Frequently Asked Questions

The Residence Life Office is part of the Student Development Division and is located in The Bawcom Student Union, Suite 2220, 2nd floor. The Residence Life Staff is made up of the Associate Dean of Students & Director of Residence Life, 10 Resident Directors (RDs) and 2 Assistant RDs, and the Resident Assistants (RAs).

Each residence hall and apartment style housing facility at UMHB has a full-time, live-in RD. Many of the RDs are married and live with their family in the building. The RD serves as the manager of the residential facility and oversees daily operations. You will meet your RD on move-in day.

Resident Assistants live on the floor with you and serve as your main contact and resource. Your RA is also there to report problems and enforce UMHB policy.

Campus housing will open for move-in on the Wednesday prior to the first day of class for both Fall and Spring semesters. Fall Freshman Residents will receive two things in August related to check in – a packet by mail with your check in time on Wednesday and log in instructions by e-mail telling you how to access your check in paperwork. Returning students will not receive a packet in the mail but will receive an e-mail concerning check-in paperwork. New Spring Residents will be emailed their housing assignment and instructions for access to check in paperwork. Staff will be available to check in new and returning students based on scheduled check in times that are established for all of the days prior to the first day of class. Call the Residence Life Office for any questions about check in times.

Stations will be set up in the lobby of each residence hall and in Shannon Commons for Independence Village and the office areas for College View and Farris. RAs and RDs will be on hand to check you in. You will be given your room number at this time and asked to look over your assigned space and sign an inventory sheet about the condition of the room.

• Key and Scan Card: Every resident going into a residence hall is issued a key to their assigned room at check-in. The outer doors of the halls are controlled by a card access system. Your student ID card serves as your access card to the residence hall. Lost keys or ID cards must be reported and a replacement fee is charged. Keys are not to be duplicated. For residents checking into an apartment at Farris, Garner, and College View, the doors to those apartments are opened by your ID card. For the other buildings in Independence Village, the door is opened with a key which is given to you at check in.
• Hanging Items in Rooms: Do’s and Don’ts of Wall Hangings is part of your check in paperwork. Be sure to read this information carefully. DO NOT HANG anything in your room or apartment without referring to this information. Please be sure your parents or anyone helping you move in are aware of the restrictions for hanging items in your room. You will be held responsible for anything that is hung without following the guidelines.

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) has partnered with Dorm Bed Loft, a company that provides bed loft kits for residential rooms as well as offering area rugs, room safes, and other accessories. Dorm Bed Loft is the only allowed and approved loft that can be used at UMHB. To order, visit the Dorm Bed Loft web site.

NOTE: Bed loft availability is limited and does run out. It is important to order your bed loft as early as possible and the Residence Life Office does not guarantee availability of lofts from the approved company. Dorm Bed Loft is the only company that is allowed to lease lofts to our students and students cannot build or bring in another loft.

Apartment Complexes

• Farris Apartments - 80" mattress
• College View - 80" mattress

• Independence Village Apartments

  -- IV 2 - Garner - 80" mattress
  

  IV 4 - Grover, Ferguson, Clark, Provence, Taylor, James & Tryon - 75" mattress IV 2 - Tyson, Wilson & Hobby - 75" mattress Residence Halls

• Beall Hall - 80" mattress

• Burt Hall - 80" mattress
• Gettys Hall - 80" mattress
• Johnson Hall - 80" mattress
• McLane Hall - 80" mattress
• Remschel Hall - 80" mattress
• Stribling Hall - 75" mattress
• Lord Hall - 80" mattress

All residence hall rooms are equipped with wired internet connections and with a cable connection. You will need an Ethernet (Cat 5) cable to plug into the blue jack located on the wall. If you need assistance please call Information Technology at (254) 295-4658. Internet and cable are provided free of charge.

Check out our IT Support page for further information.

