Features

Room sign up Dec 3 - Jan 31

Returning residents enjoy the same benefits as first-year residents when they continue to live on campus, including a secure environment of peers and live-in staff members dedicated to providing academic support and promoting their personal growth.

In January, University Housing will offer tours of all non-first-year-only halls so that residents can get a peek at the spaces they may be interested in for the 2019-2020 academic year.

If you are a parent or family member of a current first-year student, please note the returning resident room sign-up process is different from the initial housing registration process; more information can be found on the current students registration page. Missing a deadline may limit the options for the type of housing available to your student for fall 2019.

Students should begin to think now about which hall they want to live in and with whom. Research hall information at housing.uga.edu to see floor plans, photos, videos and rent rates.

The next step is registration. Be sure to register to participate during the sign-up period December 3 through January 31. All registrants, regardless of registration date, will be assigned a random appointment time during which they may log on to The Dawg House and choose any available space on campus, including in the East Campus Village apartments, Brown Hall on the Health Sciences Campus and in the University Village apartments.

The majority of room sign-up participants will receive a first-round appointment time during the first couple weeks of February. At that time, they may log on to The Dawg House, choose any available space and input roommates. There is no obligation at this point, however first-round participants must execute their housing contract by a specific date in mid-February in order to secure their space. Each roommate must also execute their contract by the deadline or he/she will lose the space.

Students age 18 or older execute housing contracts online. The contract is a legally binding agreement between the student, the university and the Board of Regents. To view an example of a contract, visit housing.uga.edu/site/resources. For student-specific contracts, your student may log in to The Dawg House or contact the Housing Assignments Office at 706-542-1421 or housing@uga.edu.

Round 2 and beyond participants will be given appointment times throughout spring semester, with contract deadline information sent to their UGA email address. Students with later appointment times will be able to select an on-campus space as other students cancel out (by not selecting a room or not executing an online housing contract). Students with housing contracts may request to change rooms as often as they like. In past years we have been able to offer everyone who indicated interest a chance to select a room.

Take a look at what housing has to offer by checking out the floorplans, rates and 360-degree photos under the Housing tab.

Needs-based scholarship available

Applicants must:
• Be a current UGA undergraduate student
• Complete the application in its entirety and submit by January 6, 2019
• Have a demonstrated financial need as determined by the UGA Office of Financial Aid
• If awarded a scholarship, commit to living on campus for the 2019-2020 academic year

The application includes a short essay focused on residents’ experiences with and contributions to their on-campus community.

Dr. James “Jim” Day served as executive director of University Housing from 1990 to 2006. Dr. Day conceived and initially funded the University Housing Scholarship Fund to assist students with financial need offset the cost of on-campus housing. In recognition of his devoted service to the University of Georgia and in honor of his personal commitment to helping secure financial assistance for students, the scholarship was perpetually named the Jim Day Housing Scholarship Fund upon his retirement.

For more information, to apply or donate, visit

https://housing.uga.edu/site/about_alumni_giving#jimday

Now hiring CAs and RAs

One of the biggest advantages that students living on campus have is the benefit of a peer leader living alongside them. C.L.A.S.S. (CA) advocates and resident assistants (RA) aren’t just there to enforce policies and enhance security (although they do that, too!), these student staff members play a crucial role in supporting their residents’ academic success and personal growth.

CAs and RAs demonstrate great compassion leadership skills, and are trained to solve the problems of a diverse group of students. The job of an RA can include anything that a group of young adults needs during their first experience away from home.

CA/RAs oversee residence hall life, plan social events and keep an eye out for those who may feel homesick or lonely. They can provide a sympathetic ear and practical advice for students who need help dealing with academic, social, medical or personal problems. CA/RAs will also mediate roommate disputes and enforce residence hall policies.

Overall, the CA/RA should be a person that students can turn to, someone they can trust. If a CA/RA cannot solve a problem or feel that more help is needed, they can direct students to the right campus support center where they can find help.

The job of a CA/RA is not all about solving conflicts. They are also there to ensure college students are having fun, relieving stress in healthy ways, and simply enjoying college life. A good CA/RA will notice when a student seems to be uncomfortable or unhappy and will reach out in an unobtrusive but supportive way to offer help.

