The information found on this page is provided only for participation in the Mid-Year Housing Selection Process. This process occurs in November-December for sophomore, junior, and senior class year students returning to on-campus housing for Jan Plan and/or Spring semester.
Current on-campus residents (for the fall semester) may not participate in this process to secure a room change. The College’s Open Room Change Process will occur in mid-February and is designed to support all room change requests.
All full-time students attending classes on Mayflower Hill are required to live in College-owned residential facilities for the entirety of their enrollment at Colby College.
To participate in the Mid-Year Housing Selection process and secure a space, all students must complete a housing application. To access the housing application:
Application Completion and deadline is 5:00PM (EST) on Monday, November 11, 2024:
Colby College offers several different and unique opportunities for student housing. These are considered Specialty Housing and Theme Based Housing. Several opportunities are available for student consideration based on student interests and/or the corresponding class year. When considering available options, it is important to understand what each of these communities entails fully. We encourage you to explore the information below about each community.
The Civic Engagement Living Learning Community located at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main St. Commons, focuses on building relationships and engaging with Waterville area nonprofit organizations and community members. Junior and Senior class year students interested in strengthening or developing one’s civic identity and purpose are encouraged to apply. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to active participation in community engagement, thoughtful dialogue, and civic reflection.
This collection of communities (located within the Alfond Senior Apartments, 36 Mt Merici, and Hill House) are dedicated to members of the senior class who are invested in creating respect, inclusivity, connections, and personal accountability within their hall. This community allows students the chance to live in independent style housing while still being afforded the resources and support of the College.
Colby College offers several different and unique opportunities for student housing. These are considered Specialty Housing and Theme Based Housing. Several opportunities are available for student consideration based on student interests and/or the corresponding class year. When considering available options, it is important to understand what each of these communities entails fully. We encourage you to explore the information below about each community.
The Substance-Free communities were created to provide a safe and comfortable living environment that supports all students in their decision to commit to a substance-free lifestyle. Students in this community agree to not store any such substances or to be in the community if under the influence of alcohol or illicit substances. Students who select substance-free living may do so for a variety of reasons, including health, personal values, religious or cultural beliefs, and/or impact by addiction and recovery in family or friends’ lives and/or in one’s own life.
The Healthy Colby Wellness community offers students an environment that supports student wellness by providing programming and opportunities focused on the eight domains of health and wellness (Intellectual Inquiry, Physical Wellness & Wellbeing, Emotional Wellness & Wellbeing, Relationships and Community Citizenship). Students are provided with opportunities to explore resources, programs, and options that encourage overall wellness on and off campus.
The Intercultural Living Learning Community (ILLC) is a pilot community that will engage residents in facilitated learning experiences to improve their ability to communicate across lines of difference, deepen their understanding of social identities, and develop the tools for cross-cultural collaboration. Supported by Diversity Peer Leaders, this community will include specific opportunities for participants including regular training and reflections, as well as active involvement in community-building activities and programming.
The Quieter Living Community is a pilot community that supports students who wish to reside in a quieter environment. Residents are mindful of those around them in their community and proactively maintain the lower noise levels both in and outside of their room. Please note that quieter living does not guarantee silent living.
Colby College and its residence halls are a gender-inclusive housing program. As an inclusive housing program, students may live wherever and with whomever they feel comfortable regardless of sex or gender identity. In supporting a range of identified needs, the Office of the Residential Experience is piloting both women’s and men’s living communities on campus. Women’s and men’s housing are defined in the following way:
Students considering the Civic Engagement Living Learning Community (Bill and Joan Alfond Main St. Commons) and Senior Year/Independent Living Community (Alfond Senior Apartments) must meet specific eligibility requirements for living in these communities. For explanations of terms or processes, or for full descriptions of the Code of Conduct, please refer to the Student Handbook.
Students are automatically ineligible for the Alfond Main St. Commons and the Senior Year Living communities if any of the following are true:
Students with specific questions related to their individual Community Values standing at the College are encouraged to contact [email protected]
Should a student group application be declined due to a member’s Community Values standing, all members of selection group will be randomly assigned housing based on vacant spaces across campus.
Colby College and the Office of Residential Experience are committed to supporting students with various living styles and needs. This includes the College’s housing accommodations processes. There are different types of requests and accommodations associated with the residential experience: ADA Accommodations, Gender & LGBTQIA+ Requests, Religious and Cultural Identity Requests, and Title IX Accommodations.
The Office of Residential Experience collaborates with several key offices to review and support possible housing accommodations. Below is a reference for the accommodation/request type and the office/contact information affiliated with it.
