BlazerHousingNews. Freshmen Move-In. For Incoming Residence Hall Students & their Families Summer 2016

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BlazerHousingNews For Incoming Residence Hall Students & their Families Summer 2016.. Freshmen Move-In When is move-in?

1 BlazerHousingNews For Incoming Residence Hall Students & their Families Summer Freshmen Move-In When is move-in? Tuesday, August 9 and Wednesday, August 10, are Valdosta State University s freshmen move-in days! We have divided the days into time slots based on your hall. There will be a centralized check-in for each day. At 4pm, check-in will move inside each building to the desk. August 9 8:00 a.m. Langdale Hall 9:00 a.m. Georgia Hall 12:00 p.m. Reade Hall August 10 8:00 a.m. Patterson Hall 9:00 a.m. Lowndes Hall 12:00 p.m. Brown Hall *The first number of your room assignment indicates your floor assignment. Where are the unloading zones? Georgia and Reade Hall residents will use Georgia Avenue and turn in at Powell Hall. Langdale Hall residents will use café lot and the Langdale timed lot. Patterson Hall, Lowndes Hall, and Brown Hall residents will use the main entrance to campus off of Patterson Street. What do I do once my vehicle has been unloaded? To make move-in day as efficient as possible for everyone, you should move your vehicle immediately to the Oak Street Parking Deck once all your belongings have been unloaded. Shuttle buses will continuously run from the Oak Street Parking Deck to main campus for your convenience. Keep in mind that overnight parking is not permitted in Oak Street Parking Deck; the Sustella Deck is available to residents for that service. Will anyone be there to help us move in? Yes! Numerous students, student organizations, faculty, and staff members are excited to help you and your student make a smooth transition into Valdosta State University s residence halls! Don t be surprised if the volunteers take everything and you barely break a sweat. Will my student have anything to do after move-in? Yes, we have several programs that will be happening during Welcome Week and beyond. For starters, our Residence Hall Association (RHA) will be hosting several events during the first five nights we re open. These events include: Grill n Chill, an outdoors socializing program; Getting to Know You S more, where you can grab s mores and get to know your peers; Screen on the Green, where they will be showing movies and providing free popcorn; Street Signs, where you can make your own Street Sign for your room like Amanda Avenue or Seth Street and finally, Sundaes on Sunday, where you can get a cold treat as you walk around to find your classes.

2 Summer After Welcome Week is over, the Housing and Residence Life department will be hosting events over the next four weeks. This series of events is titled Strike a MATCH and focuses on Mingling, Acclimating to campus, Teaching life skills, Community building, and developing VSU into your Home for the next week. You can learn more about all of these events on our website. Lastly, first-year students will be required to attend a mandatory floor meeting soon after move-in. Please be on the lookout for a flyer with information for these meetings when you move in. Freshman Convocation This year s convocation will feature 4 Valdosta State University speakers: Ms. Maya Mapp, Ms. Colleen Kavanaugh, and Mr. Rickey Hooks representing the Student Body, and Dr. Christine James representing the VSU faculty. Ms. Mapp is the incoming Student Government Association President and is majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. Ms. Kavanaugh was last year s Student Government Vice-President and is a Speech Communication major. Mr. Hooks is an Interdisciplinary Studies student and studies Biology, International Business and Psychology. Dr. Christine James is a professor of Philosophy in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Department. All of the speakers will share their thoughts on some of their basic values and discuss why they hold those values. Their talks are inspired by this year s common reader, This I Believe: Life Lessons, edited by Gediman, Gregory, and Gediman. Although we may come from different cities, states and even countries, the common reader is our first connection to each other and to VSU. You will have a chance to share some of your basic values and beliefs at the Discussion Groups scheduled from 4-5PM. Class of 2020, we are glad you have chosen Valdosta State University, and we will officially welcome you at the Convocation at the P.E. Complex at 8:45AM on Thursday, August 11th! GoBlazers! Returning/ Transfer Student Move-In Friday, August 12 th is Valdosta State University s upperclassmen move-in day! We have divided the day into time slots based on your hall and floor assignments. August 12 8:00 a.m. 4p.m. Centennial Hall All floors Georgia Hall 1st 3rd floors 8:00 a.m. Noon Hopper Hall First and fourth floors* Converse Hall All floors Noon 4 p.m. Hopper Hall second and third floors* *The first number of your room assignment indicates your floor assignment. Where are the unloading zones? Centennial Hall residents will use Centennial circle, street side parking off of Sustella Avenue, and Sustella Street Parking Deck. Converse Hall residents will use the Hopper turnaround. Hopper Hall residents will use the Hopper turnaround. Georgia Hall residents will unload curbside and near Powell Hall See you in August! Fall Assignment & Roommate Information Assignments and roommate information will be sent via after July 12th at 2pm. If your application has been accepted and you do not have an assignment, please check back later for your room assignment information. Accessing this information should make it easier for students to speak with their roommates before school starts to decide who is bringing the TV, refrigerator, and other room essentials.

