RESIDENTIAL LIFE

Experience More Logo with W flag

A rewarding residential experience 
Wartburg prides itself on being a four-year residential institution! The Wartburg College Residential Life Program is an integral part of the educational program and academic support services of Wartburg College. The mission is to provide a living-learning environment for all residential students, in accordance with the nature and goals of the college. The goals of the residential life program include: providing individual and/or group educational and development opportunities, offering well-maintained facilities, and providing responsive, efficient, and effective management of services and resources.

Benefits of Living on Campus

Academic Performance: Living on campus gives students an academic edge. According to the American Council on Education, studies show students who reside on campus achieve higher grade point averages than their off-campus peers.

Social and Personal Development: For many students, college is the first taste of independence from parental control. Campus housing creates a supervised environment conducive to healthy personal/social development by providing students the opportunity to form an identity, or sense of community, with the institution.

Convenience and Time Management: Many students find living on campus much more convenient than living off campus and on-campus students generally interact more with faculty and staff mentors, taking greater advantage of academic support services.

Diversity: Wartburg students living on campus represent more diversity racially and ethnically than the campus population at large and this living-learning environment is an important part of the Wartburg educational experience.

HOUSING OPTIONS

Vollmer Room

FIRST-YEAR RESIDENCE HALLS
Ubuntu Center (Slife, Vollmer, and Hebron) and the McCoy Living and Learning Center & Clinton Hall
Most rooms are doubles; however, three-person rooms are available.

The Residence

SUITE-STYLE LIVING
Founders, Grossmann, Löhe, Afton and Waverly Manors, and The Residence
Room styles include single and double rooms, and three-, four-, and eight-person suites.

Knights Village

TOWNHOUSE LIVING
Knights Village
Individual two-story “townhouses” for four to seven students include a furnished living space and kitchen.

Health & Safety Inspections
Residential Life staff will conduct monthly health and safety inspections in the Manors, Knights Village and the Residence where students are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms and kitchens. Residential Life staff will conducted mid semester health and safety inspections on all rooms on campus.

SERVICE LIVING

The Residence, a suite-style residence hall, is a living and learning environment in which residents come together as a community to grow as servant leaders and gain greater social awareness. The primary goal of The Residence Service Projects is to work as a group to identify and meet a need in the community. Service projects must be developed with the intention that all members of the group participate in the planning and implementation of programs and events. In addition, each member must be committed to serving a community partner. The project should begin at the start of Fall Term and continue for the entire academic year.

The Residence
The Residence - Sample Suite

OTHER INFORMATION

Labor Rates: trades/maintenance $50/hr; cleaning $35 per hour
1 hr minimum assessment

Damage Assessment Guidelines

Bed

Repair bed or spring (min)

$50

Reassemble bed/unbunk

$50

Replace wood bunk (per sleeping surface)

$200

Replace headboard (each)

$125

Carpet

Stain removal/wax removal (min)

$50

Damaged Bedroom

$300

Damaged Living Area

$600

Chair

Replace entire chair (actual cost) Student room

$125

Cleaning (Excessive)

Garbage, food, etc. (min. per occurrence)

$50

Urine, vomit, feces, etc. (min per occurrence)

$100

Desk

Repair (min)

$50

Replace (actual cost)

$500

Door

Repair cracks or veneer (min)

$50

Replace door (min)

$400

Doorknob

Rekey lock plus key replacement

$200

Replace entire lockset (min) plus key replacement

$450

Dresser

Repair (min)

$50

Replace (actual cost)

$500

Exit Sign

Egress light or Exit sign

$150

Life Safety Systems

Setting off or tampering with (min)

$300

Fire Extinguisher

Recharge

$150

Replace

$185

Repair extinguisher box (min) actual cost

$50

Clean discharged extinguisher cost Plus fine

$200

Mattress

Replace 

$150

Mirror

Replace (min) actual cost

$50

Room Condition

Remove furniture (per piece)

$50

Remove appliances (per piece)

$50

Unclean (per occupant) minimum

$50

Smoke Detector

Hallway

$200

Room

$100

Towel Bar

Replace (min) actual cost

$35

Trash can

Replace (actual cost)

