HOUSING

Valarie Rand, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs/Director of Housing
(312) 777-8500 x8615

Welcome to College-Sponsored Housing!

The Housing office provides information to assist students in locating the type of housing that best suits their personal and financial needs while complementing their educational experience.
College-Sponsored Housing at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago serves the student by establishing a solid foundation in a community environment that enhances a student's well being through opportunities for social interaction, programming, and services that provide for his/her some basic personal and academic needs. Studies show that time spent living in College-Sponsored Housing increases your chances of success, both in the classroom and outside of it.

College-Sponsored Housing - Basic Information

College-Sponsored Housing offers the student a learning environment that provides accommodations that are clean, congenial, comfortable and convenient. The Assistant Dean of Student Affairs/Housing Director supervises a staff of full time professional Residence Life Coordinators who directly supervise resident assistants to provide organized and thorough administrative functions that serve the students' well-being by attending to the everyday obstacles of life so that a student may focus on school for their academic success.

The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago maintains master-lease apartments in downtown Chicago that offer congenial, convenient, clean, comfortable housing. The Assistant Dean of Student Affairs/Director of Housing coordinates administrative functions that serve a student's well being by attending to the everyday obstacles of life so that a student may focus on academic success. This is in keeping with the mission of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago by fostering an environment that supports student success, improves student persistence and results in program completion.

College-Sponsored Housing may potentially have at least three apartment configurations: studio and one bedroom apartments with two students assigned to each apartment, and 2 bedroom apartments with four students assigned. Included in the price per quarter are: basic utilities, internet, basic cable, local phone service and furnishings. Furnishings include an efficiency kitchen, twin beds and dressers, a dining table with chairs, and one desk and a chair per student. Additionally, two Residence Life Coordinators (RLC’s) who are full-time housing staff members live and work on site. RLC’s oversee the day to day onsite functions and services of housing. In addition they supervise the student staff members, Resident Assistants (RAs), who live on the property and assist students with any concerns. RAs provide answers to basic living or academic questions, complete nightly rounds of the apartments, and facilitate educational and social activities for students.

If a student is interested in touring one of the housing facilities, she/he should call the Housing office at 312-777-8675.

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The primary step in the application process is to complete the Housing Application... Please return this with a one-time $200.00 rent and restoration fee (non-refundable after 30 days prior to the first day of the agreement). Once the Housing office has received these two items and a confirmation that a student’s financial plan is finalized, the Housing staff begins the process of placing the student into an apartment. Approximately two weeks prior to the start of the quarter, the student receives notification of apartment placement, move-in date and times, the Housing License to be signed and returned and the contact information about their new roommates. Students are encouraged to call roommates in advance to coordinate sharing of the space, small appliances and electronics. Students, who have a specific person they would like as a roommate, indicate this request on the housing application where appropriate. The request for a specific person must be mutual and only mutual requests of the same gender will be honored when possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cost

Information on the cost of housing is available in the Student Affairs office or by calling (800) 351-3450, extension 8615. The cost of housing includes; rent, utilities (electric, gas, water, heat, air conditioning), local phone service, furniture rental, basic cable, and high speed internet.
The costs of food, laundry, toiletries, transportation, and all other personal items are the responsibility of the student.

Roommate Assignments

Students will receive a letter in the mail approximately two weeks prior to the start of the quarter. The letter will include the College-Sponsored Housing address, phone number, roommates' names and home phone numbers for all of the roommates.
Upon receipt of the letter, students should contact their roommates to make arrangements, such as: who will bring the TV, stereo, microwave etc.

Beds

The size of the bed is standard twin (not twin extra long).
Students must provide their own bedding.

Other Furniture

The apartments will come furnished with two twin beds, two student desks with chairs, two dressers, a small kitchen table and two chairs plus two desk lamps.
Students do not need to bring any additional furniture.
Furniture provided by the College may not be moved out of College-Sponsored Housing under any circumstances.

Phones

Students are responsible to bring their own phones
Local phone line is provided.

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Guests

Per the Housing License students are not allowed to have overnight guests in student housing apartments. This includes other residents within housing. Additionally the established visitation hours are Sunday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.
There are no bed checks; however, the Resident Assistants conduct nightly visits to assist with roommate concerns and/or guests causing problems.

Contract dates

If students enter in the Summer quarter the Housing License extends for twelve (12) months.
If students enter in the Fall quarter the Housing License extends for nine (9) months
If students enter in the Winter quarter the Housing License extends for six (6) months
If students enter in the Spring quarter the Housing License extends for three (3) months
All of the licenses listed above expire the third week in June each academic year (end of Spring Quarter).
If a student wants to move out during the middle of the housing license, there are fees associated with breaking the lease. Fees include: $200.00 rent and restoration payment, the balance of the month of current quarter (in which the student is breaking the lease), plus two months rent penalty and possible damage charges (only if the student has caused billable damage to the apartment).
If a student wants to move out during any period of the Housing License he/she must submit a written notice to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs/Director of Housing 30 days prior to the beginning of the quarter. Failure to provide this written notice will result in a $100.00 penalty.

On-Site Support

The Residence Life Coordinator is on call each evening and available on site 5 nights a week - Monday through Friday for the current housing sites as of Winter 2008 - Millennium Park Plaza Apartments and Presidential Towers.
There are student employees (Resident Assistants (RAs) on-site to assist students. RAs complete rounds of the facilities every night of the week.
When hired a Student Housing Coordinator is onsite to offer tutoring and to assist in RA functions.
Counseling interns offer counseling sessions by appointment or on a walk-in basis on site in housing as well.

Monitored Entry

Every location has a front desk staff available 7 days a week at various scheduled times.

Request To Relocate

At a designated time during the quarter, students will have the opportunity to request to relocate to a different housing apartment. This request should be during the quarterly housing confirmation process only.

Pets

No pets are allowed in College-Sponsored Housing at any time.

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