will use the resident mailbox as a means of communicating information to the resident.

What should a resident plan to bring to the residence hall?
Here are some items that students that are approved, and that students recommend being brought to make your stay in Residence Hall One a fulfilling one Ideas Of What To Bring To Campus.

Fall 2008 assignments are mailed out during the final week of June of 2008, and every two weeks thereafter. It is recommended that you communicate with your suite mates to determine who brings the television, toaster, DVD player etc.