$25-$100

Wall Damage

Loft marks (min)

$35

Nail holes each (min)

$10

Tape/command strips (min)

$25

Repaint room (min)

$120

Willful Destruction

Fine added to repair cost (min)

$50

Window screens/glass

Repair or reinsert removed screen

$50

Replace entire screen (actual cost) min

$100

Grossmann window hardware replacement (min)

$50

Replace glass (min)

$50

Replace window blind

$100

Replace half of combination

$50

Updated July 2022

Does Wartburg have a residential policy?
All full-time students must live on campus. Representatives of the Off-Campus Review Committee review all submitted applications for off-campus approval. Criteria that is heavily considered include the student being married, having dependents, living with a parent or legal guardian within 30 miles of the campus, is 23 years old by September, 1 or has applied and received a special exemption from the Off-Campus Housing Review Committee which is extremely rare. Students who move off campus without permission will continue to be charged for campus room and board. Students should plan on living on campus the entire duration of their Wartburg education. Click here for information about gender-inclusive housing.

What should I bring to campus?
Student Life has put together a handy Amazon shopping list full of ideas for useful items to bring to campus.

What are my room dimensions and can I see my room during the summer?
Once you receive your housing assignment letter you can find your room dimensions on our website. You may come to campus to view your room no earlier than two weeks prior to first year move in.

When do I move into my residence hall?
First-year and transfer students may arrive on campus between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the Saturday prior to the first day of classes. Student athletes participating in fall athletics will receive specific information about early arrivals such as date, time, and check-in location from their coach in collaboration with Residential Life.

What should I leave at home?

  • Pets (except fish in a 30 gallon tank or smaller; no piranhas)
  • Extension cords, multiple plug adapters and surge protectors with more than 6 outlets
  • Alcohol (if you’re under 21) or alcoholic containers for display
  • Candles and incense (prohibited for safety reasons)
  • Air conditioners (unless you have a documented medical need on file with the Residential Life Office)
  • Toasters, toaster ovens, electric skillets, hotplates, George Foreman grills, space heaters, Pizza Pizzaz, and other electrical appliances with exposed heating coils (fire hazard)
  • Guns, knives, fireworks, and other weapons
  • Wireless routers (All halls have wireless so no router needed!)
  • Duct tape, masking tape, nails, or thumbtacks intended for hanging wall items
  • Halogen lamps and multiple head spider lamps. These types of lamps are particularly prone to starting fires. These types of lamps are not only prone to tipping, but may readily ignite objects such as curtains, bedding, lofts, or clothes if placed under or near them. Please leave halogen and spider lamps at home.

Are the residence halls air conditioned?
Hebron Hall does not have central air conditioning. Students may cool their rooms through the use of window fans. Students requiring air conditioning for clearly documented health reasons may bring a window air conditioning unit to campus if they have the proper documentation on file in the Residential Life Office. Air conditioning is available in all other halls.

Can I build a loft in my room?
Students living in Hebron and the Manors are welcome to build lofts for their rooms as long as they follow our loft standards. All college-provided furniture must stay in the residence hall rooms.

Does Wartburg offer health insurance?
Wartburg does not offer, nor require students to carry health insurance, however, the college STRONGLY encourages students to have health care coverage.

Who can I go to in the Residence Halls if I have a question?
A professional Residence Life staff member oversees each residence hall. Area Coordinators (professional staff who oversee more than one building) are trained professional staff who manage resident assistants, adjudicate disciplinary conduct issues, act as a liaison with facilities management, and promote positive living-learning environments. Professional staff members are assisted by trained student staff who live in each hall and assist with administrative tasks.

Resident Assistants (RAs) are selected and trained student leaders who assist residents by peer counseling, advising, resolving conflicts, providing programs, maintaining community standards and assisting in orientation to collegiate life. RAs play a key role in creating an environment for students that is conducive to academic, personal, and social growth and development. RAs are friends, resources, mentors, role models and community leaders.

Where can I do my laundry?
Laundry facilities are located in each residential building. Laundry is free to wash and free to dry. Ironing boards are not available in the residence halls. Students must provide their own laundry detergent, dryer sheets, iron, etc.

