What is room squatting?

Room Squatting is the way a student can reserve their current room for next year, or become roommates with a friend who is reserving their current room for next year. 

Who is able to squat their room?

There are 3 requirements for room squatting. 1) All roommates need to be registered for classes by Room Squatting Night. 2) The room needs to be full - two people in a double, three people in a triple, etc. 3) Minimum of one person needs to live in the room this semester.  

I’m currently in a double room without a roommate. Can I squat my room by myself? What about with a roommate?

No, you can’t squat a double room without a roommate. (See requirement #2 - the room needs to be fully occupied.) However, you can squat the room if you find a roommate because that would make the room full. 

When and where does room squatting occur? About how long will it take? 

Room Squatting Night is on Tuesday, April 13th 2021 at 9:30pm for all residence halls. It will occur in the main lounge of the hall and should take 15-45 minutes. You will simply form a line in the main lounge. When you are called to the next available Res Life table, staff members will verify that you meet the qualifications and send you an electronic receipt showing the room that you successfully squatted. 

Do I have to complete any forms before going to room squatting night?  

You should make sure that you are registered for classes, but you don’t need to complete any forms for room squatting - just show up. 

Does everyone have to go to Room Squatting Night? 

Room Squatting Night is only for students who wish to reserve their current room (or join a friend in a friend’s current room) in a residence hall. All students in that situation should attend. 

What if my intended roommate is unable to attend Room Squatting Night? 

The person who is unable to attend Room Squatting Night should email the RD of the building where they hope to squat a room before 8pm on Tuesday, April 13th 2021. That email should include the person’s intended room and roommate. As long as the RD has received that email, the roommate who IS present will be able to squat the room on behalf of both roommates. 

What if I plan to squat my single room but I can’t attend Room Squatting Night? 

Email your RD before 8pm on Tuesday, April 13th 2021 with the information that you are unable to attend Room Squatting Night but you would like to squat your room. Note that if you are not registered for classes by that time, your request for room squatting will not be approved. 

I’m a remote learner for this semester. Is there any way to squat a room? 

You could help fill up someone else’s room if they are hoping to squat the room but don’t have enough people. For example, let’s say you lived with Sam in the Fall semester, then went remote, and Sam lives by themselves and wants to keep the room and live with you again. You could email your RD and indicate this request. Sam could go to Room Squatting Night and squat the room for both of you as long as you meet the three requirements (registered, full room, current room of at least 1 roommate). 

I currently live on a floor that will be closed next year. Do I have the option to squat a different room? 

Yes. Come to Room Squatting Night in your current residence hall at 10pm (the event starts at 9:30pm). Once everyone has squatted their rooms who wishes to do so, you will have the opportunity to select an available room on a different floor in your current building. You will need to choose the same general type of room (double, triple. etc.) Specifically, if you currently have a roommate, you will not be permitted to “squat” a single occupancy room. If you prefer to switch room types, you should complete the Room Draw Participation Form instead. 

I’m not going to be able to register for classes before room squatting night for financial reasons or because my advisor/professor is delayed for some reason. How do I request an exemption so that I can squat my room despite not being registered? 

Email housing@houghton.edu the details of your situation and request as soon as possible. There is no guarantee that you will be permitted to participate in Room Selection before you are registered for classes. However, we will certainly work with you to find housing once you are registered, even if that’s weeks or months later. 

What happens if I go to Room Squatting Night and Res Life staff tells me that I’m not able to squat a room because I don’t meet the qualifications explained above? 

You will be directed to complete the Room Draw Participation Form instead. Your current room will become available for anyone to select, or it may be reserved for first year students.

What is Room Draw? 

Room Draw is the in-person process by which current students choose their residence hall room for next year. 

When and where is Room Draw? 

You will receive an email by April 19th, 2021 with your specific date, time, and location. Room Draw occurs in the evenings of April 20th and 21st. 

Do I have to sign up in advance to participate in Room Draw? 

Yes! We need you to sign up in advance so that we can put everyone in order by class and whether or not their room is full.

