Residence Life FAQs

Living in university housing provides each student with a multitude of opportunities for personal, social and intellectual growth. These experiences are sure to impact your life while on campus and extend many years after your college days are over. Recent research has indicated that students who live in university housing:

• Have higher graduation rates
• Have increased participation in extracurricular activities
• Assume more leadership roles
• Are less likely to fail a course
• You may have more reasons of your own, but consider these:
  • No cars, buses or traffic jams to keep you from getting to class on time
  • Wake up each morning only a few steps away from your class
  • Have the opportunity to connect with friends and attend programs more frequently
  • Can work and earn extra spending money without traveling

Housing and food costs are approximately $12,100 per year. View the current room rates. Most residents receive additional financial aid just by choosing to live on campus. Please refer to the Financial Aid web page for more information.

We have a very limited number of single rooms on campus and they are reserved for students with documented needs. Please contact our office for more information.

If you know someone attending SXU, you may request that person through initiating a roommate group in the eRezLife housing application system. We do our best to pair up all requests for roommates.

The rooms in Pacelli Hall (where freshman and most new students are housed) are approximately 10' X 13'. There is also a sink (in most first year student rooms) with vanity area and a walk in closet. The rooms are furnished with two beds, two desks with chairs, and two dressers. Some rooms are carpeted; however, a small area rug, 6' X 9', is a nice addition to any room.

If you have applied for housing (after being accepted at the University), information about your hall and the room you will live in, who your roommate will be, your University mailing address, as well as other important move in information will be emailed to your @mymail.sxu.edu account in mid-July (if your contract was received before June 1).

Pacelli Hall is reserved for our first-year students. Rubloff Hall is mixed with first-year students and upper-division students. Morris, McCarthy,and O'Brien Halls are strictly for upper-division students.

We offer four food plans for resident students. The following is a summary of the Scarlet Plan, the minimum food plan for our first-year residents, which costs individuals approximately $2,700 per semester and is required for residence on campus. The following are highlights of this plan:

• The balance of $2,700 is used similar to a debit system. Only the dollar amount spent at the time of a purchase is deducted from the total. (Example: if a student purchases a bottle of soda, approximately $3 is deducted, or if an entire meal is purchased, approximately $7 is deducted). This debit system allows students unlimited access to food service, up to the total dollar amount available on their food card.
• The food plan is a good value. The plan is budgeted at just $24 per day for food.
• The food plan is designed with the student's health in mind, assuming that it is important for students to eat regular, healthy meals. We recommend that students eat wisely so that they can perform well both in and outside of the classroom.
• Food plan dollars can be used in the SXU Diner, Rhubarb's, Coffee Cats, and Starbucks.
• Review the general budget (PDF) a student should follow over each week of the semester.

Your student ID card, Cougar Card, can be used in a variety of ways. The Cougar Card is the easiest and most convenient form of payment on campus. Students may photocopy an article, print materials for class, access buildings and much more all with the simple swipe of their student ID card.

A complete list of do's and don'ts of what to bring (PDF) is included in your assignment mailing that is sent out by mid-July each year. Some highlights include: do bring twin extra long sheets, do bring computer equipment, do bring a small refrigerator, but leave your microwaves, hot plates and candles at home.

Yes, off campus guests may visit Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to Midnight, and Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., in Pacelli and Rubloff Halls by checking in at the front desk of the building. Overnight guests of the same sex may spend the night on campus if a Resident Overnight Automated Request (ROAR) is submitted through the eRezLife portal and approved by the resident assistant on duty.

Upper-division halls (Morris, McCarthy and O'Brien) have open visitation provided that all roommates and suitemates are in agreement and have open access to their room. No visitor should have an extended presence in the room.

Yes, many job openings on campus become available each year. The most plentiful include front desk workers supervised by Public Safety to help deliver services provided at the halls' main entrances. Apply for all on-campus positions online through Student Employment. For more information, contact studentjobsFREESXU.

We encourage you to take the time to indicate your personal preferences on the Housing Application to help ensure the best possible match to begin with. If you do have problems, you can contact your residence hall director to discuss your options. We expect that each resident will work to respect those they are living with and give each situation a little time before deciding they can no longer live with a particular person. If necessary, the hall director will decide it if a move should be made. Be aware that housing options are very tight during the fall semester and room changes are limited to one change per semester. It's usually best to try to work out initial problems that occur in your current room situation. Open communication with your roommate, resident assistant and hall director will help in this process.

Yes, we recommend it. The University does not provide insurance coverage for your personal property nor do they replace stolen or damaged items. Many students find that their parent or guardian homeowner's insurance policies provide coverage. Be sure to check into this before coming to campus. Another option is to purchase additional insurance that would specifically cover items while a student is away at college. One agency to consider is NSSI Worth Ave. Group. Check out their flyer (PDF) for more details.

The residence halls close during the following University break periods and all residents are expected to vacate the halls during these closed periods:

• Thanksgiving Holiday
• Semester Break
• Spring Break
• Easter Break

International students and students who live beyond 400 miles of campus may request to reside on campus during the Thanksgiving, Spring and Easter Break closed periods. Requests may be made through eRezLife and must be submitted 10-days prior to the scheduled closing. Residents approved to stay in housing during the breaks are billed $35/day per break. All approvals are subject to the discretion of the director of Residence Life.

University Housing closes for the summer on the last day of finals week.