Preparing to leave for college raises a lot of questions. Hopefully you will find the answers to those questions on this page but if you end up with unanswered questions please email Residential Life at reslife@sewanee.edu and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Happy packing!
When will I find out where I will be living? Roommate and housing assignments are made individually by hand in order to match you with the best roommate and dormitory possible. Due to the time-intensive nature of this process, you will receive your housing and roommate assignments in late July.
What will my room look like? There are details about each dormitory and room dimensions available on the Residence Halls website.
When can I move in to my dorm room? Typically First Year Students move in to their dorm rooms the Saturday before Orientation begins. For the Class of 2012 Arrival day is August 23, 2008.
Move-in begins at 1pm. Students participating in PRE and fall varsity sports will be allowed to move their belongings into their dorm when they arrive on campus earlier in the week. Returning students are allowed to move back on to campus the Tuesday before classes begin.
How far is my dormitory from central campus? Below you will find an list of the estimated time it will take to walk from your dorm to central campus:
Benedict 5 minutes
Cannon 3 minutes
Cleveland 2 minutes
Courts 10 minutes
Elliott 5 minutes
Emery 10 minutes
Gorgas 10 minutes
Hodgson 10 minutes
Hoffman 3 minutes
Humphreys 10 minutes
Hunter 5 minutes
Johnson 3 minutes
McCrady 5 minutes
Phillips 10 minutes
Quintard 10 minutes
St. Luke’s 3 minutes
There is also a campus map available here so you can see where your dormitory is located.
Can I drive to class? Sewanee is a pedestrian campus and all of the dormitories are within walking distance to central campus. If you choose to bring a car, it will be required to remain parked at your dormitory from 8am until 5pm Monday through Friday.
Can I bring a bike? Yes! Bike registration is free and there are bike racks outside of most of the dormitories and buildings for your convinence.
What Should I bring to campus? A complete list can be found here.
What size sheets should I bring? All dorms on campus have twin sized beds. The beds do vary from standard to extra long depending upon the dorm. Therefore, it is best for students to purchase Twin Extra Long sheets because they will fit all twin beds on campus. This is also helpful as students will change dorms all four years and this safe guards against having to buy new sheets.
Can I bring my own furniture/ What type of furniture is provided? Each student will be provided a twin size bed (standard or extra long depending on the dorm assignment), a desk and desk chair, a dresser/chest of drawers, and a bookcase. Each room also has closet space for the student. The furniture provided must remain within the room for the entirety of the academic year.
Some rooms are large enough to house a small love seat or arm chair (Note: metal frame futons are not allowed). If you think you will have extra space: 1) ask your roommate if they would agree to having a couch in the room, etc. 2) wait until you arrive at school to reassess the situation. Once you have all of your stuff moved in you may realize extra furniture would only clutter your room. Most students who decide to get extra furniture typically purchase this furniture at a local thrift shop/flea market or a local shop in campus.
What appliances can I bring to campus? Students living in all residence halls may bring a compact refrigerator (1.7 - 2.6 cu. ft.) to campus. All students, except for those living in Johnson, may also bring a small microwave. It is important that students coordinate with their roommate who will bring what to avoid having duplicate items on move-in day. NOTE: Toasters, hot plates, and grills are NOT allowed in the dorm rooms.
Can I smoke in my room? No. All residence halls are smoke free and smoking is prohibited within 50 feet of buildings. Also, students may not use smokeless tobacco products in the residence halls.
Can students loft their beds? Self built Lofts are not allowed in Sewanee Residence Halls because they excessively damage the interior of the dorms. Students can buy plastic bed risers (cinder blocks are not allowed) that increase the amount of storage under a bed. Some of the rooms in St. Luke's dorms has loftable furniture.
What can be done about the level of noise in the dorm? Each night of the week beginning at 7:30pm every dorm is staffed by a Head Resident, Proctor, or Assistant proctor. Also, each dorm has quiet hours on weeknights (Sunday through Thursday) beginning as 7:30pm lasting until 8am. Weeknight quiet hours are from 10pm until 8am. If a resident is concerned about the noise on their hall they can approach the noisy students and ask them to quiet down. Or, they can find the staff member on duty to help in getting the noisy people to quiet down.
Is there housing for only first-year students? No. At Sewanee the dorms have students from all class years living within them. First Year students will, however, share a room with another first year student.
