Frequently Asked Questions of the Director of Residence Life

Last Updated 6/24/08

Q: The bed size listed on the website indicates a standard twin. I know that some universities have a small supply of extra long twin bed mattresses available upon request. Does Unity have this option? My 6'4'' son was wondering if he was going to fit!!

A: All of our bed frames are extra long. However, most of our mattresses are normal twin size so twin size sheets would work fine. We do have a small supply of extra long mattress for our extra long students. If your son or daughter is extra long, please let me know and I will make sure your son or daughter gets an extra long mattress.

Check In Procedure

Q: How do you check into your room?

A: Once you arrive at the residence hall, look for the resident advisor. RAs will be in cocoa polo shirts. The resident advisor will welcome you to the residence halls and introduce him- or her. The RA will explain the check-in form for your son or daughter’s room, bring you to the room, and introduce you to the roommate if he or she has already arrived.

The RA will explain that your son or daughter needs to check the room against the check-in form, noting any differences. When the check-in form has been completed, return it to the RA who will then issue your son or daughter a key to the room. You then can begin to move your son or daughter’s personal belongings into the room. There will also be volunteer movers available who can assist you in moving personal belongs into the room. Also the RA will attempt to answer any questions that you might have.

Determining    Floor Level

Q: I was just wondering how do I know whether I am on the first, second or third floor?

A: The first number of your room number indicates the floor the room is on. So if you live in Westview 130 you would be on the first floor. If you lived in Cianchette 217 you would be on the second floor. And if you lived in Wood Hall 309 you would be on the third floor.

Q: What are the regulations regarding posters on the walls? Can the kids hang things with nails or screws or just the tacky stuff?

A: I generally prefer that students hang posters and pictures in their room with Adhesive Putty. Scott Tape has in the past when removed from our walls, taken the paint with it and I would definitely recommend not using duct tape! Putting tacks, nails, and screws in the walls is a tricky issue because at what point is tack holes normal wear and tear and at what point do they consist damage to the wall requiring patching and painting (a $50 charge per wall). The rooms in Wood Hall do have wooden poster strips on the left and right walls designed to take tacks.

Q: I just read on the Unity College website that the Housing Deposit Form has to be turned in by April 15 to secure housing for the 2008-2009 year. I never received the Housing Application/ Deposit Forms and was under the impression that these kinds of forms would be directly sent to me from the Housing Office or that at least a deadline warning would be sent by email. I never received any information about housing in Unity College.

Since I was caught completely unaware by this deadline I was hoping that I could still get a dorm room. I am a freshman and am required to live on campus. Can I fax the Housing Deposit Form that I downloaded from the unity.edu site to you or do I have to mail it in (I am currently living in the Netherlands so it would take a while by mail)?

A: The application process you are looking for is for returning Unity College students. As an incoming student, your housing deposit is handled through Admissions. After you have paid your admission deposit you should be receiving a packet from admission with the housing application in it.

Q: Do the resident hall rooms have a wired internet connection or just wireless?

A: Each resident room has both a wired internet connection and also is wireless.

Q: You contacted me asking if I would be interested in having a lofting system in my room. Could you tell me more about what the lofting system is?

A: The lofting system is designed for the wood adjustable bunk beds that the college provides in the residence rooms. It is 37"W x 84"L x 66"H with 2 ¼" x 2 ¼" posts. All posts and stretchers are made of select environmentally timbered wood. It has triple doweled construction and the maximum high bunk bed position at 62" from floor. Finally it requires tooless assembly and has 3" x 3" posts. The College has about 90 of these lofting systems and we offer them to the residents of Eastview, Westview, and Wood Hall first come first served bases. Maintenance installs the lofting systems in the rooms before students arrive in the fall.

Q: Before I apply to Unity College I must find out if you offer any living residences for married couples. What options would I have in regards to living arrangements, if any? Or would I be required to live off campus and if so would that be fine being a college freshman.

