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Welcome to Campus Housing Fall 2012

Inside

What to bring We know you’ve been through it before, but you don’t want forget the basics! Let us remind you with this handy guide.

Welcome from the Director of Residence Life and an introduction to the Residence Life team & Move in Day details

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4 Fire Safety Of all the safety concerns on campus, fire safety is where the student's action or inaction can have the greatest impact on other students and the community. Academic Calendar Plan your vacations and mark your calendar for all of the important dates throughout the year!

Improvements Learn more about improvements happening around the campus this summer!

Fooding Get the scoop on meal plans, meal plan changes, fenway cash, and microfridge rentals.

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Simmons Residence Life Fall 2012

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Make your space your own

Dear Resident Student,

I hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of your summer vacation. As your move-in date draws near the Residence Life staff is busy preparing for your arrival. This newsletter contains a lot of important information to prepare for your move. Please note the schedule of important dates on page 6. Use this schedule as a guide for the year ahead and to plan your vacations accordingly. Also, I highly recommend rereading your Housing License Agreement (found on our website), as it highlights important deadlines and policies you should be aware of throughout the year.

This year will begin my 7th year at Simmons College. I am proud to be a part of the Simmons College Residence Life staff and as I have found that we house some of the most amazing and intelligent students in Boston. I look forward to getting to know you over your time in housing. The Office of Residence Life is located on the 2nd floor of the Health Center. I welcome you to stop by and introduce yourself.

I am honored to be able to introduce the 2012-2013 academic year residence staff. The res staff team is led by seven full and part time staff members who are the Residence Directors (RD) of each hall: Assistant Director, Julia Golden, RD of South/North Halls), Residence Life Coordinators Gina Louis (RD Smith/Evans Halls) and Vanessa Martinez (RD Simmons Hall), Kristi Swartz (RD Dix Hall), Sarah Shives (RD Morse Hall), Edward Byrne

Get ready for a Wonderful Year! (RD Mesick Hall). These professional staff members will welcome you on campus this fall and be available as resources throughout the year

The Residence Life Professional Staff and the Resident Advisors are dedicated to supporting you and helping you have a successful residential and academic experience. We look forward to seeing you on campus next week!

Returning students may move in on Sunday, September 2, 2012 from 1:00 pm-5:00pm and the rest of opening week. Our office will be open on the Labor Day holiday; Monday, September 3, 2012 10am-5pm. Classes begin Thursday, September 6, 2012. Moving carts will be provided to help returning students move into their halls. Students may move in on or after Tuesday, September 6, 2012 during our regular business hours from 8:30am-4:30pm. Students must leave a State ID or passport at the Office to check out a cart. Please note that you will not be able to check-in outside of the times mentioned above so please plan accordingly.

See you soon! Jessica Faulk Director, Residence Life

Simmons Residence Life

Fall 2012

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Items for roommates to discuss, as you may decide you don’t need duplicates: • standing lamps (no halogen lamps) — Remember: Morse & Simmons have no overhead lighting • curtains • rugs (again, we suggest waiting to purchase until arrival) • stereo • T.V. and cable cord • trash can Things for your desk: • desk lamp • stapler with extra staples • 3-hole puncher • glue • stationary and stamps • calculator • erasers • crayons, markers, colored pencils • calendar/planner • pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, highlighters • scotch/masking tape • scissors • ruler • note pad Bathroom and laundry: • laundry basket/bag • laundry detergent • drying rack • soap/soap dish • hair dryer • flip flops for shower • Towels • shower basket - while in some halls there are small cubbies in the bathroom where you can leave your shower items, we recommend that students choose to use shower baskets to carry everything back and forth from their rooms. • shampoo/conditioner • deodorant • shaving cream/razors • nail clippers • tweezers

Things for you and your room: • pillow for your bed • sheets and comforter for standard twin bed • phone with Caller ID • power cords/surge protector • three-prong outlet adapters (especially for Morse & Simmons) • storage boxes/crates • bulletin boards/dry erase board • flashlight • hangers • sewing kit • storm/winter boots • camera and film • umbrella/rain coat • bathing cap and suit for pool • dishes – a plate, mug, bowl, fork, spoon, and knife • can opener • facial tissues • paper towels • fan • first aid kit – Band-Aids, antibiotic cream, etc. • cold medication/aspirin • easy care plants • alarm clock • Posters Other important things: • Computer • key chain • social security card • address book • money (but keep large amounts safely in the bank) • insurance card • prescription medication • 3M Command Adhesive or blue painters tape for hanging items on the wall (avoid damages at the end of the year!)

