Student Housing: New Student FAQs

• Residence Hall Move-In Day begins at 7 a.m. on Friday, August 22, 2025, for the fall semester. A schedule of move-in will be announced soon.
• For other important dates, please see Opening & Closing Dates.

Move-In Day is an exciting time for all new and returning Hawks. You will be among hundreds of other students moving into RU's residential communities. Residence Life staff work hard to organize the move-in process by having keys and materials sorted and ready to go for each student. Please be mindful that parking in front of our halls is very limited. Plan to unload and then move your car so other students and their families can also unload close to the building. Move-in volunteers will be present to assist you and your family. Each community has Resident Assistant (RA) staff available to direct you and assist in your transition into campus life at Rockhurst University.

Housing assignment letters are emailed by the beginning of July for the fall semester and in December for the spring semester. We will also inform you via email if there are any changes regarding your assignment. You will receive your roommate's contact information so you can make arrangements about furniture and other room topics. This will also provide you with the opportunity to share information about yourself before the start of the new year.

Student organization advisors provide a list to the Office of Residence Life naming all students approved to move in early. Students moving in early will receive a letter from the Office of Residence Life notifying them of the early check-in process. If you do not receive information from our office, you may contact us to see if you are on the list. If you are not on the list, you will need to contact the adviser of your organization. Only students included in an organization's early move-in list will be allowed to move in early.

No, all students will need to move into their assigned space on Move-in Day. No room changes are possible until the open room change period begins, which takes place a few weeks after the start of each semester. Please see important dates for more information.

RU does not provide hand carts for families. It is highly recommended to bring a cart for Move-in Day. McGee Hall is the only facility with an elevator. All other buildings have stairwell access to upper-level floors.

All students are responsible for protecting their personal property and ensuring that property is securely maintained.  All students who live on campus should understand that the University is not responsible or liable for the loss, theft, or damage of property maintained by the student while living on campus.  Students may wish to obtain renters' insurance for the protection of their belongings.

Yes! We have many events through our orientation program and Campus Ministry Office for both you and your parents. Students will receive information in the mail over the summer about all of the Rockhurst Community events. 

All residence hall tours are scheduled through the Admissions Office.  It is not possible to show students a specific room. RU hosts summer conferences, so many of our residence hall rooms are occupied throughout the year.  All residence hall tours are part of the campus visit tours. If you have not been to campus and would like to schedule a visit, please contact Admissions at 816-501-4100.

RU works hard to place students together when there is a mutual roommate preference. You may not have received your first choice if your intended roommate either did not prefer you or did not submit the housing application by the priority deadline date. Applications that come in after the priority deadline may not receive their preferred roommate since roommate assignments will be completed shortly after that date. We always try to do our best to assign preferred roommates together, but it is not always possible.

If you applied for a double room but did not receive a roommate in your initial assignment letter, you may still be assigned a roommate over the course of the summer. As we continue to receive housing applications, we will try to place a roommate with you. When this is done, you will receive written notification along with appropriate contact information. Students who begin the semester without an assigned roommate will not be charged for a single room but may still receive a roommate during the open room change period.

There is a room change freeze in effect from the date of the assignment until after the first few weeks of the semester. The dates for the open room change can be seen on our important dates page. Students will work with their RA/RD to coordinate room changes. The room change process is free. Students changing rooms without permission will be fined.

With the advent of social media and sites such as Facebook, SnapChat and Instagram, most students turn to pulling their potential roommate's social media profile page up rather than calling and having a direct conversation.  We have heard requests from people, who have never spoken to their roommate, asking for a new roommate.  The first thing to remember is to not rush to judgment.  Many students don't accurately reflect themselves on social media pages.  For that reason, we will not reassign a student based on information put on social media. Sometimes our office shares concerns related to a student's race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or class standing/age.  Reassignment due to one of the aforementioned reasons can constitute a discriminatory housing practice. 

Room Consolidation Policy: When the room change process results in multiple empty room spaces on the same floor, students who are left without roommates may then be asked to consolidate rooms with other residents on their floor, or pay a prorated single room rate for the remainder of the semester. 

Your roommate's phone number or other contact information will be included in your housing assignment letter. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Residence Life.

At the beginning of each new year, Residence Life asks all campus residents to complete a roommate agreement. This agreement enables new roommates to establish the "rules of the room," which is a valuable tool to help students live in close quarters with a roommate. If, after completing this agreement, you encounter roommate conflicts, you may meet with your RA or Resident Director. They will provide additional help in resolving the issues between you and your roommate. If the issues cannot be resolved, students are free to pursue room/roommate changes. The room change process is free of charge and is completed in the Residence Life Office. 

Residents who cancel their housing will be charged a $500 cancellation fee. Semester-end cancellations will result in a $500 cancellation fee. Appeals for extenuating circumstances must be submitted in writing to the Associate Vice President of Student Development. The Associate Vice President for Student Development's decision on the appeal is final.

