Student Housing FAQs

Q. Do students have to live in the residence halls?
A. Yes. All full-time students who do not have senior standing (at least 92 semester credit hours), who are single, under 21 years of age, without dependent children, and not living with a parent or legal guardian who lives within one-hour of OU-Ottawa must live in a campus residence hall and participate in the student meal plan. Living on-campus provides students with an opportunity to make friendships with people from many places. This is an important part of the college experience. Living within the residence halls also allows students the convenience of utilizing the services provided. Students must request and complete an off campus application and the "Parent Verification Form" if commuting from the parents' or legal guardians' home. Transfer students who meet age and/or semester credit hour requirements to live off campus may request an off campus housing application from the Office of Student Affairs after filling out the standard housing preference form.

Q. What does it cost to live in a residence hall for a year?
A. Housing costs for the 2008-09 academic year will be posted at a later date. Please check back for more details later.

Q. If a student does not get his or her preferred hall, and/or roommate preferences, what can he or she do?
A. Assignments are made in the order of the date that we receive the contract and deposit. The earlier a student contracts for housing and pays the $150 deposit, the greater their chances of being assigned to the residence hall of their preference. If both roommates do not submit a roommate request at the time of assignment, the request will not be met. We honor roommate requests whenever possible. If we are not able to match a roommate preference or assign a student to their residence hall preference, students have opportunities throughout the year to request a room change when space becomes available.

Q. How do new students get involved with activities on campus?
A. New students can get involved in a variety of ways. Resident assistants are a good starting place to getting advice on how to become active. Each RA has good resource information that can help point students in the right direction. There are plenty of opportunities on-campus to get involved.

Q. What is an RA?
A. Resident assistants are student leaders who are ready, willing and able to be resources to their peers. We select them each spring and they receive training in the fall and throughout the year. Our resident directors (RDs) are full-time professional staff members who are readily available to assist students, as well as RAs with a multitude of concerns. Each residence hall has an RA on each floor and a full-time  live-in RD.

Q. Where can students do laundry, and what does it cost?
A. Laundry facilities are available in each of the residence halls. Martin Hall has one laundry facility, which is located on the lower level of the building. In Bennett and Brown Halls, laundry facilities are located on each floor. It costs $1.50 to wash and $1.25 to dry. Students must bring their own laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheets. The machines only accept quarters.

Q. What should a student bring for the room?
A. Students should bring all of those special things that will make their room feel like home. Personalizing the room is strongly encouraged, and we suggest that students bring their favorite things. Pictures and posters may be hung on the walls white sticky tack only. Other things students can bring include:

Q. What size linens should a student bring?
A. Students need to bring sheets, pillows, pillowcases, and blankets to accommodate an extra long twin mattress. Regular twin sheets will work, but they will be snug.

Q. Are single rooms available?
A. A limited number of single rooms are available. Returning upper-class students usually receive these rooms. If a student decides he or she is interested in a single room during the academic year, he or she must fill out a room change request form and indicate a single room preference. These forms can eb picked up in the Office of Student Affairs. Single rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Q. What if a student wants to make a room change?
A. Room changes can be made during room change week (approximately 2 weeks after the 1st day of school) after the halls open. Visit the hall's Resident Director (RD) to find out about the room change process.

Q. Can students remove University furniture from their rooms if they do not need/want it?
A. No. Because the furniture is University property, it cannot legally be removed from its designated room. We also do not provide storage space for furniture.

Q. What is a student not allowed to bring to furnish the room?
A. Residents may not have halogen lamps, hotplates or candles/other incendiary items. Candle burners are also not allowed. Students may contact the Housing Office if they are unsure if an appliance is allowed. Other items that are not allowed in the residence halls include: painting and/or loft construction; pornographic posters or images; alcohol beverage bottles, cans, and containers (either full or empty); any posters placed on the inside of doors; elevating floors; additional wiring for electrical equipment or lighting effects; construction and decoration that obstructs a 90-degree swing of the room entrance door; construction and decoration that obstructs the air circulation of the heating/cooling unit; furniture obstructing full view of room from entrance door; furniture from lounges or lobbies; as well as foam-backed carpet and rugs, and adhesives on the floor.

Q. If a student does not have a roommate preference, what factors will be used to select a roommate for him or her?
A. We assign rooms based upon the preferences indicated on the housing preference form. We make assignments on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Q. Are there places available in the residence halls for students to cook their own meals?
A. Yes, each residence hall contains a shared community kitchen area. Kitchens include counter space, a range/oven, a sink, and a microwave.

Q. What if I do not own a computer?
A. No problem! Computers and laser printers (students must supply their own paper) are available for use in each residence hall. Additional computer labs are also in the academic buildings open for student use on a daily basis.