Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to "Dorms"?
A dormitory is merely a place to sleep and store your belongings. In the past, dorm mothers or fathers supervised dorms. This concept of on-campus living ended in the 60’s. A residence hall, on the other hand, is a home. It is a place to live and learn. It is an important part of college life that will enhance the classroom experience. After all, students spend a great deal more time in the residence halls than they do anywhere else on campus! A residence hall is a complete environment where students can learn to interact with people, develop leadership skills, write papers, attend events and programs, make lifelong friends, and build memories that will last a lifetime. Taking advantage of the educational programming, contact with faculty/staff members, and other academic aids can allow residents to greatly enhance their learning experience at Missouri Western.

What size is my bed?
All residence hall mattresses are, for student comfort, extra-long twins, measuring 80" x 36". To help avoid the frustration of purchasing linens that may not fit, be sure to check the packaging states “Extra-Long Twin”. You can order your extra long twin sheets, comforters, matching towels, and storage items directly through Missouri Western State University's Residence Hall Linens program. The Value Pak has everything you need for campus living! Don't forget- ordering from Residence Hall Linens ensures you have extra long bedding that is guaranteed to fit our extra long beds and guaranteed until graduation. Please visit the RHL website: www.rhl.org/miw 

Does my room have carpet?
All student rooms in Beshears, Scanlon, Vaselakos and Leaverton are carpeted. Student bedrooms in Logan are carpeted, however, the common area of the suite is tile. All rooms in Juda are tile. Some students like to place additional rugs in their rooms and common areas. Bathrooms are tiled and are equipped with institutional shower curtains. Students may add their own shower curtains, but the institutional shower curtain must be replaced before checking out to avoid charges.

Can I have guests?
Suite and apartment visitation hours are from 10 a.m. and midnight Sunday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday. You may have same gender overnight guests with prior authorization from your roommate(s). Guests will not be allowed in a room unless all occupants in that room are in agreement. All guests must be checked in according to our Guest Registration Policy. All guests are subject to University regulations and residence hall policies. Residents are responsible for the actions of their guest(s) and guests should be escorted at all times. If a student feels his or her roommate(s) are not abiding by this policy, it is his or her responsibility to notify a Residence Life staff member.

Do I need insurance on personal belongings?
Missouri Western is not responsible for loss or damage to personal property from any cause. We recommend that you check to see if your belongings are covered under your family's homeowner's insurance policy.

If this is not the case, you may wish to buy renter's insurance, which is reasonably priced. Regardless of coverage, it is a good idea to mark your valuables for identification purposes. The Missouri Western Police Department offers Operation ID, a program that marks your property for identification.

How do I access the Internet?
All rooms have internet access, through ethernet as well as wireless. Students should bring their own Ethernet cable. Students who do not own a computer have free use of conveniently located computer labs in their hall or area as well as on campus.

How do the laundry facilities work?
Laundry facilities are located in each residence hall. It costs 50 cents to wash and 25 cents/20 minutes to dry. It usually takes 45 minutes to dry an average load of clothes. The machines work on quarters only. Repair problems on washers and dryers and refunds should be reported to the Front Desk of the building housing the broken machine (the Commons Building for the Suites.)

What happens if I lose my keys?
Report the loss of room keys to the front desk of your building or to the Office of Residential Life & Housing in the Commons Building. There is a charge for replacement of card and hard keys. This charge will be billed to your student account.

What is my mailing address & how do I get mail?
Mailboxes for suite residents are located in the Commons Building. Apartment and Scanlon mailboxes are located in the lobby of each building. Residents are assigned a mailbox key during check-in.

All packages are logged/sorted and picked up by residents in the Commons Building. Students are notified when their packages arrive by receiving a package slip in their mailbox. The package slip and a picture ID are required to retrieve packages from the Office of Residential Life & Housing. Mail and packages should be addressed as indicated below:

YOUR NAME
4801 East University Drive
Room# Name of Hall
St. Joseph, MO 64507

What are the custodial and maintenance services?
Missouri Western employs custodial workers to clean common areas, lounges, lobbies, hallways, laundry rooms, and lounges. Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and bathrooms. Students should bring their own cleaning supplies.

Maintenance concerns should be reported promptly by completing a Maintenance Request. Maintenance personnel respond in the order and urgency requests are received. They are unable to predict the exact day and time the repair will be done, but usually complete the work within 24 hours of the request. They work Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm, except in cases of emergencies.

What is the length of the Housing Contract?
You have the option of a one semester contract or a two semester contract (Fall and Spring). If not defined on the contract it will default to a one year contract. See the Terms and Conditions of the housing contract for more information.

How does the meal plan work?
All residents are required to participate in the University Meal Plan. Residents can choose from several different meal plans based on individual needs. For more information, visit the Campus Dining website.

Can I have pets in my residence hall room?
Pets are not allowed. Students may have fish with the consent of their roommate(s). Each room may have one 10-gallon aquarium.

What are quiet hours?
The hours from 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and from Midnight to 10 a.m. on weekends are established as “Quiet Hours”. Residents have many different schedules and lifestyles, but you will find life a lot easier if you respect each other’s right to study and sleep. Stereos, radios, televisions and any other noise which tends to disturb an adjoining suite/apartment, whether next-door or above or below, will subside during quiet hours. Suite balconies, outside walkways and the courtyards are subject to quiet hours. “Courtesy Hours” exist 24 hours a day, every day, and will be enforced. Reasonable quiet is expected at all times during the day and night. Students with stereos are encouraged to bring and use headphones. The University reserves the right to require students to remove stereos after violations of this policy. The right of a student to sleep or study will always override any other student’s right to make noise. As a general rule of thumb, if sound can be heard from outside of a room, it is in violation.

If other residents are infringing on your ability to sleep or study you have the right (at any time of the day or night) to ask them to quiet down. If trouble persists, contact your Resident Assistant who will handle the situation.

What, if any, appliances should I bring?
Refrigerators should be no larger than 4.5 cubic feet and draw no more than 1.5 running amps.

All electrical cooking and heat producing appliances are prohibited. These appliances include but are not limited to hot plates, hot oil fryers, popcorn makers, space heaters, sun lamps, toasters, toaster-ovens, other appliances with open heating coils, George Foreman grills and other skillet style or other hot plate style items.

Allowed cooking appliances include microwaves, auto shut-off coffee makers and hot pots.

In the interest of fire prevention, electrical outlets must not be overloaded.

Is soliciting allowed in the halls?
Soliciting is not permitted in the residence halls. Students should ask salespersons to leave the building if they are approached. If they refuse, call the Office of Residential Life & Housing, Resident Assistant, Residence Hall Director, or Missouri Western Police.

How do I go about posting signs for my organization?
You must get approval by the Center for Student Engagement to post flyers. Information can only be posted in designated areas approved by the University.

What is the visitation policy?
All residence halls have opposite gender visitation hours of 10 a.m. to midnight, Sunday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 3 a.m; Friday and Saturday. All guests must be checked in after midnight regardless of the day. Only overnight guests of the same gender are allowed except in Beshears Hall. Roommates must consent to all guests and overnight same gender visitors.