Contents

Arrival to Campus

Students will be given a move-in date and upon arrival, should check in with the Student Life staff in the Salveson Lobby to receive instructions on how to proceed. Students participating in school-sponsored camps and/or fall sports should arrive on the assigned arrival date for their organizations Approval for an earlier arrival day may be obtained only under special circumstances and by contacting the Office of Student Life. A $25 per day early arrival fee will apply. Additional fees will be applied for students who arrive on campus for move-in outside of arrival/move-in hours.

Room Keys

After checking in, you will receive your room key from your hall staff.

Damage Deposit

To secure your space in the residence halls, please pay the $125 housing damage deposit as soon as possible. Please include the student's name on the check or money order if sending it through the mail. Damage deposits may be paid over the phone with a credit card by contacting our business office at 641.585.8135.

Waldorf Business Office
Attn: Housing Damage Deposit
106 S. Sixth St.
Forest City, Iowa 50436

Please note that the housing damage deposit is separate from the $100 tuition deposit and is held in the student account to cover any damage charges that the student does not pay once the end-of-the-year billing is sent. Damage deposits stay on file until the student graduates, transfers, withdraws or withdraws from housing and are refundable within a few weeks after checking out of the residence hall. If damages or other charges are incurred by the student (or unknown persons in the student's room or on their floor/residence hall), this amount will be taken from the deposit. The student can request their damage deposit from the business office once they have left Waldorf.

Waldorf has a policy of charging a prorated amount to all residents for unnecessary damages that may occur on floors or in common areas of the residence halls made by unidentified persons. The residence halls are operated on a self-sustaining basis with no provision in the budget for the cost of materials and labor to repair undue damage. However, no charges are levied against students for the normal wear and tear on facilities, furnishings or equipment. Whenever possible, Waldorf prefers to charge unnecessary damage costs directly to the student(s) responsible. Thus, we encourage all students to take an active role in discouraging careless or destructive behavior in their rooms, on their floors and in their residence halls.

Housing Assignments

Housing assignment letters are sent to students in early July. These letters contain as much information as possible concerning the student's room, meal plan, parking permit and mailbox, as well as the student's roommate and contact information for the fall semester.

Roommates are assigned using the roommate survey. (When filling out the survey, please be as accurate as possible. Student Life does use this form to find the most compatible match.) Students requesting a specific roommate should indicate this on the housing form and submit it to the Office of Student Life as soon as possible before students are assigned in June. Student Life will make every effort to accommodate specific roommate requests, but both students must request each other on their housing form to confirm this is a mutual agreement. We strongly encourage students only to request someone that they have met before and know they will be compatible with for the year. Some coaches may encourage their players to room together; however, students are not required to live with someone from their team or activity.

Housing Agreement

Housing agreements are updated each year, providing students with the most comprehensive overview of the policies and procedures associated with living on campus. New students are encouraged to read the agreement upon arriving on campus. All students sign their agreement upon arrival and check-in for their room in the fall semester. Please read all the information provided in the agreement carefully.

Residency Requirement

Campus housing is available for all full-time students. Waldorf has a 3-year residency requirement requiring students to live in university housing with a board plan unless they meet at least one of the following exceptions. Students must:

  • Be at least 21 years old by Aug. 15 for the fall semester and by Jan. 15 for the spring semester
  • Be married
  • Have children living with them
  • Have lived on campus for at least six semesters
  • Have transferred in with at least 60 earned transferable credits prior to the start of the semester
  • Live at home with parents and commuting from their permanent address within a 35-mile radius of the university

Room Features and Furniture

Furnished Items

For all the traditional residence halls on campus, the university provides a bed, closet, drapes, dresser and a desk and chair set. Free laundry is offered to students. Washers and dryers are in every residence hall, Timberland apartment and theme house. Air conditioning is provided in all residence halls, Timberland and theme houses.

Carpeting

Except for Breen Hall, Tanner Hall and Timberland Apartments, all residence hall rooms are uncarpeted. For most rooms, an area rug will provide adequate floor covering. However, students are allowed the option to carpet their rooms fully.

The carpet should not be secured to the floor with tape or glue. The following dimensions regarding proper carpet placement have been measured for all rooms (except for Ormseth Hall, which has a few different room sizes). Johnson Hall and London Hall rooms measure 14’x6’5” (not including the additional 3 feet of the room occupied by the built-in bed units that should not be removed). Students may contact the Admissions Office on campus to make arrangements to view a room to take proper measurements.

Lofts

Most residence hall rooms range from 8’ to 8’6” from floor to ceiling. Students may contact the Admissions Office to arrange to view a room to take exact measurements. If students choose to build lofts, the following guidelines must be followed:

  • The area coordinator must check all lofts to make sure everything complies.
  • A safe, secure ladder should be attached.
  • Lofts are not allowed to be stored on campus during the summer.
  • Lofts should be free-standing and cannot be affixed to any furniture or part of the room, walls or closets.
  • There must be adequate room for the student to sit without bumping his/her head on the ceiling.

Summer Storage

Each residence hall has a small area designated for summer storage of totes, bedding, small appliances and/or certain furniture. Due to fire codes, the university cannot allow empty boxes and lumber from lofts to be stored in these areas. All hallways must be clear of belongings and boxes on each floor.

Summer storage is primarily available for international and out-of-state students traveling from long distances. In these cases, students can make special arrangements to store belongings in the summer months. All students may store a limited amount of belongings during the summer for a $75 fee.

Students must contact their area coordinator as soon as possible during the school year to make these arrangements. Due to limited storage space, the university is not at liberty to guarantee storage space for all students, especially for carpeting, large items or furniture. Each stored item must be properly packaged and labeled, including the student’s name and room number. Details regarding the summer storage process will be sent to students in the spring semester, along with other important end-of-the-year announcements.

Student Property Insurance

Students are encouraged to have property insurance for their belongings through their parents' home insurance plan or a separate plan. Below is a link that provides information about college student property insurance. This is not a requirement or a program run through the university. The university is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items from residence hall areas, locker rooms, vehicles, storage, water damage, mildew, theft or other damages.

Housing TO-DO List

  • Choose a roommate
  • Choose a place to live
  • Choose a backup living location
  • Don’t forget your student ID
  • Obtain a parking permit if you will have a vehicle on campus
  • Pick a meal plan
  • Read your housing agreement
  • Remember your sign-up time
  • Sign up for summer housing if needed

What To Bring

  • Bedspread: Bedspreads should fit a twin XL bed (38" x 80")
  • Blankets
  • Pillows
  • Refrigerators: Refrigerators should be no taller than 3 feet. There is a maximum of one refrigerator allowed per room.
  • Twin XL sheets
  • Small appliances: Clocks, microwaves (no larger than 700 watts), radios, stereos, televisions and similar equipment are allowed.

What Not To Bring

  • Candles
  • Halogen lamps
  • Hot plates: Any appliances with an exposed heating element are forbidden.
  • Water beds
  • Window air conditioners
  • Pets – $100 fine (we do allow small fish tanks)
  • Smoking devices
  • Pizza ovens/Foreman Grills
  • Toaster (provided in the hall kitchen)
  • Tobacco, marijuana & alcohol (not allowed in the residence halls)
  • Fireworks
  • Pellet guns/BB guns or weapons of any kind
  • View a complete list of items

Contact

Office of Student Life
641.585.8160 
reslife@waldorf.edu