Carleton College Housing FAQs

Are there phones in Cassat and Memorial Halls?

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0500

There are phones available in every room of Cassat and Memorial Halls.

What is an RCR and why do I need one for my room?

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0500

For your protection, as well the College's, your Resident Assistant/House Manager completes the RCR (Room Condition Report) to check the condition of your room when you move and and again when you move out of the room. It is important that you also check each item listed on the RCR as you are responsible for the condition of everything in your room. Review the RCR prior to moving in and note any discrepancies that you see. Please note all existing conditions and date them when you move in to avoid charges at the end of the year. Changes in the checkout condition of the RCR result in charges to your student account.

If there are items that need repair when you you move in or at any time during the year, please complete a Facilities Work Request at go.carleton.edu/wk_order.

See the Room Check Procedures for specifics.

What size are the beds in the halls?

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0500

Carleton College uses bunkable beds with an 80" (extra long) twin mattress. When students arrive, the beds will not be bunked, they will be positioned at about 19" above the floor. If students would like to bunk their bed, the pins are stored in the top drawer of the dresser. Custodial staff in the buildings may have some in storage if there are no pins in the room.

Can I move in any earlier than 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9?

Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 -0500

We are able to accommodate first year students who must arrive early because of travel difficulties or family conflicts. However, the earliest we can provide housing is Tuesday, September 8, at noon. There is a nominal fee of $25 which includes the cost of your room and meals for September 8. The charge will be applied to your student account in the Business Office. If you would like to reserve housing , please complete the Early Arrival Request for First Year Students form. We are very sorry but we cannot accept any reservations after August 15.

As you make your reservation, please keep in mind that transportation will not be provided from the airport to Carleton College on September 8. For available transportation options, please visit the Campus Activities website. Keys and OneCards will only be issued from noon until 4:30 p.m. on September 9.

Are refrigerators available in the residence halls?

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:59:19 -0500

Refrigerators are available in every floor lounge. Many students enjoy having small refrigerators in their rooms, but they are by no means necessary since there is space in the floor refrigerator.

Small residence hall or apartment-style refrigerators (no greater than 3.6 cubic feet) are permitted in the student rooms. On Campus Marketing rents Energy Star rated 2.5 cubic foot, 3.6 cubic foot and combination microwave/refrigerators to our students. Refrigerators are delivered at the beginning of the year and picked up at the end of the academic year. Roommates frequently share the cost of renting a refrigerator for their room.

Is there a place to store trunks, giant pieces of luggage, bikes and boxes?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:55:25 -0500

Yes, Carleton has limited storage available. Storage tickets can be purchased from the Bookstore. Contact Custodial Services or your building custodian to make arrangements to get into the secure storage area. We recommend that you confirm with your home owner's policy will cover any valuable items left in the storage areas. Storage insurance is not provided by the College.

Custodial Services manages storage in the residence halls. The Storage Policy provides details about the types, size and cost of storage available. Student belongings remain in their rooms during the winter and spring breaks if they will be returning to campus the following term. Storage is available for students during the summer months, for those who will be on off campus study programs and for those who are taking extended leaves from campus.

There are also self-storage units in the Northfield area:

Greenvale Mini-Storage, 507-645-2332
Northside Self Storage, 507-645-8814
Self Storage, 507-645-8888
Southgate Mini Storage, 507-645-4547

Is cable TV available in College-owned houses?

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:28:28 -0500

Some of the College-owned houses are wired for Cable TV installation. Residents of the houses must subscribe for service using house funds to secure the subscription. Information is provided to the residents of the houses regarding cable TV installation at the beginning of each academic year. Houses that may subscribe for service are Allen House, Benton House, Chaney House, Geffert House, Huntington House, Prentice House, Stimson House, Watson House, Williams House, and Wilson Houses.

Carleton College network cable has been installed to Berg House, Brooks House, Clader House, Collier House, Colwell House, Dacie Moses House, Dixon House, Douglas House, Dow House, Eugster House, Hall House, Hill House, Hunt Cottage, Hunt House, Jewett House, Nason House, Owens House, Parish House, Parr House, Reynolds House, Rice House, and Scott House. The College network provides only the basic cable package. Telecommunications staff can respond to questions regarding the Carleton network cable.

Unfortunately cable connections are not available to Page House or Stadium. Street addresses are available on the staff listing page. Questions and concerns regarding cable should be addressed to the Telecommunications Department.

The College administration and the Committee on Student Life continue to evaluate the possibilities of cable installation to the houses on an annual basis.

What meal plan are first year students on?

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:09:32 -0500

First year students are assigned to the 20 meal plan. The 20 meal plan is Carleton’s full board plan. This plan offers 20 guaranteed meals per week in either Burton or East Dining Hall, three per day Monday through Saturday and two on Sunday, with $75 in dining dollars that may be used in the Snack Bar or the dining halls.

