Residential Life
Regulations (024-4-6.01)
1. To carry on the personnel functions, the Director of Residential Life appoints a residence hall
staff to serve as the University’s representatives in the residence halls. The residence hall staff
is scheduled for duty in the residence halls from 4 p.m. until midnight Monday through
Friday and noon until midnight Saturday and Sunday, and on call until 8:00 a.m. seven days
a week.
Staff members serve the students in a variety of ways: enforcing the rules and regulations
and supervising student behavior, reporting maintenance problems, advising students on
various areas of University life, academic and social.
In essence, the residence hall staff is the closest contact a student has between a problem
and its solution. Although they are scheduled for specific duty hours, there are always staff
members available in any type of
emergency situation.
2. The Office of Residential Life is located in MS Cooper room 217
and is open from 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Monday - Friday during the academic year and
8:00 a.m. - 4:30
p.m., Monday - Friday during holidays and summer.
3. University policy requires that all student residence facilities, including residence halls and
apartments, shall be limited to occupancy by Tennessee Tech students and Office of
Residential Life staff. In addition, student residence facilities may be occupied by staff of the
University and may be leased to other persons in connection with programs and activities on
campus when such facilities are not occupied or needed by students. All students shall have
an equal opportunity to reside in student residence facilities regardless of race, gender, sexual
orientation, creed, color, national origin or disability, provided that separate housing may be
provided on the basis of gender or marital status. Tech Village Apartments have been
designated as student residence facilities for married students, single students with children,
graduate
students, students with disabilities, single senior students, and faculty and
staff.
4. The University policy requires students to live in residence halls until all available space has
been assigned, beginning with freshmen and proceeding through the classifications
accordingly, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Based on current available space, the
University residency requirement places an emphasis on students who have not
completed four
semesters of college coursework post high school graduation.
5. The basis for waivers and exceptions for living in the residence halls are: (A) students who
have completed four semesters of college coursework post high school graduation; (B)
students commuting from parent and/or guardian residency which is within a fifty-mile
radius; (C) students living with immediate relatives who are permanent
residents specifically identified as grandparents, brothers or sisters who are not enrolled
at the University within a fifty-mile radius; (D) students participating in academic internship
programs; (E) students with physical and/or emotional disabilities verified by a licensed
physician; (F) emergency release granted by the Office of Residential Life; and (G)
married students. [PLEASE NOTE: The signing of a license/rental agreement obligates
the student to fulfill the terms and conditions of the agreement for the duration of the
agreement. The residence hall agreement can be signed for one semester or the entire
academic year. A
Fall only agreement can be re-newed for the following Spring Semester.
A student who has met their residency requirements, but due to restrictions of their current
binding licensing agreement is ineligible to be released, can request a buyout. The student
must not have taken possession, and/or completed a proper check-out for the buy-back
period. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Office of Residential Life. The
buy-out will be calculated at 50% of the current rental rate.
6. Classification of students will be determined according to the number of semester hours
earned as described in the section of General Regulations regarding classification in the
University Catalog. This policy is in effect throughout the entire academic year: fall,
spring and summer. If a student is classified as a full time student at the beginning of the
semester, the
same status will apply for the entire semester.
7. A student who does not comply with the university residency requirement, after having
been informed, will be assigned a room in one of the University residence halls, is
responsible for full payment of rent, and may be subject to disciplinary action for living
off-campus without authorization.
8. All students who occupy any student residence unit shall maintain the unit in the same
condition and repair as accepted at the commencement of the period of occupancy; and
upon termination of such occupancy, shall surrender the premises in the same condition
and repair, ordinary wear and tear excepted. No student may make any alterations,
additions, or improvements to a student residence unit without the written consent of the
Office of Residential Life.
9. Each student who occupies any student residence unit agrees to pay the University,
immediately upon demand, for any and all damages to the unit, including but not limited
to damages to exterior or interior walls, ceilings, floors, telephones, windows, door
locks, hardware, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, shrubbery, lawn, appliances, fixtures and
furnishings of the unit and its surrounding premises, if such damage is caused by any act
or failure to act
by the student or guests or invitees of the student.
10. Students in student residence units or apartments may be assessed on a pro-rata basis for
damages in common areas within or around a facility, either by floor or area or by the
entire facility as determined appropriate by the Director of Residential Life. Students
must be notified
in advance of this mass assessment.
11. The University does not maintain insurance on any personal property of students, and all
personal property of students on the premises shall be at the risk of the students. The
University shall not be liable for any damages to or theft of personal property of students
in student residence units or on its grounds prior to, during or subsequent to the period of
the agreement. Personal property remaining in student residence units prior to or subsequent
to the period of the agreement will be disposed of by the University. Students are
encouraged to
obtain insurance for personal property.