Summer 2016 3 Room Swap/Change Request & Consolidation Process Explained If for some reason you are unhappy with your room assignment, then you can request a room change.

3 Summer Room Swap/Change Request & Consolidation Process Explained If for some reason you are unhappy with your room assignment, then you can request a room change. Please note that we do not do any room changes until after the 2 nd week of classes. At that time the room change process will start and more information will become available as we near that time. If you do not have a roommate after the room change process, then you may be required to consolidate with another resident in the same situation. Lists of students in your building who also need roommates will be available. Returning students should be aware that, due to cancellations, if your room/apartment was not completely filled, then you may have been moved elsewhere in your assigned building. Basic Information about Renter's Insurance for Residents Every year college students lose millions of dollars worth of property. Valdosta State University does not insure any personal items. Therefore, it is important to learn how to protect your personal property in the residence halls. Students are often covered under their parents homeowner s insurance policy, so be sure to check your policy. Renter s insurance is available to any resident who is not protected by his or her parents insurance. Policies provide coverage for many items commonly found in residence halls, including clothing, computers, school supplies, and electronic devices. VSU has information about (but does not sponsor) four companies that provide insurance for students personal property. National Student Services, Inc. offers a Student Personal Property Plan and coverage for both on- and offcampus housing. CSI Insurance Agency, Inc., offers a Student Personal Property Protector Plus program, which covers your property worldwide for 12 months. Next Generation Insurance Group offers a student plan that covers personal liability coverage and student property protection. Sallie Mae Insurance Services offers insurance that includes property and liability protection, replacement cost, and loss of use coverage. Insurance policies have limitations and restrictions, so be sure to read each policy carefully. Web addresses to each agency are provided below. Helpful websites for finding Renter s Insurance: National Student Services, Inc. CSI Insurance Agency, Inc. Next Generation Insurance Group Sallie Mae Insurance Services RESIDENCE HALL HOLIDAY CLOSINGS All residence halls will close/re-open for holidays CLOSE November 5 p.m. December 9 a.m. March 5 p.m. as follows: Thanksgiving Winter Holidays Spring Break RE-OPEN November 4 p.m. January 4 or 10 a.m. March 10 a.m. Plan ahead and make arrangements for transportation and a place to stay during these breaks. NOTE: CENTENNIAL & CONVERSE HALLS DO NOT CLOSE. Centennial and Converse do not close for break periods, but they do close for the two weeks between the contract ending in July and the new contract beginning in August.

Summer 2016 4 Directions to Your Hall PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS PROVIDED RATHER THAN USING A GPS.