Residence Hall rooms have two beds, two desks, a wall mirror, and two closet/dresser units. Students should bring linens for extra-long twin beds, lamps (non-halogen), area rugs, posters, towels, bathroom items, night lights, computers, electronic equipment, surge protector power strips, wastebaskets, and other items to create their home away from home.

To ensure safety and security, use the Get Packing List to confirm you're bringing everything you need and nothing that isn't allowed.

No. Students will need to provide all of their own bed and bath linens.

No. You may bring your own small refrigerator and/or microwave for use in your room.  Refrigerators must be no larger than 2.5 cubic feet or taller than 32 inches high.

The only pets allowed in RU housing are fish. Tanks must be 10 gallons or smaller. Students found with any other type of pet will be documented for a health and safety violation and adjudicated through the Student Code of Conduct. Residents must immediately remove any animal that does not adhere to the Code of Conduct. 

RU does not restrict residents from bringing additional furniture items. However, existing furniture cannot be removed from resident rooms, so make sure you have enough room for all your belongings. Also, it is encouraged to discuss any furniture purchases or thoughts on bringing additional furniture with your roommate. Remember, both of you have to share the space.

No. All residence halls are already provided with loftable beds, which are adjustable from 36 to 60 inches. Rockhurst does not allow any other homemade or store-bought wooden or metal lofts. Residents are not allowed to set up any other structure that “lofts the bed” in the air. 

No. RU has the same beds throughout campus. We do not move beds to different rooms based on student preferences.

There are several ways to handle maintenance issues with your room or building.  Contact your Resident Assistant and/or Hall Director to put in a work request to Physical Plant (this is the preferred method).  [You may also report any issues electronically by clicking on the Portal link below.  When using the portal, please click on the Campus Work Order icon, and a reporting page will appear. 

http://my.rockhurst.edu

You may also contact the Residence Life Office at 816-501-4663.

Yes. Students living in the residence halls (McGee, Corcoran, or X-L) are required to have a 300-Block or 235-Block meal plan.  Students living in a residence hall are required to purchase a full meal plan for both the fall and spring semesters. THV residents are required to carry at least a 120-block meal plan, but can also choose a 300-block or 235-block plan. Kateri and Rock Row residents are not required to carry a meal plan, but many do choose to do so. Please review our Dining Options.

Students can go to the Residence Life Office in Massman Hall 3 to modify their meal plan (add Flex Dollars or increase meal plan) or they can go online and add additional flex dollars. Commuter students or students living in Kateri and Rock Row Houses are also allowed to purchase a meal plan or add Hawk Dollars to their account.

Yes. All students are allowed to have their cars on campus. Find out more on the vehicle registration and parking regulations page.  All cars must be registered with campus security. You may register your car online.

Residence halls close for all breaks except Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, and Easter Break. Residents living in THV, Kateri, and Rock Row Houses may remain in their housing over all breaks. The residence halls close during Winter and Spring Breaks. Detailed information, including registration deadlines for break housing, will be sent to all residents prior to the beginning of each break. Choosing not to leave the residence hall at the designated break closing time will result in a monetary fine. Room payments do not cover such periods when the halls are closed, so a daily rate will be charged for any break housing. 

Dining Service during break housing:  There is no food service available during Winter or Spring Breaks.  Food service provided during open break times will have limited locations and time. 

First name Last name 

Mailbox Number

Massman Hall

5228 Tracy Ave

Kansas City, MO   64110

You will receive your box number in your housing assignment letter. During orientation, you will receive your mailbox lock combination from the Mail Center. If you have any questions or problems with your mailbox, please contact the Office of Residence Life.

Campus mailboxes are for current campus residents. Students not returning to campus at the end of the semester or academic year will have their campus mailbox inactivated. To ensure all future mail will be received, students will need to complete a change of address form with the local U.S. Post Office before leaving campus.  

Students will use their campus mailbox address for all mail. The Mail Center will receive all packages, certified mail, and FedEx packages. To pick up any mail that requires a signature, students will be asked to present valid identification to the Mail Center. See room assignment letter for mailing address and Box number. 

If you are having trouble connecting to the RU network, contact extension 816-501-4357 or go to the Help Desk located on the fourth floor of Conway Hall.

RU has a residency requirement that requires all full-time first and second-year students to live with their parents or on campus. Please visit Housing Requirements for more information.

RU provides housing for non-married graduate students. Please contact the Office of Residence Life at 816-501-4663 or housing@rockhurst.edu if you would like further information.

The Townhouse Village and Rock Row Houses are available for current students to apply in groups during the spring semester. Incoming freshmen are not eligible to live in the Townhouse Village (THV) or Rock Row Houses during their first year on campus. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible to live in the THVs.  Only juniors and seniors are eligible to live in Rock Row.

Selection for housing in the THVs and Rockhurst Row Houses is based on a composite score of each group's total credit hours x GPA, combined with service transcripts, and student conduct. Transfer students can use no more than 30 credit hours from another institution towards their overall score.