CAs and RAs receive free on-campus housing, a stipend, training in crisis management and housing and university policies, and professional development opportunities.

Applications will be accepted Nov. 5 through December 13, 2018. For details on the application process—including mandatory information meeting dates— and to apply, visit the Employment page.

Housing Against Hunger

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia (FBNEG) is a 501(c)3 that recovers donated and salvaged surplus food and distributes it to human-service agencies that then distribute the food to residents in need. FBNEG distributes more than 12 million pounds of food each year to hungry Georgians!

Housing Against Hunger is a departmental initiative designed to contribute to FBNEG’s annual Hunger Bowl, in which local businesses, schools and organizations compete to see who can collect the most food (based upon a per person average) and to help the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia reach its goal of collecting 500,000 pounds of food in the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Collection bins will be in every residence hall, the administrative offices in Russell Hall and in the University Village Office. Anyone may donate nonperishable food items in these bins through noon on Friday, Nov. 9. An even easier way to donate that has a bigger impact is by donating money on University Housing’s team fundraising page through the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia. Simply visit http://bit.ly/HAH2018 to donate.

Students who donate nonperishable items or funds may enter a contest (complete contest rules are at http://bit.ly/2SblN82) to win daily prizes and a grand prize of a first appointment time to choose their on-campus space for 2019-2020! To enter for a chance to win, simply donate to the bins or show the desk assistant proof of an online donation. No money will be accepted at desks, only through the secure donation site in the link above.

Halloween Events

Oct 24
Haunted High-rises
WHERE: Brumby Hall, Russell Hall and Creswell Hall
WHEN: Wednesday, October 24 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.


Oct 25
East Athens Community Center
5–7 p.m. $4. www.accgov.com/halloween
Pumpkin Carving and Halloween Crafts
Make a jack-o-lantern. Ages 5–12.

Memorial Park
5–8 p.m. $5. www.athensclarkecounty.com/halloween
Halloween Carnival and Boo at the Zoo
Take a haunted trick-or-treat tour of Bear Hollow Zoo, then stop by the festive Halloween Carnival for fun and prizes. Activities include games, stories and a costume contest. Ages 2–12.


Oct 26
The Foundry
12–3 p.m. FREE (ages 0–5), $5–7. www.wildrumpus.org
Wild Rumpus Monster Mash
Get a head start on the Wild Rumpus Parade with various Halloween activities like a haunted house, crafts, live music, performances and more.

5:30 p.m. FREE! www.akfathens.com
Halloween Party
(AKF Athens Martial Arts) Families and friends are invited to come in costume for games and treats. The party is also an open house for AKF. Attendees are encouraged to bring candy for the candy cauldron.

The Rook and Pawn
7 p.m. www.therookandpawn.com
Artist Reception
Dress up and celebrate the Halloween-inspired art of Ali Phillips n "Nostalgiaween."


Oct 27
Creature Comforts Brewery
6 p.m. (pre-party), 8:30 p.m. (march). FREE! www.wildrumpus.org
Wild Rumpus Parade
Throw on your most creative Halloween costume and march through the streets of downtown. Anyone can participate by wearing a costume and joining the procession. A pre-party will be held at Creature Comforts, and live bands will perform along the route.

J & J Flea Market
10 a.m.–3 p.m. sbolin@unitedfleamarkets.com
Halloween at J&J Flea Market
Trick-or-treating, a costume contest and a vendor booth decorating contest.


Oct 30
East Athens Community Center
5:30–7 p.m. $3. www.athensclarkecounty.com/leisure
East Athens Halloween Carnival
Festivities include a costume contest, face painting, haunted house, games and more. Ages 5–18.

Ciné Barcafé
www.athenscine.com
Shocktoberfest
"When the fog rolls in... the terror begins," in John Carpenter's The Fog (1980)


Oct 31
Bogart Library
5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart
Trunk or Treat
(Main St. Bogart) Little ghosts and goblins are invited to trunk-or-treat for goodies and games.

Georgia Square Mall
6–8 p.m. georgiasquaremall.com
Mall-o-Ween
Visit the mall in costume for candy stations, balloon art, face painting and music.