4 Summer Directions to Your Hall PLEASE FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS PROVIDED RATHER THAN USING A GPS. Also note that driving directions are different for Move-In Day to help us alleviate traffic on this busy day and improve the quality of your move-in experience. Your cooperation in using the following directions and designated parking areas will help Move-In Day run smoothly. With over 1800 new families entering the campus over two-days, traffic is likely to become congested. Move-in Day staff will be available to assist you with parking & unloading. GEORGIA AND READE HALLS Interstate 75 take the US-84/US-221 exit, EXIT 16, toward Valdosta/Quitman. From Northbound 75, exit and turn RIGHT onto W Hill Ave. From Southbound 75, exit and turn LEFT onto W Hill Ave. Continue for a little over 2 miles. Turn LEFT onto N Oak St. (N Oak St is just past S Briggs St. If you reach N Toombs St you've gone a little too far). When the road becomes two lanes, after Baytree Rd., GET IN THE LEFT LANE. LANGDALE HALL Interstate 75 take the US-84/US-221 exit, EXIT 16, toward Valdosta/Quitman. From Northbound 75, exit and turn RIGHT onto W Hill Ave. From Southbound 75, exit and turn LEFT onto W Hill Ave. Continue for a little over 2 miles. Turn LEFT onto N Oak St. (N Oak St is just past S Briggs St. If you reach N Toombs St you've gone a little too far). When the road becomes two lanes, after Baytree Rd., GET IN THE RIGHT LANE. Follow move-in signs. At the next stop light, turn RIGHT onto Georgia Ave. Continue down Georgia Ave. for.05 miles until you see the signs for move-in. PATTERSON, BROWN, & LOWNDES HALLS Interstate 75 take the US-41 S/North Valdosta Rd exit, EXIT 22, toward I-75. Both North and Southbound I75, exit and turn RIGHT onto US-41 S/GA-7 toward Moody A.F.B. Travel down North Valdosta Rd. for about 5 miles. The road turn into North Ashley St. Turn RIGHT onto Woodrow Wilson Dr., this is 0.1 miles past Janet St. Then turn LEFT on North Patterson St. Continue on North Patterson St. until the university is on your right. Turn RIGHT into main entrance of campus. If you reach West Brookwood Pl., then you ve gone a little too far.

Summer 2016 5 Local Phone Service Mail and Packages Each resident is assigned a mailbox. Refer to the information listed below to access your VSU box number and combination.

5 Summer Local Phone Service Mail and Packages Each resident is assigned a mailbox. Refer to the information listed below to access your VSU box number and combination. Centennial residents will get their mail in Centennial Hall, and all other residents will get their mail in Hopper Hall. Note: Items requiring a signature or items that are too large to fit in your mailbox will be distributed at the Student Mail Center in Hopper Hall. You will receive a VSU notification and can claim the item at the Student Mail Center with a VSU student ID. Hours: Monday Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. VSU BOX ADDRESS Students should make sure that their mail is addressed as follows: Student's Name Vsu (Box Number) 1500 N. Patterson St. Valdosta State University Valdosta, Ga VSU Box Address Number & Combination Access Go to Click on: Current Students Click on: Banner (Registration) Click on: Login (Enter your user ID = student identification number and PIN = 6 digit birthday, use MMDDYY) Click on: Student and Financial Aid Click on: Campus Mail Box Choose term Box assignment and combination may be viewed on this screen. Note: Combinations will not be available until the beginning of the semester. Local phone service is not provided in the residence hall student rooms. If students would like to order local access, they will need to call the AT&T Residential Sales line at or access the AT&T website ( click on the SHOP tab, and then select Home Phone Plan) and place an order with their address, including residence hall and room number. At this site they will find the current rates, installation, termination, and any promotions that may be available at the time of their order. Parking & Transportation How to register for a Parking Permit & Avoid Long Registration Lines Many of you have probably already attended an orientation session and registered for a parking permit to be added into your fees. After adding the permit charge to your fees, you must then log into our Web portal to submit your vehicle information to receive your permit; permits are available for sale at the beginning of July. You may do this electronically at Fall parking permits, which are valid the entire year, cost $50. Each student will be charged a mandatory $118 parking facility fee and a $35 transportation fee each semester; the parking permit fee is a separate charge. You may also obtain your parking permit in our office, first level of the Sustella Avenue Parking Deck Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. All visitors to the university should obtain a visitor s parking permit at the Parking & Transportation Department before parking a vehicle on campus.

