By Dara Adeeyo

The room selection process for Fall 2009 begins next week. First-year students may find the process to be confusing, while upperclassmen-for the most part-will find the process to be a piece of cake. Either way, Residential Programs is trying to make the Fall 2009 room selection process as understandable as possible; information sessions are being held within the residence halls.

Foremost, anyone who decides to go through the room selection process must pay a $300 Housing Deposit online or at Student Accounts by 7 p.m. on Monday, March 9. This is the absolute last day that any student can pay the Housing Deposit and still be able to participate in the room selection process. In addition, a housing application must be filled out online on the Hofstra Portal. If a student decides to not fill out the housing application online, one may be filled out at the housing lottery, but this will delay the room selection process, according to Residential Programs.

Students who decide to enter the housing lottery must attend the lottery date of his or her respective housing choice. The housing lottery choices are as follows: homesteading, relocated student, Graduate/Law, single, double, triple, quad and suite. The homesteading room selection will take place on Tuesday March 10 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. The relocated students room selection lottery will take place on Wednesday, March 11 (time to be determined) in the Plaza Rooms. Graduate/Law room selection lottery is Monday March 23 from 6-8 p.m. in room 142 of the Student Center. Single/triple/quad room selection lottery is Tuesday March 24, 6-10 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. The suite room selection lottery is Wednesday March 25 6-10 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room, and lastly the double room selection lottery is Thursday March 26, 6-9 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room.

Nevertheless, according to Residential Programs, students must remember to bring the following items to the housing lottery: a receipt of the $300 housing deposit, the housing application, room selection letter, and a current Hofstra Card. Homesteaders, please remember to bring the homesteading housing form that can be found on the Hofstra Portal.

Additionally, in the upcoming semester there will be housing changes. According to Lynda J. O’Malley, Associate Dean of Students, Residential Programs is trying to meet the needs of upperclassmen. Colonial Square which is very popular amongst upperclassmen will have 25 suite singles. Suites that were forced doubles will now remain singles. In addition to complying with students’ requests for living spaces in high-rises, Bill of Rights will become a coed residence hall.

“Floors one through five will be coed while floors six through 12 will remain all-female,” says Associate Director of Residential Programs Novia Whyte.

Lastly, Residential Programs would like all students to know that the summer housing process is separate from the Fall 2009 room selection process. Applications for summer housing can be found in the summer bulletin or in the office of Residential Programs which is located on the second floor of the Student Center.

All lasting questions can be directed to the office of Residential Programs or to any Resident Assistant and Resident Director.