Longwood University's Residential and Commuter Life (RCL) office has made some changes to the housing sign-up process as well as when students sign up for housing for the next academic year.
According to Jean Wilwohl, associate director of occupancy management, a committee was formed last academic year to discuss some changes in the housing sign-up process. The committee includes representatives from RCL, the Office of First Year Experience and Admissions, among others.
Wilwohl said the committee was formed because RCL originally thought French Residence Hall would be offline for the 2011-2012 academic year. However, French is now slated to close Summer 2012. Still, Wilwohl said the idea of the changes is to plan for the future. "We know that with the loss of bed spaces, we are going to need to make some changes"
Some of the biggest changes affect students interested in living in Longwood-managed apartment communities and those interested in applying for a release to live off campus. Also, the sign-up process itself has moved to much earlier in the semester. All housing sign-ups will occur before Spring Break instead of after Spring Break as in the past.
Students were first informed of these new changes in October 2011. More email notifications were sent before winter break, and most recently, each student living on campus or in a Longwood-managed apartment received an eligibility email informing them of when to sign up and the number of credit hours they have.
Freshmen and rising sophomores who have 55 Longwood credits or less at the end of the Spring 2012 semester will be guaranteed Longwood-managed housing for the upcoming academic year (2012-2013). RCL is unable to guarantee housing for all rising juniors and seniors, meaning students who have completed 56 or more Longwood credit hours at the end of the Spring 2012 semester.
Even so, Wilwohl said that RCL will try their best to house these students, but it is possible that not enough bed spaces will be available for all rising juniors and seniors. "We're anticipating it will be about 30 to 40 students," Wilwohl said. If RCL cannot provide housing to juniors and seniors who participate in the main campus housing sign-up process, they can submit a waitlist application for housing or will be released to live off campus with a private landlord.
Another new regulation this sign-up term is that only junior and senior students, those with 56 completed Longwood credit hours at the end of the Spring 2012 semester, will be eligible to participle in Longwood-managed apartment process sign-ups. This includes Lancer Park, Longwood Landings and Longwood Village.
In the past, students with 56 or more credit hours were able to pull in students who did not have that completed number of credits. Now, only students with 56 or greater credit hours can sign up for this process.
For students interested in living off campus with a private landlord, applications to be released off campus will take place between Monday, Jan. 30 and Friday, Feb. 3. Students must have at least 48 Longwood credit hours at the conclusion of the Spring 2012 semester to submit an off-campus release form. Students with 48-55 credit hours who fail to apply for off-campus release during this period will not be eligible to live off campus and must participate in main campus housing sign ups. Submission of a release does not necessarily guarantee a release off campus. Wilwohl said students should be mindful that once they are released, they can no longer return to any Longwood-managed housing.
Perhaps the biggest changes this year are the dates of the sign-up process. Apartment assignments will begin Thursday, Feb. 9 with Squatting Day for Landings studio singles or Lancer Park two-bedroom apartments. Friday, Feb. 10 is Lottery Application Day for students with 56 credits or greater. Same Apartment Squatting Day will be Monday, Feb. 13 and Tuesday, Feb. 14 and requires full apartment occupancy.
Seniors will select apartments Wednesday, Feb. 15. The designated housemate should have at least 89 Longwood credit hours when signing up residents. Juniors will pick apartments Thursday, Feb. 16 with the designated housemate having at least 56 credit hours. The apartment waitlist will be Monday, Feb. 20 for students with at least 56 credit hours.
Main campus sign-ups will take place Monday, Feb. 27 through Tuesday, March 6. Sophomores will sign up Feb. 27. Sophomores with 25-39 credit hours will sign up Tuesday, Feb. 28. Freshmen students who have 24 or less credit hours will sign up Wednesday, Feb. 29. Solo residents who have 55 or less credit hours will sign up Thursday, March 1. Juniors and seniors with 56 or greater credit hours will select main campus housing March 5. Those students who are on the main campus waitlist, solo residents, juniors and seniors will sign up March 6.
All housing sign ups will take place via the housing gateway at https://rms.longwood.edu from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Wilwohl said RCL is tabling in Dorrill Dining Hall to answer any questions students might have. Information sessions will also take place, with one today at 5 p.m. in the A Room of Lankford Student Union. For more information on the housing process, visit RCL's website at longwood.edu/rcl or email housing@longwood.edu.
