Student Housing and Dining

Interim Director of Residence: Todd Holcomb
Director of ISU Dining: Jonathan Lewis

Associate Directors:

Virginia Arthur (Residence Life)
Darryl Knight (Facilities Operations)
Gregory Lee (Administrative Services)

Assistant Directors:

Carol Petersen (Residential Dining)
Karen Larson (Catering)
Janell Meyer (Retail Operations)

The university provides residence hall housing facilities for more than 5,500 single undergraduate students. In addition, three apartment communities are available on campus for single students and families.

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 the housing contract and the accompanying $125 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.

Questions and correspondence concerning on-campus housing and dining should be directed 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 (SUV Apartments), or phone toll free: (800) 854-9050. Additional information may be obtained at www.iastate.edu/~dor.

Undergraduate Residence Halls
Most of the residence hall rooms are planned for double occupancy; however, some rooms accommodate three persons and a limited number of single rooms are also available. All rooms are furnished with extra-long twin beds, innerspring mattresses, chest of drawers, individual study desks, chairs, cable television connections, and high-speed university Ethernet connectivity. Students provide their own bed linens, throw rugs, blankets, pillows, towels, and study lamps. Students are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order of their own rooms.

All-you-care-to-eat meals are provided for all residents in the halls. A variety of flexible meal plans are available from which to choose. Dining Dollar$ are part of each meal plan and can be used at any of the 20 ISU Dining establishments, including c-stores, restaurants, and cafes.

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 the contract is signed after fall semester begins. All charges are subject to change. The rate for the academic year 2004-05 was $5,958 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 an 80 percent charge of the remainder of the contract if the student remains enrolled. Students who graduate from, withdraw from, or have their enrollment terminated by Iowa State University will be eligible to move out during the year without incurring a penalty. For additional information concerning the residence hall contract, students should contact the Administrative Office.

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, and mail delivery; indoor and outdoor recreation areas and intramural equipment owned by student government; fitness centers; laundry facilities; special study areas; 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 two neighborhoods: 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 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 Iowa State University’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.

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.

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); BEST (Biology Education Success Team); BLT (Business Learning Teams); Chemical Engineering; Common Threads (Textiles and Clothing); CLUE (Community Learning for Undeclared Engineers); Computer Science; Design Exchange; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; FSHN (Food Science and Human Nutrition); Honors; LEAD (Leadership through Engineering Academic Diversity); NREM (Natural Resource Ecology and Management; and WiSE (Women in Science and Engineering). Theme houses are also available, including cross-cultural, Army ROTC, and Air Force ROTC. For the most up-to-date information on learning community opportunities at Iowa State, see www.iastate.edu/~learncommunity/.

Upper-Division Residence Hall
The newly renovated suites in Buchanan Hall offer the convenience of residence hall living with a more mature environment. The Suites are furnished and come complete with a lofted bed, desk with bookcase and file, soft seat desk chair, and a wardrobe/dresser combination unit (all are per resident). The double suites (2 persons/room; 4 persons/bath) have a sink in each room and share a toilet and shower with the adjacent room. Single suites (1 person/room; 2 persons/bath) share a bathroom (which includes a sink, toilet, and shower) with one other single room. Student lounges and kitchenettes are available on most floors.

Residents living in Buchanan Hall must purchase a meal plan. An expanded list of flexible meal plan options is available to residents, including smaller meal plans not offered to students in other neighborhoods.

To live at Buchanan, students must have a sophomore classification and/or be at least 19 years of age. Some floors are reserved for students who are 21 years of age and older. There is no age requirement for students living on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation learning community floor.

Buchanan is open during the break between fall and spring semesters at no additional charge. Academic year (9-month) and full year (12-month) contracts are available. 2004-2005 nine-month contract rates (not including board) were $4,178/person for a double suite and $4,802/person for a single suite. The room rate is all inclusive, including basic phone service, expanded basic cable, and high-speed university Ethernet connectivity. The room charges are conveniently paid on a semester basis as part of the student’s university bill.

Undergraduate and Graduate Single Student Apartments
Frederiksen Court Apartments: Frederiksen Court apartments are completely furnished with a full kitchen and include central air-conditioning, living room and bedroom furniture, microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, and a washer and dryer in each apartment. The Frederiksen Court Community Center 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. The rate per resident for academic year 2004-05 was $3,438 for a two-bedroom and $4,230 for a four-bedroom and is conveniently paid as part of the resident’s university bill. All utilities are included in the rate, including electricity, water, garbage pickup, basic phone service, expanded basic cable, and high-speed university Ethernet. To live at Frederiksen Court, students must have a sophomore classification and/or be at least 19 years of age.

SUV Apartments: Schilletter Village and University Village (SUV) also offer apartments for single upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. Students must have graduate classification or be at least 21 years of age to live at SUV. The 2004-05 academic year rates for these apartments were $457-522 per month for University Village, and $519-541 per month for Schilletter Village (these rates are per apartment, not per resident). All apartments contain two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen furnished with a cook top, oven, workspace, refrigerator, and sink. A limited number of one-bedroom apartments and ADA-accessible apartments are also available. Students provide their own furniture and window coverings.

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.

Apartments for Families
Family apartments are available at Schilletter Village and University Village (SUV). Students must be married/domestic partners and/or have dependent children in order to be eligible for family apartments.

The 2004-05 academic year rates for these apartments were $457-522 per month for University Village, and $519-541 per month for Schilletter Village. All apartments contain two bedrooms, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen furnished with a cook top, oven, workspace, refrigerator, and sink. A limited number of one-bedroom apartments and ADA-accessible apartments are also available. Students provide their own furniture and window coverings.

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.

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
A variety of convenient flexible ISU Dining meal plans are available to students who live in on-campus and off-campus apartments. Meal plans range from seven meals per week to an unlimited number of all-you-care-to-eat meals in combination with Dining Dollar$. Students can also choose to purchase block meal plans with or without Dining Dollar$, with meals allotted per semester rather than per week, or Dining Dollar$ only. Information may be obtained from the ISU Dining Administrative Office, Department of Residence, 1215 Friley Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50012-0003. Phone: 515-294-3856 Email: dining@iastate.edu Web: www.iastate.edu/~dow/dining.html

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.