Residence Life and Housing FAQs

You probably have many questions regarding residence life and housing. Here are the answers to common ones. If you have questions that are not answered here, we ask that you contact the Office of Residence Life via email at reslife@alvernia.edu.

Housing Information

When will the returning student housing process take place?

The were sent to all returning residents on Feb. 27, 2024, via their AU email accounts. The housing application for returning students opens in mid-March, and we anticipate the housing lottery for returning students to take place in the middle of April.

Where can I find information about the returning students housing lottery?

The were sent to all returning residents on Feb. 27, 2024, via their AU email accounts. Additionally, the ORL has provided that will be updated regularly.

How do I change from being a returning commuter student to a residential student?

Current residential students select housing before other students. Our housing priorities include:

Current undergraduate and graduate resident students (participate in lottery)
Current undergraduate commuter students (apply for housing via ARC)

When the ORL has finalized the process for current commuters, and incoming graduate students we will post the instructions under the ARC section of the Logins page.

When will I receive housing information if I am an incoming first-year or transfer student?

The Office of Residence Life will begin to communicate with incoming first-year and transfer students with complete detailed instructions by the end of February. Our goal is to open the incoming student housing application no later than mid-March.

How do I access my housing account?

You can access your housing account by going to the Alvernia Logins page and finding ARC: Alvernia Residential Communities Portal. There you will find as well as instructions for Housing Sign Ups for New Students. Here you can select a meal plan, participate in the housing lottery, request roommates, and more.

Is there a housing deposit?

Yes, there is a $250 housing deposit which you can pay online through your MyAlvernia account, or through mailing a check or money to ��91��Ƭ��. Please review the details of the housing deposit here.

When will I receive my room assignment?

Our goal is to send housing assignments in mid-July for August move in, and early January for January move in.

How do I request a roommate/room change?

Although we try to accommodate student housing preferences, occasionally our residents will find themselves unhappy with their room assignment. While our goal in the Office of Residence Life is to provide our residents with developmental opportunities in all capacities, we understand that sometimes a room change is warranted. Our polices can be reviewed on our Housing Policies page.

Beginning of each semester

At the start of each semester, there is a room freeze period during the first two weeks of each semester when students are not permitted to change rooms. This is for many reasons, including allowing our RA team to identify students who have not checked in, to allow for late applicants to be housed, and other reasons.

After the room freeze period, students can begin to request a change. If a student is having a roommate conflict, we value conflict resolution as the first step to solving the conflicts. The RA will arrange mediation and the Graduate Hall Director or Area Coordinator may help in this process as well.

Once appropriate mediation has occurred (with the RA and the GHD/AC) and a resident still would like to request a room change, .

Ending of the fall semester

The Office of Residence Life recognizes that at the end of the fall semester some students may wish to change rooms for the spring. Please in the month of November, specifying that you would like a room change for the spring semester and where you are requesting a room change to. If, and only if, we are able to accommodate your request to move to a new space before the end of the fall semester, we will email you to offer the space and coordinate the move. If the space is offered to you but is not available to be moved into until the spring semester, please take all of your belongings with you over winter break.

If the space cannot be offered to you before the end of the fall semester, but becomes available after the semester ends, we will reach out either during winter break or at the beginning of the spring semester and can work with you to schedule a day to move your belongings.

Can I spread out to my roommate's side of the room if there is no one occupying that space?

You may not do this. Since there are limited spaces in our residence halls, you must stay on your side.

Am I permitted to loft my bed?

Lofting is not permitted. You are only permitted to raise your bed to the highest level it will adjust to without lofting materials. You are also permitted to use bed risers for extra storage space. The university only provides materials for bunking beds. Facilities has supplies to rise the beds, but not to the level of having a seating area underneath. Hip high is the highest. Bed can only be raised according to notches in frame. Top of mattress to floor should be no higher than 48 inches.

You may contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@alvernia.edu if you wish to bunk your beds.

What address do I use to receive mail and packages?

The mailing address is:

��91��Ƭ��, 400 Saint Bernardine St., Reading, PA 19607. This is the only address you should be using, regardless if you live at 401 Penn St.

What if I do not select a room during the Housing Lottery?

If you did not sign up during the Housing Lottery, you may not be assigned your preferred housing. You will be manually assigned to wherever there are vacancies. If you haven’t completed a housing application, please do so in ARC as soon as possible.

What if I want to change my status from resident to commuter?

If you are an incoming first year/transfer student, you must reach out to admissions@alvernia.edu and request to have your status changed. After that time, you will need to complete a Petition to Commute which has specific qualifications to be a commuter.

