RESOURCES FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
Apply for on-campus housing, review Residence Life policies, submit maintenance requests and more!
HOUSING INFORMATION
Explore housing information and policies, including residence hall opening/closing dates.
Please visit the Bursar's Office website for details regarding Housing Rates.
Residents interested in changing their housing assignments must complete a room change request online and should speak with their Resident Assistant. In all cases, changes must be approved by Residence Life. In the event that a request is precipitated by a roommate conflict, room changes will normally only be approved after other methods of resolving the conflict have been attempted. Mediation of conflicts may be sought from the Residence Life staff, but every effort should be made by the residents to resolve issues among themselves. If conflict resolution is unsuccessful, the student initiating the request will be granted a room change, subject to availability.
Note: Room changes are not typically made within the first two weeks of a semester.
The semester cost for housing may vary from room to room. Students accepting a room change may be charged more or less, depending on their new housing assignment. Before accepting a room change, please be certain to review current room rates. Costs will be prorated in accordance with the date of the room change.
Residence Life will make every effort to accommodate students who cannot leave campus during break periods. Depending on the length of the break period and the demand for housing, students may either be:
- permitted to remain in their own room, or
- asked to consolidate into another building for reasons of safety and security.
In order to remain on campus during a break period, students must register via the .
- All University policies and terms of the housing contract remain in effect for students who remain in residence during break periods.
- Please note that Dining Halls are closed and meal plans are not active during break periods. For more information, please see Dining Services.
Fall, Thanksgiving, Spring, and Easter Breaks
- Given the demand for housing, residence halls will remain open during the Fall, Thanksgiving, Spring, and Easter Breaks for students who register online.
Christmas/Winter Break
- For reasons of safety and security, the University closes all but a few halls during this break period.
- Students who must stay on campus during this break for a University-sponsored program, may be required to take up temporary residence in a hall other than their own during this time.
Senior Week
- Graduating seniors and sponsored students participating in Commencement activities may register to remain in residence during this break period.
- One dining hall will remain open for approved students during senior week.
If you have a vacancy in your room/apartment, Residence Life will fill your vacancy.
- You do not have the option to keep your vacancy open.
- Residence Life will inform you by email that you have an impending vacancy in your room/apartment.
- You will typically be given five days to inform Residence Life if you have a preferred roommate to fill the vacancy; however, in extenuating circumstances, Residence Life reserves the right to fill the vacancy without consulting you about your preferences.
If you have a preferred roommate:
- Your requested roommate must be eligible to reside on campus.
- You and your preferred roommate must both email Residence Life to confirm this request.
If you do not have a preferred roommate:
- Residence Life will offer your vacancy to someone seeking a room change.
- You will be contacted via email and given the name of the student who will be filling the vacancy in your room/apartment.
- Students who are studying abroad or taking a leave of absence during the Fall semester will receive an email from Residence Life in October with information about obtaining housing for the spring semester.
- Students will be directed to complete a housing application via the .
- Housing assignments will be available in early December. Billing will be added in January.
- If a student is otherwise eligible for housing, Residence Life cannot guarantee a student returning from abroad/medical leave a particular housing assignment.
- Residence Life will not remove a student from their assignment nor leave a space vacant to accommodate the needs of a returning student.
- While every effort will be made to accommodate roommate groups, placement as a group will depend on availability.
HOUSING ASSIGNMENTS
Find step-by-step instructions for undergraduates to apply for on-campus housing.
ELIGIBILITY
草榴社区 guarantees three years of consecutive housing for first-year students who are admitted to the University as resident students. Some students are guaranteed a fourth year of housing at the time of their admission through certain scholarships or programs. Rising seniors who are not guaranteed a fourth year of housing may apply for on-campus residency via a lottery process.
- 草榴社区 is unable to offer on-campus housing to transfer students given current demand and availability.
- The University maintains off-campus housing information, where you will find a database that may help you find a roommate and other resources.
POLICIES
Familiarize yourself with the policies in the Student Handbook governing residential living.
MAINTENANCE ISSUES
Submit a maintenance request or learn more about fire and mold prevention.
Click the link below for issues including apartment appliances, cleaning/custodial, electrical walls/ceiling, furniture, fire safety equipment, general maintenance, heating/cooling, lights, pest control/extermination, plumbing, washers and dryers, windows:
LIVING ON CAMPUS
Tips for making the most of your residential experience.
