Participating in the Sophomore Scholars in Residence Program and Themed Communities

• Meet any/all course prerequisites in order to participate in the SSIR or living-learning community
• In SSIR communities, commit to enrolling in the course in the one-unit fall semester and the half-unit seminar in the spring semester
• Students must successfully pass the fall semester course to be able to continue to participate in the spring semester for SSIR communities

Students will be enrolled in any/all courses prior to regular course registration each semester by the New Student and Transition Programs Office

• Students participating in SSIR will live with another SSIR student(s), of the same gender, within a single, double, or triple room within South Court residence hall. Roommates may not necessarily be participating within the same SSIR course
• After a student accepts their offer to participate in the program, they will be notified of all other members within the program
• Roommates: students may request a roommate with another SSIR student(s). Students should use the "roommate matching" feature within StarRez to "link" with another SSIR student as a roommate. If a student "links" with a non-SSIR student, that link will be broken and a roommate match will be made with a SSIR student.
• Read and agree to the terms of the Housing Contract
• Housing accommodations are available for students whose medical-related conditions or disabilities substantially limit their housing needs. Submitting a disability medical accommodation request does not automatically guarantee a space in University housing. Students are encouraged to consult and meet with their disability advisors each year or as indicated. Annual applications are encouraged should there be changes in accommodation needs and medical conditions
• Gender flexible housing (GFH): is available within SSIR cohort housing. Interested rising sophomores and above must apply for GFH by completing the GFH Application and Agreement. The Office of Residence Life and Housing will confirm housing deposit is paid, or waiver accepted, and confirm participation in SSIR. All students involved in the selection process must complete and sign a GFH Application and Agreement as an addendum to the regular Housing Contract and pay the housing deposit by the deadline determined by the Office of Residence Life and Housing.

• Attend co-curricular events planned by the faculty that do not interfere with another academic course; these events (dates and times) will be listed in the course syllabus or given by the faculty member
• Commit to the dates of any off-campus community trip
  • All travel is contingent on COVID and the University being in the yellow or green phases of return.
• Agree to and comply with the travel rules and expectations
  • If a student has a Conduct Probation status, at the time of travel, they may not be permitted to travel with the community, or may be required to sign a behavior contract; the director of living-learning programs will contact students in that situation
• Complete the online consent/release for off-campus experiences in BannerWeb,
• Should international travel be a component of the community, the student is responsible for:
  • Completing the required online forms for international travel from the Office of International Education
  • Obtaining any necessary travel documents (e.g. passport, visa, etc.) and providing that information to the living-learning programs office, upon request. Students are required to ensure that all travel documents are valid, current, and do not expire prior to travel dates.
    • Students who do not have a passport or who possess an expired passport, need to complete and submit their application no later than August 1, 2024 (for fall break trips) or November 1, 2024 (for January or March trips)
    • Students who require a visa for travel, need to complete and submit their application no later than 60 days prior to travel
    • The Office of New Student and Transition Programs will provide students who require visas with supporting documentation (e.g. financial statements, itinerary, support letter)
• Be an active member of the living-learning community by participating in programs sponsored by the resident assistant, fellow community members, and the Office of New Student and Transition Programs

Participating in a living-learning community includes a student’s academic status and enrollment as well as their housing assignment and contract. Should a student choose to leave the community for any reason, the following actions (listed below) will occur. Students who choose to withdraw from a community, will be required to meet with the director of living-learning programs and complete the required withdrawal form, before any changes will be made to a student’s housing assignment.

The Office of Living-Learning Programs may remove a student from a living-learning community should the student not follow-through with the terms of this participation agreement. Prior to a student’s removal, the student will be required to meet with the Associate Director, New Student and Transition Programs to discuss their involvement in the community and determine any corrective course of action.

The Richmond and Westhampton College Deans’ Offices, as part of the student disciplinary process, may also remove a student from a living-learning community, who violates conduct outlined in the Student Handbook.

A student who is removed, will be required to move out of the residence hall the community is housed in and withdraw from the course associated with the community; the student may be responsible for any costs for their portion of travel that was reserved and paid for that the University incurred at the time of their removal.