If you are a returning student – please refer to the Release Request Policy here.

How do I see who I am rooming with? Can you give me their cell phone number so I can contact them?

(click on the housing assignments they will be on the right-hand side of the screen). No, we cannot hand out any personal information other than their Alvernia email address which you are also able to see.

How do I order food for delivery to my residence hall?

When ordering food for delivery to your residence hall, please provide as detailed of instructions as possible to your delivery driver. Below are a few tips you can utilize to help ensure that your delivery driver will arrive at the proper destination.

DoorDash

When inputting your address, please write 400 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading PA 19607. From there, write the name of your residence hall in the “Building Name” field and adjust the location pin to hover over your residence hall or its nearest parking lot. In all situations, make sure “Hand it to me” is your chosen drop-off option to ensure no unauthorized guests enter your residence hall.

Uber Eats

Input 400 Saint Bernardine Street, Reading PA 49607, US as your address. Write the name of your residence hall in the “Business or building name” field, and edit the location pin to hover over your residence hall or its nearest parking lot. Select “Meet outside” as your Drop-off option.

Grubhub

Click on the Account icon in the row across the bottom of the screen, and select the “Addresses” option. From here, click “Add a new address >” and input the following information:

Address: 400 Saint Bernardine Street
Apt/Suite: [Your residence hall]
City: Reading
State: Pennsylvania
Postal Code: 19607
Phone: [Your phone number]

Delivery Instructions: [a detailed set of instructions to guide your driver to your location. You are encouraged to point out nearby buildings that might be more visible from the road (for example, “across from the Physical Education Center” would be a helpful pointer to guide drivers to Clare, Assisi, or Veronica Halls).]

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Click on “Delivery” on the �ٴǳ��Դ�’s app homepage. Select “House” as your address type. Enter the following information:

Street Address: 400 Saint Bernardine Street
Suite/Apt #: [Your residence hall name]
City: Reading
State: Pennsylvania
Zip: 19607

What does AU provide in the bathrooms, and do the bathrooms get cleaned?

At ��91��Ƭ��, each bathroom includes a shower, toilet, sink, and mirror. Alvernia provides each bathroom with a shower curtain with curtain rings, a toilet bowl plunger, and a toilet bowl brush. Alvernia provides toilet paper and trash bags for each bathroom. Students can communicate with their Resident Assistant when more toilet paper or trash bags are needed for their bathroom. It is the student’s responsibility to clean and upkeep their individual bathroom.

If the student is housed in Veronica Hall, housekeeping does daily cleaning of the showers and bathrooms as these are communal bathrooms.

For students living in Assisi and Siena Townhouses, ��91��Ƭ�� also provides a broom, dustpan, trash bags, vacuum cleaner, a vacuum cleaner bag, mop, and a mop bucket.

Campus Mail and Package Policies and Procedures

Package/Letter Pickup

Official AU notification for package/letter retrieval is through email. There are 2 official email headers: mailroom@alvernia.sclintra.com OR Alvernia Lockers noreply@tz.net.
The mailroom is located on the first floor of the Franco Library.
Receiving notifications from Amazon, USPS, FedEx, etc does NOT ensure that the package has been either received OR processed by staff.
Packages too large for the lockers can be picked up in the mailroom as well as student mail.
Please make sure you have your Student ID handy when picking up package/letters.
Mailroom hours will be posted at the beginning of the semester or breaks
Please make sure your name is on the package/letter. No nicknames or parent’s names, otherwise there is a possibility the mail/package could be returned to sender.
Residence hall buildings or room numbers are not necessary on the package/letter.

Locker Use

Embedded in your Alvernia Lockers email you will have 3 methods of retrieving your package(s). A QR code that you scan using the optical scanner, a PIN which you can use the keypad, or you can use the card swipe. PLEASE DO NOT SLAM THE DOORS. GENTLY PUSH THEM CLOSED. The lockers will hold the packages for 3 days, in which time you will have 24/7 access to retrieve your package. After 3 days the reservation expires. The items will be pulled out & returned to sender.

