By Michelle Brooks, Cece Burkett, and John Hughey
Allowed in Rooms
- Question: Can students bring TVs? Do they need to get service?
Answer: Yes, students can bring TVs. We are seeing fewer and fewer students bringing TVs due to online streaming services, but they are allowed. Apogee is our internet and cable services provider. Once a student has received their housing assignment, they can sign up for an account online at myresnet.com. Majority of our students opt for the free service unless they are a heavy gamer and need the additional bandwidth. HBO Go is included in the cable service as well.
- Question: Are televisions allowed to be mounted on the wall?
Answer: TVs cannot be mounted to the walls. They should be placed on top of dressers or desks, or even mini fridges.
- Question: Are there any restrictions for guests coming to visit?
Answer: Due to COVID-19, there are new restrictions for overnight guests in the residence halls. For the 2020-2021 academic year, only students living in that residence hall may enter. Please note that Eagle Landing and the UMW Apartments are both considered residence halls and guests will not be permitted. This new policy is to help protect all of our residential students during the global pandemic and cooperation from all parties is sincerely appreciated.
- Question: What size mini-fridge can we bring?
Answer: Mini-fridges up to 4.5 cubic feet are permitted in the residence halls. Please note that the mini-fridge must be plugged directly into the wall outlet and not into a surge protector, and that only one mini-fridge is permitted in each two person, or double, room. No mini-fridges are permitted in Eagle Landing or the UMW Apartments as they have full size fridges located in their kitchens.
- Question: Do polyester curtains count as flame retardant or should they be sprayed?
Answer: Polyester is inherently flame retardant because of its structure of the fabric and the way it is woven, however an additional level of protection using the flame retardant spray is appreciated.
- Question: Can we use command strips or push pins? Does this include hooks or putting stuff on the inside of closet doors?
Answer: UMW does not allow the use of command strips/hooks in buildings with drywall, however we do encourage the use of painters tape (preferred), push pins or thumbtacks. This is because push pins create a much smaller damage area than command strips which if not removed properly, not only pull the paint, but also the paper behind it, and while the hole/damage area may look like a quarter size, it is actually affecting almost a one foot diameter around that hole. These first-year halls should use push pins or thumbtacks: Willard, Mason, Randolph, and The Link. These halls can use command strips/hooks: Russell, Marshall, and Virginia. Please note that small nails that create a hole larger than a thumbtack hole are not permitted.
- Question: Are students allowed to bring full-length mirrors to mount on the backs of closet doors? Or is there a way to mount them to a wall?
Answer: Students are absolutely permitted to bring full-length mirrors however they must be removable at the end of the year. If the mirrors are affixed in a way that they cannot be removed or will cause damage when removed, your student will be charged for the damage. Door hanging mirrors are the best route to take.
- Question: What essentials will my student need for their residence hall room? Can they have a fridge, microwave, toaster, etc?
Answer: Your student should bring only the items that they absolutely use. A good rule of thumb is for them to use the next month to start a list of items they use everyday so as not to forget them when packing. An updated Eagle Approved list will be coming out in early July with further ideas. Mini-fridges up to 4.5 cubic feet are permitted in each room (one per room), however toasters, microwaves, hot pots, and anything else with an open heating element are not permitted due to fire safety. A frequently asked about item, Keurig, is absolutely approved in the halls.
- Question: Are students allowed to have their own printer in their room?
Answer: Yes! It is highly encouraged by Apogee to bring a printer with a direct USB hook-up to the students’ computer. Printers with Bluetooth or WiFi hook-up are accepted, however your student will likely run into connectivity issues.
- Question: What shelves are acceptable and how can we affix them to walls? What are regulations?
Answer: Free standing shelves are the only shelving allowed. Please see above for how to secure items to walls properly. Small nails are not accepted on campus.
Deliveries
- Question: What places will send birthday treats directly to the residence hall?
Answer: While some shops will deliver to the residence halls, the delivery people are not permitted to enter the hall. This means that your student should be prepared to receive the package and should be ready to meet the delivery person. Flowers and Edible Arrangements are never delivered to the halls but are instead delivered to Residence Life and Housing at Marye House. Our student staff will call your student to tell them that a “package” has been delivered and they must make every effort pick it up that day.
