When is the earliest I can arrive on campus?
As we are preparing rooms for student arrival, and also for security reasons, students are not permitted to move into residential assignments prior to the following check-in dates.
First-year international students: Friday, August 15, 2008
First year students: Sunday, August 17, 2008
Returning students: Thursday, August 21, 2008

When can I ship packages to my campus address?
Due to space constraints in the campus mail facilities, you should plan on sending packages so that they arrive on or after August 15, 2008.

Am I required to live within the housing system?
First-year students admitted to Carnegie Mellon University are required to live in the housing system and to have a dining plan, unless granted an exception by the Dean of Student Affairs. While the majority of campus residents return to Carnegie Mellon housing the following year, upperclass housing and dining plans are optional. Please note that it is very difficult to return to the housing system once a resident chooses to move off campus.

How are first-year housing assignments made and are all first-year students guaranteed housing?
All first-year students are guaranteed housing. First-year assignments are made in order of the date that the Office of Admission processes the $600 admission deposit. Of course, a number of factors are taken into consideration, based on answers to questions contained in the housing application.

Where are most first-year students assigned?
Most first-year students live in standard double rooms.

If I like my room, can I keep it for the following year?
During the spring semester, all current residents who wish to remain in campus housing for the following year must participate in the room selection process (Room Draw). Through this process students may either choose to remain in their current rooms (Retention) (designated first-year areas are not retainable) or choose a different room (Selection) with the roommate(s) of their choice. Occasionally there may be exceptions to our policy, but that information will be clearly communicated in a timely manner. Specific Room Draw details are distributed to residents in the form of a brochure about a month before the process.

What are my chances of living in campus housing in the future?
All current residents are guaranteed housing if they participate in our Room Draw process held each spring. Students who do not participate in Room Draw or have left university housing and wish to return, will only be considered for housing if Housing and Dining Services determines there will be sufficient space after all first-year students have been assigned.

Can I cancel my housing license agreement?
Only under very limited circumstances can housing license agreements be canceled. The only way a student may initiate a cancellation of their housing license agreement is to meet specific criteria related to psychological or medical hardship and complete the appropriate paperwork and provide documentation. Moves into Greek housing must meet the criteria set forth in the Greek housing lease. Additional information and forms are available at Housing and Dining Services.

What is the difference between a prime and a standard room?
As a general rule, bathroom facilities and not size, make the difference. A room is typically classified as prime when it is attached to a bathroom that is shared by five or fewer students. A room is usually considered standard when more than five students share the bath. In most standard accommodations, the bath is a large central bath for a floor.

I live in a room with a private bath. Can I have it cleaned?
Private bathrooms are the responsibility of the resident. CPS, the campus cleaning service, does not enter private bathrooms.

What kinds of data network connections are available in the residence halls?
All University-owned buildings provide one Ethernet data connection per resident, except in some cases where connections may need to be shared using a student-provided Ethernet hub or switch. University-owned buildings also feature 802.11b wireless networking and are being upgraded to 802.11 preN (during the timetable Computing Services dictates). University-owned buildings include everything on campus as well as the Shirley Apartments and the university leased Shady Oak Apartments and Veronica Apartments. With very few exceptions, we provide one connection per resident. The remaining Oakland apartments (Cathedral Mansions, Fairfax, London Terrace, and Webster Hall) are not wired for Ethernet but have Broadband Internet service.

How is my room furnished?
Each resident hall at Carnegie Mellon is very different, and as a result the furnishings vary from room to room. A typical room is furnished with a desk, bookshelf, desk lamp, bed, dresser, closet or wardrobe and window coverings for each resident. Students often bring an additional lamp and small area floor rug.

Can I get extra furniture for my room (beds, desks, tables, sofas)?
Standard furniture arrangements vary slightly from building to building. Additional furnishings beyond those provided to each building cannot be supplied to residents unless special circumstances warrant necessary additions. Residents who feel that additions are necessary should contact their facility coordinator in Housing and Dining Services.

How can I get a platform bed for my room?
All available platform beds are placed in the residence halls at the beginning of the school year. Because of the popularity of these platform beds, they are rarely returned to Housing and Dining Services. There are no extra units and in some buildings platform beds are not installed due to factors such as the height of the ceilings, room dimensions and other furniture configurations. Where applicable residents may make a switch within the same building provided they send this request to Housing and Dining Services via the maintenance request system. Housing and Dining Services will then complete the work necessary to move these bed units. Residents should not move platform beds.

