Frequently Asked Questions

APPLYING FOR HOUSING

How and when do I apply for housing?

Housing Applications can be accessed through the Housing Portal on Trailhead (located under the Campus Life tab).

Incoming freshmen students apply for the Residence Halls: April 1 – May 15
Sophomore students apply to live at 1750 Jackson or Maple Hall: February 1 – 7
Continuing undergraduates and graduate students apply as new residents at Mines Park Apartments: March 1 -3
Current Mines Parks residents renew leases: Spring Semester
New Students/Transfer Students apply for the spring semester: November 1
New Students/Transfer Students apply for the fall semester: Summer (May-August)
Summer Residents Apply: April 1 – Summer Sessions

Can I terminate my housing contract mid year?

Once Housing Contracts are signed, there is a penalty for terminating your housing. Students will be responsible for 60% of the remaining balance of their contract. If the termination is mid semester, they will be prorated back 40% of what is remaining in the semester. If you are wanting to move forward with the process, please ensure you are following these steps:

If you are no longer planning to return to on-campus housing, please contact your RA or RLC to ensure proper check-out and vacating process is completed. Please also email housing@mines.edu to ensure you are also canceling your housing contract in writing.
You will not have access to the Residence Halls after moving out and all items must be removed from your room
You will be terminating your housing contract resulting in a 60% cancellation penalty fee being charged to your student account for the remainder of your academic year room rate from your date of check-out.

For additional information about moving out in Spring 2020, please click here.

Are the room selection time slots in Mountain Time?

Yes. The room selection time slots are on a 24-hour clock (military time) in the Mountain Time Zone.

Can I choose my suitemates?

Because you choose your own room, if you find folks that you would like to live near you all can coordinate to try to live near one another or in the same suite. There is no guarantee about suitemates, but you can choose your roommate.

Are the preferences submitted in my application guaranteed?

No. The housing preferences submitted within your application(s) are reviewed by Residence Life staff and taken into account for manual assignments, but location, room type, roommates, suitemates, and neighborhoods are not guaranteed.

When do I choose my meal plan?

All students living in the Residence Halls are required to have a meal plan. You have the opportunity to select your meal plan during the housing application process. The meal plan you have in the fall semester will be the same in the spring semester unless you change that. You will have the first week of the fall and spring semesters to change your meal plan if you decide a different meal plan will better suit your needs. Information on how to change your meal plan will be sent to your Mines student email. Please visit the Mines Dining Website for more information.

GENERAL ROOM & RESIDENCE HALL FAQS

Can I terminate my lease or housing agreement to study aboard?

Yes. Please reference your lease or housing agreement, but qualifying events such as studying aboard or graduating enable residents to terminate housing contracts with advance notice and no penalty applied.

What items are available at the front desk for checkout?

We have the following items: minor tools, vacuum cleaners, dust pans, brooms, buckets, mops, cleaning supplies, ironing boards and irons, cooking utensils, athletic equipment, stamps, magazines, and board games. You can also pick up your mail and packages at the front desk. If you see a need for something we do not have, please see your Resident Assistant (RA) or Community Assistant at Mines Park.

What is the cost to do laundry?

For students living in the Residence Halls and Mines Park, there is no cost to use the machines. You will need to provide your own laundry detergent.

What if I want to switch roommates?

You need to speak with your current roommate, Resident Advisor, Community Director, and/or Residence Life Coordinator to begin the process. If you are having roommate problems, we will always ask you if you have talked to your roommate(s) about the issue. If you have not talked to them, they may not be aware that there is an issue and talking through a problem is a life skill that living with a roommate will encourage you to develop.

What are the measurements of the room and furniture?

To view Residence Hall measurement information, please visit: https://www.mines.edu/residence-life/residence-halls-measurements/

What is the size of the bed and do I supply my own linens?

Typical mattress size is 36 inches wide, 80 inches long, and 6 inches high. Usually, extra long twin sheets fit the best. You must supply your own mattress pad, sheets, pillow, pillow case, blanket, towels, washcloths and toiletries.

Mines partners with a company called OCM to provide a linens service which allows parents and students to find many products including extra long twin sheets, comforters, bath, & storage items. Go to http://www.mines.ocm.com to see the wide selection offered.

How do you loft the beds? Are materials provided? Are rails provided for lofted beds? What is the clearance under the lofted bed when it’s at its maximum?

All of our bed frames are loftable and bunkable. In a triple room two beds are bunked and the other bed is loftable. In single and double rooms all beds are loftable. No materials or tools are needed to loft the beds.

What electrical items can I use in my room?

