FAQs

  • Office Hours

    The Residence Life Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am until 4:30pm. Call us at 401-454-6650, or email us at rlo@risd.edu.

  • How do I get to the Providence Airport?

    There are several ways to get to the Providence Airport which is approximately 15 minutes from RISD.  Cab services run to and from the airport. Look for cab listings on the internet.

    The Airport Taxi Shuttle Service runs a shuttle to the airport and conveniently picks up passengers in front of Public Safety at 30 Waterman St. The cost is $11 one way. Each rider may take 2 bags free of charge. Additional bags will be charged $2 per bag.

    For schedule information, go to www.airporttaxiri.com, or contact the Shuttle service by phone at 401-737-2868.

    Students my also ride the Rhode Island Public Transit buses for free with their student IDs. Check the RIPTA website for information regarding routes and bus stops, www.ripta.com.

  • When will I receive my user name and password?
    Your email account will be created within 2 weeks after your matriculation and housing deposit are received by the Admissions Office. Your user name and temporary password will be mailed to you. Keep in mind that the password does expire within 2 weeks so log on as soon as possible. Should you have difficulty logging into your account, contact the help desk at helpdesk@risd.edu.
  • Where do first year students live? How about upperclass students?
    All freshmen (first year students) live together in one of six buildings: Homer, Nickerson, South or East Halls, or Carpenter and Pardon Miller Houses (theme houses). After the first year, all housing is mixed with all class years.
  • Do I have to share a room?
    We believe that the experience of sharing a room can be a valuable part of the learning that occurs in college. Also, many students appreciate it as an economical alternative. In first year housing there are some single rooms available, though they are very limited in number. Upperclass housing offers many different styles and options including shared rooms, private rooms, shared apartments (with private bedrooms) and completely private apartments.
  • Can I move or switch rooms?
    At the start of the year we impose a three week freeze on changes. After that time, if you think you need to change you should contact the Area Coordinator for your housing area to speak about the process and review options. Units are offered based on availability; if there’s not a space for you currently, we’ll put you on a waiting list for that type of space.
  • May I sublet my room?
    No, subletting RISD housing is not permitted.
  • Can freshmen or sophomores live off campus?
    We expect all first and second year students at RISD to live on campus. Those students who are married, will turn 21 years of age before September 1st, or plan to live at home locally with their parents, may request a waiver of this requirement. We define “home” as the parent(s)’ place of legal domicile.
  • What should I bring when I come to school?

    Going away to college is very exciting; it can also be overwhelming. Many questions arise during the summer months after school ends and RISD begins. Below you will find some information to help you decide what to bring with you. Remember, if you have a question; please do not hesitate to contact the Residence Life office at rlo@risd.edu. We'll be more than happy to help you.

    What we provide 

    All of the first-year residence halls have:

    • Card access building and room entry locks
    • Fire detection and sprinkler systems
    • Wireless internet
    • Telephone jacks with local service
    • Several electrical outlets
    • Window shades or blinds

    Each student space has:

    • Extra-long (80") twin bed and mattress
    • Closet or Wardrobe
    • Bureau
    • Work desk and chair
    • Ceiling light
    • Wastebasket

    What you should bring 

    • Sheets -- extra long (80") twin size
    • Mattress pad
    • Blankets or Comforter
    • Towels
    • Pillow and pillowcases
    • Telephone (if you want a landline)
    • Desk/work lamp (no halogen bulbs)
    • Alarm clock
    • Art & general school supplies

    Other things you may wish to consider

    • Area rug (room floors are tiled)
    • Laundry bag
    • Flip-flops/shower sandals
    • Shower caddy
    • Fan (most residence halls are NOT air-conditioned)
    • Posters and other items to decorate
    • Plants
    • Power strips
    • Other things to make you feel "at home"

    What you should NOT bring  

    • Waterbed
    • Loft unit
    • Large refrigerators (greater than 5 cubic feet) or more than one per room
    • Pets (except fish in tanks 10 gallons or less)
    • Candles or incense
    • Halogen or "lava" lamps
    • Cooking appliances such as a toaster, toaster oven, microwave oven, popcorn poppers, or anything with a heating coil. A coffee maker is OK. Microwaves in a Microfridge unit are permissible (available for rent)
    • Curtains or large tapestry/wall hanging
    • Paper lanterns
    • Weapons of any kind
    • Acetylene/Propane torches, oil lamps, or any open flame device
    • Space Heaters
  • What is the best way to ship items to or from RISD?
    The RISD Mailroom staff work with a local UPS shipper located at 11 South Angell St., Providence RI 02906, to help during our busiest times. You may contact UPS directly at 401 751-6245.

