Residence Life

Residency Requirement
All undergraduate students MUST live on campus unless they meet at least one of the following exceptions:
•    Are married or have custodial children living with them
•    Are 21 years old or older as of August 23, 2006
•    Have earned 60 or more credit hours as of August 23, 2006
•    Live within community with an immediate family member over age 25 (parents, siblings or grandparents)
All exemptions must be requested in writing to the Director of Residence Life.

Living on campus is one of the best things you can do for yourself! National studies – and those done at Belmont – indicated that, on average, students who live on campus tend to make higher grades, tend to be more likely to graduate and tend to have more satisfying college experiences than their commuting counterparts.
There are a few reasons this may be so:
1.    On-campus students tend to have more time to spend using academic resources libraries, study labs, etc.
2.    On-campus students tend to have more interaction with their peers.
3.    On-campus students tend to be more involved in campus activities.


Does this mean that you can be more satisfied, make better grades and have a better chance at graduating just by moving on campus? It’s probably not quite that simple, but Belmont believes that living on campus is important enough to have developed the aforementioned residency requirement.

Facilities
There are several options when it comes to living on campus.


Residence Halls
Hail Hall – Hail is a women’s residence hall accommodating approximately 77 women. There is a small kitchen/laundry room near the lobby.
Heron Hall – Heron houses about 110 women in a suite arrangement – two rooms share a bath. There is a kitchen (no stove/oven) and a laundry room in the basement.
Maddox Hall – Maddox houses about 154 men in a suite arrangement. There are laundry rooms and small kitchens (no stove/oven) on each of the five floors.
Pembroke Hall – Pembroke houses about 128 men in a traditional arrangement (a bath on each hallway). There is a laundry room in the basement.
Wright Hall – Wright houses about 220 women. A laundry room and kitchen (no stove/oven) are on the main level.
Kennedy Hall – Kennedy houses 200 men and women in separate facilities. Rooms are arranged in a suite arrangement.
Thrailkill Hall - Belmont’s newest residence hall that houses 322 men and women in separate facilities. Rooms are arranged in a suite arrangement.
Special Emphasis Houses
The university operates several houses on Compton Avenue that allow students of similar majors to live together. Contact the Office of Residence Life for details.


Apartments
Belmont Commons – Four single students share each of the 30 Commons apartments. Each student gets a private bedroom and shares a bath with one other resident. Each apartment has a kitchen, dining room and living room. There is also a clubhouse in the complex with laundry facilities, a TV lounge, meeting rooms and staff offices. A security fence with card access gates surrounds the complex.
Bruin Hills – Bruin Hills provides space for two single students in each apartment. All 94 units have two bedrooms, a bath, kitchen and dining/living room. Like the Commons, there is a clubhouse with a laundry room, TV room and meeting rooms, as well as a security gate with card access security.
The Hillside – These apartments, with an entrance from 12th Avenue, are the most recent addition to Belmont’s apartment-style living facilities. With two-bedroom and four-bedroom floor plans, students enjoy a private room and a completely furnished living area. In addition, each room has a double bed, and each apartment comes with a dishwasher, microwave, a washer/dryer and two full bathrooms. A clubhouse provides mail facilities and meeting space. Like the Commons and Bruin Hills, the facility is equipped with a card access security gate.


Staff


Residence Directors – Each residence hall and each apartment complex has a residence director (RD) who lives in the facility. This professional staff person is selected and trained to help ensure the safety and satisfaction of the residents and to help promote the sense of community within the facility. This person is available to help you make the most of your time on campus.
Resident Assistants – The resident assistants (RAs) are student staff members who live on each floor of the residence halls and in convenient locations throughout the apartment complexes. The RA’s job is to assist residents, which they do in a variety of ways – mediating roommate disagreements, suggesting campus resources, reporting maintenance needs and sometimes just listening to your side of the story!
Get to know your RA – he or she just may be the best friend you will make at Belmont!


Applying for a Room or Apartment
Applying to live on campus is extremely easy and relatively painless. New students may complete a housing application once they are admitted to the university. Simply pay the enrollment deposit ($100 of which becomes your housing deposit) and complete the application. The Office of Residence Life will assign you a space. When your space is assigned, you’ll receive an academic year housing agreement that you will need to sign. This secures your space for the entire academic year.


If you are currently enrolled but living off campus, simply go to Belmont Central, complete a housing application and pay the housing deposit of $100. Provided there is available space, the Office of Residence Life will assign your space, send you your housing agreement and when you sign and return it, this secures your space for the next academic year.


Check-in and Check-out

To be official, residents must check in and out of their rooms or apartments. The check-in procedure involves your reading and signing the housing agreement, getting the key to your place and completing a room (or apartment) condition report. Then, you are set. To check out, you must:
•    Remove all your belongings
•    Clean your room
•    Return your key to your RA or AC
•    Have the RA or AC check your room for damages
•    Request the refund of your housing deposit (if you are not returning to campus housing)
Failure to check in or out properly may result in you losing part or all of your $100 housing deposit.


Community Expectations
A complete listing and description of community expectations are printed in the publication, “Handbook for Residential Living,” available from the Office of Residence Life or from your Residence Director.


Res Life Telephone Numbers
Office of Residence Life    5802


Residence Director  Office Numbers
Hail    2296
Pembroke    2301
Heron    2295
Maddox    2002
Wright    2198
Thrailkill    n/a
Belmont Commons    2587
Bruin Hills    5060
The Hillside    5302/533
Apartment Clubhouse Numbers
Belmont Commons    2586
Bruin Hills    2700
The Hillside    5961
Residence Hall Front Desk Numbers
Hail        2251
Heron    2201
Kennedy    8800
Thrailkill    n/a
Pembroke    2319
Wright/Maddox    2000