- Furniture
- Policies
- Housekeeping Issues
- Cooking and Meal Plans
- Who Will I live with and when can I come to Campus?
What size are the mattresses?
The traditional corridor-style halls (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Windham) which accommodate first year students, Commonwealth Hall, Plymouth Complex, Evergreen Village, and LaRiviere Living and Learning Center have twin extra long mattresses in student rooms. Gateway Village has twin regular matresses the student rooms. Pillows and linens are not provided.
Can room furniture be re-arranged?
YES. Furniture is free standing and can be modified in a number of ways - such as loft-style, where the desk and dresser are situated below an elevated bed frame and mattress, or with the bed near to the floor, traditional style. Tools such as a screwdriver and adjustable wrench may be required if parts are involved. In whatever manner a room is set up for student use; all college owned furniture and personal belongings must be kept there. Storage space is not available during the academic year. Students will be billed for any missing or damaged parts, so care should be taken when re-arranging or modifying the design or set-up of room furniture.
Do I need to bring a telephone?
The College does NOT provide telephones, but each room is equipped for phone service. Note that only one telephone may be used per room. You will receive (from the phone company) a personal security code to make long distance calls. You will then be directly billed for these calls. Students may also use a personal calling card.
Do I need to buy curtains and/or carpeting?
Room windows have pull shades in the quad halls (Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden) and Commonwealth Hall. The rooms in Windham Hall have a set of curtains, as does Plymouth Complex and Evergreen and Gateway Villages. Rooms in Berkshire, Franklin and Hampden Halls, as well as Plymouth complex, have tile flooring. Rooms in others residence areas have wall to wall carpeting. Students may bring an area rug for their room.
Are any pets allowed?
Fish, in a reasonably sized aquarium, are the only type of pet allowed. Residence Life staff reserve the right to determine what constitutes a "too big" aquarium.
What about personal computers?
Campus computer network connections and Internet access have been installed in student housing for each resident.
Are students allowed to bring furniture?
We provide ample furniture, so students should think carefully about bringing any additional items; and should definitely communicate with their roommate before doing so. Upholstered furniture is limited to that provided by the College. Items students may bring as supplemental seating are limited to chairs made of wood, metal or molded plastic. Fabric seating (as in director's with canvas material) is acceptable, but any form of "padding" (as in a computer desk chair, papasan chair, dish chair or futon) is prohibited. Halogen lamps and air conditioners are not allowed in student housing. Note that fines may be implemented for the presence an /or use of prohibited items. These may be billed to a specific individual, or may be billed to both roommates (regardless of who owns the prohibited commodity) as a collective responsibility in shared living space. Detailed information is in the Resident Student Housing Agreement .
Is smoking allowed in student housing?
All of our residence areas are SMOKE-FREE. Smoking is not allowed in any public/commonly shared space as well as individual student rooms and suites. The roommate consideration segment of the on-line housing application will continue to give students the option to preference a non-smoking roommate. While a priority concern for assignment purposes, we cannot guarantee that this or other lifestyle preferences will be accommodated.
Are there curfews?
There are no curfews in student housing. Residents have around-the-clock access to their assigned building through their student ID card, and are fully responsible for managing their own time. There are also no predetermined time limits for visiting in student rooms. However, visitors should not interfere with a resident's right to reasonable privacy and legitimate use of his or her living space.
What about overnight guests?
A resident (host) may have a visitor/guest spend the night in his/her room, with the knowledge and consent of the roommate. Think carefully about whom is invited to visit and to monitor the guest's actions carefully in that you are fully responsbile for his/her behavior! The College also reserves the right to require that a visitor/guest depart at any point in time.
Is this a "dry" campus?
Students of legal age may consume alcohol (responsibly) if assigned to an of-age residence area: Evergreen or Gateway Village. Otherwise, students who make the personal choice to drink in an underage residence facility or public area of the campus need to be prepared to accept the consequences of that choice. How we respond to the situation will depend on the circumstances. While taking an educational approach, alcohol-related misconduct is taken seriously. Disciplinary probation or suspension from housing can occur if the behavior is significant enough to warrant this response.
Are there "quiet hours"?
Each residence area has "quiet hours", beginning at 9 p.m. on weeknights and at midnight on weekends. "Quiet hours" are intended to promote an environment conducive to study and rest. This is a group responsibility, in that each resident has an obligation to monitor him/herself and confront others who may be too noisy. If unsuccessful in getting cooperation, a Resident Advisor should be contacted for assistance. There are also extended "quiet hours" during the week of final examinations.
Is there housekeeping in student rooms or bathrooms?
The condition of a room is the full responsibility of the occupants, in terms of cleanliness and care of college property. The community bathrooms in the traditional residence areas are cleaned regularly by College personnel, as are corridors and lounges. However, misuse of public space (littering, for example) will either be corrected through an "on-the-spot floor program" with residents, who rightfully have collective responsibility for the living space they share, or charged to students if the services of housekeeping personnel is required to rectify the situation. Gateway and Evergreen Village residents are fully responsible for the care and upkeep of their living spaces.
Are microwaves allowed?
For students assigned to Berkshire, Commonwealth, Franklin, Hampden and Windham halls, as well as Plymouth Complex and Lariviere Center(sophomore housing) the College provides a combined microwave-refrigerator unit (one per room.) Students residing in traditional or suite-style residence areas are NOT permitted to bring their own microwave to campus. This is for safety concerns and power usage in student housing.
Gateway and Evergreen Villages provide complete apartments for independent student living. Therefore students residing in Gateway or Evergreen Village may bring a microwave for use in their kitchen.
What's the limit (size) for a refrigerator?
Only compact refrigerators are allowed in student rooms. The size should not exceed 3.5 cubic feet. This is based on electrical usage and space considerations. In rooms where we provide a microwave-refrigerator unit, only one student owned refrigerator may be brought to campus. Roommates should discuss this matter, so as to avoid bringing a refrigerator that will need to make a return trip home on opening weekend.
Do I need to sign up for a meal plan?
Main campus residents are automatically registered as a participant in the College's full meal plan: 20 meals per week, with three meals per day on Monday through Saturday, and brunch and dinner on Sunday. There are no alternative meal plans for first year students - but there are many food choices offered at each meal. Meal plan participation becomes optional only when a student is assigned to an apartment or townhouse, where each unit has a complete kitchen. However students may purchase "food points" to supplement (not replace) the meal plan. These points are purchased at Student Administrative Services (SAS) and the student then reports to the Food Service Office (in the Campus Center) to have his/her student ID card validated for use of the points.
Students residing in Gateway and Evergreen Village have several meal plan options. Please see the "Meal Plan" link for futher information.
Click here for Meal Plan Information
Where do I buy additional Declining Balance Points?
DB Points can be purchased from the Student Administrative Services offices. Then, bring your receipt and your ID card to the dining office.
Can I use my points off Campus?
Yes, you can use your DB Points to order hot, fresh Dominos pizzas, breadsticks and refreshing sodas.
- Sun - Thurs: 5pm - 1am
- Fri - Sat: 5pm - 2am
What if I lose my Dining/I.D. card?
Lost cards must be reported immediately to Public Safety. You can obtain a replacement card at Public Safety, Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm, phone number 413-782-1207
What if my question was not answered here?
For any other questions or concerns you may have concerning meal plans or food services,` please call the Director of Dining Services at: 413-796-2014
Can I arrive before opening weekend?
Unless a student is invited to campus for a specific purpose (such as athletics), arrival and check-in is during Opening Weekend.