FAQs
All residents (not the language assistants) are required to sign up for 3001H/3002H course and receive up to two credits. The returning residents who already earned the 2 credits are also required to register for the class while living in the House. These credits are for residents who have been seriously involved in the Shea house (floor activities, communal events etc.). However, all residents are required to speak the target language all the time at his or her best abilities, to enroll in a 3000-level 1 credit hour course (CR/NC) which residents earn by participating to the language activities such as casual conversation at daily dinners (Mon-Thu) and weekly language corners organized by the Language Assistant. Regular attendance and participation is expected of all residents and 70% or higher will be considered as CR.
Events must be open to all Shea residents or a language program. The event organizer must also partner with a language program.
In order to make a room reservation request within the Shea House, you must fill out this Google Form. There are two rooms in the Shea House available to internal and external groups for reservations, the Classroom (outside of class hours) and the Dining Room (outside of dining hours). Additionally, individuals or groups hoping to use either space within the Shea House must agree to the Shea House Reservation Policy, which reads:
You may use the Shea House Classroom/Dining Room so long as you respect the fire code, which limits the amount of people that the room may hold, and do not cook on site. If any garbage is left the room will not be made available to your group in the future. Please bring your own trash bags and remove these trash bags after your event. If you are using the Dining Room, you may not touch/use/move any of the appliances (serving stations/card swipe station) used by dining (you may move the tables so long as they are put back in their original places). If you are using the Classroom, it must be returned to or kept in its original state so as not to disturb classes that take place there during the academic year. If you host an event involving food, we ask that you not leave leftovers in the Shea House after the end of your event. If the Shea House needs the space we reserve the right to contact you and cancel your reservation.
Please also refer to http://www.virginia.edu/housing/safety.php?id=fire regarding the fire code.
Shea House Dining service has discontinued which has led to our decision that meal plan requirement is now void. You do not need to purchase a meal plan to be a part of the Shea House Programs.
The LA is a student (either undergraduate or graduate) just like you with exceptional lingual and cultural knowledge of their pod’s area. As you will see them the most, they will be a great resource for voicing questions and concerns. They also meet with the PF and Director on a regular basis to help make sure residents’ concerns find the proper channel.
Unfortunately, parking is quite sparse due to our proximity to the hospital area. Nearby permit parking is available at Bice or local apartment complexes such as the Monroe or Brandon Ave apartments, however, these can be costly. The Emmett/Ivy parking garage has more reasonable pricing, though you would need to park on the 4th or 5th floor. Despite being across grounds, buses run frequently to the Snyder Tennis Courts stop which is a few minutes away by foot. Late at night, the garage is accessible via Safe Ride.
Parallel street parking is free 24/7 on Monroe Lane but limited (10 spaces, almost always taken). Street parking on JPA in front of Shea is also available but limited to 2 hours Mon-Sat from 8am-6pm. On weekends, JPA street parking, Bice, and the McLeod parking garage are all free.
Ads and announcements should first be approved by the PF. Once approved, the must be turned into a file with the following specifications:
- Image must be in 3840 x 2160 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio).
- Only landscape orientation submissions can be used.
Once you have created your file:
- Save the image as a JPEG, PNG, or BMP file type.
- Name the file using the following format:
- For outside HRL organizations: OrganizationName_LastName_Start.Post.Date_End.Post.Date
- For RAs, SRs, and RLLT members: AssociationName_LastName_Start.Post.Date_End.Post.Date
- For example, a file titled HRL_Mendoza_8.15.21_8.16.21 would be posted from August 15th to the 16th.
Applying to Shea
The selection procedure varies and each language group has its own criteria about selection. Though the method of selection might be different, all language groups have agreed to give higher priority to applicants who 1. enrolled (and will be enrolled) in language courses and 2. who are seriously interested in learning the target language as well as getting involved in the Shea House community. Some native speakers will possibly be added to the roster so that they can also help other residents learn the respective language (but they are usually not the first choice). Additional materials may be required for specific languages, such as a video clip for American Sign Language (ASL). Note that a language program is required to have at least 4 residents and 1 Language Assistant in order to form an official langauge program (pod) in the House.
You need to find a student who does not already live in University Housing and who does not already have a contract, who is willing to take over their space. Since the departments are not involved in contract related questions or concerns, the Housing office will assist you with any question you may have about your contract.