Online Room Selection - Open Selection Week for current residents and currently enrolled commuters
NEW Online Room Selection! Please read these instructions carefully!
As a current resident, you get to choose where and with whom you’ll live next fall and spring! Current, enrolled USM commuters are also eligible to take part in online Room Selection. In submitting a housing contract, you are agreeing to a year-long financial commitment for housing.*
* Exceptions made for students who are not attending USM in spring.
If you do not participate in online Room Selection, you will lose your priority as a returning resident to select a specific room. You can still apply for housing, but your contract will be put in date order with all new incoming contracts.
NOTE: New students for Fall 2014 (whether first year or transfers) may not participate in Room Selection, and may not be pulled in as roommates in online selection. New and transfer students apply separately and will be assigned later.
When do I select a room online?
Monday, April 14th 6am–10pm Retainers Selection Day - Keep your current room.
At least one person in a room must currently be living there to select it, but may pull in the same or different roommates. You must fill the room to retain it! If the room is not filled by the end of the selection day, all in the room will be unassigned and will have to choose new spaces during Open Selection Week. If none of the people in a selected room are current residents, then all in the room will be unassigned and all will have to choose new spaces during Open Selection Week.
Tuesday, April 15th 6am-10pm Living Learning Community/themed floor selection day - current residents of these communities (see list below) who wish to return to their community may select.
Only other current community residents may be pulled in as roommates, but you do not have to fill the room. Students who do not currently live on either an LLC or themed floor and want to join a community must contact Katherine Friedlander prior to April 15th at kfriedlander@usm.maine.edu. If you do not want to return to your community, select a different room on your class standing selection day or get pulled in to a room by a friend.
Learning communities and themed floors are Woodward Hall, Russell Scholars; 1st West Philippi Hall, Pioneers; 2nd Hastings, Honors; 3rd Anderson, SENSE; 4th Anderson, Sport Management; 5th Anderson, Substance Free; 2nd Robie and 2nd Andrews, Community of Arts; 2nd East wing Philippi, Rainbow Floor.
For the following selection dates, your selection date is based on your earned credit hours. You do not have to fill rooms selected on the dates below. You can pull in any class standing on your day. For example, if you are a senior and select on April 16, you can pull in anyone, as long as they qualify for that building (i.e. Upperclass and Philippi - ask us if you have questions). You can check your earned credit hours from your MaineStreet Student Center. Click on Academic Summary, and at the top left you’ll see your earned credit hours. If you don’t select on your class standing day, you can select during Open Selection Week.
Wednesday, April 16th 6am–10pm Graduate and Senior Class selection day - earned credit hours 84 or above or graduate status
Friday, April 18th 6am–10pm Junior Class selection day - earned credit hours 54-83
Monday, April 21st 6am–10pm Displacements selection day (all students who were not allowed to choose their current room, floor or building - you would have received an e-mail from Residential Life if you were displaced)
Tuesday, April 22nd 6am–10pm Sophomore Class selection day - earned credit hours 24-53
Thursday, April 24th 6am–10pm Freshman Class selection day - earned credit hours 0-23
Friday, April 25th - Friday, May 2nd 6am 4/25-10pm 5/2 Open Selection Week
How do I prepare for Room Selection?
Before you log in to MaineStreet on your selection day, refer to the breadcrumbs screen shots document and the update to navigation that was e-mailed to all campus residents.
(Briefly, log in to MaineStreet. Click on Student Self Service, then Student Center. Then choose Main Menu at the top of the screen > Self Service > Residence Life > View My Lottery Numbers. Then you can click on "Lottery is available" to go to the room list to select your space.)
Commuters, contact reslife@usm.maine.edu and we can send the document to you. The document shows how to navigate to online selection and the steps to select a room and meal plan. Use Internet Explorer for best results.
Before your Room Selection:
- Make sure your student bill is current on your payment plan or paid in full.
- Complete a housing application/contract and return it to Residential Life in 100 Upton Hall. Although you can participate online without handing in an application first, we need it in hand by June 2, 2014 or your room for fall 2014 will be canceled.
- Choose a roommate(s). You’ll need their MaineStreet ID number if you want to pull them in on your selection day.
- Make sure you have access to a computer and the internet (use Internet Explorer for best results in MaineStreet). Check out the floor plans in the housing binders in hall staff offices if you’re curious about building layouts.
- You need to be 19 years old or sophomore standing (earned credit hours 24 or above) by August 31, 2014 in order to choose Philippi Hall or Upperclass Hall.
What if I want to retain my current room for next year?
To keep your current room, select it online April 14. You may pull in the same or different roommates. The roommates may be current residents or current, enrolled commuters. You must fill the room to retain it! If none of the people in a selected room are current residents, or if the room is not filled completely by the end of the selection day, then all in the room will be unassigned and all will have to choose new spaces during Open Selection Week.
Please note we will not be offering double conversions to large singles at this time, so converted doubles cannot be retained as large singles.
Medical Singles: If you want to remain in a medical single, you must first reapply to the Disabilities Services Center, and, if approved, see Samantha George in Residential Life to choose a space no later than April 4, 2014.
Which rooms can’t I choose at all? What do I do?
The following floors/rooms cannot be selected – please go through online Room Selection to choose new rooms. If you live in any of these rooms currently, you are considered displaced and can either choose on your class day or the Displacements selection day.
- 3rd Upton, First Year Integration floor
- Any rooms designated as medical singles or staff rooms for next year
- Any Dickey Wood rooms
What if I want to move to a different hall or room?
You will either select a room on your class standing day, or if you want to live with someone else, they can pull you in as a roommate on their selection day.
How do I select a gender neutral room?
Please come see us in 100 Upton Hall on your selection day to choose a room! Gender neutral selection is not an option online at this time. Gender neutral rooms are available in Upperclass Hall or Philippi Hall – any of these room can be made gender neutral. A supplemental Gender Neutral contract will be required only if the genders on the housing applications and in MaineStreet result in a mixed gender room.
What if I don’t have a roommate picked out?
Either someone will select a space in the room during online selection, or we will add a roommate to the room during the summer. You will be notified of roommates via your university e-mail account.
Anything else?
If you have any questions, contact Residential Life in 100 Upton Hall. Our hours are 8am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Call 207-780-5240 or e-mail reslife@usm.maine.edu. If you can’t reach our office, please see your Resident Director. Please note, we will not be mailing assignment letters out to you after this process. We will send you an e-mail with the date and time of move in for the fall semester, sometime during the summer.
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