Introduction
Hood College provides a comfortable living environment in its residence
halls to those full-time, graduate students who wish to live on campus.
Additionally, there are limited spaces available for enrolled graduate
students.
Hood College offers an integrated room and board plan to all residents.
Graduate students residing in College housing are not required to
participate in a board plan but may choose to purchase a plan
if desired.
The agreement remains in effect for the academic year as long as the
signer remains enrolled at Hood College; or, until such action to remove
a student from residence might be recommended to the Dean of Students or
designee by a constituted judicial (student conduct) body and such a
recommendation is accepted; or, as an administrative decision by the
Dean of Students or designee.
Definitions. For the purposes of this agreement the terms
“residence hall," "residential system," and "residence halls" are
understood to include any facility in which Hood College provides
housing to students, including, but not limited to, traditional
residence halls, on- and off-campus facilities leased and/or owned
by the College, duplexes/language houses, and honors houses. The terms
"resident(s)," "resident student(s)," and "student(s)" are understood
to reference the Hood College student(s) living in such housing. The
term "College" is understood to mean Hood College of Frederick, Maryland.
The term "Agreement" is understood to reference this Housing & Food
Service Contract and incorporated documents specified herein.
Severability. In the event that any one or more of the
provisions contained herein shall, for any reason, be held to be
invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity,
illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions
of this agreement, but this agreement shall be construed as if such
invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provisions had never been contained
herein.
Headings. Descriptive headings are for convenience only
and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any
provision of this Agreement.
General Conditions
Student Rights and Responsibilities. (1) Each student who resides
in a residence hall at Hood College has the right to expect their room
to be in good repair and to include basic furnishings of bed, mattress,
desk, chair, dresser, and closet space (which may be shared amongst
roommates). (2) Hood College reserves the right to assign and/or
re-assign residents as deemed necessary. Changing rooms and/or
occupying space without approval may result in fines of $25 per day
and/or judicial (student conduct) action by the College which may
include a requirement that the student move back to her or his
originally assigned space. (3) Whenever possible, resident student’s
opinions will be sought in the establishment of procedures and policies
regarding residential living and in judicial (student conduct) proceedings
addressing violations of procedures and policies. (4) Students do not
have a contractual right to host guests and visitors, rather this is a
privilege extended by the College. In exercising this privilege, students
are expected to comply with the "Guests and Visitors" policy in the
Student Handbook and assume responsibility for the conduct of the guest
or visitor. (5) Students have a responsibility to adhere to all College
policies and procedures including, but not limited to, those governing
student conduct and compliance with the requests of College staff and
officials. Failure to meet these responsibilities is a violation of the
general conditions of this Agreement.
Room and Board Period. The Housing & Food Service Contract
stipulates that a student occupies a space in the residential
system for the academic year (fall and spring semesters), unless
the student enters in January and resides during the spring semester
only. For graduate students, housing (not board) is provided when the
College is closed, (i.e., Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break and Spring
Break) provided the student notifies Residence Life of their intent to
stay by completing a break housing form. The Agreement automatically
terminates when the student leaves Hood (note "Room Fee Refunds"
section). Students leaving residence due to a Hood academic program
may be released from the contract provided the arrangements for leaving
residence are completed before registration day of the semester involved.
Students leaving residence mid-year due to other reasons (e.g., commuting
from home) must get permission from the Director of Residence Life. A
student may be dismissed from residence by procedures outlined in the
judicial (student conduct) system or by the Dean of Students or
designee, if it is determined that the student’s behavior violates
college policy; if the student is no longer regularly attending classes;
or if the student is involuntary withdrawn by the Health and/or
Counseling Center.
Meal Plan Options. Hood College offers an integrated room
and board plan. The College offers four meal plan options for graduate
residential students. (1) The All Access meal plan option offers a
student all daily meals of continuous dining per week during the
scheduled hours of operation in Coblentz Dining Hall, where any
combination of meals may be used, plus $100 bonus per semester for
personal or guest use in the Coblentz Dining Hall or the Whitaker
Campus Center (WCC) Blazer, and five guest meals per semester in the
Dining Hall. (2) The 10-meal plan offers students 10 meals per week
of continuous dining during the scheduled hours of operation in
Coblentz Dining Hall where any combination of meals may be used but
must not exceed 10 meals per week, plus $200 bonus per semester for
personal or guest use in the Dining Hall or the WCC Blazer, and three
guest meals per semester for use in the Dining Hall. For the
aforementioned plans, unused meals and credits are forfeit (do not
roll over to the next period). (3) The Commuter meal plan option
offers a student 50 meals to be used throughout the course of a
semester during the scheduled hours of operation in Coblentz Dining
Hall, where any combination of meals may be used but must not exceed
50 meals per semester, plus $400 bonus per semester for personal or
guest use in the Coblentz Dining Hall or the WCC Blazer. Unused meals
and credits are forfeit (do not roll over to the next period). (4)
The Waived meal plan option allows graduate students to opt-out of a
meal plan entirely in recognition of the central kitchen facility
available and the desire of some students to prepare or purchase
their own meals.