Where can my friends and family send me mail?
The Wartburg Mail Center provides delivery of USPS, UPS, private carrier, and on-campus mail and packages to student mailboxes. It operates Monday through Friday. Letters and packages mailed to you should be addressed as follows:

Student Name
Box: ### (Your assigned mailbox number) 
Wartburg College 
100 Wartburg Blvd.
Waverly, IA 50677

Do the residence halls have kitchens?
Each residential area is equipped with a kitchen that includes a microwave, stove, sink, and refrigerator. A small amount of pans are available in each residence hall to checkout from the RA Office.

Where can I find an RA or check out equipment?
The RAs in each residence hall staff an RA Office where students may check out a number of useful items. Items may include vacuums, brooms, pans, games, movies, and pool/ping pong equipment. The RA Offices are open each evening from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday- Thursday and 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

What are the inter-visitation hours in the residence halls?
Students in all residence halls may be on floors assigned to the opposite sex between 8 a.m. and 2 a.m.
Although the College has established visitation hours, a student’s right to study, sleep and exercise control over his/her personal space takes precedence over the right to host guests. The Residence Life Office/Student Life Office will actively intervene if conflicts arise between roommates with respect to the inter-visitation policy.

When are quiet hours?
Quiet hours are from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 12 a.m.-8a.m. Friday and Saturday. During quiet hours, noise should not be audible outside of a resident’s room with the room door closed. All students are expected to respect other students’ rights to study and sleep free from interruptions. Courtesy hours exist at all other times. Simply stated, you need to respect requests from other students to keep all noise down to an acceptable level.

Can I smoke on campus?
In accordance with the State of Iowa Smoke-free Air Act in 2008, smoking is prohibited in all college owned buildings, vehicles, and on all campus grounds. This includes recreational facilities, athletic facilities, and parking lots.

Can you have alcohol on campus?
The Ubuntu Center and Clinton Hall are “Dry” buildings, meaning regardless of age students are not permitted to possess any alcohol. Students who are found in possession of any full, partially full, or empty alcohol containers are in violation of the Alcohol Policy. For all other halls alcohol possession and consumption is allowed in residence hall rooms only by those students who are 21 years of age or older. Students who are under the age of 21 may not be present in any room where alcohol containers, full, partially full or empty are present.

If I like to hunt, where can I store my equipment?
Ammunition and weapons may not be kept in student rooms. Students who wish to have a weapon for hunting purposes must store the weapon and ammunition with the Wartburg Campus Security Office.

Where can I store my bike?
There are bicycle racks outside of the residence halls and around most other buildings. Bicycles may also be stored in the student’s room. They cannot be stored in hallways, stairwells, lobbies, lounges, laundry rooms, and building entrances. Also they may not be chained to guard rails, trash cans or trees. We strongly encourage you to register your bike with the Security Office! With minor exceptions, all bicycles look the same. Registering a bike assists Campus Security and the student in locating a missing bike. At any time, there could be 5 blue Treks or 8 green Roadmasters on campus. When registered, each bike is provided with a registration decal with a unique registration number. While everyone is strongly encouraged to lock their bike when not in use, there is evidence the registration decal can be also a theft deterrent. Registration is free.

Can I bring a car to campus?
All students may bring one vehicle to campus. They must register it with Campus Security. Students commuting from home may register more than one vehicle. All vehicles must be registered, regardless of duration. There is a nominal fee for registering a vehicle temporarily and bringing a substitute vehicle for an already registered vehicle can be registered at no cost. Always park in one’s assigned student parking lot pending receiving a parking decal or, if not registered, park in D Lot until a decal can be arranged.

What about security in the residence halls?
Wartburg has Area Coordinators and Security staff members on duty 24 hour per day, 365 days each year. Resident Assistants perform duty rounds in their halls to ensure safety in each building. Residence hall doors are locked 24/7 for added security. Students have access to the buildings with their ID card. Phones are located near access doors in each building.

Are there emergency phones on campus?
Emergency telephones are located in several parking lots across campus in case of an emergency. Please note their location when arriving on campus. Telephones are also available in the hallway of each floor within the Residence Halls for emergency purposes as well as the RA Offices in each building.

