Housing Selection

How housing is selected is very important to students, which is why the Office of Housing and Residential Life has developed an innovative system to ensure that the housing selection process is fair and beneficial for everyone. 

Priority Points

The priority point system at Marist assigns points to students based on their academic average, involvement with extra-curricular activities, disciplinary history, and condition of their residence area. The system is used by the Office of Housing and Residential Life to place students in housing after their entering first year at Marist. Housing is only guaranteed to current resident students for their first and sophomore years. Juniors and seniors are not guaranteed housing. Any student on Deferred Residence Hall Suspension or who has lost six priority points or more in the category of Discipline, may not be allowed to participate in the housing room selection process and therefore not eligible for college housing. More information on housing eligibility will be included when Room Selection Information is posted to MyHousing, which is located at my.jmswierski.com.  

When students apply for housing, they can apply as either an individual or as a member of a group. All students, regardless of applying as an individual or as a member of the group, must complete a Room Selection Request Form. If warranted, individual priority points only determine if a student is eligible for housing for their junior and senior year. All eligible students in a group of two or more will receive a group priority point average based upon the points earned by all group members. The group priority point average is the number used to determine placement throughout the entire process.

For students entering their junior year, priority points are accumulated from the spring semester of their first-year and the fall semester of their sophomore year.  For students entering their senior year, priority points are based on the spring semester of their sophomore year and the fall semester of their junior year.

Priority points for upperclassmen can be earned and lost from four (4) categories for a maximum total of 34 points.

Priority points for first-years can be earned and lost from four (4) categories for a maximum total of 26 points (first-years can only earn a maximum of 4 points for Campus Involvement and Room Condition as it only reflects one semester, the fall semester).

The GPA category is based on the cumulative GPA for the immediate previous spring and fall semesters within the same calendar year. For example, for the fall 2016 housing assignment process, the previous spring 2015 and fall 2015 semester grades will be calculated.

Problems with: GPA, Room Condition, Residence Hall Council and Discipline; See: Resident Director for your area.

Problems with: Campus Involvement; See: Student Activities.

GPA Priority Points are assigned in the following categories:

Average Spring and Fall Semester GPA	Points
*3.85 – 4.00	12
*3.60 – 3.84	11
*3.25 – 3.59	10
3.00 – 3.24	9
2.75 – 2.99	7
2.50 – 2.74	6
2.25 – 2.49	5
2.00 – 2.24	4
0.50 – 1.99	1
0.00 – 0.49	0

 

*Denotes Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude

Room Condition (0-8 year, 0-4 per semester):
Points for Room Condition can be deducted for failure to follow proper residence hall check-out procedures, room cleanliness, and fire safety violations. A maximum of 2 points can be deducted per semester for failure to check out properly.

Discipline History Points: 0-6
Campus Involvement Points: 0-8 per year

From three (3) categories described below:
*Service: 0-4/year (0-2 per semester) 8 service hours for 1 point; 16 service hours for 2 points      

*Leisure Activities and Fitness (includes intramurals): 0-4 year (maximum 2 point per semester)

*Clubs, organizations and intercollegiate sports: 0-5 per year (maximum 3 points in primary semester with a maximum 2 points in other semester). While a student can earn a number of points, only a maximum of 8 points can be used towards priority point total for Campus Involvement.

A new first-year student can earn a maximum total of 26 priority points. A new student can only earn a maximum of 4 points in the category of Campus Involvement and Room Condition as the process uses the previous fall and spring semester and, as new students, they can earn points in these two categories for fall semester only.

Description of points that can be earned for Clubs/Organizations/Intercollegiate Sports:

• A club/organization must complete minimum a requirement of four activities per semester in order to receive priority points.
• Officers and varsity captains are eligible for a maximum of three points during one semester (“in season”) and two points during the other semester (“off season”). Club members/athletes are eligible for a maximum of two points per semester.

Objective Criteria for Clubs/Organizations:

• To earn one point: Members must attend a minimum of 50 percent of club/organization meetings for the semester and 50 percent of club/organization activities.
• To earn two points: Members must attend a minimum of 50 percent of club/organization meetings for the semester and 75 percent of club/organization activities PLUS the community service event.
• To earn three points (officers only): Officers must attend 50 percent of club/organization meetings for the semester and 100 percent of club activities (which includes community service event).
• If officers do not complete all of the requirements to earn three points, they will be eligible to receive up to two points based on the criteria outlined above.

Other Information

• An incoming fall transfer student is awarded priority points as described above with the Campus Involvement points awarded for the fall semester.  The points earned in each of the Campus Involvement categories (clubs, service, leisure, activities/fitness) are then doubled, up to a maximum of 8 points.  The double points may not exceed any maximums. For example, if a student earned 3 priority points for involvement in clubs/organizations/intercollegiate sports (single category) during a semester, the doubling of those points totals 5, not 6, as the maximum number of points allowed for that category is 5.
• Room Condition points are awarded for both the fall and spring semesters with a maximum total of 4 points earned each semester. Students not residing on campus during either the fall or spring semester are awarded the maximum of 4 points for the semester not in residence.
• A spring semester transfer student will be assigned housing as per room selection guidelines.
• FFE and FDE students (returning from their first-year in Florence or Dublin) will receive 4 points per semester in the category of campus involvement.
• A student involved in a program such as Marist Abroad or Marist in Manhattan will have their Campus Involvement priority points earned within each of the involvement categories (clubs/organizations/intercollegiate sports; service; leisure activities/fitness) during the semester prior to leaving or returning back to campus doubled*.  The doubled points may not exceed any maximums.  For example, if a student earned 3 priority points for involvement in clubs/organizations/intercollegiate sports (single category) during a semester, the doubling of those points totals 5, not 6, as the maximum number of points allowed for that category is 5. 

*Doubling Points

A “Priority Point Year” is defined as January through December of any given calendar year, and those points are used for the upcoming Room Selection process. For example, during Room Selection Day in the spring semester, all continuing resident students earned their priority points from the year prior, January - December. If a student was abroad in the spring semester (January - May), then their Campus Involvement priority points would be doubled based on their earnings after they returned from abroad during the period of August - December.  If a student was abroad in the fall semester (August - December), then their Campus Involvement priority points would be doubled based on their earnings prior to going abroad during the period of January - May.