Our Philosophy
Housing and Residence Life plays an important role in students’ learning, whether supporting the formal academic process or informal “life lessons.” In response and anticipation of the learning that will occur, Housing and Residential Life has as a significant goal within our departmental mission by providing “…students with opportunities to grow personally, become globally aware, succeed academically and realize answers to their questions in a residential campus setting.”
We currently maintain about 4,000 on-campus beds with just 2,300 held for traditional first-year students. Given the popularity of South Dakota State’s on-campus residence halls, more students will apply to live on campus than can be accommodated. Housing and Residence Life will maintain a wait list of those who cannot initially be assigned in the event that space does come open. Students can opt to not be on the wait list, but will lose their place and priority if they do so.
Traditional First Year Students
In order to achieve our goal, traditional first-year students are given assignment priority in traditional residence halls such as Abbott, Ben Reifel, Binnewies, Brown, Honors, Mathews, Pierson, Schultz, Thorne and Young Halls.
Current Residential Students
First-year students are followed in priority by those returning to campus housing for a second consecutive academic year; although Housing and Residence Life does not guarantee that all interested, current residential students can be accommodated in their primary preferences. Current residential students may also be eligible to move into our apartment communities. Current residential students have a priority deadline to reapply in early spring, after which transfer students and returning residential students receive priority over those that apply after the deadline.
Transfer and New Non-Traditional Students
Transfer and new non-traditional students are welcome to apply for on-campus housing. Students who are required by State Board policy to reside on campus will be housed on campus, but preferences will not be guaranteed. However, every effort will be made to help students find a space in the hall of their choosing.
Returning Residential Students
Housing and Residence Life is excited to welcome back those students who have lived in our residence halls successfully in prior semesters/years. Whether they have left to travel abroad, complete an internship, take a year off, transfer to another school, etc. we are happy to have them join our community once again. Students fall into this category if they have been out of Housing and Residence Life for a semester or more and will be eligible to live in the same communities as current residential students if spaces remain after we have placed our current residential students and new transfer students if they meet the eligibility requirements for the desired residential area.
Current Commuter Students
Students who choose to live off-campus and commute for their first year and beyond, may find it advantageous to move into on-campus housing later in the academic career. These students are considered new, non-traditional students and are eligible for the same spaces as our current residential students. Should spaces remain after assigning our current residential students, new transfer students and returning residential students, we will be more than happy to assign current commuters to available vacancies at that time.
Graduate Students
Graduate students are welcome to apply for available space, particularly in our upper division housing communities.