Residence Halls
Subject: Residence halls close for holiday recess
The residence halls close for holiday recess 7 p.m. Friday, December 13. They reopen at 10 a.m. Saturday, January 4, and food service resumes Monday, Jan. 5. WMU and the housing office closes 5 p.m. December 20 and reopens 9 a.m. January 2, 2025.
If you are coming back this spring:
You do not need to move out of your room. Take home the things you will need over break and secure your room. To prevent pests, take out your trash and recycling, remove food that will spoil, clean dishes left in the room, and close and lock your windows. Unplug non-essential electrical items. Access to your hall will not be available Dec. 14 to Jan. 3.
Staff will be doing supervised room checks beginning 7 p.m. Dec. 13. The checks are for maintenance and safety inspections, and they are done while still respecting your privacy.
Residence halls reopen Saturday, Jan. 4 at 10 a.m. You may return then or any time thereafter.
If you are not returning to WMU:
- Request to cancel your housing contract. Sign into the housing portal and fill out the cancellation request. You will receive an email regarding your cancellation status. The portal is located at https://hms.reslife.wmich.edu/Page/Portal.
- Empty, clean and wipe down your part of the room as well as the bathroom (suites). Return your bed to its original set-up position.
- Contact Bedloft to return any EcoMaxes rented for the year (bedloft.com/).
- Return your room key via the established process in your hall. The hall office or your RA can give you information.
- Change your mail forwarding information on GoWMU.
- Click here for more information.
If your roommate moves out:
If your roommate leaves, please keep the second half of the room open for new students joining us in January. They will move in starting January 4. You will not receive notice if a new roommate is assigned to you. Instead, you can check on the housing portal under “View my spring assignment”.
Employment opportunities:
Applications for 2025-26 Resident Assistant positions are live. Contact your hall’s graduate assistant to inquire about desk staff vacancies.
Change your meal plan for Spring:
Students can change their spring meal plan once between Dec. 2 and Jan. 31, 2025. Changes are done via the housing portal located at https://hms.reslife.wmich.edu/Page/Portal.
If you have questions, please contact us at @email or 269-387-4735.
Good luck on finals and enjoy break!
Subject: Thanksgiving Break Reminders
All residence halls remain open during break. See below to register if you are staying for all or part of break. Reduced services over break include:
- No mail delivery Thursday, Nov. 28 to Sunday, Dec. 1; mail resumes Monday, Dec. 2
- Front desks close at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26 and reopen at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1
- Hall offices close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 and reopen Monday, Dec. 2
- Dining closes at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 and reopens at breakfast Monday, Dec. 2
Staff are not doing room checks. However, they will enter a room if a window was left open. If staff then notice, in plain sight, any evidence of a violation of university policies, federal, state or local laws, staff will file the appropriate report and may confiscate the item(s). Concerns about health hazards in a room/bathroom will also be documented.
If you are staying for part/all of break:
Register online so we know when you will be here: https://hms.reslife.wmich.edu/Page/Portal. Go to residence halls >> Thanksgiving break.
A staff member will be on duty at all times during the break and will be available to assist you. Information on how to contact staff will be posted in the main lobby of your building.
If you are leaving for break:
- Close and secure windows; close blinds. If you are on a ground or roof level room, insert the wooden security stick in the window track (if you do not have one, see your hall office).
- Take out all of your trash to the dumpster and recyclables to the appropriate bin outside.
- Shut off and unplug all unnecessary appliances (TV, computer).
- Clear your heat register of any obstruction.
- Take home any valuables.
- Clean and lock bathrooms.
Please contact hall staff if you have any questions. Enjoy your break!
Subject: Fall Break Information
Fall Break begins Wednesday, Oct. 16. Residence halls and Student Center Dining will remain open but with reduced services. Click here for full details.
| Staying for Break | Leaving for Break |
| Register in the housing portal if you are staying for all or part of break (Wednesday – Saturday night). It helps us look out for everyone’s safety if we know who will be around. If your plans change, you may update your information at any time. | Take out trash, unplug unnecessary items, and secure your room. |
Room Checks
Staff will be doing supervised room checks beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15. The checks are for maintenance and safety inspections, and they are done while still respecting your privacy. If you have questions about room checks, please see hall staff.
Things to know during break
- Front desks will close at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15 and reopen at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20.
- Hall offices will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 and Thursday, Oct. 17. Packages may be picked up during those times only.
- Mail will only be delivered Wednesday, Oct. 16 and Thursday, Oct. 17.
- The University is closed Friday, Oct. 18. Dining is still open.
