Guide to Residential Living

West Chester University

Residence Life and Housing Services
202 Lawrence Center
West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-3307
fax: 610-430-5945
Housing@wcupa.edu



Front Desk and Building Services

Desk staff will assist you with mail, checking-out recreational and cooking equipment (North Campus only), signing-out computer room keys, finding campus phone numbers and providing you with the answers to general questions. If there is an emergency (personal or facilities related), you can contact the Front Desk or Clubhouse Desk and the desk staff will contact the appropriate people to respond. Hours are subject to change as required.

Hours for North Campus Front Desks

Sunday–Wednesday 10:00 am–10:00 pm
Thursday–Saturday 10:00 am–12:00 am

Hours for South Campus Clubhouse

Monday–Friday 10:00 am–8:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday 12:00 pm–8:00 pm

Mail

You will be issued a mailbox and combination or key when you check into your room or apartment/suite. Mail is picked up from and delivered to the residence halls and apartment/suites Monday through Saturday. There is no mail delivery on Sundays or holidays.Please advise your family and friends to address mail to you as noted here.

Please be sure to check your e-mail each day and pick up packages promptly. You will receive an e-mail notification from My Digital Doorman for packages received. You must bring the e-mail and your Ram E Card to the Front Desk or Clubhouse Desk in order to pick up your mail. Under no circumstance will you be able to pick up someone else's package. Please note that packages not picked up in a timely manner may be returned to sender and that items such as newspapers or magazines will be discarded. Mail addressed to people not listed as living in the building/complex will be returned to sender.

Games/Sports Equipment

Each housing facility has sports equipment, movies and games at the Front Desk which you may check out by using your Ram E Card. You need to be a resident of that particular building or complex to check out equipment. This equipment is funded by your hall's RHA budget and CASH Fund; however, if any equipment is lost or damaged while in your care, you will be required to replace the item or pay the exact cost for its repair or replacement. Students are asked to take good care of equipment so everyone can benefit from it.

Kitchen Use

Each residence hall maintains a kitchen for resident use. You will be required to leave your Ram E Card at the Front Desk in order to use the kitchen in your building. The DA will then give you the kitchen key. You are responsible for cleaning up the kitchen and any kitchen supplies checked out after you are finished preparing your food! You are also responsible for the repair or replacement of any kitchen equipment damaged within the process. Privileges for the kitchen can be revoked if students do not leave the kitchen in good condition.

Bike Room

Some of the residence halls have facilities designed for the storage of bicycles. Other halls and the South Campus Apartment Complex have bike racks. If you wish to keep your bike in this room, you must register it at the Front Desk. You may gain access to your bike by leaving your Ram E Card at the Front Desk and signing-out the bike room key. After removing your bike you must immediately return the key to the Front Desk. While the bike room serves as added protection for your bicycle, it is very important that you securely lock your bicycle at all times while it is in this room. Only registered owners will be permitted access to the bike room. All bikes must be removed at the end of the year. Bikes should not be locked to railings and light posts outside the residence halls and apartments. Any bikes remaining at the end of the year will be removed and discarded.

Computer Labs

Each residence hall (except University Hall) has a computer lab equipped with personal computers and a printer. The South Campus apartment Complex has a computer lab located in the Clubhouse. These rooms are linked with the Academic Computing Center computer network. This allows students to have access to a number of software packages and applications. Check with your desk staff for the times that the computer lab is operational. Only residential students are permitted to sign out keys to the computer labs in the residence halls.

Computer Lab Use Policy

  • All residents must sign out a computer lab key from the Front Desk and leave their Ram E Card in order to gain access to the lab. The South Campus Apartment Complex does not require a key. The hours of the computer lab are the same as the Front desk Hours
  • All residents are responsible for the key signed out to them and the equipment in the lab when they are using it.
  • No one other than a resident who has checked out a key is permitted in the lab at any time.
  • All lab keys are due back to the Front Desk 15 minutes before the desk closes. Please see the staff at the desk for daily hours.
  • Keys should be returned to the Front Desk immediately upon leaving the lab. They are not be given to another student, taken back to a student room for later use, or taken out of the building.
  • If the phone in the lab rings, please answer it–it will be the Front Desk calling with information for the residents in the lab.
  • Failure to follow procedures may result in loss of privileges.

Copy Machines

Copy machines are available in all of the residence halls and at the clubhouse. They are located in the front lobby or near the Front Desk

Change

A money change machine is located near the Front Desk in the Traditional North Campus Residence Halls and at the Clubhouse on South Campus. These machines will accept one and five dollar bills only. Change will come in a set amount of quarters.

Custodial Services

Routine custodial services are provided to the residence halls, generally between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with limited service on the weekends. The Custodial Services staff is responsible for cleaning all public and common areas. Students are responsible for maintaining their rooms and suites. For emergency service during non-duty hours, please contact the main desk in your residence hall. Custodians maintain the above mentioned areas only and are not to provide any personal services to students. Custodians are not expected to clean up excessive messes created by students. All trash gathered as a result of students cleaning their rooms should be deposited in the appropriate receptacles and not swept into corridors. Common restrooms are cleaned by custodians during periods of low use. When they are cleaning a restroom, you are required to use another restroom. Failure to do so will result in judicial action. If you have any questions or concerns about the custodial service in any on-campus housing facility, please address these issues with your RA or RD/GHD.

Television/Cable

Each North Campus residence hall room and the living rooms and bedrooms in the apartment complexes have outlets which connect to the University's television distribution system. Basic cable is provided to all residential students. Any student who would like premium channels needs to pay for those services directly through the cable company with whom the University has a contract. Students requiring assistance with a Comcast problem should contact Residence Life Tech Office at 610-436-2344 or University Student Housing at 610-692-7391 (depending on where student resides).

Laundry

Every residence hall and apartment building has washers and dryers (The Village has units in each apartment). Check with your RA about the exact location of the machines in your building. In consideration of other students, you should take your laundry out of these machines as soon as the cycle is completed. If a machine is not working properly, please report the problem to the Desk. The washers and dryers are repaired on a weekly basis. Students may use quarters to operate the machines. (In Allegheny, Brandywine and University Halls, the use of laundry machines is free and is part of your housing agreement.) If you lose money in the machines, you should report this to the Desk so they can process a refund for you. You will receive notification when your refund is ready for you to pick up at the Desk. Remember, the machines are for the benefit of everyone. Misuse, vandalism or use by non-residents will not be tolerated. Please notify a building staff member of such activity. To protect your laundry, you are expected to stay with your laundry while using the laundry room.