All About Aquinas Hall

Named after Saint Thomas Aquinas, Aquinas Hall holds roughly 430 first year students.  It was recently renovated in 2014, which added a fourth floor to the existing building.  Each suite consists of two rooms and one bathroom.  There are up to five people in a suite.  Each floor has three or four lounges, with a pool table on the first floor.  The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, there are 12 resident assistants and 2 professional staff members.  Tutors in Residence have a lounge on the third floor dedicated to their tutoring.

All About Boland Hall

Boland Hall is our largest building on campus, holding 700 first year students. Boland Hall is divided into two halves: Boland North and Boland South. The north side has suite style living with up to 6 suite mates of the same gender sharing one bathroom in one suite.  Residents are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms in the north side.  The south side is community style living with a community of about 30 people sharing a very large bathroom.  University Housekeeping staff keep the south side bathrooms clean.  Boland Hall is also home to the Pirate’s Cellar, the largest lounge in a residence hall.  In the Cellar there are pool tables, a Foosball table, soft seating, tables for studying and a large TV.  Classrooms BH 34 and 35 are located in the back of the Pirate’s Cellar. Tutors in Residence have an office near the main lounge on the first floor. Our partners in Campus Ministry and DOVE are also housed in Boland Hall.  Community members can get to these offices via the door in the Campus Ministry Courtyard.  The front desk is staff 24 hours a day, there are 19 resident assistants and 2 professional staff members who oversee Boland Hall.

 

Coming Back from Abroad? Want to move on campus for Spring 2018?

We hope you had a great Fall Semester wherever you were! HRL has vacancies available for Spring 2018 and is happy to accommodate you in one of our spaces on campus.

Whether you’re returning from abroad, transferring to SHU, or just changed your mind about commuting, we have housing for you!

To apply, pay the new student housing deposit and complete a Housing Application Roommate Survey on your Housing Profile on PirateNet.

We’ll be working throughout the month of December and into January to make assignments for new residents. Once we assign you, we’ll give you a call or send you an email.

The residence halls will open at 2pm on Monday, January 15th.

Meet this month’s Featured RA’s!

Each month, Housing and Residence Life wants you to meet some of the Resident Assistants (RAs) who fork for our department.  RAs are undergraduate students who live in the residence halls to build community, offer programs, and help students address issues on their respective and in the building.

We will begin recruiting for our 2018-2019 Resident Assistant staff in November.  Keep an eye out on this blog and to your student E-mail for information on how to apply.

Meet Felipe Bueno!
Felipe Bueno, a first-year Resident Assistant in Aquinas Hall, hails from Quito, Ecuador.  At age 6, he and his family moved to Wellington, Florida.  With a desire to experience seasons, Felipe made the choice to attend Seton Hall, where he double majors in International Relations and Economics with a minor in French.  Felipe is proud of his ability to juggle a full academic course load, a work study position in the School of Diplomacy, a prestigious West Point Internship, and his RA responsibilities.  Although he had an amazing experience with his RA as a freshman in Boland Hall, Felipe waited until his Sophomore year to apply, citing a desire to step out of the Diplomacy bubble, meet new people and create new experiences.  He loves planning programs that revolve around food, hosting a program about campus technological resources where residents also ate freshly-baked brownies.  When asked about his experience thus far as an RA, Felipe says the RA position “doesn’t feel like work” and believes he has been able to “build cool connections.”  Currently interested in the Peace Corps after graduation, Felipe believes that the helping skills he has developed as an RA in Aquinas will benefit him in his future.

What would Felipe say to students who are interested in becoming an RA?  He encourages them to go for it with an open mind and guarantees that you will be surrounded by other motivated people from whom you can learn so much.

Meet Taylor Epps!

Taylor, a self-described goof who loves to laugh, says becoming an RA has helped her create meaningful connections on campus.  Before joining our team, Taylor was still trying to find those genuine relationships, but becoming an RA has allowed her to connect with other RA’s and be her genuine self.  She has never met a fellow staff member who didn’t take the time to get know her.  A Criminal Justice major from Wall, NJ, Taylor believes that she plays an important role in every students’ Seton Hall experience.  Inspired to become an RA after she felt her freshman year RA was lacking in certain areas, Taylor has made it a goal to build relationships and create connections with her residents in Xavier Hall.  She enjoys grabbing lunch or dinner with her residents and recently offered a “Scavenger Hunt” program to our upperclassmen in Xavier.  Academically, Taylor is ahead of the game, already a second semester Sophomore credits-wise in her first semester of Sophomore year.  She is involved in a number of organizations on campus, including the Black Student Union, the Silent Praise Dance Ministry, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

When asked what she wants prospective RA’s to know, Taylor thinks it’s important that students think deeply about their motives for applying.  Although RA’s do receive free room and board, she thinks the value of the position lies in helping students, creating relationships, and improving the Seton Hall residential experience.

 

 

Check your email for your Room Assignment Information!

Hi Pirates!   

Please check your SHU Email to view your room assignment information (including your roommate(s) name(s) and your selected meal plan.

For freshmen and transfers, your assignment email included an important parking pass for move in day.  You can also print out a copy here: Move in bulletin and dashboard parking pass if you’ve misplaced the one in your email.

Just to go over some important dates:

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017 – Bills are due for the Fall semester

Friday, August 4th, 2017 – Early Arrival Requests Due

Sunday, August 20th, 2017 – Approved Early Arrivals may begin moving in

Thursday, August 24th, 2017 – Freshmen and Transfers Move-In Day

Friday, August 25th – Upperclass Student Move-In Day

Monday, August 28th – First Day of Classes!

 

Enjoy the rest of your summer, Pirates!

