University Housing

For your convenience, you may want to bring certain items with you when you come to Appalachian. Please visit the What to Bring section for detailed information.

Appalachian State University is a smoke-free campus and smoking is not permitted in any residence hall. This includes all public areas and lobbies, including elevators, kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, stairwells, and entrances. Smoking is not permitted within 50 feet of any residence hall entrance, exit, window, or air intake system. There are designated smoking locations around campus. Please refer to the Designated Smoking Locations (opens in a new tab) map for details on where smoking is and is not permitted.

Questions and concerns about on-campus parking and transportation may be directed to the department of Parking and Transportation (opens in a new tab).

Each on-campus resident is assigned a post office box by the University Post Office (opens in a new tab). New students are assigned a post office box after they have registered for classes during an orientation session. Box combinations are issued to students when they present their student ID card to the University Post Office customer service window during its normal hours of operation. Students should check their post office box on a regular basis as the University may rely upon student mailboxes for correspondence. For information about receiving packages please refer to the Service Desks section.

Students should leave a forwarding address with the University Post Office anytime they are going to be away for a period longer than 30 consecutive days. Any mail received during the time that a forwarding order is in effect will then be sent to the address provided by the student.

Laundry fees are included in student tuition. Halls with centralized laundry rooms are equipped with card readers that allow students to access laundry machines with their App Card.

Dumpsters are located outside of each residence hall for students to dispose of their trash. Personal trash should not be disposed of in common bathroom, lobby, or kitchen area trash receptacles. Students will be documented for failure to dispose of trash appropriately.

All residence halls are equipped with 80" extra-long twin mattresses. Detailed information about our residence halls can be found in the Residence Halls section of our website.

Students are responsible for keeping their rooms clean. Housekeeping staff are only responsible for public areas of the residence hall, including hallways, lobby areas, and common baths.

Residents should submit a work order online via the University Housing website if repairs are needed for residence hall furnishings or equipment within a student room. Students should not attempt to make their own repairs to any residence hall furnishing or equipment. University Housing is responsible for determining completion dates, costs, and necessity of any repairs.

ResNet (opens in a new tab) (Residential Network) provides network connections for students living on campus. Each residence hall is equipped for wireless access as well as ethernet access (1 port per bed). ResNet works closely with Technology Support Services, Network Support Services, and University Housing to support students living in the residence halls.

Students experiencing technical issues with their personal computers or peripherals may contact the Technology Support Center (opens in a new tab) during its regular hours of operation for walk-in support.

Telephone service is no longer provided in residence hall rooms. Students wishing to use the telephone line in their room will need to contact University Housing to have the line reactivated; the cost of reactivation will be billed to the student’s account.

Appalachian State University is not responsible for any personal belongings in the resdience halls or around campus. Students are encouraged to consider renter’s insurance if they plan on bringing expensive personal items.

Desks, desk chairs, and beds are provided for student use in every residence hall room. Any room furnishings provided by students must be free-standing; students may not attach furnishings to walls, floors, etc. No item may be located so as to obstruct access to the door or windows. No University furniture may be removed from the room - students will be charged for any University furniture that is missing at the time of checkout.

Please refer to the Residence Halls section for detailed information about particular hall amenities. Remember, bunking beds, stacking movable bookshelves, and storing items under a bed are all good ideas when trying to use existing room space most efficiently. No bed lofts are permitted unless provided by University Housing.

For details on the Guest/Visitation policy please refer to the current version of the Residence Hall License Contract.

Students must follow the requirements below when using surge protectors:

• Surge protectors must be UL-approved, include no more than six outlets, have a heavy-duty cord, and have a 15-amp rating with an attached circuit breaker switch
• Extension cords and multi-plug adapters are prohibited
• Electrical cords should be checked periodically - replace frayed, worn plug ends or cords as needed
• Look for UL ratings on all appliances prior to use
• Surge protecters that are 15 amps or larger can be used in conjunction with portable refrigerators
• Keep approved surge protectors away from primary travel areas within residence hall rooms
• The use of drop cords, extension cords, or surge protectors is prohibited in lounge areas, corridors, or other open areas

Quiet hours are 10pm - 8am (Sunday - Thursday) and midnight - 10am (Friday - Saturday). Students shall observe and respect the rights of other students occupying University housing. Students will avoid excessive noise levels and will observe quiet hours for study established in each residence hall. All persons who are present in the residence halls will observe quiet hours as designated by each residence hall. At all times residents need to be considerate of the needs of others and respect the rights of others by being aware of the noise level on the hall. At no time should there be an excessive amount of noise that will disrupt others. Noise that can be heard beyond two doors down from a room is likely excessive and potentially bothering other residents in the building. Beginning with the evening prior to reading day through closing, 24-hour quiet hours will be in effect. Violations of the quiet hour policy may result in a referral to Student Conduct.

Students must follow the posting policies outlined below:

• Posting of information by individuals other than the staff of the residence hall or employees of University Housing is prohibited
• Resident Assistants (RAs) will post publicly from campus organizations and departments provided the materials are submitted for review by University Housing
• Students, student organizations, and other University-affiliated groups wishing to post or distribute free printed material in the residence halls should contact University Housing at (828)262-2160
• Distribution of commercial materials and materials from groups or individuals not affiliated with Appalachian State University is not permitted in residence halls
• All printed material distributed must bear the name of the organization or individual on whose behalf the material is being distributed
• At no time will posting be permitted in emergency exit avenues (stairwells, exit routes/signs, elevators, and exit doors)
• All fire alarm equipment (pull stations, extinguishers, smoke/heat detectors, etc.) must remain clear/visible and accessible at all times

Some of the most common wireless questions are listed below. Please refer to the Wireless Information (opens in a new tab) page for further details.