Suggested Items to Bring for Living in a Residence Hall
- Desk and/or floor lamp (non-halogen)
- Shower bucket/shower shoes
- Stationery supplies
- Laundry supplies
- Hangers
- Extra-long bed linens
- Towels
- Cleaning supplies
- First aid supplies
- Surge protector
- Heavy duty extension cord(s)
- Wastebasket
- Plastic containers with lids (for proper food storage)
- Window or floor fan
Please DO NOT Bring:
- Candles (decorative or functional, wick or no wick)
- Toaster ovens or crock pots (prohibited in traditional residence halls, permitted in apartments)
- Hot plates or appliiances with exposed heating elements
- Space heaters
- Pets or animals of any kind (unless service animal or University-approved emotional support animal)
- Halogen lamps
- Platform beds or lofts
- Cinderblocks or any other item designed to raise the height of your bed (bed heights are adjustable)
- Wall mounted shelves or any other item that requires permanent fixture to walls or furniture
- Air conditioning units
- Electric scooters, self-balancing one- or two-wheeled boards or motorized skateboards (electric mobility aids for those with impaired mobility and electric bicycles are permitted)
- Wall-mounted shelves or any other item that requires a permanent fixture to walls or furniture
A Note about Headboards:
While permitted, the addition of headboards to University beds is discouraged. One of the most significant contributors to mold growth is poor air circulation. Furniture, including headboards, may not be placed in front of the HVAC vent or return, as they can severely diminish the rate of circulation. A fabric headboard provides a soft surface for potential mold growth and cannot be easily cleaned鈥攖his is especially a problem when the fabric is in the path of HVAC circulation.
Additionally, 草榴社区 beds are not designed for user modifications, which may create additional hazards. An improperly secured headboard can create a potential fall hazard if the headboard fails when the student leans against it.
The following items are not provided in apartment-style halls and must be provided by the residents:
Living Area
- Lamps (desk and living room)
- Television
Kitchen
- Pots and pans
- Dishes
- Silverware
- Glasses
- Dish towels
- Toaster or toaster oven
- Can opener
- Hot plate with enclosed heating coils (i.e., ceramic top)
- Dish drain
- Kitchen trash can
- Plastic containers with lids (for proper food storage)
Bedroom/Bathroom
- Pillow(s), sheets, blankets/comforter or bedspread
- Closets (located in bedrooms) do not have doors. Students may wish to purchase a curtain and curtain rod for closet openings.
- Shower curtains (Note: showers in Farley, Gallen, Jackson, and St. Clare are not a standard size. The University will provide extra-long shower curtains for these showers. Residents of Klekotka, Moulden, Rudolph, and Welsh must supply their own standard-sized shower curtains.)
- Towels
- Bathroom rugs/bath mat
- Bathroom trash can
Please note: Students are responsible for providing their own toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies in their apartments.
Most residence halls have standard twin-size mattresses measuring 36x76x7. Both standard size and extra-long twin sheets will fit the mattress. All rooms and apartments in The Commons will have extra-long mattresses.
For students assigned to buildings where extra-long mattresses are not standard, Residence Life has a limited supply of extra-long mattresses measuring 36x80x7, which are available upon request and based on need. Requests should be limited to those over 6'2" in height. These mattresses require extra-long twin-sized sheets. Students can request an extra-long mattress when they complete the housing application or by contacting the Office for Residence Life.
Small dehumidifiers are installed in residential rooms in Stanford, Good Counsel, St. Monica, St. Katharine, Caughlin, McGuire, Fedigan, Sheehan, Sullivan, Austin, Corr and St. Mary's Halls. Students living in these residence halls do not need to bring their own dehumidifiers.
Laundry facilities are located in all residence halls. Washers and dryers are available for use at no additional cost for residential students.
MicroFridge rentals are available this year directly from The MicroFridge combines a microwave, freezer and refrigerator. Please note that only one MicroFridge or refrigerator/ microwave is permitted per room.
Campus Specialties will set up the unit in student rooms and will pick it up at the end of the Spring Semester. If anything goes wrong with the unit, Campus Specialties will replace it.
草榴社区 provides free wireless Internet access throughout the campus. It is readily available in all academic and residence halls to all students, faculty and staff .
草榴社区's wireless network SSID is "VUMobile." To connect, simply click on VUMobile on your computer's list of available wireless networks and enter in your 草榴社区 user name and password.