- Question: If Amazon is delivering something in a large box will it be delivered directly to the residence hall?
Answer: No, Amazon will deliver the package to the Mail room staff who will notify your student that they have a package to pick up.
Beds
- Question: If the bed is on the standard “tall” setting, where is 30” to?
Answer: It is from the floor to the bottom of the side rail, which means that anything less than 30” can slide underneath. Please note that bed risers are permitted for the 2020-2021 should you hope to obtain an additional 3.5” – 7” in height. Please ensure that the bed risers do not contain outlets or electrical of any kind.
- Question: How can students request for beds to be raised and can they be raised prior to move in?
Answer: Most beds on campus will be set to the “tall” setting which is roughly 31” from floor to bottom of the side rail. Due to the COVID move out from Spring 2020, all beds have not been returned to this “tall” setting. If you arrive and your student wishes the bed to be set to the highest rung, it is easy to knock the springs loose using a rubber mallet and reset the springs to the top most rung. Be sure to give the springs a good knock back down once they have been reset. This is applicable to lower the springs as well if your student wishes to have their bed lowered. Please bring your own rubber mallet.
Move-In Day
- Question: On Move-In day, does UMW provide carts to help unload their residence hall room supplies?
Answer: Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we are unable to provide carts or dollies to move students into the residence halls this year.
- Question: Will we be directed where to park on Move-In day?
Answer: Yes! Please follow the directions for your student’s residence hall for where to enter campus and from there a member of staff, or signage, will direct you where to go. - Question: Is there a specific move in time for Move-In day?
Answer: Yes, your student will sign up for a morning or afternoon timeslot to move-in on their designated Move-In day. Move-In days will be separated per the students’ FSEM class assignment to allow for more personalized programming in the evenings. Check in is from 8-11am with guests out of the halls before 12pm, and check in from 12-3pm with guests out of the halls before 4pm.
- Question: Are we allowed to come earlier than the assigned time for my student’s Move-In?
Answer: It is not advised to arrive to campus before the start of your student’s designated check-in time as we have allotted only a specific amount of people into the halls at one time. If you find yourself in the area early, please visit Central Park or Downtown Fredericksburg for a tour of what is around the university and wait in those areas for your check-in time; there is no parking to wait on campus available on Move-In days.
- Question: Are there special instructions for unloading cars?
Answer: We do not have any special instructions for unloading your car other than to follow university staff’s directions on where to park and how to do so. You should unload your car as quickly and efficiently as possible, and then move your vehicle to a designated long term parking spot.
- Question: Do the residence halls have designated parking areas?
Answer: For Move-In, university staff will direct you where to park for both short term and long term parking. After Move-In days, guests should park in designated visitor lots, and not where they parked for Move-In day. For example, if your student is in Mason or Randolph, you will be permitted to pull onto the semi-circle walk way in front of the building, however this is not permitted outside of Move-In; please use the designated visitor spots on Double Drive if you are on campus.
- Question: Since there is no room for storage of suitcases/ containers, we will need to carry the containers back to our car in long-term parking after unpacking. Would boxes that can be broken down be a better option? Can these be disposed of on campus?
Answer: That is up to you, however we do suggest leaving some items for quick packing in the off chance that the university closes early due to COVID-19. Storage containers are quite useful for stashing cold weather clothing and snacks under the bed, as well as unpacking and packing materials.
Residence Hall
- Question: Can someone please clarify if the residence hall kitchens come stocked with pots, pans, and utensils?
Answer: We do not provide pots, pans, or utensils in community kitchens. Due to COVID-19, the residence hall kitchens will be limited use and students should not share kitchen items.
- Question: Is there a place to find photos and/or measurements for the typical residence hall rooms in each residence hall?
Answer: Each residence hall has a listing on the Residence Life and Housing website with details of how large each room is as well as number of closets (closet dimensions only available for Willard Hall), number of windows, and size of windows. Most halls also have a video tour on their individual web pages as well. 360 degree room photos can be found on the Residence Life and Housing Facebook page under photos, then albums.
