Housing FAQ’s

Housing assignments for new students are emailed out mid-June, mid-July, and throughout August for Fall Semester. Assignments for new Spring Semester students are emailed in December. Along with the housing assignment email, you will receive roommate information, what to bring/what not to bring information, and move-in day/times.

Returning Students must attend Housing Sign-ups in April to secure a room on campus.

What do I need to have completed prior to moving on campus?

New Students: You must complete all admissions requirements and follow the instructions listed in Admissions’ “Your Next Steps”

Returning Students: You must be registered for classes for the Fall Semester, pay your Advance Room Payment, complete your housing contract, and attend housing sign-ups to reserve a space on campus.

May I have visitors?

Policy is being updated.

What about safety & security?

We have security officers patrolling the campus 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Security officers are available to assist you with a wide range of needs. They will escort you from your car or classroom back to your residence hall or house as well as make sure that your safety needs are met.

All outside doors to our residence halls and sorority houses are locked 24 hours per day. You will be issued a front door key to your respective hall or house. If you find yourself locked out, you can call the RA On‐Call to let you back into your room. For lock‐outs during business hours, please come to the Residence Life office in Owens for loaner keys.

A word about keys: Each resident is issued a front door key to the hall in which they live. It is very important that the key is well guarded and kept secure. If a resident finds that they have lost their key, it is in everyone’s best interest that the Office of Residence Life is notified immediately. Loaning keys to visitors or friends is strictly prohibited. If you need a replacement key, you may fill out an order form

What are quiet hours?

Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. until 10:00 a.m.; including entrances and front porches. During quiet hours all talking and stereo/TV volume must be kept at a low level. Individual floors/houses may extend quiet hours if they so desire. Quiet hours are 24 hours per day during the week of finals. Noise determined to be excessive and disturbing to the University housing environment will not be tolerated.

Courtesy hours are in effect 24 hours per day, and residents are expected to be aware that their actions and behavior do affect other community residents. Musical instruments may not be played in rooms unless headphones are used.

May I have a room to myself?

Not if you are a freshman. Living with another individual is a wonderful opportunity for you to grow and learn about who you are and how you interact with others. Brenau feels it is essential to your development that you have this opportunity. You will learn to communicate, interact, share and compromise with your roommate. All of these are important skills that enable you to develop personally and professionally, wherever your career path leads.

Once you are an upperclassman, you may have the opportunity to select a single room. If space is available you may even chose to live in a double occupancy room and have it as a single. Both of these cost an additional fee per semester and are dependent on available space.

May I personalize my room?

We want you to make your room your home away from home. Curtains, bedspreads, area rugs, lamps, plants and pictures are some of the items you may use to individualize your room. Room walls are painted on a rotating basis and may not be painted by the residents. Nails, putty or foam tape are not permitted on the room walls. Whatever you decide to bring with you to decorate, remember that your roommate will be bringing things as well. There can be nothing mounted to the walls.

May I smoke in my room?

All Brenau facilities are smoke‐free. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in our residential facilities or outside the entrances and exits of the buildings. Please respect your roommate and your community. The University does provide smoking areas outside of the halls with appropriate receptacles. Signs with designated smoking areas will be posted within the residence halls as well as listed in your Student Handbook. There is no smoking on any front porch of any building.

May I change my room?

Room changes may be made in extreme circumstances.

What about my roommate?

The information you provided on your Housing Application form will be used to pair you with an appropriate roommate. We try very hard to make positive matches, but there is no fail‐proof way to match roommates. Some of you will be fast friends; others will just be good roommates. You may not develop a life long relationship with your roommate. The important thing is that you learn how to live with someone. You will gain skills in communication, cooperation, respect, flexibility, tolerance, and diversity to name a few.

Anticipation of your new roommate can be one of the most unnerving times as you start college. In order to develop a healthy roommate relationship, it is vital that you begin communication right away. We recommend that you begin the process before you get to campus. Some good initial questions to ask each other are:

What should I bring?

While we want you to be comfortable in your new home, bringing everything you own is not a good idea. Remember, you’ll be living in a room, not an entire house. And don’t forget your roommate; she needs space too! Our halls and houses are old; there are limits on the capabilities of their electrical systems. In other words, be careful and use common sense about the number of electrical appliances you bring into the room.

What should I NOT bring?