Frequently Asked Questions

 What is a Residential College?

A Residential College at Kent State University is characterized by an individual academic college or department, which has intentionally located learning spaces (classrooms, labs, studios) as well as faculty, advising and/or administrative offices within a specific residence hall. These residence halls house a significant percentage of students with academic endeavors relevant to the respective host college. This environmental support encourages students and faculty to continue the teaching and learning process into the public spaces of the building beyond the classroom. Events, workshops, social activities, and other extra-curricular opportunities relevant to the specific host college are common in these areas, also providing an attractive convenience for the students living there. Students are loosely connected through classes by virtue of being in similar majors and courses connected to the host college.

Where is CCI Commons located?

CCI Commons is located in Olson Hall.

How do I become a part of CCI Commons?

You must be a College of Communication and Information major and request to live in Olson Hall on your housing application.

What can I expect if I join CCI?

To meet other students in your major, attend programs aimed at your major area of interest, and to be connected to what's going on in the College of Communication and Information and on campus.

Does my roommate have to be in CCI as well?

Yes. To live in Olson Hall, both you and your roommate must be admitted to the College of Communication and Information (CCI). All housing spaces in Olson Hall have been reserved for the College of Communication and Information Commons. However, due to space demands it is not always possible to guarantee every student living in Olson Hall will have a CCI-Commons roommate, though instances of this situation are rare.

How can I join CCI Commons?

Students must be admitted to the College of Communication and Information in order to be eligible to join the CCI Commons, or receive special permission from the CCI Commons community coordinator, Marianne Warzinski. Assignments are made based on application date. Thus, the earlier you apply for your residence hall the more likely it is that you will receive a CCI Commons assignment.

Students who are interested in applying to participate in the CCI Commons need to follow these steps:

1. Select Olson Hall and CCI Commons as your #1 choice on your residence hall application, and alert the academic advisor during your Destination Kent State: Advising & Registration program that you would like to participate in the CCI Commons.
2. If you have already completed and submitted your residence hall application and now want to make changes, you may re-enter your application by logging back into it through the residence hall application website. 
3. If you need further assistance, or have questions about how to join the CCI Commons please contact the community coordinator.

What courses can I take with other CCI Commons students?

Visual Communication Design (VCD) Majors

Fall	US 10097	First Year Experience Course
	VCD 13000	Intro to Visual Communication Design
	COMM 15000	Intro to Human Communication

Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) Majors

Fall	US 10097	First Year Experience Course
	JMC 20003	Intro to Mass Communication
	COMM 15000	Intro to Human Communication

All other Majors in CCI

Fall

COMM 15000

Intro to Human Communication

How do I apply to live on campus?

The housing application is an online application that can be accessed at www.res.kent.edu/newapp. There is a $25 application fee assessed at the time you apply in addition to a $200 prepayment. At the end of the application, you will be given the opportunity to make these payments by Visa, MasterCard or Discover.

What items should I bring with me to campus?

Every room on campus is furnished with a bed, desk, and dresser for each student in addition to high-speed internet service, phone service, and cable television hook-up. The student will need to provide the necessary cables to utilize the services provided. Additionally, students should bring bath essentials, extra long twin bedding, as well as any other personal items necessary. Please remember to keep toaster-ovens, candles, indoor grills, microwaves (Beall, Leebrick and McDowell residents are permitted to bring a microwave if it is under 700 watts), and torchiere-style lighting at home. For a more complete listing of items, please refer to our Hallways Manual. View our non-inclusive list of items to bring and items to leave at home.

How do I know if I'm required to live in the residence halls?

Kent State University Housing policy states that all students enrolled for nine or more credit hours at the Kent campus must live in university housing until they meet one of the following conditions:

• have attempted 60 credit hours (junior standing) prior to the start of the academic year
• are 21 years of age prior to the start of the academic year
• have lived in university housing for four semesters
• will live and travel to class from the primary residence of their parent or legal guardian residing within 50 miles of the University
• have been granted an exemption from the Department of Residence Services

If the student's plans include commuting from home, they must submit a Commuter Exemption Application. Commuter Exemption Applications are available here. Additionally, if the student plans on living in University recognized Greek housing, the student must submit Greek exemption paperwork.

I am interested in changing my room assignment. How can I make a change?

Students who lived on campus during the previous spring semester are able to change their room until the end of the contract renewal process. This can be done by simply logging into the contract renewal on-line system and chaining your room and/or preferences. Once the contract renewal period has ended, returning resident may no longer change their room during the summer. If a returning resident wishes to change rooms, they would need to wait until the room freeze period ends approximately the 15th day of the upcoming semester if space is available.