My wireless connection is very slow - what’s happening?

The most important information here is "when." Slow connections (both wired and wireless) tend to peak between the hours of 6pm and 2am when the majority of students are in the halls and actively using the network. Slow speeds that consistently fall within this timeframe are most likely due to reduced bandwidth - in short, more students are online streaming television, movies, music, and more, and the available bandwidth is exhausted. This results in slow speeds for everyone using wired or wireless connections, and can result in dropped connections and/or difficulty connecting to wireless networks. Slow speeds consistently outside of this time period may be due to other issues related to student equipment, nearby wireless routers, or insufficient signal strength. To report these issues, please refer to the "Where do I go to get help or report an issue?" section below.

Ok, so just buy more bandwidth!

The office of Information Technology Services (ITS) provides and maintains the University’s bandwidth. Recent upgrades to the amount of total bandwidth have been implemented in the past few years. While the current bandwidth can meet the needs of the University most of the day, there are times at which it is being utilized at its capacity (as noted above). Adding additional bandwidth is extremely expensive, and, unfortunately, not an option at this time. That is why ITS and University Housing are providing this information to ask for your help in easing the burden on our bandwidth and, in turn, making our wireless networks faster and more reliable for everyone.

Can’t I just bring my own wireless router - problem solved, right?

In a sense, yes, your problem is solved. Your neighbors’ problems, however, are just beginning. A wireless router works by transmitting a special signal to your computer, much like a radio station broadcasts to a radio. When you have a wireless router in your residence hall room, it competes with the wireless signal provided by Appalachian. The result is a kind of traffic jam which negatively impacts everyone’s wireless access. These effects can include everything from slowing down your own wireless connection to disabling wireless connections for other users in the residence hall.

What can I do to help make things better?

First, if you have a wireless router, get rid of it! Your neighbors will thank you. Other devices can also interfere with the campus wireless networks, but to a lesser degree. If you have a wireless printer, keep in mind that it is also broadcasting an ad hoc wireless signal. While these devices are allowed in residence hall rooms, it is a good idea to keep them powered off unless you are actively using them for printing. Also, if your printer can be used as a wired or wireless device and you’re only using it in its wired configuration, you should disable the wireless function entirely. You can refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to accomplish this. If you have large files that need to be downloaded, try and download those outside of peak usage hours to help ease network congestion during those times.

Anything else that I should know?

Above all, please realize that Appalachian State makes every effort to provide an acceptable wireless network alternative for students. We realize that slow or unreliable connections, whether wired or wireless, are a frustrating experience and we are doing everything that we can to ensure that this is the exception rather than the rule. Network Support Services checks networking equipment in the residence halls each time widespread problems are reported. It is the consensus of several campus IT professionals that the main issue stems from a lack of available bandwidth during peak usage hours (6pm - 2am) due to network congestion.

Also, please remember that a wired ethernet connection (all rooms are provided with 1 ethernet data port per bed) will be more reliable and often faster than a wireless connection. For example, if you are streaming music or video you will likely get better performance on a wired Ethernet connection rather than a wireless connection.

Where do I go to get help or report an issue?

If you are experiencing wireless connectivity issues, the first thing to do is request an appointment for one of our technology support staff to come and check things out for you. You can do this by entering a support request on the IT Support Services (opens in a new tab) website. Simply input your information and one of our staff will be in touch with you to set up an appointment. If the issue turns out to be something that requires more assistance than the staff member can provide, they will escalate the support request to the appropriate personnel.

Follow the steps below to connect your device to the wired Appalachian State University network:

1. Plug your ethernet cable into the port in the wall (each room has one port per bed)
2. Plug the other end of your ethernet cable into your device
3. Once connected, open a web browser and go to the NetReg (opens in a new tab) website
4. Log in using your Appalachian State username and password and follow the steps to register your device
5. After fifteen minutes reboot your device for the registration to take effect

Residents who lock themselves out of their room have two options available to them. Resident Assistant (RA) staff are available nightly from 7pm - 7am for residents who find themselves locked out of their room. Residents may also go to the service desk for their particular side of campus during its regular operating hours to check out a temporary key for their room (Appalachian ID required). Temporary keys must be returned by 8am the next business day to avoid University Housing automatically changing the lock on the door and charging the student’s account for the amount of the lock change.

When having packages shipped, students may have them delivered to either the University Post Office or the Service Desk that serves their side of campus. For further details about package delivery please refer to the Service Desks section of this website.

All freshmen students may apply for any RLC at the same time they submit their online housing application. Students indicating an interest in RLCs on their housing application will be automatically directed to the appropriate RLC application(s) once their housing application has been successfully submitted. Students applying to RLCs will have the option to choose and rank up to three community preferences. We will do our best to honor students’ first choice whenever possible.

Students are admitted to RLCs based upon both the quality of their RLC application and the date of submission. Spaces are limited, so students are urged to complete their housing applications as soon as possible! Those students with an earlier application date will be given priority.

Students applying for RLCs who have a roommate preference need to make sure that their requested roommate has also applied to the same RLCs. In the event that a student who has applied to an RLC selects a roommate who has not, the RLC application may not be considered.

If you have completed your housing application and did not indicate an interest in RLCs but have decided to apply then it’s not too late! You may still submit an RLC application by logging into the University Housing Portal (opens in a new tab) and filling out an RLC application.

Review of applications will begin during the first week in April and continue through June or until all available spaces are filled. It is important that students check their Appalachian State University email account regularly since acceptance notifications will be sent to that account as soon as they are accepted into a community.