Talking Stick - March/April 2009 - (Page 26) business as the process for damage billing, extended stay for holiday breaks, and insurance/liability coverage.” She also recommends including a clause for early room closure, allowing for a review of contract terms after 30 days of occupying the facility and negotiating college-owned property (as well as price reductions if available). Cameron recommends specifying a timeframe in the agreement, clarifying how long students will be occupying the hotel. “Usually your attrition rates will be the best predictor of how long you will need to use housing in the hotel.” “No matter what, you have to have several basic items clearly addressed in your contract,” states Cameron. These include cancellation clauses, indemnification clauses, and a commitment to an exact number of rooms. Lastly, he stresses the importance of outlining the billing arrangements, including both the method and timeline for payment. Thinking of the contract as a two-way street can help to anticipate difficulties, and Tomsho stresses the importance of understanding the expectations the hotel has for the contracting institution. “It is important to iron out all of the processes so that the school does not end up with high bills at the end. I would also encourage a continuous line of communication between residence life and the hotel. This has worked very well with us to make sure that there really are no problems, and if need be problems are addressed quickly.” Like many processes in housing assignments, there is a method to the madness. With clear communication to students and parents in place and with a detailed plan in hand, institutions will succeed in turning what could be a desperate scramble into a carefully constructed plan. ts Sean Pierce is the assistant director of honors residential life at Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter. E-mail: spierce@fau.edu. master business operations and learn more about how communications, assignments, marketing, finance, and other niches of your housing office can work together during the first ACUHO-I Business Operations Conference. Go online to www.acuho-i.org and learn more about this event, part of the ACUHO-I Conference Series, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, on October 4-7, 2009. 150 Tremont Cafe at Suffolk University http://www.acuho-i.org http://www.bergmeyer.com http://www.bergmeyer.com
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