A: I do provide housing for married couples though it is quite rare (I have had one in 14 years). I do require a copy of the marriage certificate. Usually I would place the married couple in a double room in Cianchette which has a private bathroom.

Q: My son will be participating in the last NOVA session of the summer. Because we live so far away I understand we can move him into his dorm room prior to the NOVA trip. Can you tell me when he will be allowed to move in?

A: Students on the last NOVA trip (August 17th through the 22nd) move into their room for the fall when they arrive on the 17th. Students can arrive anytime in the morning after 9:00 a.m. When you arrive go to Maplewood residence hall main lounge where the resident advisors will be training and your resident advisor will go with you to check you into your room. Students may also come a day early if they choose on August 16th; they just need to contact me to get permission. Again, if you are arriving on the 16th we ask that you arrive after 9:00 a.m. and when you arrive go to Maplewood residence hall main lounge where the resident advisors will be training and your resident advisor will go with you to check you into your room.

Q: I need to know what size refrigerator is allowed in the room. When we toured a student showed us hers which had a separate freezer compartment. I have hunted for one that is similar and I have found a fridge that is 4.0 cubic feet so it has a freezer large enough to hold some supplies. Is this acceptable? It is still just a regular 120v. appliance but it is larger than the typical small cube style.

A: The refrigerator you described would be acceptable. We allow the standard cube size refrigerator or the double cube. Basically, we do not allow full size refrigerators.

Q: Who are the resident advisors?

A: Resident advisor at Unity College are 12 undergraduate students. Each resident advisor lives on campus in their residential community which they are responsible for. The resident advisor works under the supervision and direction of the Director of Residence Life. In their residential community, the resident advisor is accountable for helping create a community environment, which is conducive to the personal growth and development of all residents.

Q: Hi, I've been looking at a rice cooker for my dorm, and I am unclear as to whether it would be okay to bring or not. It was not on the list of what not to bring, but I suppose it does have a heating element. There are timed cooking options so I don't think there is any danger of the rice burning and starting a fire, or of anything near the cooker catching flame.

A: The rice cooker you described would be allowed.

Q: I am an incoming freshman in the fall of 2008. I am e-mailing you today to ask you a favor. My friend is also going to be a freshman at Unity in the fall. We were talking today about rooming together at Unity. On our housing applications we did not mention this, but we would like to room together if this is still possible.

A: It is definitely possible that you and your friend can be roommates. The best way to indicate a roommate preference is to put them down as a roommate choice on your housing application form. Since you have already turned in your housing application, I will put you down as requesting each other as roommates on your housing applications and I will place you two together in housing.

Q: I never got a chance to look at my room for the fall. Do you know the approximate room dimensions? This will help me plan what to bring.

A: Room dimensions are approximately as follows:

• Cianchette 15'x15'
• Cottages 9' x 11'
• Eastview 12' x 14'
• Maplewood single 10' x 16' double 12' x 16'
• Westview 12' x 14'
• Wood Hall 12' x 15'

Q: I was wondering about bringing a plug-in tea pot that just heats water to boiling, and then shuts off. The tea pot is an all in one piece, so there is no separate heating element. Because of the automatic shut off feature, I don't think it would pose a risk to anyone living in the dorm either.

A: Because of the automatic shut off feature and that there is no separate heating element, the tea pot you described would be allowed.

Washing         Dishes

Q: Where do residents wash their dishes?

A: It depends which residence hall the resident lives in. In Cianchette hall, Maplewood hall, Eastview and in the cottages, residents wash their dishes in the kitchen sink located in the kitchenette of each residence hall. Westview, and Wood Hall do not have kitchenettes so residents wash their dishes in the sinks in the bathrooms.

Windows

Q: Are there blinds provided by the college on the windows?

A: Yes there are.

Q: Could spring rods fit inside the window frame of the windows?

A: A spring rod could fit inside the window.

Q: Are students allowed to mount curtain hardware?

A: They are however you might have some problems doing so in Wood Hall because the walls are concrete. (I know, our only non wooden residence hall is called Wood Hall. It is named after Unity College's first president.)