Due to fire safety, the following are NOT allowed in the residence halls: • tapestries and cloth wall hangings • microwave/any cooking appliances • halogen lamps • candles & incense, wax warmers, or any other type of flame/burning unit • coffee machines without automatic shut-off • holiday lights on top of paper • more than 25% of room walls covered in paper or fabric • Non-Flame Retardant Furniture is not allowed. For more information on this and other fire safety regulations please see pg. 5 Other items to leave at home… • car (there’s no student parking available for residents, and it is extremely difficult to find street parking, as well as expensive to finance parking options) • hammer, nails, and power drills as they will damage the walls • Don’t forget to bring any tools you may need to put together small furniture items on move in day!

What to Bring

Simmons Residence Life Fall 2012

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Fire Safety State law prohibits the use of upholstered furniture in student rooms unless it is treated with a fire-retardant chemical and is labeled as such. Upholstered furniture includes couches, futons, and overstuffed chairs. Waterbeds, lofts, and hanging chairs are prohibited in residence hall rooms. Decorations may not be hung from the ceiling or sprinkler pipes. Furniture which contains polyurethane foam will not be permitted due to their increased risk of being flammable. All furniture brought into the residence halls should have one of the following labels: NOTICE: THIS ARTICLE IS MANUFACTURED FOR USE IN PUBLIC OCCUPANCIES AND MEETS THE FLAMMABILITY REQUIREMENTS OF CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF HOME FURNISHINGS TECHNICAL BULLETIN 133. CARE SHOULD BE EXERCISED NEAR OPEN FLAME OR WITH BURNING CIGARETTES. NOTICE: THIS ARTICLE MEETS ALL FLAMMABILITY REQUIREMENTS OF CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF HOME FURNISHINGS BULLETIN 117. CARE SHOULD BE EXERCISED NEAR OPEN FLAME OR WITH BURNING CIGARETTES. The minimum size of the label shall be two inches by three inches and the minimum size of the type shall be 1/8 inch in height. All type shall be in capital letters. For more information on Massachusetts fire safety regulations please see the following website: http://www.mass.gov

Health & Safety Checks Once a semester Residence Life staff will check residence rooms for fire safety hazards and prohibited items. If you are found to be in possession of one of these items it will be confiscated and donated. In the case of prohibited furniture, the resident in question will be asked to remove the furniture at their own expense.

The most frequent causes of residence hall fires on campuses are been candles and incense. Candles, oil lamps, incense, alcohol lamps, wax warmers, and open flame burners are prohibited.

The high temperatures

reached by halogen bulbs constitute a fire hazard and a potential

source of burns. In addition, the geometry

of the floor models tends to make them

very unstable and easily tipped over. These

lamps are prohibited.

Extension cords may be used, but they should not be run under rugs, in travel ways, or under furniture. Do not tack extension cords to base- boards or other areas of the room. The storage and use of the following electrical appliances in student rooms are prohibited: • Toasters and toaster ovens • Coffee pots without an automatic shut-off • Space heaters • Heat generating humidifiers or vaporizers • Open heating coils

Candles, incense & open flame

Halogen Lamps

Electrical Equipment

Simmons Residence Life

Fall 2012

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Date Event August 31, 2012 International Student move-in, 8:30am—4:30pm ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————- August 31, 2012 Residence halls open for Graduate and Dix Scholars, 9:00am –5:00pm —————————————————————————————————–———————————————————————————————————————————- September 2, 2012 Residence halls open for new undergraduate students, 8:30am-11:30am Fall Orientation begins for all new undergraduate students ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

September 2, 2012 Residence Halls open for returning undergraduate students, 1-5pm Office of Residence Life (ORL) open for returning student check in First Floor Meetings, required for new Undergrad (UG) students, 7pm ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

September 2– September 5 Fall Orientation continues for new students Check in for returning students continues at ORL, 8:30am-4:30pm ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

September 5, 2012 All College Convocation: Graduate Students, Faculty and Staff, 10:00am Financial Empowerment Seminar for seniors, 11:00am

Undergraduate Honors Convocation, 2pm (required for new UG students) ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

September 5, 2012 All Hall Residence Meetings, 8pm (required for new UG students)

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September 6, 2012 Classes begin for fall term

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September 7, 2012 Connections Carnival: Student Involvement Fair & BBQ, Res Quad 4-7pm ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————- October 8, 2012 College closed for Columbus Day* ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

October 9, 2012 Academic Holiday. Administrative Offices Open — —————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

October 31, 2012 John Simmons Founder’s Day Celebration, Java City 3pm ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————- November 12, 2012 College closed for Veterans’ Day Holiday ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————- November 13, 2012 Final day to request approval to withdraw from Spring housing** Final day to register for winter break housing (Jan. 5-Jan. 12).