Hot pots, coffee pots, irons, stereos, computers, TVs, popcorn poppers, hair dryers, curling irons, and any other unexposed heating element items. No cooking is allowed in the residence hall rooms due to the odor, pests, and fire hazards. All cooking must be done in kitchen areas of all buildings and individual units in Mines Park. Slow cookers are allowed, we just cannot have open coils or heating elements in the residence halls.

Can I bring my own microwave?

Yes, it must be a small portable microwave, preferably 750 to 1000 watts.

Can I bring my own refrigerator?

Yes, it must be a mini-sized refrigerator, less than 3.2 cubic feet. Residence Life works with a company to allow our residents to rent a refrigerator for the year if that works better than purchasing one. Please check out https://www.collegeproducts.com/store/csom/ to learn more and to order a refrigerator or refrigerator/microwave combo. They will be delivered to your residence hall room in the fall and picked up in the spring!

Can students use over the door hooks?

Yes, over door hooks are permitted.

What can I use to hang things on my walls?

We would prefer students not use command strips, we recommend blue painters tape for posters and tacks if they are needed. The command strips tend to not be taken down the way they are meant to and therefore pull paint off with them.

How much are fines for damage to walls? What constitutes “damage” given students are allowed to use push pins?

Damage to walls is considered when a wall needs to be repainted due to large holes, paint pulled off or multiple scratches, holes or any malicious marks in the wall. The cost to repaint a wall is $75.

What is my mailing address?

Residence Halls need to have all mail and packages addressed to you in the following way:

First name Last name
Colorado School of Mines
Residence Hall, Room number
1301 19th Street
Golden, CO 80401

For all other addresses, please view this document.

Can furniture be moved out of the room?

No, you may disassemble your bed but it must stay in your room during the year. However, if you disassemble furniture it must be properly reassembled upon checkout of the room.You may bring your own bed, desk, or dresser, but all furniture that comes with the room must stay in the room at all times. The school does not have storage space for the furniture that belongs in the rooms.

Is smoking allowed in the Residence Halls?

Smoking is not allowed in any building on campus. By law, smoking outside the Residence Halls needs to be at least 25 feet from any entrance, windows or ventilation systems. Use of marijuana is prohibited by Federal Law and by school policy. There is a zero tolerance policy for drugs of any kind, including marijuana.

Is toilet paper provided?

Yes, your basic needs will be cared for in the residence halls. Mines has a fantastic custodial staff who clean the bathrooms in the residence halls twice a week, bringing toilet paper at those times.

Can personal items be shipped in advance?

We cannot accept items before August 20, so please be thoughtful when you are shipping to us. When you ship your items, please put your name and building you will be living in on the address. When the package is ready for pick up, the desk assistant’s in the residence hall will send you a pick up email. Please do not pick up your package without the front desk emailing you, as there is a delay between delivery and when they are accessible.

STORAGE

Is there storage space for boxes and trunks?

There is no storage space available for student’s items outside their room, so please be very careful of what you bring to put in your room. Usually, you do not need to save your boxes, as boxes are available from other sources at the end of the year, e.g., Bookstore, Safeway, Golden merchants, etc.

How much does it cost to rent a bike locker?

Bike lockers are $85.00 per semester and $40.00 for the summer. We do not have a lot of locker space, so first priority will go to folks in triple rooms, through a lottery system. Inquire about renting a bike locker at the front desk of your residence hall when you move in.

Does the school have gun storage?

Yes, but it is not in the Residence Halls. If you plan to have a firearm or other shooting instrument or weapon while at school, you will need to contact the Mines Police Department (303) 273-3333. They have storage facilities on campus for your weapons. You will need to check on storage of ammunition with them, or you will need to find storage for your weapons and ammunition off campus.

PARKING

Can I bring a vehicle?

First-year students living on-campus are not permitted to bring a vehicle to campus unless a parking permit is obtained in advance through the waiver process. Students who demonstrate an exceptional need for a vehicle on campus may complete a First Year Resident Parking Permit Waiver form to request an exception of Section 5.2 of the Vehicle Operation and Parking policy. Students who receive a permit from the waiver system will receive one Resident permit to park exclusively in Lot AA.

First-year students living off campus can automatically receive a parking permit waiver allowing the student to purchase an annual campus permit. Contact Parking Services directly to purchase a permit on this exception basis.

For more information, visit: https://www.mines.edu/parking/freshman-residents/

Is there motorcycle parking?

Motorcycles are treated like any other vehicle on campus. First-year freshmen students living on-campus are not permitted to park on campus.