12. The University shall not be liable for any damages or injuries to any student or to the
occupants of student residence facilities or to guests or invitees of such occupants, resulting
from any act or failure to act by the student or any accident occurring in or about the
facility, except as authorized by and allowed pursuant to TCA’s 9-8-301.
Each student who occupies any student residence unit agrees to indemnify and hold the
University harmless from and against all claims, damages or causes of action whatsoever,
asserted by any person arising out of or in any way connected with the use of the premises
by the student.
13. Officials and agents of the University may enter the student residence unit at all reasonable
times to examine and inspect the unit, or to render service or repairs, and may remove any
signs, fixtures, alterations or other objects not in conformity with this policy, the rules of the
University or applicable law. Any student residence unit may be searched with the consent
of the student or any other occupant of the unit, or without such consent upon a finding of
probable cause and the issuance of an authorization to search by the appropriate official of
the University or of any court with jurisdiction. Consent by any other occupant of the unit
who is not a member of the family of the student under suspicion shall not extend to any
personal
belongings of, or areas restricted for exclusive use by, the student under
suspicion.
14. All student residence facilities shall be used for private residential purposes only. No student
shall permit any objectionable noise or odor to escape from the student residence unit,
permit or create
a nuisance, or disturb any other resident of the unit or the facility.
15. With the exception of fish aquariums not exceeding 20 gallons and approved seeing eye
dogs, pets are not permitted in University housing. Fish aquariums may only be used for
fish.
Furthermore, no pets may be kept in close proximity of your room.
16. Students and occupants will be held accountable for behavior occurring in their student
residence units;
including the behavior of any visitors and/or guests.
17. Any student housing license/rental agreement shall terminate at the discretion of the
University in
the event of any of the following:
(a) the premises or the unit are destroyed or, in the opinion of the institution, unsuitable for
occupancy for
any reason;
(b) the occupant thereof ceases to remain a student in good standing during any regular
academic term
within the period of the agreement or contract;
(c) the student or other occupant violates any covenant, term or condition of the agreement
and any other
rule or regulation incorporated this agreement by reference; or
(d) The University gives the student or other occupant written notice of termination at least
thirty (30) days
prior to the date when such termination will be effective.
18. All students or other occupants who occupy any student residence unit shall be subject to
the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the Tennessee Board of Regents and the
University related to conduct and student housing, including visitation regulations, the
provisions of the Tennessee Board of Regents’ policy on student residence regulations
and agreements, and the University student handbook and residence and apartment
handbook, shall
be incorporated by reference into each student agreement.
19. In the event any student or other occupant of a student residence unit fails to comply with
any terms or conditions of the student residence license/rental agreement, including the
timely payment of rent, or with any rule, regulations or policy incorporated therein by
reference, the University may declare the license/rental agreement terminated, and may
enter and take possession of the premises after it has given notice to the student or other
occupant to vacate the premises within twenty-four (24) hours. Furthermore, the
University reserves the right to refuse an application for University Student Residence
Halls or Apartments.
20. Information regarding all aspects, including policies and procedures, of living on campus
residence halls or Tech Village apartments---can be found on our web page at
http://www.tntech.edu/reslife/. This serves as an adjunct to the Student Handbook.
Students will be provided a copy of this information upon their written
request.
21. Any student or other occupant of a student residence unit who fails to comply with any
terms or conditions of the student residence license/rental agreement, or who fails to
make timely payments of all rental due or for damages caused to the premises, shall be
liable to the University for all expenses, including collection costs and reasonable
attorney’s fees, incurred by the University in the enforcement of collection of the
obligation involved.
Provisions
Applicable to Residence Hall Students
22. A student may be released from his student residence hall license/rental and receive a
refund of his pre-payment before the effective date of the contract by submitting written
notification of cancellation to the Office of Residential Life by August 1st for fall
semester and/or academic year agreements, by December 15th for spring semester
only agreements and by May 15th for summer semester agreements for the initial
semester/session the
student residence hall license/rental becomes
effective.
Additionally, a student may be granted a release from this student residence hall
license/rental by submitting written notification of cancellation to the Office of
Residential Life prior to the establishment of an official check-in date for the initial
semester the agreement becomes effective, or by withdrawal from the University
or graduation. Releases granted after the established cancellation dates and prior
to the first official day of hall opening for the initial semester the agreement becomes
effective will result in a forfeiture of your pre-payment. Students are advised to
review current University policy regarding students to live in University housing to
determine
eligibility to live off-campus.