6 Summer

Summer 2016 7 What to Bring Students may want to bring several items for their rooms. Each student will be responsible for providing his/her own bedding needs and towels.

The following items are additional suggestions generated by students who have lived on campus: Flashlight and batteries In case of power outage (candles are prohibited) Alarm clock and/or clock radio

7 Summer What to Bring Students may want to bring several items for their rooms. Each student will be responsible for providing his/her own bedding needs and towels. Students have access to laundry facilities in the residence halls. The following items are additional suggestions generated by students who have lived on campus: Flashlight and batteries In case of power outage (candles are prohibited) Alarm clock and/or clock radio Personal hygiene items Shower caddy and shower shoes Pens, pencils, paper, notebooks for academic work Posters and room decorations Stereo and/or radio ipod / Mp3 player Small television Philo is available in each room. Telephone Local phone service is not provided in each room, so only bring if you are contracting with AT&T. Cordless phones must be 900 MHz or 5.8 GHz Small microwave Great for popcorn and reheating pizza Compact refrigerator Max. 3.8 cubic feet Plastic cups, plates, and eating utensils Dish pan, cloth, towel, and dishwashing liquid Personal cleaning supplies Cleaners, sponges, broom, or vacuum. (Students are responsible for cleaning their rooms, including kitchens and bathrooms in the suites/ apartments). Desk lamp Laundry bag, detergent Sewing kit Hangers Wastebasket Can opener Surge protector (UL 1449 rated) Rug 9x12 is a good size for most rooms Window curtains Blinds are provided. Curtains must be hung with tension rods. Windows vary slightly in size depending on the building. We advise you to purchase your curtains after you arrive. What to Leave:.. The following items are prohibited in residence halls: Firearms, knives, air guns, martial arts weapons, or weapons of any kind Candles, incense, or any item that produces or has an open flame Fireworks, smoke bombs, sparklers, etc. Cooking devices, including, but not limited to, broilers, toaster ovens, electric skillets, hot plates, hot pots, and George Foreman grills Room heating devices with exposed heating coils 2.4 GHz cordless phones Wireless routers Flammable and/or combustible items Contact paper Duct tape Extension cords Chemicals Hookahs Light dimmers, ceiling fans, or any other device that interferes with the electricity of the room Weight lifting apparatus, such as barbells Pets (with the exception of noncarnivorous fish) Waterbeds and water furniture Refrigerators, except as previously defined Hoverboards NOTE: The preceding list is not all-inclusive. Please call the housing office if you have any questions.

Summer 2016 8 Residence Hall Association How do I apply? Area Council applications will be available starting during welcome week!

Campaigning guidelines, interest meeting dates, and other information will be available on the RHA page following the release of the application.

8 Summer Residence Hall Association How do I apply? Area Council applications will be available starting during welcome week! The applications will be due August 26th and applicants can start campaigning as soon as they turn in their application to the RHA office! Campaigning guidelines, interest meeting dates, and other information will be available on the RHA page following the release of the application. If you have any questions, feel free to the RHA Executive Board at RHA@valdosta.edu or look at the RHA website at rhavaldosta.wix.com/rhavaldosta and on the Valdosta State University page. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) at Valdosta State is a highly involved student organization. They strive to create the best living experience possible for their residents and are looking for the help of incoming students to fill their Area Councils RHA Executive Board President: Dahnea Finkley Vice President: James Cutts Secretary: Jazmin Serrano-Arce Treasurer: Devin Spencer Event Coordinator: Bria Jackson NCC: Maya Mapp NCC-IT: Bailey Moore Public Relations: Erykah Evans What is Hall Council? Area Council is a student organization for each of the Residential Areas (Southside, Northside, and Midtown). There are open positions for each area, like President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Event Coordinator, and Hall Senator. You have the opportunity to run for one of these positions as soon as you arrive on campus! After being elected, you ll be trained by our RHA Executive Board in order to be the voice for your Residential Area and to put on fun events for your fellow residents. Goals Our goal as the Residence Hall Association is to create a desirable on campus living experience through the advocacy of our resident s interests and by creating engaging programs. In addition, we strive to encourage growth and development through lasting relationships among our residents. We as RHA want to make sure each resident has the best living experience possible and the Area Councils play a key role in helping achieve it. Attention Freshmen Students! If you plan to move in on Tuesday, August 9 th or Wednesday, August 10 th Freshmen Move-In Days RHA would like to welcome you to VSU! Stop by our Welcome Week events just for freshmen! Check the RHA calendar included in your welcome pack during move-in for more details

