Resident Resources

• New Incoming and Transfer students can complete their housing application throughout the summer.
• Continuing students can complete their housing application during the Spring Semester. Students wanting priority room selection must complete each phase of the housing application by the deadlines communicated to them. Continuing students can select their roommate(s) and select their room.
• Students who have matched with roommates will be assigned a room and notified via Western email.
• Room selection is based on credits earned and spaces available in each residence hall.
• All students will then be able to select a meal plan (meal plan requirements are based on where students will be living).

A campus-wide housing freeze is in effect for the first two weeks and during the spring housing selection period in November and December. If you want to switch to another room for a non-interpersonal reason, please get in touch with your Resident Assistant or Resident Director. If you would like to switch to another room because of an issue with your roommate, you must go through Residence Life’s mediation process before this becomes an option. Speak with your Resident Assistant for more details. Switching rooms for a non-emergency will result in a processing fee.

Student-athletes may self-identify in the roommate matching portion of the housing application. Residence Life does not provide any other particular roommate matching services for student-athletes. Your coach may keep a list of teammates and other student-athletes who are looking for roommates.

All Western students are required to live on campus for two years. As part of the live-on requirement, students will experience the residential curriculum. Transfer students may opt to live on our Transfer Community or on a second-year floor.

To see the qualifications to appeal to live off campus, please click here.

Resident Assistants in all residence halls and apartment complexes are scheduled to perform health, safety, and fire inspections once per month. These health, safety, and fire inspections are to ensure the continued safety of our communities. One week before the inspection occurs, your Resident Director will send an email stating that health, safety, and fire inspections will take place the following week. The email does not have to indicate a specific day or time, as that may change with Resident Assistants’ schedules. For one week, Resident Assistants will inspect rooms with or without the presence of the residents. Resident Assistants are always accompanied by another Resident Assistant or a professional staff member. If any policy violations are found pertaining to University policy, they will be addressed at that time.

If you are having issues with your roommate, please make sure you speak with your roommate directly. RAs can help students prepare for these types of conversations. If an issue escalates beyond the student’s control, your Resident Assistant or Resident Director may ask to mediate the discussion.

Quiet hours are times set aside for near-silence in the residence halls and apartments. This is to respect and encourage the healthy sleeping habits of all Western students. Quiet hours are effective Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. and Friday through Saturday from midnight to 8 a.m. Courtesy hours are in effect at all times. During the daytime, when quiet hours are not in effect, residents do not have the right to turn a radio, stereo, or TV to full volume (inside or outside the halls) or yell and shout. Residence Life staff may ask you to close your door or turn down the volume on your TV, radio, stereo, etc., if the noise levels disrupt the community.

Students are allowed to have an on-campus or off-campus guest stay with them for up to 48 hours within a two-week period. Students must obtain permission from their roommate(s) before giving the guest entrance to their residence. Student hosts must accompany their off-campus guests while on campus. Students may not share their keys with their guests or leave their guests in their room/apartment unattended.

If you are 21 years of age or older and either have a single room or live with a roommate who is also 21 years of age or older, you may possess and consume alcohol in your room. Alcohol is not to be kept in community spaces and cannot be consumed in the presence of a minor.

Western does not permit any paraphernalia (i.e. vape pens, hookahs, etc.) to be possessed in residence halls or apartments. We understand that some students do smoke cigarettes or chew tobacco, so we do allow students to store cigarettes and chewing tobacco in their rooms, as long as it is stored out of view. Students are still prohibited from smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco in their rooms. Vape pens and hookahs are prohibited because of their potential use with different forms of marijuana products. Confiscated items that violate policy, such as vape pens, hookahs, or other paraphernalia, will not be returned to the student.

No. Marijuana is not allowed in any shape or form on Western’s campus. This includes the storage of marijuana in cars parked in any campus parking lot.

In the Escalante Complex, the Mears Complex and Ute Hall, all beds are extra-long twin. In Pinnacles and Chipeta, all beds are full size.

Unfortunately not. Residence Life has a limited amount of storage space, so all furniture must remain in your room.

The furniture in your room is connected to your Room Condition Contract, so the furniture your room comes with must remain in your room.

Western maintains a strict outside furniture policy to ensure fire safety and protect the cleanliness of the rooms. Additionally, outside furniture can contribute to pest problems. All rooms are furnished appropriately for their occupants with a desk, dresser, and bed.