What kind of visitation polices are in place? Dormitories (or, with regard to co-ed dormitories, the individual dormitory rooms) are open to visitors of the opposite sex from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. A roommate's right to free access to the room at all times must not be abridged by visitation. A roommate must not be deprived of the right to privacy, study time, or sleep because of a guest. When there are infractions of the visitation rules, action will be taken against all offending parties according to appropriate guidelines. Click Here for more information on Dorm Rules.
Is there a laundry service? No but each dorm does have multiple washers and dryers available for the students to use. They are High Efficency washers and dryers, so be sure to get HE detergent and dryer sheets. The machines are NOT coin operated during the school year so there is no need to save your quarters :-) . A laundry fee will be added to your student account at the start of each semester. There is a dry cleaner located in downtown Sewanee.
How are residence halls supervised? Each residence hall has a Head Resident. The Head Residents, affectionately known as Matrons, are mature, full-time residents of the University dorms who are responsible for the general management of their assigned residence hall. Head Residents also assist and advise the other dorm staff with rule enforcement and program development. Matrons are a time-honored and important part of life at Sewanee. Matrons were first installed in the dormitories to provide a sense of maturity and domestic virtue within the dorm community and to create a home away from home atmosphere. All University dormitories, with the exception of a few smaller, upperclassman dorms, have a Head Resident.
Proctors are student members of the administration who work under the supervision of the Assistant Dean of Students, the Director of Residential Life, and Head Proctors to create civil and respectful residential environments that enhance student academic experiences. Proctors promote educational and social programs in their dorms, enforce dorm policies and regulations, oversee the Assistant Proctors, and serve as leaders throughout the campus community. Students are eligible for the position of Proctor in their junior and senior years.
The Assistant Proctor is an integral part of the first-year student orientation process and the residential life system. Working throughout the year with faculty advisors, the Assistant Proctors help first-year students adjust to the academic and social life at the University of the South. In addition, the Assistant Proctors support the Proctors in creating and maintaining a comfortable and positive dormitory atmosphere and in enforcing University policies. Assistant Proctors work under the supervision of the Deans of Students, the Director of Residential Life and the Head Assistant Proctors. Assistant Proctors also serve as directors of smaller theme residence halls such language houses. Every night of the week a dorm staff member is on duty in the dorm beginning at 7:30pm until the next morning. These staff members are responsible for rule enforcement and the safety of the dorm.
What kinds of activities take place in the residence halls? A variety of social, educational, and community service activities are planned for each residence hall. These activities are typically organized by the Dorm Staff in each residence hall and range from birthday parties and ice cream socials to Habitat for Humanity work days and well being talks. All students are encouraged to attend these fun activities and become part of the dorm community.
Is there telephone service in the room? Yes. Each room is set up with its own telephone jack and telephone. Roommates will share the telephone number assigned to their room. Phones are equipped to make on-campus and local calls. Information on the Long Distance Service Packages as well as other service options (caller ID, etc.) provided can be found by visiting the TTIS website. Additional Information can be found in A Guide to Sewanee: Essential Things To Do on the last page of this publication.
What happens when a rule or policy is violated? Appropriate measures will be taken in regards to the offense. A Detailed description of offenses and disciplinary measures can be found here.
Is alcohol allowed on campus? Yes, alcohol is allowed on campus for students of legal age (21 and older). Personal consumption is limited to reasonable quantities of alcohol. Kegs of any size and other unreasonable amounts are not permitted on and around the residence hall and are considered Common Source Violations.
Where can I see a doctor or nurse on campus? The University Health Services provides health care on campus. The health care team consists of a Nurse Practitioner, a Registered Nurse, and a receptionist, as well as a rotating team of physicians. The physicians are available to see students who have been referred by the Nurse Practitioner. In the event of an emergency students should go directly to Emerald Hodgson Hospital or call for the Sewanee EMS.
Can students stay in their rooms during breaks? Students may not stay in residential facilities during vacation periods unless express, written permission is given by the Director of Residential Life. For security reasons, locks will be changed during Christmas and Spring break periods and students will not have access to their dorm rooms during this time.
Will my room have internet access? Yes. Each room has an internet connection for each person living there. Many but not all of our dorms also offer wireless internet. Please check on the individual dorm descriptions for this information or visit Wireless Sewanee. Although many of the residence halls do have wireless, it is still helpful to bring an ethernet cable as back up.