Other Information

If you are mailing a letter you must provide postage. We do not sell stamps on campus. If you are shipping a package via the USPS you are responsible for postage. You can set up an account online or visit the Post Office which is located at Kenhorst Plaza in Shillington. If you are shipping a package via UPS or FedEx, we will require a credit card (card type, name on card, expiration date, billing and shipping address, and the 3 digit security code on the back of the card); all information will be destroyed once the transaction is completed. You may also email me a label if you do not wish to share your information. My email is at the bottom of the page.
If you are leaving campus/transferring/graduating, please remember to change your address back to your home or where you are living over the breaks. Any packages/mail left with the University will be returned to sender after the last day of classes.
Any packages received over the break sessions, unless you are living on campus, will be returned to sender. If you are returning for the next semester, we will hold packages/mail for you 1 week prior to the start of the semester. Anything arriving before that will be returned. We do not have the capacity for storing packages/mail over the break sessions.
Additional arrangements for after-hours pick-ups can be made with James Gangewere or the mailroom staff to possibly be picked up at Public Safety, which is located on the 1st floor in the Library OR possible delivery for items too large or heavy to carry.

401 Penn Residents

If you are residing at 401 Penn St in Reading, you will be using the locker system located around the corner from the front desk. You will receive notification via email from Alvernia Lockers <noreply@tz.net> informing you of a package/letter placed in a locker for you. Embedded in the email will be a QR code to be used with the optical scanner, a PIN code you can use with the keypad, or you can simply use your Student ID card at the card swipe to access the lockers. Please make sure you completely close the locker door after you retrieve your letter/package.
If using the lockers at 401, you will have 3 days to retrieve your package/letter after notification to retrieve the item. It will be pulled after that and Returned to Sender.
Please use the mailing address for AU (see above) and not 401 Penn. It is a completely different zip code and cannot guarantee you will receive the package/letter.
Please see above for names on package/letter.
Arrangements can be made to pick up packages to big for the lockers.

Additional Information

We do not hold packages over summer or winter break. Please make provisions at the end of the semester to have personal packages sent to your home. Packages/letters received after the end of each semester will be Returned to Sender.
Please be patient with the mailroom staff. It takes time to process the sheer volume of mail and packages we receive on a daily basis. We serve the University as a whole, which includes Faculty and Staff.

Questions ��91��Ƭ�� Mail/Packages

For questions and arrangements, contact James Gangewere at james.gangewere@alvernia.edu or 610-790-2888, Facilities at 610-796-8243, or Public Safety at 610-796-8350.

First-Year Housing Information

What items can I bring vs. Not bring to my first-year area residence hall room?

Recommended Items

Extra Long Twin Sheets
Mattress Pad
Laundry Basket
High Efficiency Laundry Detergent
Dryer Sheets
Microwavable Dishes
Cleaning Supplies
Swiffer/Small Vacuum Cleaner
Coffee Pot/Keurig (if a coffee pot, must have an automatic shut off!)
Fan
Air Fresheners (Wall Flowers are okay!)
Shower Caddy - maybe not pertain to you since you'll have your own bathroom within the suite versus having a communal bathroom
Small Lock Box for important Items
Tools

Items to Leave at Home

Candles (even if they're not burning, they are not allowed)
Alcohol or alcoholic paraphernalia
Shot glasses
Beer funnels
Decorative wine glasses/wine bottles
Pets
Air fryers (only allowed in suites with a kitchen/kitchenette)
George Foreman Grills
Toasters (only allowed in suites with a kitchen/kitchenette)
Icemakers

Please review the student handbook for more items that we don't allow if you're unsure.

Can I bring a microwave and or refrigerator to campus?

Only one refrigerator is permitted per bedroom in all residence halls. Size may not exceed 3.6 cubic feet and power requirements may not exceed 120 volts/10 amps.

Only one microwave oven is permitted per room in the residence halls. Power requirements may not exceed 120 volts/10 amps.

VH, FH = 1 room, 1 microwave, 1 refrigerator
AH, CH = 2 rooms, 2 microwaves, 2 refrigerators

All other buildings have a microwave and a fridge. Please review the student handbook for more details.

Now that I am in a 5 pack, does that mean my bill is cheaper?

The Office of Residence Life does not provide any discounts to residence hall spaces based on occupancy of the space/room.

What are the dimensions of the residence rooms?

The rooms in our residence halls vary in dimensions, even when they are the same room type (single, double, triple, etc.). For rugs, we recommend that you do not bring one that is larger than five-by-seven feet. The following are measurement samples for specific rooms. This is provided to give you a gauge of what to expect in your space, but not a guarantee of accuracy.

Francis Hall: Francis 442; 15 feet long by 14 feet wide
Veronica Hall: this room is hard to measure due to the 'Z shape' but one's area of living is about 8 feet long by 14 feet wide and the room in its entirety is 17 feet long by 14 feet wide
Anthony Hall: This is a suite of two rooms, each measuring approximately 13.5 feet long by 14 feet wide
Clare Hall: This is a suite of two rooms, each measuring approximately 13.5 feet long by 14 feet wide

These measurements are from wall to wall, so it includes the bed and any other obstacles in the way. We suggest giving at least 2-3 feet of slack each way for a floor carpet or rug.