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— November 16, 2012 Final day to register for Thanksgiving Break housing (free) ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

November 21, 2012 Residence Halls close for Thanksgiving Break at noon* ——————————————————————–————–———————————————————————————————————————————–——————-

December 19, 2012 Residence Halls close for Winter Break at noon* ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

January 10, 2013 Residence Halls open for new spring semester students ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————- January 12, 2013 Residence Halls open for returning students ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

January 14, 2013 Classes begin for spring term ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

February 18, 2013 College closed for Presidents’ Day*

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March 11-15, 2013 Residence Halls close for Spring Break at noon* (housing free) ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

March 18, 2013 Classes Resume ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

March 29, 2013 Final Day to withdraw from residence for Fall 2013 ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

April 15, 2013 College closed for Patriots’ Day* ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

May 5, 2013 Residence Halls close at noon for all students except graduating Seniors, Dix Scholars and Graduate Students

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May 10, 2013 Commencement ——————————————————————–————–——————————————————————————————————————————————————- May 11, 2013 Residence Halls close for graduating Seniors, Dix Scholars & Grad Students

*Please note: When the college is closed there is a 24-hour Professional Staff member on duty. Call Public Safety x1112 to contact the staff on duty.

Simmons Residence Life Fall 2012

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ResCampus Upgrades Check out what’s happening on campus! 1. Morse Hall Renovations This year Morse students will get to enjoy upgrades all over the building. We have replaced all of the windows and common area carpets. Morse hall residents will also get to enjoy fun fresh paint colors all over the hall! 2. Simmons Hall Bathrooms On every floor of Simmons Halls the bathrooms have been completely refinished! New sinks, showers, and bathrooms will be enjoyed by all Simmons Hall residents this year. 3. New Main Campus Cafe The College Center has just become the premiere hang out space on campus! Simmons just completed a renovation of the Café in the main college building, which now boats new counters, carpeting, and a better location to provide faster service. To view the entire floor layout, visit the Buildings and Grounds webpage!

Moving Resources At returning student move in, a large number of rented moving carts and dollies will be available to make your move go smoothly. Additionally, Residence Life has purchased a small number of carts and dollies to be available year-round for students to use during mid-semester moves and before and after break periods!

Morse Hall

South Living Room

Sports Pride TV (To be mounted)

Simmons Hall Bathrooms

New Main Campus Cafe

Morse Hall Renovations

New Res Campus

Quad Chairs

Meal Plan Changes

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Interested in renting a microfridge for the academic year? To reserve a Microfridge for 2012-2013 please go to the following website: www.collegerefrigerators.com or call 1-800-637-7567. Students can rent these combination refrigerator, freezer, and microwave units for $185+tax for the academic year or $108+tax for the semester or purchase one for $389-$399.ssu For more information, visit www.collegerefrigerators.com.

We offer three meal plans so each student may choose the one that best meets their dining needs. All the meal plans are the same price and the meal plan is included in your room and board fees. The meal plans are: • 225 meals & 100 dining points per semester + 10 guest meals • 185 meals & 150 dining points per semester + 10 guest meals • 145 meals & 200 dining points per semester + 10 guest meals The meals expire from semester to semester, but the points carry over each semester. If a student runs out of dining points, they may add more money to their ID card in the form of Fenway Cash. To find out more about Fenway Cash, visit the website at: http://fenwaycard.com The meals work in Bartol Hall, for an all you can eat meal experience, and in the Fens**, a pay as you go dining experience. Points work in a variety of locations around campus. Please note that you may change this plan after arriving on campus, until September 20, 2012. ** A Cash Equivalent meal is equal to the cash value of retail product/meal between $4.00 and $6.00 at the Fens Café only. Any amount under $4.00 or exceeding $6.00 must be paid with Dining points, Fenway Cash, Cash, Visa, or MasterCard.

Meal Plans

Did you know you can add money to your Fenway Card to make purchases on and off campus, at over 75 different locations? The card features a prepaid spending account – Fenway Cash – which allows you to make easy, cashless purchases with just a simple swipe! Watch your email for more information on how you can add money to your card and be ready for all your fall purchases. Visit www.fenwaycard.com for more info.

You must select a meal plan in AARC ASAP in order to have access to

your meal plan when you arrive on campus in the fall. The deadline for changing meal plans for the Fall 2012 semester is Thursday, September 20th. To select or change your meal plan, first login in to your account at aarc.simmons.edu. Select the “Student” menu then click on “academic profile”, under which you will find another link to select your meal plan. You have the option to pick from the three meal choices.

Microfridge Rental