Can I stay in my room during campus breaks?
Students are permitted to reside on campus during our three major breaks (Christmas, Winter and Tour Week) as long as they fulfill one of the following requirements: Students are required to be on campus for athletics, on campus employment or academic work. Students who live farther than 500 miles from campus may also request to stay. More information will be provided to students as the various breaks approach. Students who wish to stay on campus must fill out the appropriate form. Any student who isn’t registered to stay needs to be out of the hall by 7:00PM on the day break begins, or noon on the day following the beginning of break. The time specific time and date will be sent out to students in the weeks prior to the beginning of the break.

What should I do if I need something fixed in my room?
If you need to report maintenance concerns to the facilities management staff, you will use the online reporting system found in InfoCenter.

Where do I eat?
Wartburg is a residential campus. For this reason, Wartburg offers a variety of dining services that allow the students flexibility and choice. Whether it’s eating a full scale meal in the Mensa Dining Hall or picking up a sandwich at the Den-Rittersaal, or ordering specialty drinks at the Konditorei or Zesty Orange, our facilities offer a variety of foods that are ready when you are. For more information visit the Dining Services website.

Who cleans my room?
You do! Set up cleaning standards with your roommate upon your arrival to campus. All community bathrooms are cleaned once each business day by professional maintenance staff members, however it is the expectation that each student do his or her part to keep the community areas clean as well.

What if I get Sick?
You can call the Noah Campus Health Clinic at ext. 8436 to make an appointment to be seen by our staff. The clinic is located in Suite 1392 of the Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center. Noah Campus Health Clinic is a comprehensive outpatient clinic on Wartburg College’s campus that can meet most health needs of students, faculty, and staff. Medical conditions that go beyond the scope of the campus health clinic are referred to off-campus providers.

Do I need insurance for my housing?
The college does not assume liability for loss or damage to a student’s personal items. Students and their parents are encouraged to insure their personal property. It is a good idea to review your home owner’s insurance to verify coverage and to consider renter’s insurance, if necessary.

New incoming students will complete a housing application online and indicate hall and roommate preferences as part of their SOAR checklist. Housing assignments are based on two factors:  the date the $275 enrollment is received and living-environment preferences. 

All incoming students are assigned a roommate or roommates.  The Office of Residential Life uses preferences on the housing application card to match students with compatible interests and lifestyles.  Students who wish to live with a specific person should note this request on the housing card.  The request must be mutual in order to be granted.  We suggest that friends from the same high school or siblings not room together.  Students are notified of their housing assignments in late July or early August. 

  • New students will be asked to sign the Housing and Dining Contract when they arrive on campus.
  • New students who are participating in the Scholars program live in Clinton hall as part of the living-learning community during the first year.

Common Questions

What if I have someone who I want to live with?
Wonderful! Please list your roommate request on your housing card. If you have already completed your housing card, just call the Residential Life Office and tell us who you would like to live with. Once housing assignments are made (the middle of July) no changes will be made. Requests must be mutual, meaning both students need to request one another.

How are new students assigned roommates and to rooms?
All first year and transfer students are assigned a roommate based on the responses to the housing card that they complete during SOAR. Students are encouraged to fill out the application honestly! Preference for building placement is considered by the date in which the $275 enrollment fee is received. We encourage students to contact their roommates as soon as they are notified of who they are living with. Communication is key to a successful roommate relationship!

When do I receive my housing assignment?
Roommate assignments are made available on my.wartburg.edu during July. An email will be sent to all new student informing them of how to access this information. 

What happens if I don’t get along with my roommate?
Most roommate matches work out well. Some do not. Students who wish to move to different rooms should talk with their RAs first. The staff will try to help you and your roommate(s) work out your differences. Typically, roommate conflicts arise as a result of communication problems, and the staff will help facilitate open dialog. This process may take awhile; developing open communication does not always occur quickly.After students have made a good faith effort toward resolving the conflicts, room switches may be available. These moves may also involve a wait depending on the availability of housing or the individual’s particular preferences for qualities in their new roommate(s). No room changes will occur before September fifteenth of every academic year.

