Move-in FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Move-In

What is the height under the bed? (for storage)

The height under the bed is about 9.5 inches.
Students are allowed to bring bed risers to raise their bed a maximum of 6 inches.

What do I need to know about cell phones on campus?

For our location, it is strongly recommended to use AT&T or Verizon Wireless because they have the best signal on campus overall. We see an increasing rate of complaints from those using carriers with poor cell service on campus (T-Mobile, Sprint, and others).  For more information about cell phones, click here.

What do I need to know about the buildings and rooms?

Residence Halls: Residence halls house all class years of students. All residence hall rooms are furnished with a twin bed, desk, chair, chest of drawers for each student. Each room also has a bookshelf for students to use. Two wardrobes are built into each bedroom. On average, double room dimensions are approximately 11 1/2' x 17'. All rooms have carpeting and air conditioning. Windows in the buildings have either built-in Venetian blinds or window shades.

Buildings: Naugle - all first year students; Witmer - transfer & first year students; South Complex: Bittner - all first year students, Mountain View - upperclass male and female floors, Sollenberger - upperclass male and female floors. North Complex: Hess - upperclass male & female floors, Grantham - upperclass male & female floors, Miller - upperclass male and female floors;

The dimensions for the furniture in Naugle, Bittner and Witmer double rooms is as follows:

What are the living options for first year & transfer students?

First-Year Students: Messiah has created a "first-year experience" for all first-year students who will live on the same floors/buildings as cohorts.  All first-year students will live in one of the three first-year buildings: Bittner, Naugle or Witmer.

Transfer Students (sophomores through seniors) : Students who are sophomores through seniors will be assigned to live in traditional halls (Mountain View & Witmer) for at least the first semester.  After the first semester those students with at least 57 credits can move to the on-campus apartments or satellite houses. 

What are the housing rates?

The 2023–2024 residence hall and apartment rates reflect a per-person charge for a semester or an academic year. Rates include room, utilities (including Wi-Fi). Rates (including for apartments & special interest houses) can be found on the housing rates page.

How are housing assignments made?

Incoming first-year students are assigned based on deposit/application date and will be closely matched to other students as roommates according to the answers in the questionnaire section of the housing application. Our office attempts to meet as many of a student's requests regarding housing preference and mutual roommate requests as possible.

Incoming (upperclass) transfer students will be assigned to a room in Witmer unless the student has requested to live with a specific current student in our upperclass housing. .

Room Assignment Changes: Due to constant changes in enrollment and new, incoming students, assignments will occur on a rolling basis through opening day in August. Therefore, your roommates or room assignment is subject to change. You may check your housing & roommate assignment on FalconLink to get the most updated information.

Can I room with a friend or someone I know?

New, First-Year Students and First-Year Transfer Students: Yes; although first-year students (0–23 post-high school credits) can only room with another first-year student. This process takes place while completing the roommate-preference section of the Housing Application. All roommate requests must be mutual to be granted.

Upperclass Transfer Students: Possibly. Incoming transfer students (24 or more post high school credits) are assigned to live either on the transfer floor or in open/available spaces in the upper class residence halls. A student can request to live with another incoming transfer student (who is not a first-year transfer status) or a current student. Assigning incoming transfers together can have some challenges since an empty room is not always available to put two transfer students together. We will make every effort to put transfer students with another transfer student.

Roommate Requests: All students seeking to room with another person (acquaintances, friends, fellow athletes or others pairs) should request each other in the roommate-preference section of the Housing Application. Non-mutual requests will not be assigned together. 

Could I have more than one roommate?

Yes. All students will have at least one roommate unless they live in a single. Some students could have between one to four roommates depending on the type of room they are assigned. The University has the following room types: singles, doubles, designed triples, quads, supplemental triples and three-person or five-person apartments.

First Year Students: Depending on the size of the incoming class and the availability of rooms reserved for first-year students on campus, there is a strong likelihood that you will begin your college experience with three people in a supplemental triple room. Students in supplemental triples have three beds, desks, and dressers provided in the room, but will need to share the two closets and bookshelves. As open spaces become available during the semester (through cancellations, withdrawals etc.), one person in the triple may have the opportunity to consider a move to a permanent space. Please review the Supplemental Housing Process located on the Residence Life channel via FalconLink or the Residence Life Web site for full details. 

What if I don't get along with my roommate?

As an educational institution of the Anabaptist tradition, Messiah University seeks to educate its students concerning the responsibility that Christian men and women possess as instruments of peace. The principle of living in a community with roommates provides Messiah students with opportunities to learn how this spiritual posture is lived out on a daily basis. When a problem arises amongst roommates, the University believes that it must seek to surround those in conflict with opportunities that possess reconciliation as the end goal. The Housing Change Request Form is designed to facilitate this process in collaboration with your Residence Director.

Our first goal is to ensure that all students experience a variety of living styles and thus we like to see roommates personally work out all conflict. If at some point the roommates decide that they are making no progress themselves then they are asked to speak with a Resident Assistant (RA). The RAs are on each floor to assist students in successfully transitioning to life in the residence halls, which includes living with roommates. The residents will meet with the RA and discuss the disagreements they are having. In most cases this is informal and personal, i.e. in the rooms. The RA will attempt to sort through the conflict and work with the residents to map out a plan for a successful year as roommates. If there is still a major conflict within the room the situation is again presented to the RA, and the RA may try to help resolve the situation or refer roommates to the Resident Director (RD). The RD is a live-in professional staff member, who oversees an entire building and supervises the RA staff. The RD will then make an assessment of the situation at hand and work with the roommates to resolve the situation. At the point the RD discovers that the conflict is severe enough to initiate a roommate switch he/she will present a Housing Change Request Form. This is a form the residents and RD sign to indicate they have talked with all the roommates and agree that resolution attempts have failed and that a room change is the best solution. The RD will work with the Director of Housing to determine available and suitable alternate living arrangements. 