Home Constructed Lofts - Residents may receive permission to construct a loft in their room by following the guidelines set forth in the Loft Registration Policy, available on our web site.

Should I use the mattress pad supplied by the University?
Yes. These mattress pads have an inner plastic lining between the quilted facing and will prevent mattresses from becoming soiled. Students will be billed to replace soiled mattresses or missing mattress pads.

What is the size of my mattress?
Mattresses are 39” x 80”. Extra-long twin sheets fit this size.

Can I make repairs to my room/University property?
Students are not permitted to make repairs to university property. Student repairs often do not meet the standards we set and therefore reworking these repairs only adds additional costs. The procedure to submit maintenance requests is detailed in “From the Ground Floor Up: The Student Guide to Housing and Dining Services”.

Can I paint my room? How about my door?
Students are not permitted to paint their rooms or their doors. The cost of returning resident rooms to a standard condition is increased when students personalize their rooms/doors in this way. There are many other ways to personalize your space.

How close are the Oakland Community apartments to campus?
The various apartments are all within a 5-10 minute walking distance of campus. Carnegie Mellon’s shuttle also services these buildings on a regular schedule.

Should I bring a telephone? How does the phone system work?
Yes, bring a phone. Telephone service is provided and includes on campus calling and free local calls. Students who make calls beyond the Pittsburgh area and long distance calls should contract through MobileSphere

How can I rent a refrigerator/freezer or refrigerator/freezer/microwave?
The Melvin Group offers various combination units for rental throughout the year. Please contact the Melvin Group.

Is there storage space available for my personal belongings?
The residential life staff manages a student storage program made available to all campus residents. Information regarding the storage program is available at http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/student-life/srvs/storage.html.

What is an LSCR and how can I complete it?
LSCR is an acronym for Living Space and Condition Report and is submitted electronically. This form is your opportunity to describe your room condition at move in. The e-LSCR link is available at the Housing and Dining Services website; please complete this form in its entirety. If you have any questions please contact your RA or your facility coordinator.

If I don't complete my LSCR (Living Space and Condition Report) can I be held accountable for room conditions at the end of my occupancy?
Yes. It is the resident’s responsibility to complete this electronic form. Housing and Dining Services will perform an audit of returned forms in September and notify students when these forms are missing. Following this notification, we will assume that there were no damages to the furniture, space or any missing items. Residents will then be held accountable for damages in their living space.

What is the PIN for the electronic lock on my door?
A default PIN is assigned to your student Carnegie Mellon ID+ card by Housing and Dining Services. This PIN is identified on the key envelope you receive at check-in. Within the week after your check-in, students should change their PIN at one of the kiosks located near the Morewood Gardens Service Desk, in the Donner House Reading Room or at Housing and Dining Services, Morewood E Tower.

I am locked out of my room, what do I do? I lost my student ID+ card, what do I do?
University Owned Residential Facilities
Residents should have their housing access encoded on the University issued ID+ card. Report lost Carnegie ID+ cards immediately by calling the Card Office at 412-268-5224 and visiting the Card Office for a replacement. Residents locked out of their room can receive a temporary cardkey from Housing and Dining Services. Once a resident has gained access to their living space they should begin to use their ID card again for all access. Roommate access and subsequent access will be unaffected by these processes. Your student account will be assessed in increments of $5 (i.e. $5 for second, $10 for third, etc.) for each key created for you beyond the first replacement or temporary key.

University Leased Residential Facilities
These facilities are comprised of apartments in Cathedral Mansions, Fairfax Apartments, London Terrace, Shady Oak Apartments, Veronica Apartments, and Webster Hall. Residents locked out of any of these spaces during normal business hours, should visit Housing and Dining Services (412-268-2139) to receive assistance. Any student who loses their key(s) should contact Housing and Dining Services immediately for assistance and/or direction. Students who lose a key(s) or fail to return a “loaner key” within 24 hours of issuance will have their student account charged $60 to cover the cost of re-coring the lock and cutting new keys. An additional $25 is charged for lost fobs for applicable buildings. All after hour entry requests should be directed to Campus Police (412-268-2323). Please see “From the Ground Floor Up: The Student Guide to Housing and Dining Services” for more details (available at http://www.housing.cmu.edu).

What is my mailing address?
All campus residents are assigned a Student Mail Code (SMC), which matches a mailbox in the University Mail Center for all campus, U.S. Mail and packages. To speed mail processing and improve campus delivery for residents, the post office routes student mail through this SMC mail code. Your address is:
Name
Carnegie Mellon University
SMC ####
5032 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15289-####