Frequently Asked Questions About Housing

Why should I live on campus?

  • You Don’t Need a Car!
    • Classes are literally less than three minutes from your room and downtown shops and restaurants are within walking distance.
  • Close to All of the Action
    • The Residence Halls are located near the University Center, Stoller Center and “The Quad”—prime spots for most school-sponsored events. You're sure to hear about whatever is going on first by living in the halls.
  • Meet New People
    • Meet new people everyday—just roam through the halls and chat with other students hanging out in the hall, lounge, or lobby. The residence halls are one of the best places you can make new lifelong friends!
  • Your Own Security Service
    • Only a phone call away, CPS can escort you across campus at night, jump-start your car, and regularly patrols campus to keep you safe!
  • Activities Keep You Busy
    • Student staff members living in each hall plan fun (and FREE) events for you and your neighbors.
  • Do Not Need to Buy Furniture
    • Each unit and/or room is fully furnished.
  • Rent Rate Doesn't Change
    • If your roommate moves out during the year your rent doesn't change.
    • No 1st and last month rent required.
  • Free Utilities, Internet and Laundry
    • NO electricity bill, NO water bill, NO garbage, sewer, Internet, or heating bills.
    • Free laundry - just bring detergent.
  • No Need to Cook
    • Not a gourmet chef? Don’t worry; all your meals are prepared for you with the meal plan! BUT, if you do get in the mood to make your own meal, just utilize your hall's community kitchen.
  • Leadership Opportunities
    • Want to meet lots of people and build your skills for that resume? There are many opportunities in each hall to get involved in Hall Council, the Residence Housing Association (RHA), or apply to be a Resident Assistant!
  • Games and Equipment
    • Each hall has a front desk with cool items like DVD's, board games, cookware, and more! If you live in the hall you can check out this equipment at no cost.
  • Sleeping In!
    • All classes are only minutes from your room! You can roll out of bed, brush your teeth, and head to class right before it begins!

How safe is living on campus? [Top]

We consider Pacific University a relatively safe and secure environment in which to carry on the pursuit of knowledge. Measures taken to insure this include:

  • Campus Public Safety at the Forest Grove Campus can be contacted 24 hours a day by calling 503-352-2230, either from an emergency phone located outside every residence hall and other locations around campus, or from your personal device. For non-urgent or emergency questions we can be contacted by email at cps@pacificu.edu.
  • Campus Public Safety Officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with escort service provided upon request.
  • Well-lit campus paths.
  • Residence hall exterior doors are locked 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Residents have access to their own hall 24 hours a day using their key card. Residents have access to all halls Sunday through Thursday from 7 am-10 pm and Friday and Saturday from 7 am to midnight using their keycard
  • Fire equipment is located on each wing of every residence hall.
  • Through a state-of-the-art alert notification system called "Boxer Alerts," the University can quickly send information critical to the campus directly to residents, such as campus emergencies, closings due to weather, etc. Boxer Alerts - powered by e2Campus - will send notifications to all registered mobile phones, smart or satellite phones, email addresses, ​RSS feeds, Blackberries, wireless PDAs, and pagers,. Sign up for Boxer Alerts today.

How much does housing cost? [Top]

See the housing rates here.

How much does a meal plan cost?

See the meal plan rates here.

What meal plan will I be signed up for? [Top]

If a new student is assigned a room that requires a meal plan, they will automatically be signed up for Meal Plan 4 (all access plan). Students will have the opportunity to change their meal plan during the first two weeks of the fall and/or spring semesters. Student meal plans are connected to Pacific ID cards and are used in the same way as a debit card.

When will I find out my room and roommate information?

You can expect to receive your room and roommate assignment information, via your University email account, by the end of July or prior to the term for which you applied informing you to login to your Residence account to view your room assignment and roommate(s) information. For tips on living with a roommate review the Roommate Resource page.

I have a car, where can I park? [Top]

Parking is available on campus for students. All members of the Pacific University Community must register their vehicle at the Student Affairs office located in Clark Hall, if parking in any Forest Grove Campus lot. Find the parking permit application process and details on the campus parking page. 

May I request to change my room or hall after school begins?[Top]

Room change requests are allowed after the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters and they run for two weeks. Room changes are not accepted during the summer months or outside of the room change period.

May I see my room before I move in? [Top]

Since the residence halls at Pacific are in use year round, it is not possible to see your particular room. However, the Office of Admission has guided tours throughout the year.

May I be assigned to a single room? [Top]

Single rooms are limited and usually filled by returning students. Most new students are assigned to a double room with a roommate at the beginning of the school year or for the term for which you applied.

Special housing accommodations at Pacific are determined by Office of Accessibility & Accommodation (OAA) Services. To be considered, please contact OAA.