Am I permitted to loft my bed?

You may contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@alvernia.edu if you wish to bunk your beds.

Meal Plan Information

What if I do not select a meal plan during Housing Selection?: If you do not select a meal plan, you will be automatically assigned 14 meals/week with the $250 bonus. You can change this in your ARC profile before the assigned deadline. The Meal Plan Change time frame usually aligns with the drop/add schedule each semester.
Where can I learn more information about the Meal Plans?: You can learn more about Meal Plans .

Office of Residential Life Information

When is the Office of Residence Life open, and where can I find it?: The Office of Residence Life is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is located in Veronica Hall. Residents can visit the office at their convenience during these times to speak with a member of the ORL Team.
What if I need help from Residence Life after 4:30 p.m.?: Our Resident Assistants (RAs) serve in an on-call capacity every night starting at 8 p.m. These on-call RAs are also located at the Holleran Hall Information Desk and the Veronica Hall Information desk for any students needing assistance after Residence Life business hours. Our professional staff (Area Coordinators/Graduate Hall Director) serve on a rotation above the RAs on-call and are there to help RAs respond to incidents that happen after-hours. The paraprofessional and professional staffs act as support systems for any residential student needing assistance with emergent after-hours needs such as: maintenance emergencies, Community Standard violations, medical emergencies, mental health crises, etc. Both paraprofessional and professional staffs are trained in these areas prior to the start of the academic year. Learn more about the ORL/Public Safety Procedures.
How do students reach resident assistants on duty after the desks close?: Students with emergency needs after business hours and after the RA Information Desks are closed shall reach out to Public Safety (610-796-8350); their office is open 24/7. The public safety officer will assess the need to reach out to the professional staff on duty if further assistance is needed.
When should students call Public Safety?: Students should call Public Safety if they have a need that cannot wait until the next business day, e.g., students are locked out of their residential space, students have a medical or maintenance emergency, a student's safety is at risk, students are reporting other Community Standards violations on campus, etc.

Resident Responsibilities

What is the policy regarding missing keys?

Each resident is responsible for their key(s). Key(s) must not be duplicated or given to another individual. In the event a key(s) is lost, it must be immediately reported to the Office of Residence Life. The door to the lost key(s) will be re-cored and all students residing in that room will receive new keys. There is a $250 fee charged to the individual who lost their key(s) for the replacement of new ones. All keys remain the property of ��91��Ƭ��. If key(s) are not returned at the end of the semester upon resident check out or when requested, the fee also applies.

Am I responsible for my trash, and where does it go?

Students are responsible for taking their trash out.

What is a Room Condition Report

When students take occupancy of a room, they must complete a Room Condition Report (RCR). The RCR is an electronic document, , that represents the condition of the room and furniture and appliance and bathrooms at the time the student checks in. The student, and their roommate(s)/suitemate(s), is expected to maintain the room and all furnishings in a careful and proper manner. As stated in the housing contract, residents will be held financially responsible for any damages, unreasonable wear and tear, and/or excessive housekeeping that may result from their occupancy.

Students will have 5 business days from the date they check in to complete the RCR. If after five business days, the student does not submit this form, they waive their right to disagree with the current assessment.

Per Alvernia Student Housing Contract, “The student understands that they are held liable for damaging, or defacing University property. The University will assess charges against the individual student account. Damages in areas other than individual rooms will be charged on a prorated basis to all students of a townhouse, floor, wing, or entire residence hall as determined by the University.”

Students will meet with their RA on move-in day and receive instruction about the Room Condition Report, which will allow the resident to identify any concerns in advance. This process helps us know what, if any, damage has been observed prior to move-in.

Please see the chart below for specific damage costs for our most common damages. Please note that there are other charges not listed here that we may need to assess if warranted. We do not wish for any students to be charged with damages as much as they do not want to be, so it is imperative that they show care and respect for their spaces.

