Department of Residence Life

Helpful Information About Volunteer Project Housing

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What is volunteer project housing?

Volunteer project housing simply refers to areas of campus housing that are designated for the members of volunteer projects. This system began over fifteen years ago for the purpose of providing volunteer organizations the opportunity to have members live near each other and in a location that allows for regular meetings, work sessions, resource centers, etc. Thus, the program is meant to facilitate the good work of volunteers and is not simply a reward for service.

Where is it?

Originally, only the four suites in Seibert Hall were designated as volunteer project housing. As the program grew and more projects were recognized by the Office of Volunteer Programs, the available housing expanded to all of Seibert Hall and several houses on University Avenue. In the late 1990s, capacity was once again maxed out and several townhouses in the Sassafras Complex were added.

For the 2008-2009 school year, volunteers will be housed in Seibert Hall, two Isaacs townhouses, and three suites in West Villiage D.

How do I get a room in volunteer project housing?

In the past, volunteer housing was given away in clusters to each project and it was up to the membership to determine who would live in the rooms that the group had been awarded.  For the 2008-2009 school year, a completely new system will be used.

The new system will allow active members of volunteer projects to choose specific rooms from any of the available housing rather than only in an area that was designated for their project.  After the review of the project proposals, each organization is ranked into three tiers.  Each tier will have its own housing selection phase whereby the members of each project will be randomly assigned a lottery number within their tier.  Active members of first tier projects will be randomly assigned the lowest lottery numbers, followed by active members of second tier projects, followed by third tier members.

The volunteer housing lottery will take place on February 26.

Does it cost more to live in the single room?

Yes, there is an extra charge of no less than $400 per semester to live in the single room.

For more information, see the project manager of your volunteer organization.