FAQs

Once a term, the RAs will conduct Life Safety Inspections of every room within a residence hall. This is important so that we can maintain fire safety and overall safety of the building.

• What to bring and what not to bring

Mattresses in our residence halls are extra-long (36"x80"). The Office of Residential Life has partnered with Dormify to provide students with a convenient, affordable way to purchase Twin XL sheets, bedding, storage solutions, and everything else you'll need for your new home away from home. Please visit union.dormroom.com to start creating your new dream room.

Students may expand the size of their mattress to a full size by working with DutchDorm to rent one of their bed toppers. DutchDorm is a company by Union students, for Union students, and is not managed by Union College staff. For more information check out the Dutch Dorm website.

All residents have the ability to choose the bed configuration they want. All beds are set to the standard configuration which consists of one headboard, one footboard, and the bed springs, with the mattress on top. Residents may lower the bed springs, bunk the beds, or loft the beds. It is entirely up to the resident to determine what bed configuration suits them best. At the highest, the bed provides 38' of clearance underneath. To see what these different configurations look like, please click below:

• Bed at regular height
• Raised bed (you can do this on your own)
• Lofted bed
• Bunked bed

As of fall 2021, all residential spaces except Garnet Commons, Minerva houses and CPH have new furnishings. The furniture includes:

• An adjustable height twin XL bed. The height can adjust to allow for 38" of clearance under the bed, which can fit the dresser, a mini fridge or other storage items.
• A 3-drawer dresser.
• A 2-drawer pedestal storage
• A cantilevered desk that can attach to the bed frame, or can be used as a lap desk (28" x 16-1/2" x 13-11/16")
• A task chair with mesh back and black upholstered seat
• Hanging storage (either built-in or free-standing wardrobe)

There are washers and dryers in each building and they are free to use!

West Dining is primarily used by first-year students but is open to all. The Reamer Dining Hall, Dutch Hollow, Garlic Nott (pizza/Italian) and the 807 Deli are in Reamer Campus Center. The half-century-old Rathskeller is a subterranean snack bar and casual hangout below Old Chapel. Starbucks coffee drinks and teas, and pastries and snacks are offered at a kiosk located in the Wold Center. If you have questions about your meal-plan or about eating on campus in general, contact Union College Dining. If you want to eat out, check out this list of off-campus restaurants.

You may rent a Microfridge unit by contacting Refridgerator Leasing Company, our preferred microfridge vendor. This unit combines a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave that operates on the low amperage required in the residence halls. Only one (1)'Microfridge' may be rented per room or two per suite. The refrigerator/freezer can also be rented without the microwave. RLC is the only microfridge vendor that is permitted to work with our office to will deliver units directly to a student's room prior to their arrival.

Please note that the Microfridge is the only acceptable microwave for our residence hall rooms. You may also bring in your own small refrigerator, as long as it is no larger than 5.0 cubic feet.

Union College insurance policies do not cover students' personal possessions that are lost, stolen, or damaged. Therefore, we recommend securing your own renter's insurance. Families may also check if a homeowners policy already covers losses at college.

Union recommends purchasing a lost cost Student Renters Insurance program. We have contracted with an excellent company who can assist you. You can find more information here.

Dorm Room Movers is Union College's preferred door-to-door moving, storage, and shipping solution. Signing up is easy -- visit Dorm Room Movers, select a pickup date, and pack your items up with free boxes and tape available for pickup at the Res Life Office. On your selected day, a moving crew will arrive at your door, pick up your items, store them for the summer, and deliver them back in the Fall. All College Storage also offers shipping services, automatic insurance on each item, and text message notifications, making it the easiest way to move out on campus! Visit Dorm Room Movers for more info, or contact their customer service team directly at (888) 769-3676.

Check out Student Activities for on-campus fun, or you can explore ideas for off-campus resources here.

In order to get help, simply go to the online facilities request. You will be able to get email updates on the progress of your work request so you will know if there are any problems which delay getting your problem repaired! You can also let your CA know of issues within the building.

Campus Safety is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not only do they patrol the campus, they also provide free services such as a campus shuttle service (Seward's Trolley), a walking escort service, and assistance with your vehicle if you are having minor problems (i.e. jumpstart). Visit their website for more information.

Health Services is located in the Wicker Wellness Center and assists students with healthy living, as well as treatment for illnesses and injuries. If the illness or injury requires hospital attention, we typically use Mohawk Harbor Urgent Care or Ellis Hospital, which are both within 5-10 minutes of campus.

The Counseling Center is located in the Wicker Health and Counseling Center.

Living in a residence hall is a unique experience that offers you many great opportunities to grow and learn from. Throughout your life, you will meet people that you have positive and negative interactions with. The Office of Residential Education encourages you to make the most out of a roommate experience as you can. In the event that you are having issues with your room environment, we strongly encourage you to communicate with your community advisor first before the issue becomes bigger than necessary. Being proactive in any type of relationship provides the opportunity to resolve issues that can be communicated and compromised through. Therefore, a mediation will be requested between you and your roommate or suitemates before anything additional can happen.

No resident is allowed to change rooms without the explicit permission of their Community Director. If you have any questions regarding the process for room changes, please contact your Community Director.

Students may register as commuters provided they are commuting from their parent/guardian's permanent address. That address must be within 30 miles of the Union College campus. Students will not be permitted to commute from another address, only from their permanent address. To request commuter status, please email housing@union.edu with your proof of address information. Upon confirmation of your information, you will receive an email from the Office of Residential Education confirming your status. You are not a registered commuter until that confirmation is received.