23. A student may be released from this student residence hall license/rental after the
effective date of the agreement by:
(a) withdrawal or graduation from the University
(b) leaving the University at the end of a semester to participate in one of the University’s
academic internship programs,
(c) an emergency release granted in writing by the Office of Residential Life. All requests for
release must be in
writing and submitted to
the Office of Residential Life.
24. Residence Hall visitation will be open on a 24-hour basis to host guests of both genders.
(1) Residential Life staff members will be available during the entire period of visitation,
except during zone coverage, during which time housing personnel will be
responsible for a specified area.
(2) Each guest must be escorted from the lobby to the host/hostess' room and from the
room back to the lobby to check-out. Guests are not to be unattended in the halls
or stairwells at any time.
(3) With the increased visitation privileges, there is greater responsibility to be shared.
The primary responsibility for management of the total visitation program rests with
the individual resident, Residence Hall Association, and the residence hall and
Residential Life Staff.
(4) Each guest must check in and out of the residence hall at the designated location in
each lobby. Procedures will be determined by the Office of Residential Life.
(5) During visitation, proper conduct and decorum are important and expected of
both the host/hostess and the guest(s). Guests may be asked to leave the building
and/or prohibited from visiting if found to be violating policies, damaging property,
or being a potential harm to themselves or others.
25. Lobby areas are for the use of residence hall students and their guest(s). Guests must be
accompanied by a resident at all times. Open lobby hours are defined as 24 hours per day,
seven days per
week.
26. Authorized room and/or hall changes are conducted by the Office of Residential Life during
specified periods known as Great Change Day. All changes must be approved by the Office
of Residential Life. Any resident completing a move without prior written authorization will
be required to move back to the original room. While room changes are generally restricted
to designated time periods, the Office of Residential Life is always interested in learning
about and assisting in the resolution of roommate problems.
27. Assignment to or occupancy of a residence hall room does not include vacation periods but
will begin and end on the dates of the semester(s) as indicated in the University catalog
indicating established hall opening and closing dates. Limited student housing may be
available at an additional cost between semesters and must be approved by the Director of
Residential Life.
Provisions
Applicable to Student Apartments
28. A student or other occupant may be released from the student apartment contract by
providing the Office of Residential Life written notice of termination at least thirty (30) days
prior to the
date when such termination will be effective.
29. The apartment office, located in Tech Village is open 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday -
Friday.
30. All apartments are air conditioned and are unfurnished. Each apartment has a telephone,
stove, refrigerator, garbage disposal, smoke detector and fire extinguisher. The following
services are included in the rent: water, basic cable, telephone, and garbage removal. The
student is responsible for contracting and payment of electrical service and payment of
long distance
telephone service.
31. Rental payments are made on a monthly basis, as opposed to the semester payments of
residence hall
rent.
32. A separate laundry facility exists for the use of apartment residents. Personal washer and
dryer units are not
authorized for individual
apartment use.
33.
Personal air conditioning and/or heating are also not authorized.
Tennessee Tech’s Office of Student Financial Aid is part of the Division of Academic Affairs and helps students determine need and identify programs of financial aid that are appropriate to their specific situations. The Office of Admissions awards scholarships to all incoming freshman and transfer students. Our tuition and fees are lower than the average among four year state universities in our region, and the education you receive here will be one of the soundest investments of your lifetime, so do all you can to make it a priority so you can be successful.
More
than two-thirds of all students at Tennessee Tech receive some type of financial
aid from a variety of sources such as federal, state, university, and private
funds. Included are scholarships,
grants, loans, student employment, and assorted other awards and benefits.
You
may also want to check out our WEB site for lots of current financial aid
information including our scholarship searches, applying for aid on the WEB, and
your own TTU aid status! http://www2.tntech.edu/financialaid/
Dropping
Courses and Withdrawing: The
federal government is serious about on students getting federal funds when those
students are not in school--whether the students have formally dropped hours or
just cease to attend class. Faculty
are now required to notify the Records Office of the last day of attendance (as
documented by tests taken, papers handed in, or class attendance, if taken).
We in Financial Aid must then use that information to adjust aid--and
students are now being required to pay back aid previously received.This is
especially significant when a student drops courses or ceases to attend during
the institution’s refund period (usually the first five weeks of a semester).
Because each type of aid has different requirements and regulations, it is
impossible to give an easy answer to “will I have to repay aid already
received?” Our best advice is to register only for the courses you plan
to can complete.
While
a “W” does not affect your GPA for academic purposes, it does affect
Satisfactory Academic Progress for future semesters for financial aid purposes.