    For shipping items home at the end of the spring term, UPS staff come to the First Year Quad for several days. They offer shipping supplies and receive packages on site.

    For the fall move-in, the RISD Mailroom will send specific shipping instructions in early July. You may ship items beginning in early August and the UPS Store will receive, store and deliver items to RISD just prior to the opening of school. These items may be received in the First Year Quad at check-in.

    At other times, shipped items should be addressed to:

    Student Name
    RISD Box #_____
    2 College St.
    Providence RI 02903

    You cannot ship anything directly to a studio or residence hall*. All local shipping vendors know to deliver all “RISD” packages to the RISD Mailroom. Students will then receive a notice in their mailbox that they have a package waiting for them.

    For any mail or shipping questions, contact the RISD Mailroom at 401 454-6319.


    *The only exception to this policy is for residents of Charles Landing Apartments who have a mailbox for each apartment on site. Residents may arrange for packages to be received there by contacting the Leasing Office at 401 272-5580.
  • What can I expect for furniture in my room?
    We provide each student with the following:
    • Extra long, twin bed (exception: some loft units and Charles Landing apartments feature double beds)
    • Desk w/ chair 
    • Wardrobe or Closet
    • Chest of Drawers
    • Blinds or Shades
    • Wastebasket
  • May I bring in my own furniture?
    You should bring additional items to make yourself comfortable such as lighting, fans, shelves, etc. While you are welcome to bring additional furniture, we do not remove or store any furniture from units. If you do bring furniture, it must be in good condition and it cannot be so large, or numerous, that it creates a fire hazard.
  • May I loft my bed?
    There are a number of different styles of beds provided throughout RISD housing. Most are adjustable to various heights. Some may also be bunked.

    We do not typically allow lofting of beds. For specific questions about your building, speak with your Area Coordinator.
  • May I bring an air conditioner?

    No. Some buildings have A/C, some don’t. But individual air conditioning units are NOT ALLOWED. Please bring a fan instead.

  • Can I have a refrigerator, microwave oven or other electrical applicances in my room?
    Students living in First Year Housing or Hill Houses may have a compact refrigerator of 4 cubic feet or less per room. You may bring your own, or rent one from the New England Student Services Company. The company monitors for duplicate orders from the same room. Additional refrigerators are not allowed in the apartments or suites.

    Microwaves are allowed in kitchen areas or in the Hill Houses or quad as part of the combination microwave/refrigerator units available from the New England Student Services Company.
  • Can I paint or wallpaper my room?
    Nope! One person’s warm, soothing red is another person’s blood curdling, depression inducing puce. It’s also a pain to scrape off the hello kitty border you put up so no wall paper either!!
  • How much “stuff” can I put on my walls?
    For fire safety reasons, all students should keep at least 70% of their walls clear and free, that way, in the event of a fire, it will not travel from one side of the room to the other rapidly. And absolutely nothing can be applied or affixed to the ceiling or to any sprinkler pipes.
  • May I have candles, incense or any other open flame device?
    Sorry, but no. This prohibition also includes hotplates and candle warmers. Try diffusers and air fresheners–they work wonders!
  • Do we get cable TV?
    Cable service is provided to the living units of 15 West and Charles Landing. Colonial and Dwight residents may contract with the local provider for cable services, if desired. Hill Houses and the Quad have cable provided only in the TV Lounges.
  • Do we have internet and phone service in our rooms?
    Yes, all of our facilities provide high-speed internet. The internet service at Charles Landing is provided through a local carrier. Though it is not part of the RISD network, it is high-speed service. All buildings offer telephone service to the room with the exception of Charles Landing, where service is available through the local carrier. In other areas, local calls are free. If you’d like to set up a long distance plan, contact OIT at 401 454-6106.
  • Are there storage areas for students?
    Unfortunately, there is no space available for storage of items on campus. We work with a local moving and storage company to coordinate pickup, drop-off and storage services for students. They offer special summer storage packages for RISD students. For pricing and reservations contact Jones Moving & Storage at 401 421-0081.
  • Do you offer a laundry service?
    Yes, a laundry service is available through E & R Laundry. For more info please visit their website at www.thecampuslaundry.com.
  • Is there a place for me to do messy work in my residence hall?
    15 West (Apartment and Alcove Floors), Hill Houses, Colonial Apartments and the First Year Quad all have work rooms for those “messy” assignments. These are not studio spaces and work SHOULD NOT be left in the work room unattended.
  • What cleaning services should I expect?
    Our Facilities staff maintain all of the common, public areas in our buildings such as corridors, stairwells and community lounges.