Break Housing
Residence Halls close for Christmas Break, Winter Break, and Tour week. Students who meet one of the following criteria are allowed to stay on campus, in their assigned room at no charge to them:

  • The student lives 500 miles or more from campus.
  • The student is required to stay for academic reasons (verified by the professor). 
  • The student is required to stay for a campus activity (verified by the Program Director).
  • The student is required to stay for athletics (verified by the Athletic Department).
  • The student is required to work ON campus (verified by the campus employer).

Students who do not meet the above criteria are still allowed to register for break housing. Those students will be charged the daily rate of $25 a day. Only students registered to stay will be allowed to stay in the halls over break. 

May Term Housing
On-campus housing during the Fall, Winter, or May Term is limited to students who are enrolled in at least one course for credit. This could be a traditional on-campus course, an internship, arranged study, in person, online, or study away course. If a student desires to live on campus and is not enrolled in a course but can describe how they plan to spend a majority of their time engaged in one or more meaningful activities that further their goals academically or professionally, they may be granted the opportunity to remain in on-campus housing. Examples of meaningful activities would be substitute teaching in a local school district, non-credit bearing internships, or full-time employment. Decisions regarding eligibility to remain on campus without being registered in a May Term course are at the discretion of a group of professional staff members in the Student Life Office. All requests must be submitted in writing to residential.life@wartburg.edu by Monday, April 29, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. If a student is denied their request and is not registered for a May Term course, they will be asked to move out of their room by Friday, May 3, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

Summer Housing
Taking summer classes? Working on campus or in Waverly? Not able to return home for the summer? Summer housing is available on campus. Application information will be out soon.

Applications for the 2024-25 academic year will open Monday, Jan. 22 and are due Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 4:30 p.m.

Wartburg College prides itself on being a four-year residential campus. Because Wartburg College values the role of residence hall life in creating a vibrant living/learning community, all full-time students are REQUIRED to live on campus all four years and for the duration of each academic year. A student desiring to live off campus must apply for approval from the Residential Life Office. All off-campus decisions are made through the Off-Campus Review Committee. Students who move off campus without permission for release will be held responsible for full room and board charges.

Incomplete applications or late applications will not be reviewed and will result in automatic denial.

Students who receive a scholarship that requires them to live on campus (Full Tuition Regents Scholarship, Tuition Remission, Tuition Exchange, Wilhelm Loehe Scholarship, ELCA Tuition Exchange, Harry & Polly Slife Minority Scholarship, R.J. McElroy Minority Scholarship, International Ruppe Scholarship, Davis United World College Scholars Program and McCaskey Orange Opportunity Scholarship, Otto Legacy Scholarship) must meet with Financial Aid before submitting an application so they understand the impact off-campus approval may have on their financial aid package.

Initial decisions for off-campus approvals will be announced by mid-February. If you do not meet any of the off campus living criteria but have submitted an application for other reasons, there may be a delay in the college’s response to you based on the gathering of information and the need for additional review meetings.

If you do not receive final notification of approval prior to the start of the Housing Lottery Process, you will need to participate to ensure your opportunity to secure preferred on-campus housing for the following academic year. Failure to participate in the Housing Lottery does not allow you to live off-campus without approval. If your application is approved after securing an on-campus space, you can still choose to reside off-campus.

Please choose the appropriate application based on the criteria below.

Criteria One – automatic release after verification – must meet one of the criteria below.

  • I am married (verified by Residential Life)
  • I am or will be 23 years of age or older on the start of the fall term that I am applying for (verified by Residential Life)
  • I have dependent children (verified by Residential Life)
  • I will be interning full-time further than 50 miles from campus (verified by  Internship Coordinator)

Criteria two – applications will be reviewed by the off-campus release committee. Approval is not guaranteed. Students applying with this criteria will have a $600 non-resident fee applied each term to their student account for each term they reside off-campus.

  • I will be commuting from my legal guardian’s home, within the 30 mile radius of campus (requires notarized letter from legal guardian and proof of address)
  • I will be in my final year at Wartburg, have lived on campus for 6 semesters, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher (Verified by the Registrar and Residential Life).
  • I have a circumstance that I feel requires special attention for review. Must include a written description of said circumstance and any supporting documentation you feel is pertinent to our decision.

