At a residential college such as Hillsdale, the events taking place outside of the classroom are an integral part of a college student’s educational experience. The following paragraphs give the prospective student an overview of residential life and of the many co-curricular and extracurricular activities available to Hillsdale’s students.
RESIDENTIAL LIVING FOR WOMEN
Women at Hillsdale College occupy several attractive residences: Mauck Hall of traditional design; Olds Residence in contemporary architecture; Waterman Residence and Dow Residence, home-like smaller residences; Mclntyre Hall, a large, modern suite-type residence; Benzing Residence, with traditional design; the New Dorm with modern style and community bathrooms; the Townhouses with modern style and private bathrooms; and Sohn Residence, hotel-style rooms with en suite bathrooms.
Upperclass women who have joined sororities live in their respective houses, which are owned by the College.
Resident assistants and house directors staff all housing units except Benzing Residence, Mauck Hall, Dow Residence, New Dorm, Waterman Residence, and the Townhouses, in which mature, responsible women selected by the dean of women are granted the special privilege of living under the supervision of a student resident director. Rooms are planned almost entirely for double occupancy, except for Mauck Hall, Benzing Residence, and Sohn Residence, which have a mix of single and double rooms. The Townhouses have single rooms.
RESIDENTIAL LIVING FOR MEN
Men at Hillsdale College are housed in the modern, suite-type Simpson Hall; the traditionally styled Niedfeldt Student Residence; The Suites for Men, apartment-style quads; Lois Whitley Student Residence; Galloway Residence with modern style and community bathrooms; and modern-style Koon Hall with community bathrooms. Resident assistants and house directors help supervise the men’s residences.
Upperclassmen who are fraternity members may live in their respective houses, upon approval of the dean of men. Fraternity houses are owned by the College.
RESIDENCE HALL POLICIES
Hillsdale College prides itself on being a residential college. Students reside in residence halls, Greek houses or in College-owned houses. These residences
are staffed by house directors and resident assistants who maintain an atmosphere conducive to community pleasantries and academic study as well as safety and privacy. The College separates its residence halls by sex, and requires forthright, respectful, and honorable conduct between the sexes at all times. To help encourage this, there are limits or specified hours during which the students may spend time in the rooms of the opposite sex. Furthermore, in keeping with its Mission and founding principles, the College understands a student’s sex to be the sex discernible at birth as either male or female. If the need arises (because of student population) for off-campus placement of students, the offices of the dean of men and dean of women determine which students qualify.
In making room assignments, considerable attention is devoted to the selection of roommates who are likely to be congenial; friends who ask to room together are given this privilege, when possible. Necessarily, though, the College reserves the right to make final assignments for newly enrolled students and to assign any current student to College-owned facilities. The College reserves the right to assign students rooms in various residences and/or charge them for single rooms when agreement on accommodations between the College and the student is not forthcoming.
Students’ personal property is not covered by College insurance, and the College assumes no responsibility for the property’s damage or loss.
Limited visitation privileges exist for both men and women in College residences, except during vacation periods. All College housing units are closed during Thanksgiving, Christmas, winter and spring vacation periods.
All students are expected to reside in campus housing during their four full-time years at Hillsdale College. Exemptions to this policy are fifth-year seniors; students taking fewer than seven academic credits; married students; single students age 24 or older on the day of registration; commuting students (recognized only if within a 25-mile radius and residing with their immediate family); students living with dean-approved local families who will provide free room to student;
and/or students residing within a private home purchased solely by the immediate family (the College recognizes only one-family ownership). Above exemptions must be approved by the dean of men/dean of women prior to registration for the semester. Students who do not meet the above criteria may apply for the few allowances of off-campus living as outlined below.