Housing Policies

2012-2013 Residence Hall Handbook (PDF)

The links below are in the process of being updated with information for 2012-2013 to match the Residence Hall Handbook above.

• Eligibility
• Applications & Assignments
• Room Rates
• Housing Period
• Occupancy and Use
• Meal Plans
• Room Changes [Upperclass Students]
• Room Changes [First-Year Students]
• Access to Student Room and Suite Spaces
• Personal Property
• Condition of Premises
• Damages and Expenses
• Housing Cancellation & Related Fees

Eligibility

Eligibility for residence is limited to Barnard students and approved visiting students who have both completed the registration and program filing processes,  have made all required payments by the payment deadlines, and are enrolled on a full-time basis.  Some Columbia students may also be eligible, providing they meet the requirements for the Barnard/Columbia Housing Exchange as defined by both Barnard Residential Life & Housing and Columbia University Undergraduate Housing. 

Eligibility for residence on campus does not equal a guarantee.  Students must meet all requirements and deadlines in order to have a guarantee of housing.

If for any reason a student ceases to be eligible for residence, they must vacate their room within 48 hours.  If a student fails to register with the College or fails to check in to the residence hall assignment by 5pm on the first day of classes each semester, they forfeit their assigned space.  This Housing Contract must be signed by the student by the first day of classes; otherwise, a student forfeits their assigned space.

Applications & Assignments

New first-year & transfer students should complete the online application which is part of the new student matriculation materials, distributed by the Admissions office. 

Continuing students currently living on campus (or who lived on campus before leaving for an approved Spring study leave) should register for the Room Selection process, held each Spring, to select housing for the next academic year. 

Students going through the readmission process, returning from a Fall study leave, currently living off-campus, or who failed to register for the Room Selection process should submit a Housing Application (available on the Residential Life & Housing website) no later than July 1 for the Fall semester and December 1 for the Spring semester.

Application requests specifying only a particular residence or type of housing cannot be accommodated, nor can roommate/suitemate preferences based upon race, ethnicity, religion, religious practices, sexual orientation, dietary preferences, socioeconomic status, physical characteristics, or national origin. 

Any of the occupants, furnishings, and features of the room/suite, shall be made and may be changed by Barnard College at any time, at its sole discretion. 

Assignments for first-year students will be made by the Director for the First Year Focus and assignments for transfer and continuing students will be made by the Associate Director for Housing Operations.

Disability-Related Accommodations:  Students with diagnosed disabilities who may need some form of disability-related housing consideration (accessible housing, access to a private bath or kitchen, single room assignment, strobe alarm, etc.) must complete and submit a Disability Housing Request (DHR) to the Office of Disability Services (ODS).  This procedure includes a written personal statement describing the disability and related needs; a clinician's statement certifying the disability using the ODS Disability Documentation Guidelines (DDG); and an in-person interview with the Director of Disability Services.  Residential Life & Housing will make disability-related housing assignments only after the DHR has been reviewed and an accommodation granted by the Disability-Related Housing Committee.  Students who may have received accommodations in the past must re-apply each year to be reconsidered.  Previous accommodations are not automatically extended without submitting an updated request for the upcoming academic year. 

Housing Period

Occupancy and Use

At all times, only the student shall occupy the assigned space.  Under no circumstances may a student swap assignments or keys with another student, sublet their room, or provide regular housing to any other person(s).  Students will be permitted to check in to their room on the following dates, and students must check-in during published hours: 

• Sunday, August 26, 2012 – check-in for new first-year students
• Tuesday, August 28, 2012 – check-in for new Fall transfer students 
• Saturday, September 1, 2012 – check-in for continuing & readmitted students 
• Thursday, January 15, 2013 – check-in for new Spring transfer students only
• Saturday, January 19, 2013 – check-in for continuing & readmitted students 

Barnard students living in Columbia residence halls are subject to all rules as outlined in this contract.  Any residential student who during the Fall semester cancels their housing for the Spring semester must vacate their assigned space no later than 10am on Friday, December 21, 2012 (e.g. February graduates, students who are participating in a Spring study abroad program, students who are withdrawing from Barnard College or just from housing).

Winter Break housing cannot be provided for any student not returning to the residence halls for the Spring semester or who did not have a Fall room assignment.  There are no exceptions.   

Additional temporary occupants (i.e. guests) are subject to the rules and regulations of the residence halls and the College. 

Residential Life & Housing reserves the right to assign any vacant space (including partially occupied multiple rooms and/or single rooms within suites) at any time, and is not obligated to inform roommates or suitemates of changes.  Any student with a vacancy in their room should keep the space open and ready for assignment at any point.

Room Changes [Upperclass Students]

Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors may request a room change in the Fall (mid-September), in December (for the Spring semester), or in the Spring (late January).  Rising-Seniors only may request a room change over the summer after the Room Selection process. 