May I request a specific roommate? [Top]

You may choose to live with someone you already know, however, consider living with someone new. Meeting new people in the residence halls and building community are important parts of the Pacific experience. New students will have an opportunity to make a roommate selection if they desire, during a limited period in May and June. You will learn about this during the Housing Application process.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their Housing Application by May 13. Both applicants must be deposited students with the University at the time of the housing assignment. The Housing Office cannot guarantee you will be placed together but we will do our best to honor the request.

For tips on living with a roommate review the Roommate Resource page.

Personal property insurance, does the University provide it?[Top]

Pacific does not provide personal property insurance. Property insurance to include loss of property or theft should be provided by the student or the student’s family homeowner’s insurance policy. Two companies that provide property insurance to college students nationally is National Student Services, Inc. or NSSI and GradGuard.

Pacific University expressly disclaims liability for damage or loss to personal property, including theft. Each student is solely liable for the safety of all personal property.

What should I bring? [Top]

Learn about what you should bring and what to leave at home by looking at our "What to Bring" checklist.

How much does it cost to do laundry in my residence hall?

There is no cost to do laundry.

What size are the beds? Do I need to buy extra-long sheets?[Top]

The beds in the residence halls are XL-size twin beds, so we advise students to purchase the XL-size sheets.

Can I get the dimensions of my residence hall room?

We do not maintain that information, as each room type is different so we are unable to give the room dimensions.

As a parent, if I have housing questions regarding my student can you share information with me.

We are not able to share specific information with you about your student. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the federal law that governs release of, and access to, student education records.

Where should my family and friends send letters and packages to? Where do I pick up my mail? [Top]

All undergraduate students are assigned a campus mailbox called (UC box) in the University Center and the Mailroom, is located in the lower level. Mail Services will mail you a packet of information with your individual mail box number and address.

New students, if you plan on shipping packages to yourself before you arrive, and to ensure that your packages get to you quickly and efficiently, have the sender include your first and last name and the words “New Student” on the shipping label. When you receive your mail box number from the Mailroom be sure to add that to your package labels as well. When you arrive on campus your packages will be available for you to pick up in the Mailroom. When picking up packages please bring a valid identification card.

Can I live with a Emotional Support Animal in on-campus housing?

To get started, contact the Office of Accessibility & Accommodation Services (OAA) to register as a client. Once all of the necessary documentation is received by OAA, the Housing Office will be notified of the approved accommodation. The Housing Office will then contact the residential student via their University email with housing expectations for them and their companion animal.

Can I live with a Service Animal in on-campus housing?[Top]

Individuals requesting a service animal are encouraged to register with the Office of Accessibility & Accommodation Services (OAA) and to inform University Housing that they plan to have a service animal with them in student housing. This will give housing staff an opportunity to meet the student’s specific housing needs.

Can I have overnight guests? [Top]

Residents may host overnight guests in their assigned spaces when the following conditions are satisfied:

  1. All roommates approve the guest’s stay and continue to consent to the guest’s stay.
  2. The guest’s stay shall not exceed three consecutive days per month, not totaling more than ten days per semester. Special exceptions are at the discretion of the AC.
  3. If hosting an overnight guest who is not a current Pacific University student, the host must register their guest by 5pm on the night they are staying. To register a guest, use this form. Failure to register an overnight guest according to protocol can result in conduct action. If an overnight guest is younger than 18 years old, they must obtain the express consent of that person’s parent(s)/legal guardian(s) and submit it to their hall’s Area Coordinator prior to or upon the guest’s arrival.

Furthermore, hosts should know that it is against policy to leave their guest unattended and to lend their key card or room keys to a guest. Please see the full Guest Policy in the Residence Hall Handbook for more information about hosting expectations.

How do I request that something in my room/apartment be fixed? [Top]

  • Where do I find the work request form?
    • The link to fill out a work request form is listed on the facilities management website. If it is your first time submitting a request, you must register to submit work requests. All instructions are listed on the Facilities Managament webpage. The work request form is for non-urgent requests for maintenance. Urgent requests such as a broken window, over flowing toilet, power outage, or malfunctioning smoke detectors should be reported immediately to Campus Public Safety by calling (503) 352-2230. 
  • What happens after I submit the form? 
    • If your information is incomplete or vague you will be contacted via your Pacific University email for more information. Because of the volume of requests it may take maintenance staff a week or more to complete.
  • What if I have questions about the request I submitted?
    • If you have questions about the progress of your work request please contact facilities staff member Stephanie Partain 503-352-3060 spartain@pacificu.edu

If I've lived on campus how do I request a rental reference for an off-campus housing property?

Pacific University students or graduates who have lived in university housing and are applying for housing at an off-campus location may ask the Housing Office to serve as a rental reference. In order for the Housing Office to release information to an outside source, the student or graduate must request and submit a Student Consent to Release Records for a Rental Reference form. Please submit a ticket with the completed Rental Reference form. Once the form is received, it may take up to five business days to process.