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This is an archived copy of the 2012-2013 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

Student Housing and Dining

Department of Residence (DOR)

  •     Pete Englin, Director
  •     Virginia Arthur, Associate Director for Residence Life
  •     TBD, Associate Director for Facilities Operations
  •     Lynn Larsen, Assistant Director for Business Operations
  •     Lisa Ludovico, Assistant Director for Administrative Services

ISU Dining

  •     Nancy Levandowski, Director
  •     Jill Arroyo, Associate Director for Residential Dining
  •     Jamie Lenz, Assistant Director for Food Stores / Vending
  •     Kristi Patel, Assistant Director for Retail Operations
  •     Steve Ludovico, Business Manager
  •     Jeffrey Miller, Catering Manager
  •     TBD, Executive Chef

The university provides housing for almost 10,000 students in on-campus residence halls and apartments. Housing is available for undergraduate and graduate students; single students and families. Questions concerning on-campus housing and dining should be directed to the DOR Administrative Services Office:

Contracts and Rates

Each student who accepts admission to the University is eligible to submit a housing contract on-line using AccessPlus. Acceptance of admission to the university is necessary before a housing contract can be submitted. Housing priority for new students is based upon the date the completed contract is received in the DOR Administrative Services Office.

All housing and dining contracts are for the full academic year, both fall and spring semesters, or the remainder thereof, if the contract is signed after fall semester begins. Summer contracts are also available.

Housing and dining contracts are "academically friendly." Students who leave the University as the result of graduation, withdraw, dismissal or participation in a University approved study-abroad, internship, co-op, or student teaching program may cancel their contract without penalty. For reasons other than those listed, students who cancel their housing contract after the cancellation deadline (March 1 for current ISU students, May 1 for newly admitted ISU students) will be subject to a cancellation penalty equal to 80% of the remaining value of their entire contract, both housing and dining. For additional information concerning the residence hall contract, students should contact the Administrative Services Office

For a complete listing of rates, please visit the following web sites:

Residence Halls

The residence halls are organized geographically into neighborhoods:

  • Buchanan Hall
  • Richardson Court
  • Union Drive
  • Wallace-Wilson

With the exception of Buchanan, Eaton and Martin halls, all residence halls are “traditional style” meaning most residents live in double occupancy rooms and share a common, hallway bathroom. A limited number of triple and single occupancy rooms are also available. In Wallace Hall, all rooms are super-singles - double-sized rooms furnished for and occupied by only one student. Buchanan, Eaton and Martin halls rooms offer a “suite-style” set-up with two rooms joined by a private bathroom.

To be eligible to live in Buchanan or Wallace, students must be at least 19 years old or in their second year of college. In Buchanan, two floors are reserved for students who are 21 years of age and older.

Students may choose to live in single-gender or coed houses. Coed houses have male and female students living at opposite ends of the house or on separate levels of the house. They have separate bathroom facilities but share lounge facilities and house activities.

All rooms are furnished with extra-long twin beds and mattresses, closet or wardrobe, clothing drawers, desks and chairs, expanded basic cable and university high-speed wired Ethernet and wireless internet. Wallace-Wilson rooms are also furnished with a micro-fridge an all Wallace rooms also have a futon. Students provide their own bedding, towels, study lamps, etc. Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms.

In addition to the basic necessities, several special services are available for use by residents. These include house dens for informal get-togethers and relaxation; lounge areas for meeting and entertaining guests; vending areas for snacks; hall desks with recreation/entertainment items, recreational equipment, and mail delivery; laundry facilities; study areas; meeting rooms and offices for student organizations; computer labs; and parking lots assigned to the residence halls.

Residence Hall Government

The students in each neighborhood elect a group of executive officers to be responsible for coordinating neighborhood events and activities. Each neighborhood funds and maintains programs and committees that supplement the total social and educational development of the individual residents. The neighborhoods are joined in an Inter-Residence Hall Association (IRHA), with an all-residence hall parliament, which jointly sponsors Residence Hall Week, Free Friday Flicks, scholarships, leadership conferences, and more.

Each neighborhood is further organized into smaller living groups called houses. These houses of 40 to 60 residents are the foundation of ISU's residence hall program. Members of the houses elect their own officers, and the majority of programs are planned on a house participation basis. Participation in the house program is a great way for students to receive full benefit from the residence hall experience.

Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) and Theme Houses

Located throughout Richardson Court and Union Drive, RLCs and Them Houses are small groups of students who live together on designated houses or floors. Students share academic interests, classes, living spaces and develop friendships as part of an innovative program in cooperative learning. As such, most RLCs are limited to students in certain majors. These communities offer a collaborative living and learning environment, increased student/faculty interaction, social and academic networks essential to student success, and a sense of membership in the ISU community.

Currently, the following learning communities are available: Agriculture Biosystems Engineering (ABE), Agriculture Community Encourages Success (ACES), Business Learning Teams (BLT), Chemical Engineering, Common Threads, Computer Engineering Learning Teams, Computer Science, Design Exchange, Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN), Honors, Leadership Through Engineering Academic Diversity (LEAD), Natural Resource Ecology & Management (NREM), Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE).

Residence Hall Meal Plan Requirement

All students who live in Richardson Court or Union Drive are required to purchase one of five Semester meal plans. Each Semester plans include a number of meals (304, 275, 225, 175 or 125) allotted each semester and Dining Dollar$, a cash equivalent that can be used in all ISU Dining locations. Students can use their meals to eat in one of ISU Dining's "all-you-care-to-eat" dining centers or to purchase a meal bundle in one of ISU Dining's cafés, restaurants or dining centers.