What is an RA, an RD an ARD and an AD, and what are the differences?

RA stands for Resident Assistant. An RA is a full-time student in a leadership position in the residence halls. At Messiah, it is the RA's primary responsibility to assist in building a sense of community within their respective residence halls, and also to uphold University policy and standards.  The RA is responsible for developing programs and activities to challenge and enhance your college experience and is also available to listen when you need a friendly ear, to help you with facilities needs, and to direct you to campus resources.  An RA is on duty in each residence hall from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day during the academic year (when classes are in session) for emergencies or other student concerns. Each residence hall also has one Senior Resident Assistant (SRA). An SRA is also a full-time student, but one with greater experience and additional responsibility. SRAs perform all of the duties of an RA, but also serve as assistants to their respective RDs.

RD stands for Residence Director. An RD is a professional staff member employed full-time by the University. The RD lives in an apartment inside the residence hall for which he or she is responsible. This person is responsible for up to two buildings and for the training of her/his respective RA staff, including overseeing programming, maintaining community and adherence to University standards. The RD also manages the hall facilities and budget and oftentimes provides guidance to students living in the halls.  There is always an RD on call, 24 hours, during the academic year (when classes are in session) to address emergencies or other student concerns.

ARD stands for Assistant Residence Director. An ARD is a full-time student having one year minimum of positively evaluated experience as a Resident Assistant on campus, upholding University policy and standards.

The ARD of SIH & Special Projects assists the Assistant Director of Residence Life- Upper Class Experience 20 hours per week by providing leadership for all Special Interest Houses, promoting the residents' holistic development and assisting in completing special projects for the Residence Life & Housing Office.

The ARDs of the Apartments assist the Apartment Residence Directors 20 hours per week by providing leadership for the apartment residents of their area, promoting the residents' holistic development and assisting in team development among their apartment resident assistant team.

An Apartment Resident Assistant is located in each section of the on-campus apartment buildings. Apartment RAs are full-time students who assist an RD in addressing needs in the apartment communities, including overseeing programming, and maintaining community and adherence to University standards. 

An Apartment Residence Director is a graduate student in the Messiah Master's in Higher Education program and oversees two apartment buildings on campus, living in an apartment in one of the two buildings. The Apartment RD is responsible for the training of her/his respective RA staff, including overseeing programming, maintaining community and adherence to University standards. The RD also manages the hall facilities and budget and oftentimes provides guidance to students living in the halls.

The Assistant Director of Residence Life - Upper Class Experience (AD-UCE) is a professional staff member employed full-time by the University. The RD lives in an apartment inside the residence hall for which he or she is responsible. In addition, this AD oversees the programming, assessment and community building opportunities for all upper class residence halls (including residence halls, apartments and houses). The AD-UCE also provides supervision of the two apartment Residence Directors.

The Assistant Director of Residence Life - First Year Experience (AD-FYE) is a professional staff member employed full-time by the University. The RD lives in an apartment inside the residence hall for which he or she is responsible. In addition, this AD oversees the programming, assessment and community building opportunities for all first year residence halls and plays an active role in the campus first year experience efforts. 

What are Damage/Cleaning Charges?

At check-in each student is responsible for recording the condition of their room or apartment on their Room Condition Inventory (RCI). Damages/cleaning charges are determine by the Residence Director who does a complete inspection of the room/apartment during closing at the end of the semester. Any differences in the condition of the room that were not recorded on the RCI at check-in are considered in the damages/cleaning assessment. The student(s) of the room/apartment is responsible for any charges that may result from the inspection. 

Does the University provide laundry service?

Each residence hall and apartment building is equipped with a laundry room, which contains washers and dryers. Laundry costs are included in your housing cost. The University does not provide laundry services. 

Are the washers and dryers HE?

Yes, the washers are HE.

How and when do I ship large packages of my belongings to campus prior to my arrival?

Is there anything that I cannot bring?

Yes. The items listed below are prohibited in campus housing. See the Move-In Guide page for a more exhaustive list of what you can and can't bring.

• Halogen lamps and/or bulbs
• Five arm lamps and/or lamps with plastic lamp shades
• Toasters with exposed coils
• Refrigerators that are larger than 3.2 cubic feet
• Candles or incense
• Microwaves larger than compact-size
• Pets, with the exception of small non-carnivorous fish
• Firearms of any kind, and all other items classified as weapons
• Firecrackers, explosives, etc.
• Any other items that are in conflict with the University's identity or mission. Please refer to the student handbook for an explanation of housing policies.

Are my personal belongings insured?

Please check your parents' homeowner's insurance to see if it covers your property while you are away at school. The University does not take responsibility for students' personal belongings even in the event of fire, flood or appliance failure. Click here for information on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s student personal property coverage. If you are interested, please contact them at 1-888-411-4911 or https://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/. Another agency that will insure your belongings is https://www.nssi.com/

We recommend that you have renters insurance when you're living on-campus. Most insurance companies offer renters insurance and it is inexpensive, especially if it's combined with your auto insurance. Other options are: Allstate & State Farm.

What do I do if I lose my keys?

Contact the RA on call and they will unlock your room for you. The RA on duty will be posted on a sign outside of your floor RA's door. To order a new key contact your RD. You will be charged $75 to get a new key.

Didn't find an answer to your question?

If you are unable to find an answer to your question, please contact the Office of Residence Life via email at housing@messiah.edu or by phone at 1-717-796-5239.