Office of Residence Life BILLING LIST - updated July 2023
Item	Low Price	High Price
Not Returned/Lost Key	$250	N/A
Removal of personal trash	$50	$75
Clean/wax floor (Tile)	$150	$200
Shampoo carpets	$150	$200
Clean bathroom	$100	$150
Repair Desk	$50 and up	N/A
Repair Bed	$50 and up	N/A
New Desk	$300	N/A
New Dresser	$400	N/A
New Bed	$400	N/A
New Mattress	$200	N/A
Repair Other Furniture (couch, TV stand, etc.)	$100 and up	$400
Removal of personal furniture/furnishing	$100	$150
Paint wall (part of the wall/whole wall)	$150	$300
Paint ceiling (part/whole)	$150	$300
Small hole (6" or less)	$50	N/A
Large hole (greater than 6")	$75 and up	N/A
Screen (per screen)	$75	N/A
Window	$250	N/A
Windowsill Repair	$150	N/A
Blinds (per blind)	$100	N/A
Repair Kitchen Cabinets	$50	$100
Repair Microwave	$75	N/A
Repair Refrigerator	$75 and up	N/A
Repair Oven	$75 and up	N/A
Repair Dishwasher	$50	N/A
Repair Dehumidifier	$75 and up	N/A
Repair HVAC unit	$50 and up	N/A
Repair Flooring (tiles, carpet, transitions, etc.)	$50 and up	N/A
Repair Door	$50	N/A
Replace Door	$300	$500
Ceiling tile (each)	$20	N/A
Replace Light Cover	$50	N/A
Broken Outlet Cover	$25	N/A
Broken Electrical Outlet	$50	N/A
Broken Emergency Exit Sign/Light	$150	N/A
Repair Plumbing (sink, toilet, shower)	$75	$150
New closet door (TH Only)	$250	N/A
Repair closet door, rod, or shelf	$100	N/A
Replace Elevator Floor Tiles	$50 and up	N/A
Replace Elevator Ceiling Tiles (Each)	$20	N/A
Replace Elevator Lighting	$50	N/A
Repair Elevator Tile Grid	$50	N/A
Repair Elevator Door Wrap	$100 and up	$400
Replace Elevator Buttons	$100	N/A

CollegeTowne Residents

How does parking work at CollegeTowne?

Students who reside in the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne are provided parking access to the Chiarelli Plaza Garage located at the corner of Third and Court streets. Students who reside at CollegeTowne need a parking pass. To acquire one, you will need to fill out an application. Return it to Kristy Brinckman (Kristy.Brinckman@alvernia.edu) or the front desk of CollegeTowne, along with a copy of the front side of your driver’s license.

Residents may only register one vehicle to their name. In the event students need to drive a different vehicle temporarily, they must notify the front desk so it can be updated in the system.

Residence Hall Safety

What safety & security infrastructure does Alvernia have in the residence halls?: The front doors of each residence hall remain locked 24 hours per day and can only be accessed through ID cards of students who live in that specific building. Additionally, cameras have been installed in every residence hall and around campus to provide added safety and security for the campus community.
Does the Office of Residence Life Conduct Health and Safety Inspections?: Once a semester, resident assistants schedule a Health and Safety Inspection with all residential students. The purpose of these inspections is to assure that all fire safety, Community Standards policies, electrical safety, and the overall living environment is conducive for students’ growth, learning, and development. The Office of Residence Life conducts these Health and Safety Inspections roughly four to five weeks into the Fall and Spring semesters. Resident Assistants will notify each resident at least 48 hours in advance prior to their inspection taking place. The residential student does not need to be present for the inspection to occur. During the Health and Safety Inspection process, any immediate Community Standards violation (alcohol, drug, candle, weapons, etc.) will be reported to the Office of Community Standards/Public Safety and processed accordingly. If questions may arise, please reach out to a member of The Office of Residence Life staff via email (reslife@alvernia.edu).

Athlead

Are there any Living Learning Communities for First-Year students?

Yes! ��91��Ƭ�� Athletics and the Office of Residence Life are partnering to pilot Athlead, an Athletics Living-Learning Community (LLC) for first-year students.

Who qualifies for Athlead?

Athlead is for students who are:

First-year student-athletes who play any sport Alvernia offers (fall, winter, spring)
Interested in a shared connection with fellow athletes
Desiring an opportunity to learn from coaches and to be mentored by experienced athletes
Eager to leverage their hard work to achieve personal goals, overcome challenges, and accomplish greatness in their careers

Where will Athlead residents live?

We are targeting Clare Hall for this experience.

How do I join Athlead?

When completing your housing application , you will be required to complete a few questions expressing your interest in the AthLead experience. The questions are:

Based on the AthLead information on the AU ResLife website, please provide a brief statement explaining how you intend to remain an engaged member of AthLead.
Based on the AthLead information on the AU ResLife website, please provide a brief statement explaining how your past in Athletics has helped to shape who you are today.

Where can I find more information on this?

Be on the lookout for Athlead’s webpage with more information coming soon. In the meantime:

For housing-related questions, please contact reslife@alvernia.edu.
For athletic-related questions, please contact Michael Sullinger at Michael.sullinger@alvernia.edu.

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