    In the Quad and Hill Houses, RISD staff also maintains the shared bathroom and kitchens. Students living in 15 West, Benefit Street Apartments or Charles Landing clean their own apartment living areas. We DO NOT supply toilet paper or any other cleaning supplies to students in apartments, lofts or alcove suites.

    We expect ALL Students to bring their personal trash and recycling to the designated rooms in their respective building.
  • How do I get something in my room fixed?
    Work requests may be submitted to the RISD Facilities Department at workorders.risd.edu. For emergencies, contact Public Safety at 401 454-6666 (or x6666 from an on-campus telephone)
  • How do returning students choose rooms for the following year?
    Each spring semester returning students have the opportunity to choose rooms to live in for the following school year. The Residence Life staff conducts a series of meetings and events that explain the entire process of room selection, offer an opportunity to see various rooms, and allow students to choose a room based upon several factors such as their class year, and their “housing lottery draw number.”

    The process of room selection changes somewhat each year. Announcements are sent via RISD email to all students and detailed instructions are available to students and parents prior to the start of the process each year.
  • When does room selection for returning students take place?
    Housing deposits are required in order to participate in the room selection process for the following academic year. The deadline for submitting a deposit is in mid-February. The days when room selection takes place are generally during the first two weeks of March.
  • How much is the housing deposit?
    For students who will be returning for their sophomore year, the deposit amount is $500. For all others it is $1000. If this presents a hardship for any student, they may make alternate arrangements by speaking with a residence life staff member.
  • Is the housing deposit refundable?
    The deposit is not refundable for new students who submit housing applications online. Returning students may request a refund of their housing deposit at any time until they sign a contract for a room, which happens at Room Selection. After signing the contract, it is not refundable. However, in all cases the entire deposit amount is credited towards the room charges when they are applied to the student’s bill.
  • Do residence halls close during school breaks?
    Thanksgiving Break – All residence halls remain open

    December Break - All First Year Housing and all of the Hill Houses close for the break at the end of the fall semester.  All students in these residence halls must vacate the premises the Saturday following final crits. These residence halls re-open on Monday Jan. 2, 2012, the day before Wintersession begins.  Residents of other residential buildings may be able to remain on campus during the break but must register with the Residence Life Office to do so

    Wintersession break – All residence halls remain open between the end of Wintersession and the beginning of the spring term

    Spring Break – All residence halls remain open during spring break
  • May I have guests?
    Yes, as long as they are not under 16 years of age. All guests must be signed in at a public safety office, and can only stay for three nights in a seven day period. You MUST OK this with your roommate(s) prior to them arriving!
  • When are quiet hours?
    Quiet hours are 11pm - 9am Sunday through Thursday, midnight - 10am on Friday and Saturday.
  • What are the policies on alcohol and smoking?
    No alcohol or alcohol containers are allowed in ANY of the first-year areas regardless of a student’s age. Students who are of legal age may possess or consume alcohol in the upperclass buildings with certain restrictions. Please consult the Student Handbook for more information.

    No one is permitted to smoke or burn tobacco in any RISD building.
  • What’s an RA?
    An RA, or Resident Assistant, is a student who lives in a residential facility and acts as a resource for the students on their floor, or in their area of the building. While they have some policy enforcement responsibility, they play a key role in creating an environment for students that is conducive to academic, personal and social growth.
  • How do I become an RA?

    Academic Year RA
    At the beginning of each Wintersession, we provide information to all RISD students on our selection process and encourage applications. The RA interview process typically begins the last weekend in January/first week of February. We make offers of employment BEFORE room selection begins so that students can make appropriate housing plans for the next year. More information can be found on our staff page.

    Summer RA
    This application process follows the academic year RA interviews. Academic Year RAs generally have the option of working during the summer as well. 

     

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Furniture Design students walk along the riverfront, carrying their projects to class.