What happens after I complete the Room Draw Participation Form? 

By April 19th, you will receive an email indicating your Room Draw number and the time and place where you should attend Room Draw. 

How is the order for Room Draw determined? 

First, we look at every person who plans to live in a full room (two people in a double room, three in a triple room, etc.). That group of students is put in order based on how many credits they have earned to this point. It’s a seniority system. Then, we also group the students who do not have specific plans to live in a full room and put them in order based on earned credits. Here’s the order:

Seniors (Full Room); Juniors (Full Room); Sophomores (Full Room); Freshman (Full Room); Seniors (Partly Full room); Juniors (Partly Full Room); Sophomores (Partly Full Room); Freshman (Partly Full Room)

If you want to have a better chance of selecting your preferred floor or room, find a roommate before Room Draw Participation Forms are due and make sure you both/all list each other. 

How much do the different kinds of rooms cost? 

https://www.houghton.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Room-Type-Chart-with-20_21-Costs.pdf

In general, rooms for fewer people cost more (singles are the most expensive; quads are least expensive). If you want to save money, find a roommate. 

I would prefer to live by myself. What are my options? 

Women’s Halls: Gillette has some single occupancy room options scattered throughout the building. It also has “Large Singles” on 2nd Main. You can try to select one of those rooms through Room Draw - they cost more than a double room but less than a double as a single. If they are all taken, you can choose to pay for a double as a single in either Gillette or Lambein. 

Men’s Halls: Roth has some single occupancy rooms (generally rooms ending in 01 or 11). You can try to select one of those rooms through Room Draw - they cost more than a double room but less than a double as a single. If they are all taken, you can choose to pay for a double as a single in either Roth or Shen.

I would prefer to live with a roommate for personal or financial reasons, but I don’t have a roommate yet. Please advise. 

Look for an email from your RD with virtual and/or in person opportunities to connect with other people who are in the same situation - wanting a roommate but not having found one yet. We encourage you to communicate openly with a potential roommate about your preferences, but also to recognize that sharing a space with someone else always requires some flexibility and compromise. 

If you come to Room Draw and request a double room but you don’t have a roommate, we will assign you a room with another person in the same situation. In order to exercise your own choice in the matter, we encourage you to find a roommate before Room Draw if possible. 

You will not have the option to indicate that you are “open to having a roommate” and not be assigned one at Room Draw. We’ve found that it is harder to pair first year students with returning students, so we’re pairing returning students with returning students instead. Particularly as we are consolidating floors in most residence halls, we will need to use the spaces we have a little more efficiently. 

I have a friend who will start at Houghton next Fall and we want to be roommates. How does that work?

We are happy to place you with a first year student if you already know that person and mutually request each other. Just let us know that person’s name at Room Draw and encourage your friend to request you on their Enrollment Profile & Roommate Selection Form. If that person does not request you, you will be charged for a double as a single. 

I’m an on-campus student but I’m not able to attend Room Draw. What should I do? 

Complete the Room Draw Participation Form and email your RD that your roommate (or a designated friend) can act as your proxy, selecting a room for you because you can’t be there in person. It is preferable that you attend in person if at all possible and the process will not take more than 30 minutes, so please consider rearranging your schedule so you are able to attend. 

I’m a remote learner. How do I participate in Room Draw?  

Complete the Room Draw Participation Form and include your phone number. When it’s your turn to select a room, you will receive a phone call during a specified time which you’ll receive in the same email as your Room Draw number. Essentially, we’ll fold you into our existing on campus process but instead of stepping up to a table, you’ll receive a brief phone call where you confirm your room choice. 

If both roommates get a number for Room Draw (ex. Person A gets #12 and Person B gets #39), will they both need to attend Room Draw? 

As long as the information on the Room Draw Participation Forms lines up for both roommates (i.e. they list each other and the same building), the roommate with the lower number (Person A, #12) will be able to select a room on behalf of both roommates and the second roommate (Person B, #39) will not need to attend Room Draw at all. Both roommates would receive an email confirmation of the selected room.