Room changes at any other point in the academic year are rarely granted and require that a student has demonstrated an attempt to mediate any roommate/suitemate conflicts.  Any room changes that are not approved by Residential Life & Housing are a violation of policy and the responsible student(s) will be required to return to their previous room and will be subject to conduct sanctions and monetary fines. 

Students vacating the residence halls at the end of the Fall semester are expected to accommodate any student who may be moving into their space for the Spring semester.  Students making a December room change will be required to move their belongings prior to departure for Winter Break and to coordinate the move with the Fall semester occupant of the room.

Columbia students in residence at Barnard are guided by the room change policies and procedures of Columbia University.  Barnard students in residence at Columbia are guided by the policies and procedures of Barnard College.

Room Changes [First-Year Students]

The Director for the First Year Focus makes room changes for first-year students on a case-by-case basis only.  Any students with roommate concerns will first participate in a roommate discussion/negotiation during which time the roommate contract will be evaluated and adjusted as needed.  Vacant spaces within rooms will be assigned to students needing room changes, using a student’s Housing Applications to help match new roommates.

Access to Student Room and Suite Spaces

The College reserves the right to enter, repair, inventory, inspect, or search (without prior consent and in appropriate situations) any student space at any time.  This includes Residential Life & Housing staff, Public Safety, Facilities, and any other College employee or contractor who has a legitimate need to enter the space.  Students cannot refuse access to a College employee who is in the process of performing the responsibilities of their position.

Personal Property

The College accepts no responsibility for the loss of or damage to a student’s personal property, and advises that all students insure personal property against loss, damage or destruction arising from any cause, including (but not limited to) fire, theft, water damage, and the elements.  In the event of damage by fire, water, steam, or other causes that render an assigned space unfit for occupancy, the College reserves the right to reassign the occupant(s) to alternate designated housing.  If a student rejects the offer of an alternate assignment, the College shall not be liable thereafter. 

The College encourages all residential students to evaluate their family’s homeowners or renters insurance and to include the student’s belongings as part of that policy, and/or to acquire student insurance to cover such situations.  The College recommends National Student Services (http://www.nssinc.com). 

Any student personal property that is in direct violation of Residential Life & Housing policy (including, but not limited to, items left in common areas and/or hallways, candles, halogen lamps, open coil burners, toasters, air conditioners, hookahs, drug paraphernalia) will be confiscated and then discarded or donated to a local charity after 5 working days.

Condition of Premises

By taking occupancy of the space, the student accepts its condition "as is" at such time and assumes responsibility to maintain the space and any common areas in which the assigned space is located, in a clean, safe, and undamaged condition at all times.  Common areas (e.g. suite or floor kitchens, bathrooms, lounges) are the responsibility of all members in that area, and all residents assigned to that area are jointly responsible for cleaning and maintaining them. 

When vacating the assigned space, all residents must remove all personal property and leave the room, any common areas, and any furnishings clean and in the same condition they were in when occupancy commenced.  Any personal property left in the room or the common areas will be promptly removed and discarded at the expense of the resident.  Cleaning, repair and disposal charges for common areas will be assessed equally among all occupants of the area unless individual responsibility is established before departure. 

There is no altering of the room, furniture, or other facilities of the residence hall permitted, including (but not limited to) painting any walls or surfaces, applying stickers or hooks, or removal of College provided furniture.  The only approved method of putting things on walls for decoration is blue "painters" tape.  Duct tape, packing tape, two-sided tape, masking tape and other strong adhesives are NEVER to be used to adhere items to a wall or other college owned furniture.  Students will be fined for tape or sticker residue left and/or any damage done to the surface from where it was removed.  In addition, cinder blocks are not permitted in any location, and students will be billed for their removal as well as for any damaged as a result of their use.  For a more complete list of fines and repair/replacement costs, please visit the Residential Life & Housing website.

Damages and Expenses

All students are expected to follow established procedures for check-in and check-out of their room assignment.  Failure to properly check-in in a timely fashion will result in loss of the room assignment, and failure to vacate by the day and time published will result in a fine for improper check-out and/or removal of personal belongings. 

In addition, the student shall reimburse the College upon demand for all damages or expenses which the College may suffer or incur for repair or excessive cleaning of any residence hall, or for repair or replacement of College provided furniture and/or equipment (including smoke detectors), caused by the misconduct or neglect of the student or of their guests.  Any damages or expenses incurred in a room or facility within the residence halls will be charged equally to all residents of that room/suite or users of that facility unless the responsible person or persons assume specific liability. 

Charges are assessed by Residential Life & Housing staff and will be billed to the student's Bursar account.  Failure to pay such charges may be cause for refusal to permit registration or for such other action as may be determined appropriate by the College until sums owed are paid in full.  The policy regarding the referral of delinquent accounts for collection also applies to damages and expenses.  Any appeal of said charges must be submitted in writing by the student within 30 days of the charge being posted to the student’s account.