Freshmen Roommate Selection

We are so excited to have you join us on campus this Fall. If you are planning to live in University housing, you have until 10pm on July 4th to select a roommate (or two, or up to five suitemates), if there’s someone out there with whom you’d like to live. If you haven’t found someone to room with just yet, don’t worry! We can use the answers you’ve provided on your housing application to match you up with someone who will best contribute to your experience on campus.

Check out this website for a guide to picking a good roommate: https://www13.shu.edu/offices/housing-residence-life/freshmen-roommate-selection.cfm

For those of you who are ready to select a roommate, please follow the instructions on this Prezi to guide you through the process: http://tinyurl.com/SHURoommate

 

Pirate Preview Parent Presentation (say that 5 times fast!)

Hi Pirate Parents!

If you came to our Pirate Preview Parent Presentation, I promised I’d post our Powerpoint for your reference.

Or if you missed out on Pirate Preview, feel free to take a look and learn a little more about Housing & Residence Life.

Be sure to follow this blog for important updates throughout your Pirates’ journey at Seton Hall.

Pirate Preview 2017

Roommate Selection Tips

A Guide to Finding a Roommate

The following information is meant to help you navigate the process of selecting a roommate who will best fit your living habits and expectations.  It provides good rules for being a good roommate and questions to consider when talking to someone about living together.  Please read this over carefully.  Remember, not all best friends make the best roommates, and not all roommates will make the best friends, but with some help from this guide and communication of expectations, your experience living together can be one that is mutually beneficial and smooth sailing!

Overview: Golden Rules to Keep in Mind

  1. Be clear from the beginning.
    Do you know in advance that you hate it when someone hits the snooze button fifteen times every morning? That you’re a neat freak? That you need ten minutes to yourself before talking to anyone after you wake up? Let your roommate know as soon as you can about your little quirks and preferences. It’s not fair to expect him or her to pick up on them right away, and communicating what you need is one of the best ways to eliminate problems before they become problems.
  2. Address things when they’re little.
    Is your roommate always forgetting her stuff for the shower, and taking yours? Are your clothes being borrowed faster than you can wash them? Addressing things that bug you while they’re still little can help your roommate be aware of something she may not otherwise know. Addressing little things is much easier than addressing them after they’ve become big.
  3. Respect your roommate’s stuff.
    This may seem simple, but it’s probably one of the biggest reasons why roommates experience conflict. Don’t think he’ll mind if you borrow his cleats for a quick soccer game? For all you know, you just stepped over an uncross-able line. Don’t borrow, use, or take anything without getting permission first.
  4. Be careful of who you bring into your room — and how often. You may love having your study group into your room, but your roommate may not. Be mindful of how often you bring people over. If your roommate studies best in the quiet and you study best in a group, can you alternate who hits the library and who gets the room?
  5. Lock the door and windows.
    This may seem like it has nothing to do with roommate relationships, but how would you feel if your roommate’s laptop got stolen during the ten seconds it took you to run down the hall? Or vice-versa? Locking your door and window s is a critical part of keeping safe on campus.
  6. Be friendly, without expecting to be best friends.
    Don’t go into your roommate relationship thinking that you are going to be best friends for the time you’re at school. It may happen, but expecting it sets both of you up for trouble. You should be friendly with your roommate but also make sure you have your own social circles.
  7. Be open to new things.
    Your roommate may be from someplace you’ve never heard of. They may have a religion or lifestyle that is completely different from your own. Be open to new ideas and experiences, especially as it relates to what your roommate brings into your life. That’s why you went to college in the first place, right?!
  8. Be open to change.
    You should expect to learn, grow, and change during your time at school. And the same should happen to your roommate, if all goes well. As the semester progresses, realize things will change for both of you. Be comfortable addressing things that unexpectedly come up, setting new rules, and being flexible to your changing environment.
  9. Address things when they’re big.
    You may not have been totally honest with tip #2. Or you may suddenly find yourself with a roommate who goes wild after being shy and quiet the first two months. Either way, if something gets to be a big problem quickly, deal with it as soon as you can.  If you need help, ask your RA, Residence Coordinator, or Residence Hall Director.
  10. If nothing else, follow the Golden Rule.
    Treat your roommate like you’d like to be treated. No matter what your relationship is at the end of the year, you can take comfort knowing you acted like an adult and treated your roommate with respect.

Download a list of good questions to ask potential roommates.

Information taken from:  http://collegelife.about.com/od/beforeyouarrive/qt/roommatetips.htm

Clean up, clean up, everyone, everywhere!

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As we wrap up the fall semester, HRL would like to remind residents to clean up their rooms. If your roommate isn’t coming back to housing next semester, it is important that you clean up your side of the room, as you could be getting a new roommate! Remember, HRL reserves the right to reassign Residents during the semester in order to consolidate vacant spaces and to increase room occupancy.

Help us welcome our new students’ home at the Hall! Please put all of your belongings on your side of the room, clean up the bathroom, and if you feel so inclined, write them a welcome note! If you have any questions, please see your RA or in Hall Staff!!

Housing and Residence Life kicks off RA Selection for 2017-2018!

Housing and Residence Life is happy to announce that Resident Assistant Selection has begun for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Resident Assistants are student para-professionals who are trained to offer support to our residents throughout the year.  They offer programs, serve as a resource and confront policy violations in the halls.  They are an integral part in our office’s mission to provide living and learning communities for our residents.

If any student is interested in becoming a Resident Assistant, they are invited to attend one of the mandatory information sessions listed below.  If one of our current Resident Assistants or professional staff members thinks an individual will make a great addition to our staff, our staff are giving out reference cards to encourage attendance at an information session.

Applications, which will be distributed at the information session, will be due January 20th, 2017 at 12 PM.

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If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Eric Mochnacz, Assistant Director for Training and Development, at eric.mochnacz@shu.edu or stop by 68 Duffy Hall to speak with him.