Outside furniture is prohibited in the residence halls except for the following items:

• Desk chairs that do not have any fabric or upholstery
• Blow up air mattresses
• Blow up couch without velvet on the outside
• Bean bag chairs
• Memory foam
• Lamps (only non‐halogen bulbs)
• ​Media stands, bookcases, or night stands in which the total dimensions of each piece do not exceed 80 inches. Total inches can be calculated by adding the longest width, the longest height, and the longest depth together when fully extended (such as legs or sides).

Yes. Personal devices can be connected to our network. If you are experiencing issues connecting these devices, please get in touch with IT at 970.943.3123.

Anything that is or can be considered an extension cord is prohibited from the residence halls. This includes outlet multipliers. Only certified surge protectors may be used in residence halls and apartments.

Students in residence halls are permitted to have a standard-size micro-fridge, a microwave, and any other kitchen appliance that does not have a hot plate. Other kitchen appliances may not be stored or used in the residence halls. Prohibited appliances include but are not limited to toasters, toaster ovens, George Foreman grills, traditional coffee makers, etc. These items are allowed in the Pinnacles and Chipeta Apartments but only in the kitchen areas. If you enjoy coffee, we suggest purchasing a coffee maker that does not have a hot plate.

All rooms are regularly inspected for safety and fire hazards. You may store your bike in your room as long as it does not pose a threat to the safety of the residents in the space. If you do not store your bike in your room, you must store it on the bike racks located outside. Bikes cannot be stored in communal areas such as stairwells or lounges. You are encouraged to keep your bike locked when not in use and to register your bike with the Gunnison Police Department, which is indeed a free service.

Residence Life does not provide cable television in residence hall rooms.

All mail and packages must be delivered to the Mail Center.

Yes! We have many great restaurants here in Gunnison that will deliver to Western’s campus. Students must meet the delivery person at the entrance to the hall. Propping doors open is strictly prohibited as it poses a security threat to other residents in the residence halls and apartment buildings.

Laundry machines in all residence halls operate on an app-based system where students can load payments.

Yes. Recycling is encouraged in the residence halls. Each residential area has its own trash and recycling area. Additionally, Western is making strong efforts to eliminate the purchase and use of single-use plastic bags and plastic bottles on campus. Please help us to reach our goal!

No. Parking on campus is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking is not guaranteed, and there are restrictions placed on particular lots. Security does ticket and tow, so please park in appropriate spaces. When you check-in, you MUST register your vehicle and receive a parking sticker in order to park on campus without being ticketed or towed. Only one vehicle per student is permitted.

All students who live in the residence halls are required to have a meal plan. Students in the apartments may have a meal plan if they like.

You may change your meal plan in the Residence Life Office up to the first Wednesday of the academic year. Students on optional meal plans may continue to purchase these plans throughout the year.

We take security seriously here at Western. If you lose your key, report it to your RD, and they will immediately submit a work order so that it can be replaced. Keys are typically replaced in one to two business days. New keys can be picked up from the Residence Life Office, University Center 117. Losing your key will result in a standard fee of $100 that is billed to your student account.

Right here: Student Handbook

All students are expected to read the Student Handbook each year, as there are often updates from the previous edition. All students are subject to the policies and procedures in this handbook and agree to follow them when matriculating to Western Colorado University.

Yes. Students are expected to check their Western email at least once per day. Faculty and staff will send you important emails on a regular basis, and you will be held responsible for the content of those messages.

You are responsible for checking out properly. If you leave without following proper procedures, you will have improper checkout fines. To properly check out, you first need to stop by the Student Affairs office (Taylor 301) and explain your withdrawal plans. You will get a form and will need to get signatures from someone in the Student Affairs office, Financial Aid office, Residence Life office, and Registrar’s office. It’s a courtesy to notify your academic advisor as well in person or via email. After the withdrawal form is completed and you are withdrawn from classes, you need to contact your RA to check out of your room and return your key(s). You have 24-48 hours to check out of your room properly.

Failure to follow the withdrawal process will result in tuition and student fees for each semester you are registered for until you withdraw or until the semester ends. Failure to check out of your residence hall room or apartment with an RA or RD will result in charges for not returning your key(s), charges for improperly checking out, and charges for cleaning your room.