Housing

Living on campus means convenience, more opportunities to get involved, and roommates and floormates who become instant family. Most of our freshmen live on campus, and they’re happy they do — especially when that Monday morning 8 a.m. class rolls around.

On-campus housing

We encourage you to live in a residence hall, particularly during your freshman year, though it is not required.

Residence halls at VCU come in all shapes and sizes and are equipped with basic furniture, laundry facilities, lounges, high-speed Internet access, air conditioning and 24-hour security. Traditional dorm-, suite- or apartment-style residence halls are available.

Residential support

The first-year experience within residence halls — six are freshman-only — involves frequent social activities, not to mention easy access to a support community. There are more than 40 resident assistants, graduate resident directors and professional staff members who will become actively involved with you, helping in your social and educational transition to the university.

Residential villages

VCU also offers first-year students the chance to live in residential villages where you’ll be next door or down the hall from students with similar interests or majors. In these villages — Artist’s Colony, Doctor’s Lounge, The Boardroom and Clinical Corner — you’ll experience faculty presentations, participate in field trips, take part in movie nights and guest lectures, and easily form study groups with your neighbors.

Our newest residence hall, West Grace Street Student Housing – South, houses students in the Academic Scholars Program in Real Environments — an innovative and comprehensive community engagement-focused living-learning program for sophomores.

A similar residence hall, West Grace Street Student Housing – North, is slated to open in summer 2013.

Residence hall basics

• 24-hour security – Residents must use their VCU ID cards to access the buildings.
• Computer labs, mail service, air conditioning, laundry facilities, lounges and basic room furnishings are provided in all residence halls.
• Students living in the freshman halls must subscribe to a meal plan, except students assigned to the Gladding Residence Center Apartments.
• All rooms are wired for Internet access and cable TV.
• All traditional dorm- and suite-style residence halls are smoke-free. Students residing in apartment-style residence halls may smoke with the expressed consent of their apartment-mates.

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Residence halls

Freshman communities

Students residing in any of these freshman halls are required to purchase a VCU Dining Services meal plan. Unless indicated otherwise, all halls are located on the Monroe Park Campus.

• Rhoads Hall: high-rise, traditional dorm-style hall set up for coeducational living, with each floor designated either all-female or all-male
• Johnson Hall: high-rise, traditional dorm-style hall set up for coeducational living, with each floor designated either all-female or all-male; includes the “Artist’s Colony” residential village for first-year students interested in studio, performing or visual arts
• Brandt Hall: suite-style high-rise, with each suite designated male or female; includes three residential villages:
  • Doctor’s Lounge: for students interested in pre-health sciences
  • The Boardroom: for students interested in being future business leaders
  • Clinical Corner: for students interested in health sciences
• Gladding Residence Center Suites (GRC II and III): four-story complex with either all-female or all-male suites
• Cabaniss Hall (MCV Campus): high-rise, traditional dorm-style freshman residence hall with each floor designated all-female or all-male

Independent living

• The Gladding Residence Center Apartments (GRC I): more independent living option for freshmen, with each apartment providing a living room and full kitchen (Students assigned to this residential facility are not required to purchase a meal plan.)

Mixed communities

• West Grace Street Student Housing: houses male and female freshmen and upperclass Honors College students in single rooms

Upperclassman living

• Ackell Residence Center and the Broad and Belvidere Apartments: apartment-style residence facilities located on the Monroe Park Campus
• Cary and Belvidere Residential College: apartment-style community, with floors reserved exclusively for students enrolled in the arts, engineering and business schools
• West Grace Student Housing – South: brand-new five-story apartment-style community, with floors reserved for ASPiRE, a community engagement-focused living-learning program for sophomores at VCU

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Options

Though every effort is made to grant as many housing preferences as possible, students are urged to complete their online housing application as early as possible to better ensure their first choice of residence hall, room style and roommate. For more information, visit the VCU Residential Life and Housing website.

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Off-campus housing

If you choose to live off campus, Off-Campus Student Services can assist you in locating an apartment, room for rent or roommate situation in the neighborhoods surrounding VCU, as well as other areas of Richmond. The Off-Campus Student Services office is located in the University Student Commons and offers local bus schedules, a kiosk, rental lockers, pay phones and other commuter resources for your convenience.

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