The Office of Residential Life adheres to the philosophy that residents have a responsibility for the physical condition of their living community. As residents of a University residential community, students are responsible for the condition and furnishings of their room/suite/apartment, and are obligated to respect the common/public areas such as hallways, lounges, exterior doors, lobbies, stairways, etc. When damage or vandalism occurs, those students responsible pay for the repair of any damage as well as any associated fine policy violations. University policy stipulates that students are responsible for the facilities and furniture under their control: that is, within their room/suite/apartment. The items that are billed for repair when damaged include all furniture, appliances, walls, lights, screens, windows, window coverings, flooring, bathroom/plumbing fixtures, doors and attached hardware, and surrounding grounds. When the University determines that vandalism has occurred in a specific area, residents of the residential unit (room, suite, apartment, building, house, quad, wing, floor) will be required to pay equally for the repair of those damages. This will be done only after attempts have been made to attribute the damage(s) to the individual(s) responsible.

When attributing charges, the Office of Residential Life compares Suite/Apartment Room Condition Reports (RCRs) completed at the beginning of each academic year. Along with RCRs, Public Safety reports, work orders, judicial records and health and safety inspection records are researched to help determine, as accurately as possible, who is responsible. When individual responsibility for specific damages could not be determined, the charges for cleaning, repair or furniture replacement were divided among all the students in the room, suite, or apartment.

In early summer, letters are sent to each student who has been assessed for damages and/or other residential life fees.

Although we are confident in the accuracy of these charges, occasionally mistakes are made. If, after thoroughly reviewing damage information, you believe you can demonstrate that you should not be responsible for paying a particular charge, you have the option of appealing. Appealing a charge is your opportunity to explain why you believe our records are inaccurate. Appeals cannot be accepted over the phone and only students can appeal.

The deadline to appeal damages bills incurred from the 2006-2007 acedemic year has expired.

Appeals can also be submitted by completing our online form or by being mailed or faxed with the attention of "Bill Appeal" with the contact information found at the bottom of this page. If you submit an appeal by mail or fax, please include the following information:

Once an appeal is received, the Office of Residential Life will review all related documentation and respond within seven (7) business days. Submitting an appeal should not be delayed as any associated default charges from late or non-payment cannot be refunded.