Women in Business Scavenger Hunt Social
Halloween Scavenger Hunt Social with Women in Business.
Wednesday, October 31 at 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Herty Field

Pumpkin Decorating
Happy Halloween. Enjoy a night full of tricks, treats, pumpkin decorating and more. Costumes encouraged.
Wednesday, October 31 at 4:00pm to 9:00pm
Snelling, Bolton, Village Summit and Oglethorpe Dining Commons

Thriller Dance Night
Group Fitness instructors will teach participants how to do the Thriller dance just in time! Participants should dress like a Zombie and prepare for fun. 8:45pm Ramsey Student Center for Physical Activities, Studio D

#OneUGA

Student staff members awarded scholarships

Magali Lapu (RA, Creswell Hall), a fourth-year international affairs and French major, was awarded the Myron G. Burney Service Award.


Natalie Morean (CA, Reed Hall), a fourth-year human development and family sciences student received the Founders’ Award.


Proceeds from the luncheon go toward the BFSO scholarship fund and programming. At this year’s luncheon, a total of $3,000 in scholarships was awarded to six students.

RA recognized as UGA Amazing Student

Omowunmi Oni, a resident assistant in East Campus Village (ECV), is planning a career in dentistry, and says she is confident that she was destined to attend UGA because she has received lifelong friendships, great connections and amazing opportunities. As a Residence Hall Association (RHA) representative for ECV, she appreciated being able to vouch for her fellow residents in support of their concerns. She’s an active member of the African Student Association and, as a Georgia football ambassador, she hosted recruits during game days. Omowunmi is currently a volunteer dental assistant for the Mercy Health Center, a free clinic to benefit those uninsured in Athens.

Read more about Omowunmi in UGA Today.

#OneUGA

Housing Homecoming for Alumni and Friends

#OneUGA

Game day parking advisory

Room of the year contest

For the students

#WelcomeUGA

Hall/community councils

National studies show students who are involved on campus earn higher GPAs and have higher graduation rates. University Housing offers a few ways for residents to be involved in their community and on campus, including Residential Hall Association (RHA), Residential Hall Studios (RHS) and National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH). In these organizations, students gain valuable leadership experience as they facilitate events, socials and service opportunities for residents throughout the year.

As the second largest student organization on campus, RHA helps coordinate housing’s student-led hall councils and actively serves the interest of the residents by assisting with the development of residence hall policies, procedures and programs.

RHS is a student-run studio that produces content for channel 12.1 on University Cablevision. The student leaders involved with RHS are responsible for every aspect of the production process, including writing, producing, filming, pitching and editing for the channel. This hands-on experience gives students skills in television production and project management.

NRHH is a leadership-based honorary society whose members consist of the top 10 percent of University Housing residents. “Getting involved in student organizations that are based in the residence halls allows students to develop their leadership skills and make an impact on the community they live in by providing programs and service activities,” Graduate Resident for Student Leadership Brittany Smith says. “Students are able to listen to the concerns of other residents in their halls and work to make changes for current and future students.”

How to move in early

We’re recruiting volunteers for move in August 5-6 to welcome new students UGA. You can help make campus move in a smooth and exciting experience for new Bulldogs. This year, we’re working with partners across campus to make move in bigger and better than ever—we need hundreds of volunteers like you!

You don’t have to be living on campus in the fall to help with move in, however, returning residents who volunteer may check into their spaces early—on August 4 instead of August 5.

Individual Volunteers
- Greet new and returning students and parents
- Give directions to area parking lots
- Direct traffic
- Serve as a resource for residents and their families
- Assist with recycling
- Receive free “Home Is Where the Arch Is” t-shirt
- Receive a free meal during your shift
- On-campus residents may move in a day early (Saturday, August 6)

Individual volunteers sign up here.

Student Organizations
- Will be a part of our move-in crew, assisting residents with their belongings
- Wear their own organization’s t-shirts
- Serve as a resource for residents and their families
- Give back by serving first-year students as they begin their journey at UGA On-campus residents may move in a day early (Saturday, August 5)

Student organizations should contact TJ Stewart about being part of the move-in crew: tjstewart@uga.edu

For more information about the move-in process, visit the Move In page at housing.uga.edu and follow #WelcomeUGA on social.

