A contract release is a last resort and will be considered only after all other options have been
considered. If you request to be released from your housing contract, you are still financially
responsible for your contract until a decision regarding your request has been made and you have
officially canceled, returned all University property, and officially checked out. The following are
reasons for contract release:
Registration
If you are dropping your registration, go to the Registrar's Office, 17 Calvin Hall to receive
a registration withdrawal card. This card must be presented to the staff at Contracts and
Assignments, 4141 Burge Hall, for a signature, at which time you will be provided with
necessary cancellation forms. If you are leaving the University at the end of fall semester, you
must cancel your housing contract at the University Housing Office, 4141 Burge Hall. Failure
to do so will result in continued billing for room and meals.Canceling your registration does not automatically cancel your housing contract. If you cancel your housing and subsequently re-enroll during the academic year you will be charged for housing for the remainder of the contact period.
Marriage
If you are going to be married and will be living with your spouse in the community, go to
the Contracts and Assignments, 4141 Burge Hall to complete a "request to cancel" form.
Charges will not be stopped until the original signed marriage certificate is presented at
Contracts and Assignments. Same gender domestic partners can also request a release from
their contract by completing a partnership form. To inquire about apartments, contact the
University Apartments Office at 335-9199.
Medical
To request a contract release for medical reasons, go to the Contracts and Assignments Office in Burge Hall to obtain the petition for release. You may be asked to set up an appointment with the Contract Release Review Committee. If the committee recommends release from your housing contract and the Contracts and Assignments Office concurs, you will be notified by the Contracts and Assignments Office. You will need to complete cancellation forms at the Contracts and Assignments Office.
Financial
To request a contract release for financial reasons, go to Contracts and Assignments, 4141
Burge Hall to obtain a petition for release. Petitions with the following condition will be
considered: catastrophic change in your financial situation after your contract became binding
(involuntary loss of a job by you or your parent, large medical bills not covered by insurance,
parent's death, etc.).
Written documentation must be provided for evidence of loss. You may be asked to set up
an appointment with the Contract Release Review Committee. If the committee recommends
release from your housing contract and Contracts and Assignments concurs, you will be
notified by Contracts and Assignments. You will need to complete cancellation forms at
Contracts and Assignments.
If Not Approved...
If you do not qualify to be released from your contract for the above reasons (i.e.,
registration, marriage, medical, financial) you may cancel your contract by paying 80% of the
remainder of your contract.
To participate in the 80% buyout option, go to Contracts and Assignments, 4141 Burge
Hall. A Contracts and Assignments staff member will calculate 80% of the remainder of your
contract. They will then provide you with an 80% Buyout Cancellation Form to complete.
If Approved...
Once your request for release has been approved, go to Contracts and Assignments, 4141
Burge Hall to complete a cancel form. This will begin the cancellation process, canceling your
room and, if applicable, meal plan, and Mayflower parking. After the cancellation form is
completed at Contracts and Assignments, you will need to properly check out at your residence
hall, including turning in your keys within 24 hours at your 24-hour desk. You will also
complete an address forwarding card at the desk for your U.S. mail. You must change your
residing address on ISIS.
Cancellation of your room and meal plan contract does not cancel your Hawkeye Dollars
account, unless you are withdrawing from the University. You must complete a request for
refund form.
Residents of Mayflower who have a parking sticker and gate key should return these items
to the parking office located in the IMU Parking Ramp. Upon receipt of your parking sticker
remains and key, a pro rata credit will be issued on your next University bill.
Telephone long-distance authorization codes must be canceled at ITS Customer
Information, 2800 University Capital Center.
Care/Cleanliness of Rooms
Students are responsible for the cleanliness and care of their rooms and common space for
health and safety reasons. Students who refuse this responsibility may face disciplinary action.
Each student will be accountable for any deterioration of the room or its contents (beyond normal
wear and tear). Charges will be assessed for such damages and deterioration (see Damage
section). Custodians will regularly clean and remove trash from public bathrooms and other public
areas. Students who live in rooms with baths/kitchens are expected to clean their own facilities.
