Housing Information

End-of-the-Year Check-Out Procedures for Residents

Starting April 16 students may begin signing up for their check-out time at their hall front desk.

Students are required to check-out no more than 24 hours after their last final exam. Students needing to stay past that time - for whatever reason - need to complete an Extended Stay Request and submit it to the hall CRE by April 30. CREs will email students regarding approval for extended stay.

The Resident Assistants (RAs) will post Spring 2010 Door Checklists for each student on the floor.

Housing will provide 11" by 17" posters showing the original placement of furniture in the rooms. Residents must return the room to its original state.

End-of-the-year floor meetings will be held to notify students about the upcoming check-out process and to get them ready to leave the hall in good shape. This is an important meeting - students must attend if they have no other commitments.

Check-out appointments are only 15 minutes long - students need to be ON TIME & READY TO GO at the time they arranged. Late or unscheduled check-outs carry a $45 administrative charge!

Improper check-outs are "failure to complete an official check-out," according to the Residence Hall Handbook. For example, the student may have arranged an appointment for a check-out, but left before that time, or made no effort at all to check-out and left without word.

The biggest problem at check-out? STUDENTS NOT PACKED & READY TO GO.

"ON TIME & READY TO GO" means the student's room is reasonably clean and empty of belongings - when the check-out is over the room should only need a LIGHT CLEANING and ROUTINE MAINTENANCE to be ready to use again.

If additional work is required by Housing staff to get the room ready, it needs to be noted for possible billing. For reference, the Housing policy on Damages is section 5.6 of the Residence Hall Handbook - on the Housing website "Handbook" tab. The current "Examples of Potential Charges for Damages" is section 5.6.1 of the Residence Hall Handbook.

The second biggest problem at check-out? PARKING JAMS & ILLEGAL PARKING.

Housing and Transit and Parking are working together to make parking and loading vehicles a much smoother process for students, staff and faculty. The most noticeable change will be parking forms and designated loading zones in the north lots. Students in Reid, the Maple Hill buildings and the Northwest Quad will be informed through the Housing website and by posted information about how parking will work for loading their vehicles.

Parking in fire lanes and handicap spaces is ALWAYS prohibited - vehicles in these zones will be ticketed and/or ticketed and towed.

Parking & Loading
Students may receive up to two parking forms when they sign up for checkout time.

These forms will be color coded to the days of checkout.

The parking form must be displayed on the vehicle dashboard and visible through the windshield.

The form will be good from 60 minutes prior to their checkout time to 30 minutes after their scheduled checkout time.

**IMPORTANT**
Remind students to KEEP THEIR ROOM DOOR(S) AND CAR LOCKED DURING MOVE-OUT! The chaos during move out creates an ideal opportunity for students to be victimized by thieves.

Getting Ready for Check-out
To help make the move-out process a smooth one, let students know that packing, emptying and cleaning a room is more than a ½ hour job. They really need to start packing before finals begin.

Cleaning equipment suitable for each building is available at the front desk for students to borrow.

Bunk beds and loft units (not those leased from LoftConcepts) need to be set to their lowest level. Students can lower the beds at Futrall, Reid, Maple Hill, Pomfret. Humphreys, Gibson, Yocum, and Buchanan/Droke by themselves. Bunks/lofts at Gregson, Holcombe and the Northwest Quad either require tools students won't have or are too heavy for one student to manage.

Students who rented lofts from LoftConcepts are expected to have the foot board and head board of their original bed left under their loft. If the foot board and/or head board are not in the room at time of check out the student will be charged appropriately. LoftConcepts will be dismantling the lofts and picking them up the week after closing.

Another problem that costs students a lot of money is residue left on the walls, furniture and woodwork, including doors, from tape and other adhesives. Citrus based cleaners are effective in removing this sort of sticky gunk from these surfaces.

The Check-out
RAs will use students' Room Inventory Form to compare the condition of the room at check-out to that when the student checked into the room. The Room Inventory Form is meant to identify any changes to the room's condition and serve as a billing instrument.

The RA will check the room and complete the "Check-out Condition Comment" section. The RA will make a "yes/no" recommendation for a charge assessment and possible billable amountaccording to the 2009-2010 Charge List.

Charges can be placed for:

• Extra cleaning
• Improper check-out
• Unscheduled check-out
• Lost fob
• Lock change
• Damages as noted by the RA during check-out

The most common charges are for clean-up and improper check-out - if the resident is prepared these won't happen.

Some charges are to be divided among both residents of the room - these are identified by asterisks on the room condition form "Item" list. The categories to the right are from the STANDARD Room Inventory Form - check the "ITEM" list on the inventory specific to your building to determine any shared charges.

• Entrance door
• Door lock
• Mirror
• Electrical outlets/light switches
• Light fixtures
• Venetian blinds
• Windows & window screens
• Flooring - tile/vinyl plank/carpet
• Walls, ceiling
• Radiator/AC/Thermostat (if applicable)
• Smoke detector
Ethernet outlet
• Refrigerator/microfridge (if applicable)

All rooms with room inventory forms listing charges will be inspected by the hall Coordinator for Residence Education (CRE) prior to the room being entered by Residential Facilities. All billable damages listed - regardless of cost - will be photographed and cataloged by the CRE.

If the student disagrees with a charge they need to talk with the CRE before signing the form.

Security of keys is of vital importance - the RA will test the key(s) in the lock(s) to make sure correct keys are being turned in. The hall secretary will confirm the student's fob at the front desk. As soon as the student signs the Room Condition Form and turns over his or her room key(s) and entry fob they are checked out and ready to go. Any room charges that need to be filed will be applied to the student's University of Arkansas account.

University of Arkansas students have made it to May!  We are all excited that we have nearly made it through another semester successfully!  This will be your final newsletter from First Year Experience for the 2009-2010 academic year.   Second-year students will continue to receive this newsletter when we pick back up again in the fall.  If you have any questions or comments for First Year Experience, let us know at fye@uark.edu or (479) 575-5002.