Student Handbook – Housing and Dining

Residential Dining

2009–2010 Meal Plan
Residential Dining manages food operations as an integral part of each of the nine residential colleges. The student meal plan is predicated on wellness, flexibility and convenience. As a built-in convenience, students are not limited in the amount of food consumed at each meal. We encourage you to enjoy all of our offerings and to select the food and features that best suit your schedule and tastes.

The manager and chef in each dining hall is responsible for its operation. They are interested in your suggestions and are responsive to the particular wishes of your college. Each manager reports to the Director of Residential Dining and operates within the guidelines of the Department of Housing and Dining and the University. However, matters relating to dining room décor and furnishing are maintained as the responsibility of the residential colleges. Individual colleges make decisions regarding closing or restricting access to a dining room, and dining room activities such as theater and music.

On-Campus Meal Plan
Meal service is available throughout the week and provides for breakfast, lunch and dinner from Monday through Friday, for breakfast and lunch on Saturday, and for lunch and dinner on Sunday. The college dining hours of operation are scheduled in a manner to provide maximum access during busy times, and to minimize cost of operation during slower periods. The plan includes $50 of Tetra Points that are available for guest meals in the colleges, and for purchases from other operations participating in the program.

Off-Campus Meal Plans
There is one off-campus meal plan which is available to off-campus students only.   It  provides access to 5 breakfasts, lunches or dinners per week for plan OC5.  This is a great way to participate in college activities, and it provides flexibility with the meal periods you choose to attend and days you use your plan. The OC plan combined with Tetra Points provides maximum flexibility for off-campus students. Meals not eaten during the week are not accumulated.

Tetra Points
Tetra Points may be spent at any campus location accepting them, including Willy's Pub, Coffeehouse, Sammy’s, 13th Street, Smoothie King, some vending machines, college dining operations and some athletic events. Tetra Points provide another option to the meal plans. Tetra Points may be purchased as you need them, will roll forward until you leave the University, and are non-refundable. Tetra Points may be purchased in $50 increments at the Housing and Dining office or in the colleges during meal times at the card reader station.  A $25 minimum is required at the card reader stations in the colleges.

Guest meals in the colleges must be paid with Tetra Points as cash is not accepted. A guest is anyone who does not have a meal plan.

Your meal access is not limited to a specific college, but is available at any college that is open for a particular meal (this arrangement is suspended with respect to the dining room of any college holding “College” or “Associates” Night). You are not limited in the amount you may eat, but your meal privilege is not transferable and may not be shared with others. You must bring your student identification card for access to a meal. If you lose your card, your meal privilege must be verified by the dining supervisor. Your student account will be charged a transaction processing fee of $2 each time this occurs.

Residential Dining is self-supporting — the department does not receive a subsidy from the University. Our goal is to put as much value on the plate as possible. Any remaining funds retained by Residential Dining are used to offset plan price increases and for new dining construction, improvement projects such as kitchen renovation, and equipment upgrades. The most significant way you can maximize the value of your meal plan is to eat responsibly — take all you want, fully satisfy your needs, and extend your meal benefits to yourself only. By using your plan personally and efficiently, you maximize the quality of food and level of service available to you while minimizing future increases in meal plan pricing. Feeding non-paying guests or carrying out excess food for later use drives up cost and reduces service and quality levels. These actions may result in charges to your student account, referral to College or University Court, and suspension of your meal privileges.

Residential Dining provides dietary counseling and may be able to assist students on special diets prescribed by a physician. It will also make available sack lunches for students who must miss a meal period due to a job or class conflict. Residential Dining will try to provide appropriate menu items when religious beliefs and practices dictate.

Making Suggestions about the Meal Plan or Food
Suggestions can be made by speaking with the chef or manager of your college kitchen, through your college food representative, or electronically at http://salt.rice.edu/.

Residential Housing

Moving Off Campus Mid-year
Students moving at the end of the fall semester or mid-semester should notify their college coordinator as well as the Housing and Dining office. They will be charged $750 for breaking the campus housing agreement, regardless of whether or not another student takes their spot. Exceptions are provided for in the housing agreement.

During the room draw process, if a student has signed a housing agreement for the following academic year and received a room on campus, there will be a $150 charge if the student decides to move off-campus before May 1. After May 1, there will be a $750 charge, as stated above.

Replacing Keys
Lost keys must be reported to the college coordinator immediately as they are a serious security risk that endangers roommates and the whole college community. A spare key will be given temporarily. The lock on the room door will be re-cored, and the student will receive new keys (and a bill for $50 per core) in a day or so. Lost keys to doors other than in the colleges should be reported to the office which issued them as soon as possible. If the keys are believed to have been stolen, call the University Police at x6000.

Key Service
Students that require a key service to enter their College room should call the Housing and Dining Office at 713-348-5445 during normal business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  If a key service is required after hours students should call the Rice Police Department Dispatcher at 713-348-6000 in order to request a key service.  Students must provide a valid Rice University Identification card in order to be let into their room.


College Room Repairs
College maintenance or housekeeping requests may be made by the following methods:
• E-mail: work@rice.edu
• Web: http://housing.rice.edu
• Phone: x5445

A list of Student Maintenance Reps (SMRs) by college can be found at http://housing.rice.edu.

For emergency maintenance problems, contact the Housing Office at x5445.
For after hours emergency maintenance problems, call x4095.