- Student Center Dining is open but with limited hours and menus – click here for details.
Subject: Loft update – Ackley and Shilling Halls
We’re excited to announce that beds in Ackley and Shilling halls can now be lofted. However, the process in Ackley/Shilling is different than that of other halls. If you want to loft your bed, you must reserve a loft kit prior to move-in. Please complete the loft kit reservation form found in the housing portal>>ResidenceHalls>>Ackley/Shilling loft request. The link will work beginning July 2 until all lofts are claimed or August 9, whichever comes first.
- There is no cost to reserve a loft kit.
- You will pick it up when you move in..
- The kit is an extra headboard and footboard, plus a stabilizer bar. There is an adjustable track that lets you set you bed as low as 18 inches from the ground up to 5.5 feet high.
- Reserving a loft kit for your bed does not automatically reserve a loft kit for your roommate. Your roommate will need to reserve their own loft kit.
- Once you reserve a loft kit, it will need to stay in your room for the duration of the year.
- You can re-enter the form to cancel the reservation if you decide not to loft your bed by August 9.
Sincerely,
Housing and Residence Life
Roommate information and floor plans are live!
If you need your roommate’s contact information or a floor map to see where your room is located, the information will be live beginning June 28 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Log into the Housing Portal and choose View My Fall Assignments.
We are unable to share suitemate information. You will meet your suitemates when you move in.
How do I Change My Housing?
If you would like to change your residence hall room, you may do so in the housing portal starting 10 a.m. EST July 1. Because almost 3,000 students are in rooms, you may need to look at multiple halls or floors to find a new space.
- Roommate Groups used during room selection are not used during room change. If you had a Roommate Group and both you and your roommate wish to change rooms, you must each complete your own room change. (You must both pick the same empty room, one at a time.)
- We do not condone asking your roommate to change rooms if you met someone you now want to live with. You and your preferred roommate can look for an open double room you both can switch into for fall.
- Hint: In the room selection platform, the building dropdown menu on the left indicates how many open spaces are in the hall. Hit the down arrow by the hall name, and you will see the number of spaces on each floor in parenthesis. Rooms with an open bed are outlined in green.
Room changes close at 5 p.m. July 26 EST. After the deadline, you will not be permitted to make room changes until mid-September. During July, you are limited to 5 total changes and can make one change per 24-hour period.
Housing and Dining Rates
WMU’s Board of Trustees approved 2024-25 rates on June 27. New rates will be posted online by July 1.
Move-in Information
Click here for the full schedule and details about our move-in process.
Upcoming dates
7/17 Email with summer updates
7/24 @ 3 pm Hangouts with Housing live Facebook event for your questions
7/26 @ 5 p.m. Last day to make room or roommate changes before move-in
7/26 Email to new students with directions on choosing a move-in day and time
7/29 Move-in timeslot selection begins at 10:00 a.m. EST
8/1 Meal plan changes for fall begin – limited to one change 8/1-9/27
8/12 Minifridge and futon order deadline for in-room delivery
Week of 8/12 Hangouts with Housing life Facebook Event
8/16 Email with move-in final directions and pre-arrival form link
Subject: Housing – Room selection directions
Your scheduled day and time to select a residence hall room and meal plan for Fall-Spring 2024-25 is below. All times are EST.
Your Scheduled Start Time
[insert lottery time/date]
You can select your room at or any time after your assigned start time, but not earlier. Watch our short video or read more detailed directions online to get familiar with how to search and select a room. If you do not select a room by July 21 at 5:00 p.m., we will assign you one and select the Gold Meal Plan.
Choosing your room:
- Log in to the housing portal by clicking here or the button on our website. Then click on Residence Halls >> Fall and Spring 2024-2025 Residence Hall and Meal Plan Selection.
- Open beds will be green or an open circle. Occupied beds have an X or are a solid circle. If you want to learn about who is already in the room, click on the X to see their age, college and roommate profile.
- You do not need a roommate to pick a room.
- Decide what meal plan you want before beginning. Once you choose your room, you have 10 minutes to complete the process and click submit.
Cancelling housing
Please see our cancellation schedule. Fees are dependent on whether or not you are taking WMU classes.
Contact us at (269) 387-4735 with any questions.
Subject: Housing roommate information
Looking for a roommate?
WMU's Roommate Finder is live! Log into the housing portal to search by living habits, social habits, interests and academic college. A list of up to 20 potential roommates will be generated, including their WMU email addresses so you can reach out to introduce yourself.