Room Fee Payment. Residential room fees are collected each
semester. While the housing agreement is in effect for the entire
academic year, collecting fees per semester is designed to ease
the student’s financial burden. Room fee payments are due when
tuition bills are due.
Changing Residential Status. Students who have electronically
signed a housing contract may not later change to commuter status
during the period of the contract. The exception to this is if
there has been a substantial financial hardship which was unknown at
the time of entering into this housing contract, or if exigent
circumstances exist which are extreme warranting the necessity of
living off campus; the student would need to complete detailed
documentation with the Director of Residence Life and be approved
in order to be released from this contract. It is very rare to be
released from the housing contract to live off campus. Those ultimately
approved must pay a $500 contract cancellation fee.
The deadline to request from the Director of Residence Life to change
from commuter status to residential status is October 31 for the
upcoming spring semester and June 1 for the upcoming fall semester
to guarantee space on campus; changing from commuter to residential
status is contingent on the availability of space.
Room Fee Refunds. Students must notify the Office of the
Registrar promptly of any intention to withdraw or transfer. Room
fees are 100 percent refundable if a student withdraws prior to the
first day of classes, notwithstanding applicable cancellation
fees. Thereafter, no refund is granted. Please note that the
acceptance of an internship after the semester begins, withdrawal from
Hood due to illness, or dismissal for academic or social reasons does
not result in a refund of the room fee.
Board Refunds. Mid-semester pro-rated refunds of board payments
are made upon withdrawal or transfer from Hood or a change to commuter
status. This refund is calculated on a weekly basis according to the
meal plan option selected for that given semester. The pro-rated
refund policy applies to board only.
Damages. Residents have an opportunity, at the initial time
of room occupancy, to list any damages or missing items in their
respective rooms on a room condition form. When a student leaves
the residence hall, members of the College staff will check the room
to ensure that no additional damages have occurred. In addition,
residents must clean the space and leave it in the same or better
condition from move-in. If there are damages or fees, the charge will
be assessed on the student’s account and must be paid in a
timely manner.
Miscellaneous. While Hood College recognizes and respects the
rights of students to have privacy with respect to their person and
personal belongings, the College will exercise control over the
residence halls, when necessary, to preserve a wholesome learning and
living environment, to provide adequate maintenance and protection of
its property, and to protect the health and safety of all persons in
the living environment and/or on the campus. The College reserves the
right to enter residential spaces (including all living
spaces/rooms) and, if circumstances warrant, to search student
rooms within the procedures outlined in the “Search and Seizure”
section of the Student Handbook. The College also reserves the right
to reassign students within the residential system as deemed appropriate
(including consolidation of assignments) by the Dean of Students
or Director of Residence Life, as well as to designate areas for
special use.
Emergency Contact Information. All resident students are required
to provide the College with contact and related information for use in
emergency situations, at the sole discretion of the College. It is the
sole responsibility of the resident to ensure the accuracy of said
information (including updates if changes should occur). New
information is received in the Orientation process on the Health
Center’s Emergency Contact form. Updates may be made by the student to
the Health Center staff or the Student Life Suite Office Manager.
In addition, residents are strongly encouraged to register contact
information with the Hood Alert Emergency Notification System via the
website:
www.hood.edu/hoodalert
.
Mobile Phone Information. All resident students are required
to provide the College with a mobile telephone number for contact
purposes (through Self-Service > My Profile > Phone Numbers) and
to update it if it changes. It is the sole responsibility of the resident
to ensure the accuracy and functionality of the telephone number they
provide. The College may provide the mobile phone number to the RA and
resident’s roommate as a point of contact. The College does not release
or publish telephone numbers to other students or to parties external to
the College. Faculty and staff who routinely utilize telephone numbers
will have access to this information. Students who do not possess a
mobile telephone will be required to provide an alternative means of
contact. The acceptance of such alternative means of contact to fulfill
this requirement is at the discretion of the Director of
Residence Life.
Discrimination Disclaimer. Hood College does not discriminate
on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation,
marital status, pregnancy, disability, religion, age, or any other
protected classification under applicable federal, state, or local law,
in recruitment, admission and access to, or treatment, or employment in
its programs, services, benefits, or activities as required by Title
IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities
Act Amendments Act, and their implementing regulations. Hood College
complies with applicable laws regarding reasonable accommodation for
disabled students and employees. Applicants requiring reasonable
accommodation in order to participate in the application process, or
to have access to a program, service, or activity of Hood College are
requested to contact the Disability Services Coordinator.
Liability. Hood College shall not be liable directly or
indirectly for loss or damage to personal property by fire, theft or
other cause. Residential students are encouraged to review their
homeowner’s insurance policy for coverage of personal property while
away at college or while belongings are stored in Hood College
facilities or purchase separate coverage.