Welcome Parents and Families!

Our goal is to help students, parents and families plan in advance by sharing information to help them navigate important processes and deadlines each school year. Please note: Sometimes changes within the University or recently COVID may impact our dates and lead to changes. Check out Important Dates to stay current.

Applying for Housing

At Simmons University, first year students are required to live on campus. The housing application is available through the Housing Portal. You can learn about our residence halls by visiting our Residence Hall FAQs.

We have specialized living options called Living-Learning Communities that offer students the ability to form fast friendships within identity-based communities.

Housing Assignment

Housing assignments for new students will be sent starting mid-July via their Simmons email account. Through this email students will gain access to roommate information. This is an excellent time to visit What to Bring in preparation for Move-In Day.

While there are many benefits to living on campus, we do understand that it is not possible for all students. If you have extenuating circumstances and wish to be considered for exemption from the first-year residency requirement, please submit the First-Year Housing Exemption Request. To learn more, visit First-Year Residency Requirement and Housing Exemption.

Move-In Process

The official move-in days for Fall 2023 are September 2 for First-Year and Transfer Students and September 3 for Returning Students. Move-In Day information will be sent to your student via their Simmons email account and available on our Move-In webpage in the beginning of August. Each student will select a move-in time. It is critical that students arrive at their selected time to maintain traffic flow around campus and minimize wait time in the check-in process line. Information will be provided about curbside drop off for student belongings, where to park and where students go to check-in.

Included in the Move-In Day email will be a prompt for students to select their meal plan, information about microfridge rentals, and other helpful resources.

Please note: Students with medically documented food allergies should contact the Office of Accessibility Services to learn more about meal plan accommodations. Exemptions to the Residential Meal Plan are only considered for medical conditions and food allergies diagnosed by a medical physician that can not be accommodated by Aramark Dining Services. If you are seeking a medical exemption, please contact Student Affairs by emailing [email protected].

Early Arrival Request

Some students belong to groups that will arrive on campus earlier than their official Move-In Day. In this case, the sponsoring department will coordinate with Residence Life to make separate move-in arrangements. These groups include Athletic Teams, Orientation Leaders/Captains, Resident Advisors, Street Team, New International Students, BRIDGE Program, Bonner Community Leaders and Admissions Ambassadors.

For individual students with extenuating circumstances, they can complete our Early Arrival Request form. The earliest date a student can request to arrive on campus is August 22nd. All students arriving early will be charged a daily rate of $32 (if not a part of an approved group). Unfortunately, we will not be able to approve all requests to arrive early. All requests will be reviewed individually. Early arrival requests will only be considered for the following reasons: Housing Insecurity, Travel, Internship, or a Job. The deadline to submit a request is August 8th. To request access to the form, please email us at [email protected].

Fall Semester

Fall semester is all about students acclimating to their academic commitments, getting involved on campus through student organizations and/or employment, making friends, and navigating university life, which includes planning for important dates, deadlines and processes. Students can get involved with Residence Life through attending events, joining our Residence Hall Association or applying to be a Resident Advisor.

While living on campus students benefit from the support of Resident Advisors (RAs), student staff members who live in their residence hall, and professional staff members called Area Coordinators (ACs).

RAs are student staff members who serve as role models and mentors. They refer residents to campus resources that will provide needed academic, institutional, or personal support. RAs organize and coordinate social and educational programming for residents. They uphold community standards and University policies. RAs help students find answers to their questions and provide individual support. They also serve in a nightly emergency duty rotation. This means there is always an RA on Duty to provide support in case of an emergency that occurs outside of business hours.

ACs are masters-level professional staff members, who live on campus and provide on-call support to RAs on Duty. The educational background of our ACs is a combination of higher education and counseling. Each AC oversees an area of three residence halls and their primary role is to supervise RAs. Additionally, ACs work to maintain a safe and inclusive environment, build community within the residence halls, help residents navigate difficult life experiences, support programming initiatives, distribute important information to their communities, and facilitate restorative and educational conduct meetings with residents. They also support the Living-Learning Communities, serve as the RHA Advisor, and collaborate with other Simmons University departments to support institutional initiatives.

Break Housing

Simmons University offers Break Housing to all students with a university housing contract. This includes Fall Break, Spring Break, Winter Break and Summer Break. Fall and Spring Break are free of charge. Winter and Summer Break housing is not guaranteed, requires an application and has an associated cost. Please note that meal plans are not active during break periods and the Dining Halls are closed. Students need to be prepared to find alternative meal options.

Spring Semester

Spring semester is packed full of big deadlines and important processes as well as super fun traditional university events, end-of-year celebrations, Senior Week and Commencement. Resident Advisor interviews are held in February. Housing Selection runs mid-March through the beginning of April. Move-Out begins at the end of April and goes through mid-May. Detailed information about Housing Selection and Move-Out will be sent via email to all students, posted on our website and communicated via university newsletters.

Residence Campus Resources

Additionally, we offer the following resources on the Residence Campus.

• Gym/Workout Classes inside the Sports Center
• Health Center
• Bartol Dining Hall
• Mailroom

Reaching The Office of Residence Life

The Office of Residence is best reached by email at [email protected]. Students are also welcome to come to the Office of Residence Life to make an appointment with a member of professional staff. Additionally, students and parents can call our front office at 617-521-1096. If you wish to leave a voicemail, please leave your name, phone number, and reason for calling in your message.

We are located on the second floor of the Health Center, across from North Hall. If you need access to the elevator, please call our office at 617-521-1096. To find us on campus, please see the Updated Campus Map for how to locate The Health Center.

As partners in supporting your student, you are welcome to contact our office for assistance or with any questions. We want you to have the information you need to help your student succeed.

Again, welcome to the Simmons University Community!

Sincerely,
Residence Life