Room selection

The Dawg House at UGA makes room selection easy! Watch as we go through the process of searching for a space in University Housing, choosing a space and adding your roommate. Roommates in the same roommate group can assign each other, meaning the person with the earliest appointment time can pull in their roommate to the same space.

Now hiring first-year vloggers

Each vlog is entirely the student’s individual work. The vloggers demonstrate ownership of the vlogs and are encouraged to use their creativity to produce unique videos. After producing a vlog entry, the students submit their work to the housing public relations specialist, who provides constructive feedback. Vloggers make suggested edits to their work and submit a second draft (if needed). We encourage vloggers to use their own style and creativity throughout the editing process. The vlogger position provides a professional experience that students can use on their resumes in addition to producing videos they can use in future portfolios.

Check out the Dawg Vlog at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeMpNYZIMH5ZhoQO2uffbMnOOddVQWiaK

Apply to be a University Housing vlogger at: https://goo.gl/forms/AWzi4CWvhuI2vyPW2

Don't ditch, donate

In the past five years of spring move out, housing’s annual Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate program has collected an average of 64,000 pounds each year of unwanted furniture, clothing and other items, which was then distributed to more than a dozen local and regional non-profit organizations.

This year, students may drop off items at designated locations throughout University Housing from April 20-May 5.

Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate (Dawgs Ditch for short) is an annual landfill diversion initiative and student volunteer opportunity that reflects housing’s commitments to sustainability and student leadership. The program allows residents living on campus to donate unwanted items that may otherwise end up in a landfill. Thanks to a grant from the UGA Office of Sustainability, University Housing coordinates this annual event with help from residents like you.

The list of organizations that benefit from Dawgs Ditch grows each year. Organizations that have benefited in the past include America’s Thrift, Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, Project Safe (a shelter for women and children in crisis), Athens Area Homeless Shelter, Athens Area Humane Society, Friends of the Athens-Clarke County (ACC) Library, Keep ACC Beautiful, the ACC Teacher Reuse Store, and Easter Seals of Northeast Georgia.

Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate relates directly to core values of University Housing to promote sustainability and community engagement.

To volunteer, visit http://bit.ly/2pXqENd
To donate, simply look for a donation station near your residence hall April 20-May 5.

Now hiring tour guides

Tour guides:

- Receive paid professional training.
- Lead tours of residence halls and answer tour participant questions.
- Participate in training led by the senior public relations coordinator and the UGA Visitors Center.
- Attend resource fairs in order to provide resident perspective to students and their families.
- Attend orientation parent and student sessions in order to provide resident perspective to students and their families.
- Maintain the tour rooms (restock fliers, rehang posters, straighten bedding, submit work requests for any custodial or maintenance issues that arise).
- Represent the university and the department in a professional and friendly manner as well as promote the value of living on campus.

Apply in The Dawg House now for the opportunity to welcome prospective Bulldogs by serving as a summer tour guide!

First-year housing registration

Russell hall renovation

In spring 2017, residents chimed in with suggestions for study spaces, laundry rooms, kitchens, community and lounge spaces and—of course—bathrooms. Project coordinators from Menefee Architecture and Cannon Design came away with some great input on how students envision the improved Russell Hall.

Plans for Russell include increasing space flexibility in the student rooms through the removal of built-in furnishings. Community bathrooms will feature enhanced toilet and shower privacy and upgrades to modern fixtures and finishes. Students can also expect to see enhanced and updated lobby, lounge, study, programming, laundry and kitchen spaces. More importantly, plans also include renovations of climate control, plumbing and electrical systems as well as making the building ADA-accessible.

UGA determined a renovation of Russell Hall to be more cost-effective than new construction since a main concern for the university is ensuring continued affordability of student housing on campus while also providing adequate reserves for future renovations.

Originally opened in 1967 as an all-male residence hall, Russell Hall is a popular choice for first-year students, who say they appreciate its sense of community. “It is a great place to get connected and make friends at a large university,” said first-year student Aaron Stafford. “I love Russell Hall because no matter what, I always feel at home here.”