In these cases, a student has received federal funds and not received the
value of a course. Consequently,
these “W’s” are very harmful to you when your Satisfactory Academic
Progress is measured. The
withdrawal process begins at the Vice President of Student Affairs Office.
Sample refund and repayment calculations are available at the Financial
Aid Office upon request.
Satisfactory
Academic Progress for Financial Aid: A student attending Tennessee Tech is said to be maintaining “Satisfactory
Progress” for financial aid purposes if he/she is in good standing (NOT ON
PROBATION) and meets the following academic standards:
QPA
of 2.0 AND
Has
attempted less than 44.9 credits if classified FR (1)
Has
attempted less than 79.9 credits if classified SO (2)
Has
attempted less than 114.9 credits if classified JR (3)
Has
attempted less than 152.9 credits if classified SR (4)
Has
attempted less than 40 credits if classified GRAD (5,6,7)
SATISFACTORY
PROGRESS for
Financial Aid purposes must be evaluated for all students receiving state or
federal government aid. Failure to
meet this standard any given term may result in the student being ineligible
for federal and state aid.
See the TTU Home Page for more
information.
I. Refund policies for maintenance fees, out-of-state tuition,
debt service fees, general access fees, and student government fees:
A.
Change of a student’s status which may require a refund.
1.
Dropping a course or courses.
2.
Withdrawing from the institution.
3.
Cancellation of a class by the institution.
4.
Death of the student.
B.
Refund percentages.
To withdraw and apply for a refund, if applicable, students should file formal application
for withdrawal with the Office of Student Affairs or Office of Extended Education, if
off-campus. Withdrawals will be effective from the date the formal application for
withdrawal is
filed.
1. 75% of fees will be refunded for drops or withdrawals from the first official day of
classes through the fourteenth calendar day of classes or within an equivalent period
for a short term course. 25% of fees will be refunded following expiration of the 75%
period, for a period of time extending 25% of the length of the term. No refunds
will be made beyond the 25% period. (Please reference the Calendar pages in
the schedule of classes
bulletin.)
bulletin.)
2.
100% of fees will be refunded for classes cancelled by the institution.
3. 100% of fees will be refunded for drops or withdrawals prior to the first official day of
classes. (Please reference the Calendar pages in the schedule of classes
bulletin for early
registration schedule adjustment deadline).
4.
100% of fees will be refunded in the case of the death of the student.
II.
Refund of residence hall rent.
After
registration, residence hall rent will be prorated on a weekly calendar basis
when the student is forced to withdraw from the residence hall:
A.
Because of personal medical reasons confirmed in writing by a licensed
physician.
B. At the request of the institution for other than disciplinary reasons, including situations in
which:
1. The premises or the units are destroyed or, in the opinion of the institution, unsuitable
for occupancy
for any reason.
2. The institution gives the student or other occupant written notice of termination at least
thirty (30) days
prior to the date when such termination will be effective.
Full refund will be made in the case of the death of the student. Withdrawals for other
reasons will be subject to the same 75% or 25% amounts and time periods as
maintenance fees.
No refund will be made other than under the above conditions.
III.
Refund of residence hall reservation and breakage deposits.
Full
deposit will be refunded if:
A. Written cancellation is received in the Office of Residential Life by August 1st for Fall
Semester and/or academic year, December 15th for Spring Semester, and May 15th for
Summer Semester
for the initial semester the residence hall contract becomes effective.
B. The student is prevented from entering the University because of medical reasons
confirmed in
writing by a licensed physician.
C.
Residence hall space is not available.
D.
Full refund will be made in the case of the death of the student.
The
meal plan must be removed from the Eagle Card ID before any refund will be
processed.
A. Meal plan selections cancelled and removed from the Eagle Card ID prior to or during
official registration for
the term will be refunded at 100%.
B. After registration, meal plan refunds will be prorated on a weekly calendar basis not to
exceed the unused portion for Plans A and B and equal to the value of any unused
meals for
Plan C, if the meal plan is removed from the Eagle Card ID:
1.
Due to personal medical reasons confirmed in writing by a licensed
physician.
2.
At the request of the institution.
C. Meal plans returned for other reasons will be subject to the same 75% or 25% amounts
and time periods as maintenance fees. Refunds will not exceed the unused portion of the
plan.
D.
100% of the meal plan will be refunded in the case of the death of the
student.
All
refunds (with the exception of Plus Loans) will be made by check payable to the
student regardless of the method of payment.
With processing costs estimated to exceed the value of the check, no
refunds for $1.00 or less will be issued unless specifically requested.
FEES,
CONDITIONS OF ASSESSMENT AND REFUND POLICIES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR
NOTICE BY ACTION OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS.