Housing contracts & assignments

Students living on campus must submit a housing contract.

View room and board rates for each residence hall

Housing contract

All students required to live on-campus must complete and digitally sign a housing contract. The housing contract is for the fall and spring semesters of that academic year. Contracts are binding for the contracted time period and generally will not be cancelled as long as the student remains enrolled at Columbia College. Admitted students will be able to submit an electronic contract via The Housing Portal . Use your CC credentials to log-in. All returning students will receive information from the Office of Residential Life regarding the renewal process. No student can sign up for a residence hall space until a housing contract has been submitted. Questions regarding the housing contract should be addressed to the Director of Residential Life.

Roommate and room selection process:

In March, students may begin self-selecting their residence hall and room for fall semester. Students are able to search for a potential roommate by name or browse attributes they desire in a potential roommate. Once a roommate match is made, a student can proceed to select a room based on the timeline mentioned above. When selecting a room, students can view a roster of room numbers and students' names.

Some parameters have been set based on sex and new/returning students space. When logging in, available rooms will be displayed based on those parameters.

Students who choose not to select a specific space will be automatically placed in mid-July.

Please be aware that all assignments are subject to change.

Housing for students with disabilities

Columbia College recognizes that students with disabilities who live on campus may have special needs that require special accommodations. Any student with a special need is asked to contact the Office of Residential Life to discuss their situation. Columbia College is committed to finding solutions and offering assistance and accommodations.

Tips for living with roommates

Before you arrive at Columbia College

Make contact with your roommate to discuss what each of you is bringing to your new space.
Pay attention to your own habits. Are you clean? Messy? Do you go to bed early or stay up late? Realize now that your roommate is going to be different from you.
Set realistic expectations about your roommate relationship. Do you expect to be best friends? What if that doesn’t happen? Remember, best friends are not always suited to live together.
Think about what you can compromise on. For example, if your roommate wants to watch TV, are you willing to study in the lounge rather than in your room?
Be aware that first impressions may not always be accurate. While Facebook and other social media are fun, they often do not give an accurate representation of another person. Keep an open mind and expect a few surprises.

Once you are on campus

Hang out with your roommate. Do things together such as going to orientation and residence hall activities and eating in the dining hall. Bond over shared experiences.
Take your roommate/ apartment mate agreement seriously. This is your chance to set ground rules for your living space. Feel free to talk about any issues that come up. (Residential students must complete a roommate/ apartment mate agreement within the first month of the semester).
Remember that communication is the key to a successful roommate relationship. If you are having troubles with your roommate, address the specific behaviors that are bothersome. Remember, the Residential Life staff is always available to help you resolve roommate issues.

Agreement

Using the roommate/apartment mate agreement that you will receive the first week of the semester as a guide, talk with your roommate about your preferences immediately. Are you an early riser? Does your roommate like to listen to loud music? Do you require complete silence when working on assignments? Discussing these preferences can help you establish helpful ground rules at the beginning of your relationship.

Compromise

Living together involves the blending of lives and lifestyles. You may have similar or very different personalities, values or habits. For instance, your roommate may not start working on homework until late, while you prefer to be finished and in bed early. In this situation, you will need to find a compromise. A compromise does not mean one person is surrendering to another person; it means that two people are working together toward a solution both can accept.

Communication

If you are frustrated about something, tell your roommate. Your roommate can’t read your mind any better than you can read his or hers. Problems will arise; that’s to be expected. The best advice is to just talk it out. Communicating doesn’t mean being critical or nitpicking. Instead, it means being honest and open. Choose your battles carefully. Complaining about everything can actually create a barrier to progress. The key to a successful relationship is having balance. You’ll have good times and not-so-good times. Focus on the positive.