Residence Hall Room Types

What is a fire door?

A fire door is a door that allows the people in the stairwell to get out of their room in case of a fire in the stairwell by going through the room next door. This door cannot be locked or blocked by any furniture or other items.

What is a fire door room?

We consider rooms that adjoin through a fire door as a quad or a triple room, depending on the building. All residents assigned to those spaces are considered roommates and complete their part of their roommate agreement together. 

The fire door between the rooms remains closed, but not locked due to fire safety and no furniture or other items that could block access to the next room can be placed in front of the door.

Will my things be safe if the door doesn't lock?

Yes, the doors that lead outside the rooms both lock, it is the door between the rooms that doesn't. Your RA will help you set up standards and expectations in terms of the usage for the fire door - for instance, when to keep the fire door open, what times it is okay to be used for lockouts, when it is okay to go through the fire door into the next room, etc.

An Expanded Occupancy Triple is comparable in size to the largest double rooms available. Because each residence hall is unique, the look and style of each room differs. Our staff has worked together to determine the optimal arrangement for furniture usage in Expanded Occupancy Triple rooms. Each room will have three beds, two desks, two chairs, and a combination of storage spaces, which could include a dresser, underbed storage, and/or closet. Storage space is limited and it's best to coordinate who will be bringing what in order to avoid having two or three of everything (the most obvious example is a refrigerator). You may need to share closet space. 

While expanded occupancy triple rooms have less space than standard double rooms, you will have a successful residential experience. You may even enjoy and appreciate the opportunity to develop close relationships with your roommates. Often when students living in expanded occupancy triple rooms are given the opportunity to move to a double room, they decline the offer because of the connections they've already forged with their roommates.

How are students assigned to an Expanded Occupancy Triple room?

Students who opt into an Expanded Occupancy Triple via the Housing Application are the first to be assigned to these spaces. The Office of Residence Life will only assign additional students to this room type based on outstanding housing demand.

If space becomes available, will it be possible to move into a double room?

If space becomes available, students living in Expanded Occupancy Triples will be offered the chance to move. Please note that open bed spaces and the ability to move are limited during the Fall semester.

What are the benefits of living in an Expanded Occupancy Triple?

As a recognition of their cooperation, all first-year students who remain in a fully occupied Expanded Occupancy Triple for the entirety of the Fall semester and are not offered a chance to move to a different room will be placed at the top of the room selection order for the in the Room Selection process for the following year. An active housing application must be received in order to take advantage of this opportunity.

Will there be enough room for the three of us?

Expanded Occupancy Triple rooms were all evaluated to ensure that the school furnishings would fit in the available space. We recommend not bringing additional furniture to allow yourself the maximum usable space.

Storage space is limited to the shared closets, dressers, and/or underbed storage, so we recommend bringing only what you need. If Simmons isn't far from home, bring what you need for one season at a time. Target is within walking distance and many other popular stores are T accessible; consider postponing purchases of non-essential items until after you've arrived and assessed the space. The college bookstore will also be open during opening weekend and will have popular items for purchase. We recommend getting in touch with your roommates before move-in, not only to introduce yourself but also to talk about who is bringing large items such a fridge, ironing board etc, to avoid duplicates.

Our students find many creative ways to maximize space, like:

• Using shelving units or stacking bins to use vertical space.
• Using double rack hangers and hanging shelves that allow you to store more clothes in a small area.
• Using pop up laundry hampers that can be easily folded and stored in your closet when not being used.

Furniture in Expanded Occupancy Triples

Furniture included in an Expanded Occupancy Triple cannot be relocated or removed, even if the EOT is not fully occupied by 3 residents. Residents are not permitted to relocate or request relocation of the furniture. If a vacancy occurs within an EOT no resident may move into the space without written permission from the professional staff of the Office of Residence Life. If an unauthorized room change occurs or if furniture is removed residents may be referred to the Student Conduct process.