Kappa Sigma Sigma - Campus Housing

Campus Housing

The University offers its students guaranteed housing during their four years of undergraduate study. Students must live on campus unless there is parental consent and a compelling reason until the age of 23.

Many residence halls are "living-learning communities", with themes such as "freshman", "social justice", "substance-free", etc. These themes and configurations change from time to time.

Most students live in double-occupancy rooms with hallway or suite-style bathrooms, though triples and quads are available, as well as single rooms for students with special medical needs. In a suite-style layout, two rooms share a single bathroom. In a hallway-bathroom layout, residents share a common hallway bathroom, with a sink provided in each residence hall room (except for East and Williams Halls, where sinks are only in the bathrooms). There are a few semi-private showers that are gender neutral, primarily in the Holt building of the Johnston complex.

Air conditioning is not provided in some residence halls. Where air conditioning is provided, it can be controlled centrally, or with a thermostat in each room. Many students, especially in older halls, complain of poorly-functioning central heat/AC systems, leading to hot summer days and very cold nights and mornings in the winter.

Students live in the following halls and complexes:

• Anderson Hall: The largest Residence Hall on campus, Anderson houses approximately 200 undergraduates primarily in first or second years. The rooms are in a suite-style layout, with two double-occupancy or triple-occupancy rooms sharing a single bathroom. Air conditioning is only provided in the lobby, leading to uncomfortably warm rooms in the late spring and early fall. The building has not undergone major renovations since the 1960s and many students dislike the dated facilities. However, the suite-style layout and larger-than-average rooms still make Anderson a popular pick for first-year students who might otherwise live in the freshman halls. Anderson is known for its very social community as well as its music-themed hallway on the first floor.
• Bekins Hall: One of the two "Johnston Complex" housing and classroom buildings, Bekins has the distinction of being the first residence hall on campus. Non air-conditioned and does not meet current earthquake standards. Contains a cafe.
• Bekins-Holt: Johnston Complex's other building includes the Johnston lobby and is air conditioned during certain hours of the day. Contains a basement cafe.
• Brockton Avenue Apartments: The newest housing at the University, the Brockton Apartments opened for the 2003-2004 academic year. The complex houses approximately 250 residents in four-person units. These units share two bathrooms and a common area/kitchen. Brockton is viewed as the best place for upperclassmen to live, however it comes at a higher cost than the halls.
• California-Founders Hall: Consists of an all male wing (California) and an all female wing (Founders) joined by a common lobby to form a living area for almost 200 sophomore and junior students. "Cal" houses 80 male students and features hallway bathrooms. Founders is home to about 100 women in a suite-style layout. This hall underwent major renovation in the summer of 2006 to outfit the hall with modern fire equipment, as well as electrical upgrades, structural bolstering, and air conditioning. The hall reopened September 1, 2006 for staff, hosting residents the next day. This residence hall also features a "Sophomore Success" living-learning-community on the second floor.
• Cortner Hall: Home to 130 residents, usually in the upper classes of juniors and seniors. The hall was renovated in 2000 and is viewed by many to be the epitome of upperclass housing within the hall system. Cortner features large rooms, air conditioning, and suite-style bathrooms.
• East Hall: Originally built for the Johnston Complex, East hosts approximately 120 freshmen in its three air conditioned, quadrangle-layout floors.
• Fairmont Hall: The campus' smallest dorm, Fairmont hosts 60 residents who come together with an interest in Social Justice. It houses a combination of two first-year seminars and upperclass students with an interest in social justice. Fairmont is the only hall with its own mascot: a rock, deemed such a prize for its theft and relocation over the years that Fairmont residents anchored it to the ground in concrete in 1976. To this day, various other halls attack the rock in a friendly water-balloon battle late at night. Fairmont has hallway bathrooms, with the exception of four suites, and is not air-conditioned.
• Grossmont Hall: Home to approximately 120 women, Grossmont is the largest single-sex hall on campus. The financier specified that the hall was to be for the use of women exclusively for the duration of its lifetime; thus it stands today. Non air-conditioned.
• Merriam Hall: The school's dedicated "green hall", Merriam houses a combination of first-year seminars and upperclass students interested in environmental sustainability. Merriam has air-conditioned rooms and features energy-efficient lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and furniture made from recycled materials.
• Melrose Hall: The "quiet" hall, which houses 65 students, features extended quiet hours, from 9pm to 9am daily. It is often referred to as "Hotel Melrose" by students due its large rooms, new facilities, and overall tranquility and cleanliness.
• North Hall: Merriam's twin hall, North is the Wellness Hall, featuring substance-free living and various programs throughout the year to promote wellness. North is a primary pick for athletes due to its proximity to the athletic facilities.
• Williams Hall: East's twin hall, Williams hosts approximately 120 freshmen in its three air conditioned, quadrangle-layout floors. It was originally dubbed "West Hall" but was renamed after a donor.