Winter Break Housing

All Richardson Court and Union Drive residence halls, except Linden Hall, close during Winter Break. Linden Hall, along with Buchanan, Wallace and Wilson halls, remain open during Winter Break at no additional charge.

Undergraduate and Graduate Single Student Apartments

Apartments for single students are offered in two on-campus neighborhoods: Frederiksen Court and Schilletter and University Villages (SUV). To be eligible to live in these areas, students must minimally have sophomore classification or be at least 19 years of age. All Frederiksen Court and SUV contracts are for the full academic year, both fall and spring semesters, or the remainder thereof, if the contract is signed after fall semester begins. Both Frederiksen Court and SUV remain open during Winter Break at no additional charge. Summer contracts are also available in both locations. For a complete listing of rates, please visit the Department of Residence web site: http://housing.iastate.edu/rates/.

Frederiksen Court apartments accommodate four persons of the same gender in either two or four bedrooms. Each apartment is furnished with living room and bedroom furniture and the kitchen has a full-size refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher and garbage disposal. A washer and dryer are also included in each apartment.

Rent, which is billed on a semester-basis, includes all utilities: electricity, water, garbage pickup, basic phone service, expanded basic cable, and high-speed university Ethernet.

The Frederiksen Court Community Center features meeting rooms and lounge space, a fitness center, business center and Hawthorn Market and & Café a retail dining facility that offers hot meals, snacks, beverages, and convenience items.

In SUV, single students typically live in University Village. All apartments contain two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen furnished with a cook top, oven, workspace, refrigerator, and sink. The majority of University Village apartments are unfurnished, but a limited number of furnished units are available.

Rent, which is billed monthly by the university, includes include expanded basic cable television, high-speed Internet connectivity, water, and garbage removal service. Residents pay for their own gas, electricity, and telephone.

The SUV Community Center features large meeting rooms and lounge space, a community kitchen and a computer lab.

Apartments for Families

Family Housing is available in the SUV area in Schilletter Village. Students must be married/domestic partners and/or have dependent children in order to be eligible for family housing.

All Schilletter Village contracts are for the full academic year, both fall and spring semesters, or the remainder thereof, if the contract is signed after fall semester begins. Schilletter Village remains open during Winter Break at no additional charge. Summer contracts are also available in both locations. For a complete listing of rates, please visit the Department of Residence web site: http://housing.iastate.edu/rates/.

All apartments contain two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen furnished with a cook top, oven, workspace, refrigerator, and sink. Students provide their own furniture and window coverings. Hook-ups for personal washer and dryer are available in the basement of each unit as are private, lockable storage closets.

Rent is billed monthly by the university. Rental rates include expanded basic cable television, high-speed Internet connectivity, water, and garbage removal service. Residents pay for their own gas, electricity, and telephone.

The SUV Community Center features large meeting rooms and lounge space, a community kitchen and a computer lab. The community also boasts a bike/walking path and several playgrounds.

Off-campus Housing for Students

Off-campus housing information may be obtained through real estate agents, local newspapers, or by contacting individual owners.

Dining Options for On- and Off-Campus Apartments

ISU Dining offers a variety of convenient, flexible meal plans to students who live in on-campus and off-campus apartments. Plans include traditional Weekly plans, ranging from seven to an unlimited number meals allotted per week, to Semester plans with 175 or 225 meals allotted each semester. Weekly and Semester plans also include Dining Dollar$, a cash equivalent that can be used in all ISU Dining locations. Students in non-meal plan required areas can also choose to purchase Meal Blocks (small allotments of meals without Dining Dollar$) or Dining Dollar$ only.

All dining contracts are for the full academic year, both fall and spring semesters, or the remainder thereof, if the contract is signed after fall semester begins. Summer contracts are also available. For a complete listing of meal plans and rates, please visit the ISU Dining http://www.dining.iastate.edu/. Questions and correspondence concerning meal plans should be directed to the Department of Residence Administrative Services Office, 2419 Friley Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50012. E-mail: housing@iastate.edu. Phone: (800) 854-9050. Additional information may be obtained at http://housing.iastate.edu/.

Fraternities and Sororities

Of the 50 fraternity and sorority chapters on the Iowa State University campus, 42 have chapter houses, and provide housing for about 1,800 undergraduate students. Eight multicultural Greek fraternities and sororities do not provide residential facilities for members, but are active in scholastic, service and social projects.

The chapter house facilities are similar to a private residence: living room, den, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, etc. The staff in the Office of Greek Affairs, a department in the Dean of Students Office, provide advising, programs, and services for the Greek chapters and organizations. Local alumni work with each fraternity and sorority to ensure that the chapter structure meets all the state and local building, safety, and fire codes that are required with incorporation under the State Law of Iowa.

The average cost of living in a fraternity or sorority chapter house ranges from $2,800-$3,400 per semester. The cost includes room, board, social expenses and membership dues.

Most men may move directly into a fraternity house at the beginning of an academic year if they pledge a chapter that has a house. Typically, they continue living there throughout their college years. Women pledging a sorority during formal recruitment or informally throughout the year generally live in the residence halls for the academic year. However, as space becomes available in a chapter house, sorority members often move into the house as sophomores or upper-class women.

Every effort has been made to make the catalog accurate as of the date of publication. However, all policies, procedures, fees, and charges are subject to change at any time by appropriate action of the faculty, the university administration, or the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Copyright 2013 Iowa State University. All rights reserved.
Updated January 2012