New incoming students are able to change their preferences, including hall preference, up until the point during the summer when their housing assignment is made. Once an incoming student's housing assignment is made they may no longer update their on-line application. Housing assignments are made based on the preferences a student indicates on their on-line application and room availability. Once a housing assignment is made, students will be able to view their assignment on-line by logging back into their on-line application. Summer room changes are not available to incoming students. If an incoming student wishes to make a room change, they will need to wait until approximately the 15th day of the upcoming semester if space is available.

During the academic year, room changes may be requested by visiting your Residence Hall Director or Assistant Residence Hall Director during their posted office hours. At the start of each semester, there is an approximately 15 day room freeze period where no room changes may occur. After this period room changes may occur if approved by your RHD or ARHD based on room availability.

I would like to have a microfridge in my room. How do I know if one is provided?

If not, how may I rent one? Many of our residence halls come equipped with a microfridge. They are provided in the following residence halls:

Allyn Hall, all Centennial Courts, Clark Hall, Dunbar Hall, Fletcher Hall, Johnson Hall, Koonce Hall, Korb Hall, Lake Hall, Manchester Hall, Olson Hall, Prentice Hall, Stopher Hall, Verder Hall, Van Campen Hall, and Wright Hall. 

Also, you may bring a small refrigerator unit that is five cubic feet or smaller.

What is my mailing address?

Each residence hall has a different street address for receiving mail. Please refer to the Residence Hall information page specific to where you are assigned to determine your mailing address. The Residence Hall Information page can be found by clicking here.

Is wireless access available in any of the residence halls?

Centennial Courts E and F, Eastway (Allyn, Clark, Fletcher and Manchester Halls), Korb Hall, Johnson Hall, Stopher Hall and Van Campen Hall all have building-wide wireless connectivity. Centennial Courts A, B, C and D have wireless connectivity in the bridge lounge on the third floors. Engleman Hall has wireless connectivity in the second floor main lounge. Tri-Towers buildings (Koonce Hall, Leebrick Hall, and Wright Hall) have wireless connectivity in the Rotunda lobby. Twin Towers buildings (Beall Hall and McDowell Hall) have wireless connectivity in the lounges in the ground floor lobby. Dunbar Hall, Lake Hall, Olson Hall, Prentice Hall, and Verder Hall have wireless connectivity in the lounges on the ground floor.

What type of laundry service is available in the residence halls?

All of our residence halls have laundry facilities located inside of the buildings. We offer laundry machines that use smart-card technology to pay for laundry use. Upon move-in, each student will receive a laundry card that can have funds added to the card at the laundry card stations at our Area Desks. The cost $2.50 to wash and drying is free. The money on the card does not expire from year to year and the machines are 20 pound capacity. The machines are front loading to be energy and water efficient. Students must provide their own soap and laundry essentials.

I am an incoming freshman who will be living in the residence halls. Am I allowed to bring my car to campus?

All of our students are more than welcome to bring their cars with them to the University. However, please note that first-year students park at Dix Stadium. For full parking details, please refer to the Parking Services website at www.kent.edu/parking.

Where am I able to use my food plan and how do I purchase food with my plan?

Our flexible food plans operate on a debit system that allows our students to purchase food and food items from our cafeterias and convenience stores on campus. The food plan is accessed through the student's Flashcard. When purchasing food, the student simply hands their card to the cashier or will swipe their own card at an electronic kiosk. The student is given a receipt for the purchase that also includes the balance of their food plan. For full details surrounding food plans, dining options, and our dining facilities, please visit the Dining Services website at http://www.kentstatedining.com.

I have enjoyed my experiences in the residence halls and am interested in becoming a Resident Assistant (RA). Where can I find more information and how can I apply?

Resident Assistants are valuable leaders that provide a great service to our residents. Information about the wonderful benefits and responsibilities of being an RA, as well as an application, is located at the Resident Assistant home page.

What size are the beds in the residence halls?

Mattresses in our residence halls are extra-long (36"x80"). The National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) has partnered with Residence Hall Linens to provide our students with a convenient, affordable way to purchase extra-long sheets and bedding items, as well as other campus-living necessities.  Proceeds from this program go to the NRHH and are used for programming and leadership opportunities in the residence halls. Please visit the RHL website.

 

I'm interested in bringing carpet for my residence hall room, what size of carpet should I plan to bring?

Nine of our residence halls have student rooms that are already carpeted. These buildings include, Centennial Courts A-F, Johnson Hall, Stopher Hall, and Van Campen Hall. We recommend that you plan to bring area rugs or carpet remnants as opposed to brining wall-to-wall carpet. If you do choose to bring your own carpeting, please remember that rubber and/or foam backed carpeting is prohibited per fire safety policies. Our carpet size recommendations are:

• 6x9 – Beall, Koonce, Korb, Leebrick, McDowell and Wright Halls
• 9x12 – Dunbar, Lake, Olson, and Prentice Halls
• 10x12 – Allyn, Clark, Fletcher, Manchester, and Verder Halls