- Question: Can students can adjust the air conditioning and heat in their own rooms or is it preset for each residence hall? For halls with window AC units, can the windows be opened?
Answer: In Mason, Link, Randolph, and Willard halls, students can adjust the temperature in their room themselves via the wall thermostat controls (it is advised, due to Virginia weather, to keep the temperate no lower than 68 degrees). These windows can be opened. In Russell hall, and all other halls with window AC units, students can adjust the temperature themselves; students are not able to open the window with these window AC units. Please note that Facilities will not remove the window AC unit during the winter. For heat, some of our halls do not have the ability to turn the heat on and off quickly like you would be able to do at home. Our buildings run off of a system that requires about 24 hours of preparation before the heat is available. Because of this, we try to follow the weather forecasts to make a good decision as to when we should turn on the heat. Sometimes this means we have a few cooler days where we do not have the heat turned on because we can see in the forecast that the temperature will be going back up. Once we make the preparations to switch over and turn on the heat, there is not a practical way to switch back until we are ready to do so in the spring. Basically when we decide it is time to turn on the heat, it is there to stay until it is time to switch back.
- Question: Is there somewhere we can see a residence hall layout?
Answer: Hall layouts are available through the Housing Portal.
- Question: Do the desks in the residence halls have hutches?
Answer: Most rooms in Mason, Link, and Randolph halls have hutches attached to the desks which have a shelf and light. Please note that we do not have a list of which rooms have hutches and which do not. All rooms in Willard hall have a white board/tack board combo attached to the desk.
Roommates
- Question: My student did not receive their preferred roommate, what should we do?
Answer: Your student may not have received their preferred roommate for several different reasons. The main reason is that their roommate was listed on the First Year Questionnaire submitted through admissions but not listed within their On-Campus Housing and Dining Application.
If your student has a preferred roommate but they were not assigned together, your student is able to request a room swap. Please see #5 for information about requesting a room swap with another student.
- Question: My student just checked and it says they are not part of a roommate pair but they want a roommate. What should we do?
Answer: Students will continue to apply for and be assigned to on-campus housing throughout the summer. If your student does not currently have a roommate, it is likely that they will receive one before the beginning of the fall semester.
If your student has a specific roommate in mind and has not yet received a housing assignment, they can indicate their preferred roommate on the Roommates page of the housing application. If your student has received their housing assignment, they are able to request a room swap in order to be with their preferred roommate.
- Question: Can my student still select a roommate from the suggested roommates list?
Answer: If your student has not yet received their fall housing assignment, they can search for and indicate a preferred roommate within their On-Campus Housing and Dining Application. As housing assignments are made throughout the summer, every effort will be given to assign preferred roommates together where room availability allows.
- Question: What if one of a roommate pair has second thoughts about the pairing, is it too late to reassign?
Answer: Residence Life encourages students to initiate conversations before the start of the semester to begin getting to know each other. If a member of a roommate pair has second thoughts about the pairing, we are happy to explore reassignment options with them. Students may request a room swap with another student before the start of the semester (see #5 for more information). Please note that room changes will not be offered during the semester except in extenuating circumstances.
- Question: My student wants their room changed before Move-In. They and their roommate have just not clicked and they desperately need a change. What should we do?
Answer: Residence Life and Housing will offer room swaps for students who may want a different room or roommate than their original housing assignment. A room swap is when two students “trade” room spaces.
For example, student A receives Room 1 and student B receives Room 2. Student A and Student B want to be roommates. If all students agree to the proposed swap, student A, student A’s roommate, Student B, and student B’s roommate can fill out this form requesting to swap rooms. Only two students will be moved. Once approved, Student A would swap room spaces with Student B’s current roommate. Student A and Student B would then be roommates.
- Question: My student wants their room changed after Move-In. What should we do?
Answer: We encourage your student to reach out an connect with their roommate prior to Move-In so that they can avoid some potentially awkward situations. If your student runs into issues with their room after move-in they should contact their RA for assistance. Our RAs can help mediate conflicts and will be able to work with your student to meet with a member of our professional staff if needed. Due to COVID-19, room changes will be highly restricted.