RESIDENTIAL LIFE

The Residential Life program and facilities at Dickinson State University are designed to provide the resident student with a comfortable, attractive, and dynamic place in which to live and learn. A variety of educational, cultural, social, and recreational programs are presented to enhance the residential experience, and Residential Life staff work with student residents to create an environment which facilitates personal growth, provides a sense of community, and encourages academic excellence.

Housing Policy
The University feels (and research supports) that students have a better opportunity to succeed in college if they are residents of campus housing. Therefore, Dickinson State University housing policy requires all students who are under the age of 21 and who have completed fewer than 60 credit hours by the beginning of the Fall 2006 semester to sign a contract for room and board for the 2006-07 academic year. Students reaching the age of 21, or acquiring 60 or more completed credit hours during the first semester may request to have the contract terminated at the end of the fall semester. Students requesting exemption from this policy must do so in writing. Approval of requests for exemption from this policy is at the discretion of Residential Life. Reasons for approval for exemptions may include: students living locally (within 25 miles of campus) with parents, immediate relatives, or guardians; married students; single parents with one or more dependents; and students with extenuating personal or medical conditions.

Residence Halls
Dickinson State University maintains three traditional residence halls for approximately 450 students. The majority of rooms are designed for shared occupancy, however based on space and availability, students may be able to have a shared room as a single at a higher cost. Rooms in these halls include furnishings (bed, dresser, desk and desk chair), broadband access to Internet, basic telephone service (dial tone and local service, long distance calls not included), basic cable service, utilities included, free laundry facilities, and access common recreation and study rooms.

The University also maintains three apartment complexes adjacent to campus. Main Campus apartments offer 24 shared apartments housing 72 students. Miller Apartments offers six apartments housing 12 students. Preference for housing assignment to either Main or Miller Apartments is offered to upperclassmen; freshmen are typically not assigned to either of these facilities.  Altringer Apartments offers housing for 33 students and is reserved for students participating in the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program. Main, Miller, and Altringer Apartments feature kitchens (including refrigerator/freezer, stove, sink, counter and cabinet space), living rooms, private bathrooms, furnishings (bed, dresser, desk and desk chair), broadband access to Internet, basic telephone service (dial tone and local service, long distance calls not included), basic cable service, utilities included, free laundry facilities, and access commons recreation and study rooms.

North Campus Apartments
In addition to the residence halls and Main, Miller, and Altringer Apartments, Dickinson State University offers housing for students and students with families in the North Campus Apartments. This facility is located several miles north of campus, and assignment to North Campus Apartments is typically reserved to students who are upperclassmen and students with families.

Rental arrangements for this facility are based on whether the resident is assigned as a single student or as a student with family. Rental arrangements for single students are made in the same away as those for student living in the other residential facilities (furnished with basic telecommunications services and utilities, meal plan required). Rental to students with families is based on a monthly rental rate for an unfurnished apartment with no telecommunications or utilities provided.

Residence hall room rates for the 2006/07 academic year are shown below. One half of the rate is billed per semester.

2006/2007 Room Rates
Residence hall room rates for the 2006/07 academic year are shown below. One half of the rate is billed per semester.

Rental charges for the 2006/07 academic year for family housing in North Campus Apartments are shown below.

Type of apartment        2006/07 rate
One-bedroom              $345
Two-bedroom             $415

Housing Fees
Students must pay housing and board fees by the fee payment day of each semester. Housing and board fees are subject to change with one semester’s notice.

Refund of Room and Board

Students who must withdraw from the University (or those receiving approval from Residential Life to vacate their room and board contract for other reasons in accordance with existing Residential Life policies) and who complete a proper check out from the residence halls (in accordance with Residential Life policies) may receive a refund of the unused portion of their room and board contract.  Any refund of the unused portion would be on a pro-rated basis based on the date of check out from the residence halls in accordance with the following schedule:

Smoking Policy

All residence halls are smoke-free. Students who chose to smoke will need to do so outside.