Changing Roommates
Contact your college government, college coordinator or Master.

Finding Off-Campus Housing
Students who are searching for off-campus housing can go to the Student Center’s housing website at http://worklife.rice.edu/housing. The Off-Campus Housing Guide, which lists information on a selection of nearby apartment complexes, is available in the Office of Student Media.

Students with Disabilities
Rice University is committed to the fullest possible participation by every student in the life of the University. Students with disabilities who need special academic services should apply for such services with the Director of Disability Support Services. If their special requests relate to the facilities in the residential colleges, disabled students should contact their Master or the Associate Vice President of Housing and Dining. In order to have these requests completed by the start of the school year, contact the Associate Vice President of Housing and Dining or its designated housing officer at the earliest possible date — for the fall semester, make arrangements in the spring or summer. Housing and Dining will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your requests.

Graduate Students
Graduate students are not eligible for on-campus housing, but they may live in the Graduate Apartments, Morningside Square Apartments or Rice Village Apartments (http://gradapts.rice.edu/).

Undergraduate Students
Although all Rice undergraduates become members of a college, the University only has the capacity to house about 70% of its students in the rooms of the colleges. In recent years the demand to live on campus has exceeded the available space. Every effort is made to ensure housing in the colleges for incoming first-year students who wish to live on campus, but returning students draw for rooms in the spring according to the lottery system established by their college government. Students who have lived on campus as first-year students may have to find off-campus housing in one of their subsequent years. Depending on space availability, undergraduates may be able to stay at the Graduate Apartments.

Failure to observe the ordinary amenities of civilized life or to respect the rights of others will make a college member liable to a fine, rustication, suspension or other penalties, as determined by his or her college, the Assistant Dean, Student Judicial Programs or the College Master. Prohibited items and behaviors are listed in detail in the Housing Agreement (http://salt.rice.edu/modules/housing_agree.pdf) and the Code of Student Conduct in this handbook. Listed are those of particular interest:  

• Willful abuse or destruction of University property will result in disciplinary action.
•    Tampering with or modifying electrical, plumbing, cable television or telephone systems in rooms, suites or public areas is prohibited.
•    Misuse of fire extinguishers or other emergency equipment is prohibited and subject to fines and damage charges.
•    On-campus students are allowed to have one refrigerator (no larger than 3.6 cubic feet) per room. Microwave ovens, toaster ovens and other heating appliances are not allowed in the colleges.
•    Drilling, nailing or painting of walls is prohibited. Permanent installation of carpets or flooring is also prohibited.
•    The possession of or use on campus of fireworks, ammunition, hazardous or explosive material, firearms, pellet and BB guns, illegal knives, other bladed weapons, and other dangerous weapons is prohibited.
•    Students may not drop or project objects or substances of any kind in a manner to harass or endanger any person or risk damage to any property.
•    College facilities are for the use of students registered at the University. Student residents must occupy the room to which they are assigned. Any changes must have prior approval of the College Master. The responsibility for the assignment of rooms within the college is with the Master of the college. If, in his or her judgment, the student is not occupying his or her room, the space for that student may be reassigned.
•    All visitors staying overnight must have a signed consent form from all occupants of that room/suite and the approval of the Master. Guests may only stay a maximum of 7 days per year.

Pets
Students living in the colleges are not allowed to keep pets except for non-flesh eating fish in a 10 gallon tank. Violation of this ban by on-campus students, and other questions relating to pets in the colleges are under the jurisdiction of the Housing and Dining office and the colleges. 

Unauthorized Entry, Possession of Keys & Vandalism
For reasons of personal safety, protection of property and personal rights and prevention of unwarranted suspicion in the event of theft, damage, etc., certain areas are off limits to students. Unless they are given specific permission by the appropriate University authority for entry, students are not to enter or be in:

•    Utility tunnels (which carry live steam, high voltage distribution lines, telephone cables)
•    Telephone switchboard and equipment areas (subject to federal jurisdiction)
•    Mechanical and electrical equipment rooms
•    Construction areas
•    Roofs and walls of buildings
•    Offices

Entry into these or other such areas without permission or extenuating circumstances is sufficient to warrant stringent disciplinary action including suspension.

The unauthorized possession of keys to University facilities and the unauthorized use of such keys for improper entry are violations of University regulations and may result in severe disciplinary action.

Stealing or destruction of property belonging to others will result in disciplinary action, as will unauthorized removal of materials from construction, renovation or repair projects or illegal use or damage to telephone equipment. Disciplinary action by the University for stealing, vandalism or destruction of property does not preclude court action by state or municipal authorities should the injured party decide to press charges.

Room and Board Refunds
The following policies shall be maintained with respect to refunding or crediting room and board payments or charges to students terminating their residence in the college.

Students terminating their residence for any reason shall be entitled to a refund or credit of the unspent reduced balance of board charges but are held responsible for a housing agreement termination fee of $750 plus a prorated amount for room charges. Exceptions to the room charge payment (example: academic suspension, Rice-sponsored study abroad) must be submitted in writing to the Housing and Dining Department. Termination of residence shall be the date that the student informs the college coordinator/Master, preferably in writing, that the student is no longer a resident in the college, or the date that the space was effectively made available for occupancy by another student, as certified by the college coordinator/Master and the Associate Vice President of Housing and Dining, whichever date is later. Any personal belongings of the student remaining within the room after such space is certified to be available shall be disposed of by the University.