Student Housing and Dining

Director of Residence: Randy Alexander

Director of ISU Dining: Jonathan Lewis

Associate Directors: Virginia Arthur, (Residence Life); Darryl Knight (Facilities Operations); Gregory Lee (Administrative Services); Carol Petersen (Residential Dining); Karen Larson (Catering)

Assistant Directors: James Judy (Facilities Planning); Doug Gruenewald, (Academic Services)

The university provides residence hall housing facilities for more than 7,000 single undergraduate students. In addition, more than 1,000 apartments are available on campus for families and for single students.

Each student who accepts his or her admission to the university will receive a housing contract. Priority for housing for new students is based upon the date on which housing contracts and the accompanying $135 prepayment are received in the Department of Residence Administrative Office. Acceptance of admission to the university is necessary before a housing contract will be accepted.

Address correspondence concerning on-campus housing and dining to the Administrative Office, Department of Residence, 2419 Friley Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50012. E-mail: halls@iastate.edu (residence halls), dining@iastate.edu (dining), frederiksencourt@iastate.edu (Frederiksen Court apartments) or apartments@iastate.edu (University Family Housing), or phone toll free: (800) 854-9050. Additional information may be obtained at www.iastate.edu/dor.

Undergraduate Residence Halls
Most of the rooms in residence halls are planned for double occupancy; however, some rooms accommodate three persons. In addition, a limited number of single rooms are available. All rooms are furnished with extra-long twin beds, innerspring mattresses, chests of drawers, individual study desks, chairs, cable television connections, and Ethernet connectivity. Students provide their own bed linens, throw rugs, blankets, pillows, towels, and study lamps (except in Maple, Willow, and Larch Halls, where study lamps are furnished). Students are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order of their own rooms.

Home-style meals are provided for all residents in the halls. Students living off-campus may also purchase a meal plan by visiting the Administrative Office at 2419 Friley Hall. Dining Dollar$ are part of the meal plan and can be used at any residence C-store, Hawthorn Market & Cafe, or for additional meals or services at any residence dining facility.

A single student who resides in an undergraduate residence hall must sign a contract for room and board for the academic year or the remainder thereof, if contract is signed after fall semester begins. All charges are subject to change. The rate for the academic year 2002-03 was $5,020 for a basic double occupancy room and full meal plan.

Students may move out of the residence halls at any time during the academic year upon payment of room and board for the term of occupancy plus forfeiture of the prepayment and a charge of 20 percent of the remainder of the contract if the student remains enrolled. For additional information concerning the residence hall contract, students should contact the Administrative Office (2419 Friley Hall) before making the final decision.

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 fax and copy machines, entertainment and recreational equipment, mail delivery and check-in and check-out location within the residence halls, indoor and outdoor recreation areas and intramural equipment owned by student government, fitness centers, laundry facilities in each hall, special study areas in each complex, private dining rooms for specially- prepared house and organization dinners, meeting rooms and offices for student organizations, computer labs, and parking lots assigned to the residence halls.

The residence halls are organized geographically into three neighborhoods: Towers, Richardson Court, and Union Drive. The students in each of these neighborhoods elect a group of executive officers to be responsible for coordinating neighborhood events and activities. Each neighborhood funds and maintains a social program, an intramural program, and numerous committees that supplement the total social and educational development of the individual residents. The three neighborhoods, in addition to having their own individual student governments, also are joined in an Inter-Residence Hall Association (IRHA) with an all-residence hall parliament; they jointly sponsor the KURE FM stereo radio station, Residence Hall Week, weekly movies, scholarships, leadership conferences, and more.

Each neighborhood is further organized into smaller living groups called houses. These houses of 40 to 60 members are the foundation of Iowa State University's residence hall program. Members of the houses elect their own officers, and the majority of programs is 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.

Students may choose to live in coed houses. These 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.

Learning communities, which bring together students who have similar academic goals, are also available in the residence halls. 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: ACES (Agriculture Community Encourages Success); ABE (Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering); Animal Ecology; BEST (Biology Education Success Team); BLT (Business Learning Teams); CCLC (Cross-Cultural Learning Community); Common Threads (Textiles and Clothing); Computer Engineering Learning Teams (CELTS); Computer Science; Design Exchange; FSHN (Food Science and Human Nutrition); Honors; HDFS (Human Development and Family Studies); LEAD (Leadership Through Engineering Diversity); MLC (Multicultural Learning Community); and WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering). A leadership-themed house is also available. For the most up-to-date information on learning community opportunities at Iowa State, see www.iastate.edu/~learncommunity/.

Undergraduate and Graduate Single Student Apartments
Frederiksen Court is one of the newest communities at Iowa State, providing on-campus apartments to single graduate and upper-class undergraduate students. The apartments include such amenities as central air-conditioning, living room and bedroom furniture, microwave, dishwasher, and garbage disposal, as well as a washer and dryer in each apartment. The Frederiksen Court Community Center is the center of activity at Frederiksen Court. It features meeting rooms and lounge space, a fitness center for residents, office equipment for resident use, and a retail dining facility at Hawthorn Market and & Cafe. Hawthorn Market & Cafe offers hot meals, snacks, beverages, and convenience items.

The apartments, which are available in two- and four-bedroom layouts, accommodate four persons of the same gender. Rent for academic year 2002-03 was $3,229 for a two-bedroom and $3,826 for a four-bedroom. Rent includes electricity, water, garbage pickup, basic phone service, basic extended cable, and Ethernet, and rent is conveniently paid as part of the resident's university bill.

University Family Housing
The university provides 760 apartments in University Village and Schilletter Village. The 2002-03 academic year rates for these apartments were $431-492 per month for University Village, and $462-509 per month for Schilletter Village. The apartments are furnished with stove and refrigerator, and central air conditioning units are included in the University Village apartments. Rental rates include cable television, high-speed Internet connectivity, water, and garbage removal service. Residents pay for their own gas, electricity, and telephone.

To be eligible for a University Family Housing apartment, residents must be registered for classes during the semester of move-in.

A number of University Village apartments also are available to single students. Single students must be either a graduate student or at least 23 years of age.

Off-campus Housing for Students
Availability and cost are factors to be considered when living off campus. Sleeping rooms in older houses, apartments, and duplexes make up the bulk of off-campus housing.

The Off Campus & Adult Student Services, B6 Memorial Union, keeps a listing of off-campus rental units. Other housing may be obtained through real estate agents, local newspapers, or by contacting individual owners.

It is best that the student come to Ames well in advance of the time he or she plans to begin academic work, as many units are rented 3 to 6 months in advance. The single occupancy room rental rates average $200 to $500 per month. Average rental rate per student sharing an apartment or house would be in the $250 to $400 range per month. Board for students living in off-campus rooms may be obtained in residence hall dining rooms, private restaurants, or the Memorial Union.

A meal plan is available in the Department of Residence to off-campus students that provides any one meal per day, Monday through Friday, while classes are in session. Information may be obtained from the Administrative Office, Department of Residence, 1215 Friley Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50012-0003.

Fraternities and Sororities
Of the 51 fraternity and sorority chapters on the Iowa State University campus, 43 have chapter houses, and provide housing for about 1,800 undergraduate students. The seven historically Black 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 $300 less to $300 more per year than living in the residence halls, or an off-campus apartment. The cost includes room, board, and social dues. Fees average $50 for a pledging fee and $150 for the initiation fee.

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.

If a student moves into a chapter house from the residence halls and has to break a contract, the student will forfeit the deposit and owe a percentage of the cost of the contract. Most of the chapters compensate a student to a degree. Because the compensation amount differs among houses, a student should communicate with the chapter before changing residences.