You do not have to have a roommate to choose your room in June. When you search for rooms, you will be able to read the roommate profile, age and college of anyone already occupying a room.
I have/found a roommate. What’s next?
Create a Roommate Group to link you in the housing system. This will let you choose the same room in June.
- One person will start the Group in the housing portal (Residence Halls >> Create/Accept Roommate Group). You will need your friend’s Western Identification Number (WIN = 9-digit number) to create a group.
- The second person will get an invitation in their WMU email. They log into the housing portal to accept, decline or ignore the invitation.
- Please note that only completed Roommate Groups will work when selecting a room. If your requested roommate has not accepted your request, they will not get pulled into your room when you select a space.
- Either person may leave the Roommate Group if they meet someone new.
- Roommate groups are limited to 2 people. You cannot request suitemates.
No access to the Roommate Finder or Roommate Group?
If you are a minor, it means the co-signature part of your contract is not complete. Ask the parent/guardian whose email you listed when you signed the contract to check their email. Once they click the link provided, your contract will be complete. If you need the email resent, contact us at @email.
The semester is almost over! Here are some reminders about finals week and moving out of the residence halls.
Sat 4/19: 24/7 quiet hours start at 11:59 p.m.
Fri 4/25: Residence halls close at 7 p.m. – you must be checked out of your hall by this time
Tips:
• LOCK YOUR DOOR when you are not home. There is a higher risk of theft during move out.
• Avoid the move-out rush next Thursday and Friday. If you finish exams early, you can leave at any time.
To check out of your room:
• Remove personal belongings.
• Clean the room and bathroom (suites).
• Deloft your bed and set to the level indicated by staff.
• Check out with a staff member. Do not leave without seeing an RA.
Parking:
Unlike August move-in, there are no reserved loading spaces around the buildings. Students move out during the entire week vs. moving in two or three days. Parking Services will enforce reserved and handicapped parking spaces.
A detailed list of what to do to move out is online: wmich.edu/housing/new-students/moveout
Need summer housing?
Summer school accommodations are available in Hall-Archer-Pickard West.
Good luck on exams!
The end of the semester is approaching fast. Your residence hall will close at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, but you may move out whenever your finals are done. Information about moving out can be found on your floor bulletin board and will be discussed at your move-out floor meeting.
There are three key parts to checking out of your room:
• Removing your personal belongings.
• Cleaning the room and putting it back the way it was when you moved in.
• Checking out with a staff member. Do not leave without seeing an RA.
All halls close at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25. You MUST be checked out of your hall by this time.
A detailed list of what to do to move out is online: wmich.edu/housing/new-students/moveout
Please see your RA or the hall office if you have questions about moving out and the halls closing.
Reminders:
• Staying for summer school? Summer housing is available.
• Some campus apartments are available for summer and fall. Check availability in the housing portal.
Spring break is almost here! Read below for key reminders about housing and dining during the break.
Residence halls: All buildings remain open; reduced services
- Front desk: Closed Feb. 28 - March 8. Information on how to contact staff will be posted.
- Hall office: Open Feb. 28 and March 3-6.
- Mail: Processed Feb. 28 and March 3-6. No mail and package services March 1-2 and March 7-9. Services resume March 10.
Staff will be doing supervised room checks beginning 7 p.m. Thursday, February 28. The checks are for maintenance and safety inspections, and they are done while still respecting your privacy.
If you are staying for part/all of break:
Register online so we know when you will be here: https://hms.reslife.wmich.edu/Page/Portal. Go to residence halls >> Spring Break.
A staff member will be on duty at all times during the break and will be available to assist you. Information on how to contact staff will be posted in the main lobby of your building.
If you are leaving for break:
- Close and secure windows; close blinds. If you are on a ground or roof level room, insert the wooden security stick in the window track (if you don’t have one, see your hall office).
- Take out all of your trash to the dumpster and recyclables to the appropriate bin outside.
- Shut off and unplug all unnecessary appliances (TV, computer, stereo).
- Clear your heat register of any obstruction.
- Take home any valuables.
- Clean and lock bathrooms.
Dining: Limited service
Dining hours and menus are modified during spring break. Most meal service will be in the Student Center. Please visit their website for details. https://wmich.edu/dining/hours
Summer housing:
Planning to stay this summer? Sign up begins March 10 for summer residence hall housing in Hall-Archer-Pickard West. Contracts are available for Summer I, Summer II or both sessions. https://wmich.edu/housing/summer. Sign up for summer contracts at Stadium Drive Apartments and Spindler Hall is underway.
Please contact your hall staff if you have any questions. Enjoy your break!