Welcome Their use is limited strictly to the commons or public areas. This fund or portion of the Housing budget is subject to yearly approval. All expenditures must improve the overall "ambiance" of the College. The following guidelines and rules are provided to help each College when considering ambiance projects.
Acceptable Projects
The Projects must benefit all College members and visitors and enhance the overall appearance of the College.
- Purchase of new furniture (couches, chairs, tables)
- Purchase of area rugs
- Re-covering existing lobby or entry furniture
- Wall paint
- Kitchenette updates
- Special accent lighting
- A/V equipment upgrades
- Plants for landscaping
Acceptable areas for use of Ambiance Funds:
The true "commons" area include main entrances and dining areas. These are the prime areas to be considered and must be in excellent condition before considering other areas.
- Libraries and Private Dining Rooms
- Floor Lobbies
- Studies
- Kitchenettes and TV areas
- Outdoor landscaping (and improvements or fixtures)
Any projects or proposed purchases that fall outside the norm will be reviewed by the Senior Operations Manager.
Purchases or projects that come under the "acceptable" section above may be approved directly by the Senior Operations Manager.
Procedures
Before November 1, the resident of each College or his/her representatives should present to the Senior Operations manager a list of possible Ambiance projects approved by the College Magister and College leadership. This list should include current fiscal year requests plus ideas for future expenditures.
To request Ambiance Funds each College must:
Submit a plan and an Ambiance & Green Funds request form to the Senior Operations Manager.
Work with the Senior Operations Manager or designee to obtain bids for projects.
The Senior Operations Manager will notify the College when a presentation of the project is ready for final approval. If no formal presentation is required, the College will be notified with approval or denial of the proposed project. No funds will be committed to a project without proper documentation including appropriate signatures.
Approved purchases ca be made with College funds. Original receipts will be necessary in order to receive reimbursement. You may email those receipts to the Senior Operations Manager.
Housing and Dining may function as project manager on large or complex projects.
Deadlines
November 1: List of Ambiance and Green Projects due to Housing and Dining.
The Senior Operations Manager or designee will review with representatives of each College. The list should include future projects and other ideas to enhance the college. By compiling such a list H&D and the Colleges will be able to set up a plan for college improvements. Requests after this date will be considered on a case-by-case basis, otherwise funds will be forfeited for the remaining fiscal year.
February 1: Deadline for finalizing plans, drawings, and estimates for projects to be completed over the summer.
April 1: Deadline for turning in all receipts for Ambiance and Green Funds. If receipts are not submitted by this date, the college is responsible for payment.
Budgets
Ambiance and Green Fund Budgets are allocated by fiscal year (Rice's Fiscal Year (FY) goes from July 1 to June 30) and are not eligible for expenditures in other fiscal years.
Ambiance budget is up to $14K and Green Fund budget is up to $1K
*A College’s ambiance and green funds requests may be denied if College has any previous fiscal year balance due to the Housing and Dining Department.