Student requesting off campus permission for medical or mental health needs must submit proof of housing accommodation approval from disability services.

Any incoming new or transfer students desiring to live off campus must apply for approval from the Residential Life Office prior to the start of the fall term.

Applications are reviewed and sorted by the following criteria.

Criteria One – automatic release after verification – must meet one of the criteria below.

  • I am married 
  • I am or will be 23 years of age or older on the start of the fall term that I am applying for 
  • I have dependent children 
  • I will be interning full-time further than 50 miles from campus

Criteria two – applications will be reviewed by the off-campus release committee. Approval is not guaranteed. Students applying with this criteria will have a $600 non-resident fee applied each term to their student account for each term they reside off-campus.

  • I will be commuting from my legal guardian’s home, within the 30-mile radius of campus (requires notarized letter from legal guardian and proof of address)
  • I am a transfer student who lived off campus at my previous institution for two or more semesters.
  • I have a circumstance that I feel requires special attention for review. Must include a written description of said circumstance and any supporting documentation you feel is pertinent to our decision.

2023-24 Residence halls opening and closing dates:

  • New Student Move-in – Saturday, Sept. 2, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 
  • Returning Student Move-in – Monday, Sept. 4, starting at 8 a.m.
  • Fall Break – Halls remain open 
  • Thanksgiving Break – Halls remain open 
  • End of Term Break – Halls close Friday, Dec. 15 at 12 p.m.  
  • Start of Winter Term – Halls reopen Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8:00am 
    Students returning from Wartburg West/Study Away may begin moving in Friday, Jan. 5 at 8 a.m.
  • Start of Winter Break – Halls close Saturday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. 
  • End of Winter Break – Halls reopen Saturday, March 3 at 8 a.m.
  • Easter Break – Halls remain open 
  • Tour Week – Halls close Saturday, April 20 at 12 p.m.
  • Start of May Term – Halls reopen Saturday, April 27 at 8 a.m. 
    Students returning from Wartburg West/Study Away may begin moving in Friday, April 26 at 8 a.m.
  • End of May Term – Halls close Friday, May 24 at 12 p.m. 
    Students requesting to extend their housing due to participation in May 2024 Commencement must complete a housing extension request by Friday, May 10. The extension request form will be sent out prior to Tour Week.   
  • Move-out for May graduates – Halls close Monday, May 27 at 12 p.m.

Returning students may begin moving in starting at 8 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 4. Between the hours of 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. there will be a tent set up at the E-lot parking lot outside of the Student Center. This is where key packets can be picked up upon arrival to campus.  

Students who need to arrive earlier than Sept. 4 may request an early return by emailing residential.life@wartburg.edu. Early returns may begin starting on Aug. 18. Students who live more than 500 miles from campus will not be charged. Students who do not meet that criteria will be charged $25 per day from their arrival date until Sept. 4.  

STAFF

Professional Staff
Because we put so much emphasis on the education that happens outside of the classroom we feel it is vital that students have professional resources available in the residence halls as well as in the classroom. Each residential area is staffed by an Area Coordinator who is a full time, live-on professional trained in student development, conflict resolution and crisis management. Area Coordinators oversee the Resident Assistants (RAs), serve as a resource to students, and adjudicate policy violations. 

Student Staff
Resident Assistants are undergraduate members of the Residential Life Staff under contract to the Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students, and report to and are supervised by an Area Coordinator or the Assistant Director of Residential Life and the Director of Residential Life. Resident Assistants have the most frequent and direct communication with residential students. Therefore, Resident Assistants have an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the development and education of these individuals. Resident Assistants also are responsible for implementing initiatives and policies through which the goals of Residential Life are accomplished. It is expected that Resident Assistant will be interested in the welfare of students regardless of their race, gender identity and/or gender expression, ability, political affiliation, veteran status, religion, ancestry, ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation at Wartburg College.

Marissa Gates

Area Coordinator - Clinton, Founders

Nancy Lopes

Area Coordinator - Ubuntu Center

Alli Summers

Assistant Director of Residential Life - The Residence, Knight's Village, and Manors

Courtney Tripp-Stuck

Director of Residential Life & First Year Transition - Grossman and Löhe