Students will be held financially responsible for accidental damage to the residence halls.
Check-In
To check into a residence hall room, a student must first have a contract with the
University Housing. Students must sign-out keys from their 24-hour desk and complete a
room condition checklist with a Resident Assistant (RA). The room condition checklist is
checked against the condition of your room when you vacate the room. Any changes in condition
beyond normal wear and tear will be billed to the student(s) of the room. It is important that this
document be filled out completely and thoroughly. It is also important that students report any
maintenance needs to their 24-hour desk in a timely manner so they can be taken care of as soon
as possible.
Check-Out
Students moving out of the residence halls at the end of their contract must check out
properly. Students must check-out no more than 24 hours after their last final exam in the fall and
spring semester. To ensure proper check-out, follow these steps:
Remove all your personal belongings.
Clean your room, the floor, the furniture. Check your desk and dresser drawers a final time. Close and lock the windows.
Be sure that all residence hall furniture is returned to its original condition.
Report to your 24 hour desk to complete check-out paperwork, complete the room condition checklist with an RA, fill-out a forwarding address card, return your keys, and sign out.
If applicable, see parking on page 20.
Students should also change their address information on ISIS.
Students who fail to properly check out may be assessed a $50 improper check-out charge. See Canceling Your Housing Contract, page 6.
If an emergency occurs and you cannot come to the Contracts and Assignments Office prior to your leaving the University, please do the following:
Complete and return an after-hours cancellation form available at the 24-hour desk.
Complete check-out procedures as outlined above with the desk clerk at the 24-hour desk.
If for some reason you become ill or are involved in an accident and you are leaving school for
the remainder of the semester or year, please call or have your parents call Contracts and
Assignments at (319) 335-3000 to discuss your options.
Computers
All students living in the residence halls have a high-speed direct ethernet connection to the
campus network and internet. This service, called ResNet, is supported by Information Technology
Services (ITS). For more information on hardware and software requirements for this service visit
http://housing.uiowa.edu/resnet/ or contact ITS at 384-4357. In addition, all residents are
expected to abide by the ResNet Acceptable Use Policy, see pages 31 and 34-37.
ITCs are located in Burge, Hillcrest, Quad, Mayflower, and Currier.
Your housing contract is an important document that represents a legally binding agreement
between you and University Housing. Both parties have rights, responsibilities, and obligations
which are detailed in the contract. Be sure to read the contract carefully to familiarize yourself with
the terms and conditions.
Contracts are for an academic year. Students living in the residence halls during the first semester of an academic year will not be released from their contracts for the second semester unless they are no longer registered at The University of Iowa. There are a few exceptions to this.
A copy of the residence hall contract is included in this guidebook beginning on page 39.
Convenience Stores
There are three convenience stores (C-Stores) housed within the residence halls. They are
located in Currier, Hillcrest, and Mayflower. Students may purchase items at these stores by paying
cash, using their student charge account or using their Hawkeye Dollars. Hours are posted at the
entrance of each store.
Cooking Appliances
In an attempt to keep the residence halls as safe as possible, the types of appliances that are allowed for cooking are limited. Only those appliances that do not: 1) have an exposed heating element; 2) use cooking greases; 3) or have an open flame are allowed. We also highly recommend using appliances that have an auto shut-off feature. Electric grills (i.e., George Foreman), pizza cookers, and toaster ovens are NOT allowed. Residence hall rooms with a kitchen provided (Mayflower) may use toaster ovens in the kitchen area only.
Cost Recovery Charge
Any resident who is evicted for disciplinary reasons or released from their contract during the
year may be subject to a cost recovery charge (this is referred to in the contract as a debt service
recovery charge), which will be prorated on a weekly basis over the course of the academic year.
Actual costs will be determined at checkout. This charge partially recovers fixed costs the contract
holder would normally pay for the remainder of the academic year.