A unique feature of the 20 Meal Plan is the meal equivalency. THIS IS NOT AVAILABLE WITH THE 5, THE 12 OR THE BLOCK 130 MEAL PLANS. Meal equivalencies are intended to provide more choice options for the 20 Meal Plan user, especially if all $75 dining dollars have been exhausted.

A meal equivalency allows you to buy food in the Snack Bar by using one of your weekly meal plan meals. The 20 meal plan allows the use of 1 meal per week as a meal equivalency. If you use a meal equivalency in a given week, then you have 19 meals available to use in the dining halls. If you don’t use a meal equivalency in the Snack Bar in a given week, then you have 20 meals available in the dining halls. There is no carryover of meal equivalencies that don’t get used.

All first-year students are automatically assigned to this plan for the year, but may choose the 12 meal plan or the Block 130 meal plan for winter and/or spring terms. Unused meals do not carry over to the next day, week, or term. Unused dining dollars are also not carried over from term-to-term.

Further information on the meal plans is available on the Dining Services site.

Will there be a phone in my room? What will my phone number be?

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:00:40 -0500

Each room has a phone. Your phone number will always start with 507-222-. The last four digits of your number are determined by your room assignment. Your room and phone number will be included in the mailing you receive with your roommate's name, address, phone number and e-mail address. You will receive an authorization code from Telecommunications which will make it possible for you to make long distance calls from your room phone.

How does Carleton encourage sustainable living and what can I do to help?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Sustainability is becoming more and more important on Carleton’s campus. For example, Carleton students are encouraged to be conscious of their energy use by setting computers to energy-saving modes, turning off extraneous lights, using power strips that can be turned off at night, using energy-maximizing CFL (compact fluorescent) light bulbs, being conscientious about shower time and water use, using energy-maximizing settings on washers, thinking about air-drying clothes and minimizing wintertime heat loss by keeping windows closed and adjusting the heat to comfortable levels.

Sustainability is about creating and maintaining a long-lasting, healthy community and well as minimizing impact on the environment. The many student and campus-sponsored activities, programs and organizations at Carleton create a healthy, happy, sustainable community that is also sustainable in its low impact on the environment.

We encourage you to be conscientious of the environmental impact of your purchases as we move towards being a more sustainable campus community.

For example,

Where was the product made? What were the environmental costs in transporting it?
Is the package recyclable? Is the product made from recycled materials? Can the product be recycled?
Do cleaning and toiletry products include toxic chemicals? Are they biodegradable?

Are there laundry rooms in the halls and houses? How do you pay for laundry?

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:40:33 -0500

Each hall and most campus houses have laundry facilities on the main floor or in the basement. The laundry machines in the residence halls accept OneCards. Laundry machines in the houses still use quarters.

Are there kitchens and lounges on each floor? What equipment do they have?

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:36:43 -0500

There is a kitchen and lounge area on every floor but one. The kitchens have a sink, stove/oven, microwave, and refrigerator. We do not provide any cooking utensils so you may want to have a few essentials in your room. Many floors have floor funds which they use to purchase kitchen supplies such as dish soap and baking pans. Students who use the facilities are expected to clean the kitchen. Caution: items left in a public kitchen may disappear.

I have additional questions about residential policies, problems, etc. Who can I turn to for answers?

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:58:51 -0500

The Residential Life staff oversee residential facilities (room assignments and changes, keys, damage charges), but more importantly, the hall directors and resident assistants are the first line of assistance for students within their residential environment. The staff is here to help you—to answer questions, to plan fun floor and hall programs, to help you learn about Carleton and yourself, and to just listen. Central office professional and student staff members are available to advise students on any educational or personal concerns. In addition, the central staff selects, trains, and supervises hall directors and resident assistants. They also develop and administer residential policies. The residential life staff is led by the director of residential life and an assistant director of residential life. We welcome your questions and suggestions; please e-mail us, stop by our offices for information, to meet the staff, or to just learn your way around campus.

I lost my key. What do I do?

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 08:26:19 -0500

If you lose your key, Residential Life Office staff (Sevy G10) will issue a temporary pass key which you can use for three days. If you have not found your key after three days, a new lock is put on your door at a cost of $40. You and any roommates will be issued new room keys and will need to return any old keys. If you lose your key after office hours (8am-5pm, M-F), please contact your RA or another RA in your building who can let you into your room for the night. Please stop by the Office the next morning to get a temporary pass key.

Do I need to purchase my own printer?

Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500

No. Printers are available in the library and the many computer labs located around campus. If you tend to print many personal documents, it may be a good idea to purchase your own printer, but if you are respectful about what you print in order to conserve paper and printing resources, common printers are free for you to use.