Trouble connecting? Please email UNIT User Support or call the UNIT Help Desk at 610-519-7777.
草榴社区 residential students have free access to Xfinity Stream, which streams live TV, movies and shows to any device. To set up Xfinity Stream when you arrive on campus, visit .
What if I have trouble with my service?
For assistance, please email UNIT User Support or call the UNIT Help Desk at 610-519-7777.
The University鈥檚 property insurance only covers property that is owned by the University. It does not cover damage to students' personal property. It is highly recommended that students insure their own personal property via an existing homeowners insurance or purchase a renters insurance policy. It is important to confirm with your homeowners insurance carrier that student鈥檚 property (including computers and other electronics) will be fully covered for loss while housed outside of the family dwelling.
As stated in the Student Handbook and the housing contract, the University assumes no legal obligation to pay for loss of or damage to items of student鈥檚 personal property occurring on campus or in its buildings or storage areas.
MOVE-OUT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Tips for a smooth summer checkout.
- Students must vacate their residence hall 24 hours following their last final examination or by noon the day the residence halls close. Please note: students participating in Commencement or approved for Extended Stay Housing are exempt from this requirement.
- Resident assistants will hang express check-out forms near the entrances of each room/suite/apartment in the coming weeks. Please follow the instructions and sign the form once completed to depart campus. Residents do not need to make an appointment with their resident assistant or the Office for Residence Life to check out.
- Residence Life staff members will complete room assessments once all residents of a room/suite/apartment have departed campus鈥攕tudents do not need to register or be present for end-of-year room assessments. Damage charges may be assessed for rooms that do not meet move-out standards.
- Please take all personal belongings with you. Once you have departed campus, you will not be permitted back into your residence hall without approval from the Office for Residence Life. Any personal items left behind will be considered abandoned and discarded.
Remove Decorations and Personal Items
- All decorative items, including but not limited to corkboards, mirrors, shelving, posters, hooks, decals, stickers, etc. must be removed.
- Decals, stickers, marks, tape, adhesive, nails, "Stick-Up" Air Fresheners, and lettering on ceilings, doors, furniture, walls and windows should be cleaned off and/or removed.
Walls
- Do not attempt to repair and/or paint damaged walls in your room or apartment. Doing so usually results in additional repair costs to the University and student.
Furniture
- All University furnishings present in your room at the time of check-in must be in your room at departure. Replacement costs will be assessed for missing furniture.
- Furnishings and other items that are the personal property of residents, such as couches, chairs, rugs, shelves, headboards, etc., must be removed from your room/suite/apartment prior to departure.
- Dumpsters will be located near residence halls to assist with disposal.
- Do not un-bunk or re-bunk your beds. Professional movers will complete these tasks.
You will be assessed a labor charge for the removal of all personal items left in your room/suite/apartment.
Leave Your Room/Suite/Apartment Clean
- Prior to departure, please remove all trash from your room/suite/apartment and sweep the floors.
- Students who leave trash in their rooms/suite/apartment will be assessed a Custodial Service charge for trash removal.
Storage is not available on the University campus. Additionally, drop-off storage pods are not permitted on campus due to parking and space restrictions. Off-campus storage facilities are available in the local area.
Students may choose to contract directly with a company that provides residence hall pick-up in the spring, storage for the summer, and delivery to a new residence hall in the fall. Students will work directly with the chosen company and all questions or concerns should be directed to the company.
Because of University insurance requirements, the companies below are the only businesses permitted access to campus and University residence halls. The names are provided for your convenience at the request of the outside vendors. Please note that the University does not endorse any of the companies listed.
- Students participating in Commencement or individuals unable to vacate their residence halls by the closing date must register for Extended Stay Housing.
- Students who have registered and been approved for Extended Stay Housing will be permitted to remain on campus until the specified date and time.
- Students registered for Summer Housing need to depart residence halls by the closing date, unless otherwise approved by Residence Life. Summer Housing residents will receive additional information at a later date.
If you've rented a MicroFridge for the year, Campus Specialties will pick up the unit at the end of the spring semester. Students do not need to move the MicroFridge from their room upon move-out.
GET INVOLVED!
International Student Services
Selected Student Handbook Policies
The is the official student handbook for 草榴社区. We hope it will be a ready reference for information important to you during your stay at the University.