Sheet Rock Walls - Beall Hall, Farris Apartment, Gettys Hall, Independence Village Apartments, McLane Hall, Remschel Hall, Stribling Hall, and Lord Hall

Use For Proper Wall Hangings:

• Picture hanging nails - 1 inch
• Thumb tacks
• Command Strips, can be used but improper removal will result in damage charges

Do NOT Use :

• Poster putty
• Tape
• Nails or Screws
• Staples
• Christmas Lights
• Anything on doors or woodwork
• Decorative stickers on any UMHB property

Plaster / Concrete / Other Walls - Burt Hall, College View Apartments, and Johnson Hall

Use For Proper Wall Hangings:

• Poster Putty
• Command Strips, can be used but improper removal will result in damage charges

Do NOT Use:

• Thumb tacks
• Tape
• Any Nails or Screws
• Staples
• Christmas Lights
• Anything on doors or woodwork
• Decorative stickers on any UMHB property

Select your building from the options available to find pictures, floor plans, and building specifications.

The residence halls are closed during the academic year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break. Students who must remain in Belton during the holiday periods must gain permission from the Residence Life Office to stay in housing. Making other living arrangements for these time periods is strongly encouraged. No meal service is available during holiday periods or during the summer.

All residents in traditional residence halls are required to have a UMHB meal plan. You will select your plan on the application. If you do not select a plan when you apply, your meal plan will automatically default to the 8 meal plan. You will be able to change this and will need to do so by going to the Cru Card Office or going to the dining hall.

Residents who receive an assignment in apartment-style housing are not required to purchase a meal plan, but a commuter/apartment meal plan is available for purchase. Residents who are qualified to purchase this meal plan can do so by going to the Cashier's Office and having the plan placed on their student account.

More detailed information is available on the CruCard and UMHB Dining Servicessites.

Space is typically limited in residence hall rooms and it is a good idea not to duplicate certain items such as TV’s, ironing boards & irons, air purifiers, etc. Talking to your roommate before you arrive to work out what each will bring is a good idea. A successful experience with your new roommate can begin with a positive attitude and good communication. For example, if you are the first to arrive in the room on move-in day, you will have exactly one-half of the room to arrange as your space, but remember, your roommate will be looking forward to arranging their area as well.

The university does not assume responsibility for the damage or loss of student owned property and recommends that all residents have fire and personal property insurance coverage. Parents should check with their own homeowners policy to see if it will cover their student while on campus.

Policies for college students can be purchased from various companies. View examples

You can do your laundry for free on campus and each residence hall has one or more laundry rooms.

At this time, UMHB does not offer married or family housing.

At this time, UMHB does not offer housing to non-traditional undergraduate students. However, we do have limited space available for Graduate students. Traditional undergraduate students are our primary focus for housing assignments.

However, non-traditional students may apply for housing using the new student application and will be assigned if space is available. The assignment may be delayed until the Residence Life Office has determined that there is no overflow in housing and that all traditional undergraduates seeking housing have been placed.

If you have a disability or health issue and are seeking placement in an accessible room or specific type of housing, you must follow these instructions:

• Accessible rooms: Disability Support Services are available for hearing impaired, limited mobility, etc. Having this type of need does not guarantee assignment of space. Accessible rooms are located in Lord, Remschel, McLane, Independence Village, and Farris Hall.

• Specific housing type (apartment – no meal plan): These requests are typically based on a health issue where the student is seeking release from their meal plan, but also includes people with other types of medical issues. You will need to have your physician submit documentation stating that there is a necessity (not a recommendation) for a specific housing. Please see the Disabiltiy Support Services site to request accomodations. Having this type of need does not guarantee assignment of space.

Placement into specific or specialized housing will be for the individual only and cannot be extended to preferred roommates.

Meningococal vaccine is required by Texas State law for incoming first-time &/or transfer students who are 21 years or younger (effective January 2014 regarding age requirement). A student must receive vaccination or booster at least 10 days prior to the first day of class or moving into campus housing, whichever occurs first. This vaccine must be obtained within the last five years preceding enrollment or a booster is required. For additional information www.collegevaccinerequirements.com. Written evidence of vaccination must be submitted to UMHB. To submit your Meningitis information, send your official documentation of Meningitis vaccination to the Admissions Office by mail, fax, or e-mail.

900 College St, Box 8004, Belton, TX 76513 | Fax number: (866) 247-2176 | Email: healthservices@umhb.edu

The UMHB Student Handbook and Guide to Campus Housing are posted on the UMHB web site. Students are expected to be familiar with the policies contained in these publications.

The license is part of the housing application and was signed by you when applying.