New Request Process For Housing, Food Service Contract
Nov. 9, 2000
University Park, Pa. -- Penn State Housing has a new convenient process for requesting a Housing and Food Service Contract for University Park campus.

The Contract Request process applies to current University Park resident students and students transferring from another Penn State location. University Park students who live off campus are not eligible for on-campus housing.

The process is completely on-line, providing 24-hour-a-day/seven-day-a-week access. Students will submit a Contract Request during the six-week time period, which will extend from Dec. 4, to Jan. 14.

Students may log on the Contract Request Web site at http://www.hfs.psu.edu/contractrequest.htm from any computer using their Penn State student AccessID and password.

The new procedure grew out of a request by students for a process that offered a more convenient location, extended hours, and Web access. After a year of research and development by staff from Penn State Housing, Residence Life, and Auxiliary Services Management Information Systems, with feedback from current and prospective students, the program was changed to incorporate improvements.

Students will no longer need to wait in lines and miss class to beat the rush. They will now have four academic weeks, plus two weeks over semester break, to enter their contract request from their personal computer or from a computer lab.

The process is broken down into three easy steps, beginning with submitting an on-line Contract Request within the six-week time period. Next, the Assignment Office for Campus Residences will use a computer process to randomly determine the contract allocation per student group (sophomore, junior, senior, and transferring from other Penn State locations). The computer process will then randomly pull requests, and the Assignment Office will notify students of their Contract Request status.

Requests will fall into one of three categories: permanent space, supplemental space, and "Contract Waiting List" option. In general, the demand for upperclass University Park on-campus housing greatly exceeds the space available. Therefore, not every student who submits a request will receive a contract.

The Contract Request process is solely about requesting and potentially receiving a Housing and Food Service Contract. Room assignments are made separately from this process and occur after completed contracts are received by the Assignment Office.

Information about how room assignments are made will be explained in the Housing and Food Service Contract packet, mailed to students who are selected in the process. In completing the contract, students will have the opportunity to make requests for a specific room, area, or roommate. These requests are independent of the Contract Request process.

For more information about the Contract Request process, go to http://www.hfs.psu.edu/contractrequest.htm; or contact the Assignment Office for Campus Residences (101 Shields Building; 814-865-7501).