Summer 2016 9 Room Decorating Contest...... Show us who YOU are! Housing and Residence Life is sponsoring VSU s annual Room Decorating Contest!

Judging is scheduled to take place toward the middle of September.

Deck out your room in things that are unique to who you are as an individual and as a Blazer! Do you have what it takes to win?

Days. Allow pictures taken of your room to be included in promotional pictures for Housing and Residence Life publications (i.e. website, brochures, etc.

9 Summer Room Decorating Contest Show us who YOU are! Housing and Residence Life is sponsoring VSU s annual Room Decorating Contest!!!! Find your inner interior decorator and use your skills to transform your room! You will be judged on factors such as originality, organization, and style. Judging is scheduled to take place toward the middle of September. We are looking for a male and female winner from each hall and two grand prize campus winners! Deck out your room in things that are unique to who you are as an individual and as a Blazer! Do you have what it takes to win? Please be aware that winners are expected to do the following: Show your room to prospective students for the entire academic year, especially on Visitation Days. Allow pictures taken of your room to be included in promotional pictures for Housing and Residence Life publications (i.e. website, brochures, etc.) Have NO illegal possessions (i.e. drug paraphernalia, substances, etc.) in your room. Also, no promotional material or insignia of other collegiate institutions. We need VSU Blazer pride only! Have no prior housing/university infractions or disciplinary sanction. *Note: All housing guidelines for decorating must be followed Good Luck & May The Best Room Win!

Birthday Recognition Program Fall Explosion Each month Housing and Residence Life sends out postcards to recognize the birthdays of our residents.

. Fall Explosion is a series of planned events that take place every year during the first few weeks of fall semester.

edu/student/student-life/ourservices/special-events/ Homecoming 2016 Homecoming 2016 is October 17 th -22 nd.

VSU parents and families are valued partners in each student s educational journey.

10 Birthday Recognition Program Fall Explosion Each month Housing and Residence Life sends out postcards to recognize the birthdays of our residents. When you receive your card, stop by our office to exchange your card for a treat!. Fall Explosion is a series of planned events that take place every year during the first few weeks of fall semester. Fall Explosion is a collaborative effort among several VSU departments to aid new students in acclimating to college life and to engage those students in purposeful extracurricular activities. Some event highlights include: The Happening; cookouts; movies on the lawn; free game room hours; tie-dye and much, much more. Homecoming 2016 Homecoming 2016 is October 17 th -22 nd. There will be campus activities going on all week leading up to the Homecoming football game on November 22 nd. Contact Student Life for more information at Parent & Family Programs: Parent and Family Programs serves as a resource and a way for VSU parents and families to be involved in the life of the university. VSU parents and families are valued partners in each student s educational journey. There are a variety of ways to stay connected; one of the most important ways is by visiting the Parent Resource website ( and registering your contact information. We will use the contact information submitted to keep you up to date on campus activities, important dates, and general advice on how to support your student as they navigate their own independence. Other Ways to Stay Connected: Facebook: Website: vstateparent@valdosta.edu Please feel free to contact Niki Turley, Associate Dean of Students, by phone at (229) if you have questions or need additional information. Be sure to follow us!

LINCOLN PARK. university center. MOVINg IN at DEPAUL

LINCOLN PARK. university center. MOVINg IN at DEPAUL LINCOLN PARK university center MOVINg IN at DEPAUL 2018-2019 Welcome to university center (loop) Housing! This guide contains important information about how to determine your official move-in date, time