APPLYING FOR HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS:
After first completing the “2024-2025 Returning Student Housing (JanPlan & Spring 2025)” application, students interested in pursuing a housing accommodation should then:
After completing this form, students will continue to work with the specific office that supports the selected type of accommodation request. If students are approved for an accommodation or request, they will receive more information about the placement process.
ACCOMMODATIONS DEADLINE: While requests will be reviewed on a rolling basis, due to limited availability, returning students must have all documentation and forms submitted by 5:00PM (EST) on Monday, November 11, 2024.
Students who cannot meet the specified deadline for accommodations will be required to participate in the Mid-Year Selection Process. Any submitted and approved requests after the deadline will be added to the Waitlist and met after the start of the spring semester and when/where space may be available.
All full-time students are required to live in College-owned residential facilities (either on the Mayflower Hill campus or elsewhere in the City of Waterville) for the entirety of their enrollment at Colby College, except when granted permission, in writing, by the Dean of Students or their designee, or through official off-campus housing processes administered by the Colby Office of the Residential Experience.
The process for off-campus release closed with the May 1, 2024 deadline.
At the time of this process, all Colby students were informed that the process was only available to students who intended to live off campus and attend classes at Colby for the full 2024-2025 academic year.
The College is not accepting requests for off-campus housing for the spring 2025 semester only. Students returning to the College for the spring 2025 semester (e.g. leave of absence return, return from study abroad experiences, etc.) will be expected to live on campus upon their return.
As the Office of Residential Experience works to implement our housing processes for Jan Plan and Spring Semester, we would like to find out more information about when you plan to arrive on campus. This helps us determine the possible housing options that may be available for your return to campus.
We ask that you complete the “Returning To Campus Confirmation Form – Jan Plan & Spring 2025” by 5:00PM (EST) on Monday, November 11, 2024. This form will ask you to provide and confirm important details about the timing of your return to campus.
The Office of Residential Experience works with on-campus students to confirm Jan Plan and Spring semester vacancies. Once vacancies are confirmed, the Office administers the Pull In Process and a request form will be sent to the residents with current and anticipated vacancies. Students may share if they prefer to fill their vacant space(s) and potentially identify students on campus or those set to return to be pulled into their room/suite/apartment. A list of students returning to campus for Jan Plan and Spring will be provided to those on-campus residents to help identify individuals they may want to pull in.
Any student returning to campus for Jan Plan and/or Spring who is interested in filling an anticipated vacancy (i.e., being pulled in) is encouraged to contact their peers directly regarding the vacancy.
Important Note On Availability of Spaces: If a student returning to campus is pulled into a space/room that does not open until the spring semester but requires housing for participation in Jan Plan, then that student will be responsible for finding temporary housing until the room becomes available. It is important that students fully understand this in their decision-making as the College does not have available housing to accommodate students who fail to follow this protocol when selecting/sharing preferences. Temporary housing can be in a friend’s room who is not going to be here for JanPlan or is going to be but doesn’t mind adding an extra person to their room.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
SELECTION ORDER:
SELECTION PROCESSES:
AVAILABLE ROOMS:
The Mid-Year Housing Selection process will look and feel different from the typical Housing Selection process you may have previously participated in (usually hosted in April/May). This includes the use of Roommate Groups and Roommate Codes.
Unlike the General Housing Selection Process, students do not need to form Roommate Groups in the Colby Housing Portal. Instead, roommate preferences (groups) may be identified through the selection preference form provided to students on the day of their selection.
Mid-Year Housing Selection Participants may only fill a room/space with individuals on the Mid-Year Selection list, and roommates cannot be pulled from students already housed on campus. While we recognize that this might not be favorable for some students, it does ensure the ability to house all students returning to campus.
Having a predetermined roommate is not required for participation in the Mid-Year Housing Selection Process. Students without a roommate can select only from partially filled spaces on campus, which will be noted on the list of available rooms.
Students selecting a room larger than a single room must complete the provided form and email [email protected] on the day of their selection, outlining the spaces they selected and the students (from the participant list) they would like to live with. Please ensure that you cc all students you are including as a group and include their return term (they can be anywhere on the participant list). You must be able to fill the room to select it.
To help you better prepare for you selection time you are able to bookmark/favorite any preferred rooms, based on your group size. This can be done ahead of time.
To favorite a room:
“Favorites” may be adjusted continually throughout the selection process.
When selecting a space it is important to remember the following:
Please have your roommate group sign you in and make sure to mention to one of the College resources running the information session that you are abroad. Additionally, send an email to the Office of Civic Engagement ([email protected]) or housing at [email protected] so they can send you any materials. Your roommates can share all of the information they receive with you!
No problem! Email [email protected] what you would like to change your preference to, and we will send you a confirmation email when we have made the necessary changes.
All students participating in the Room Draw Process are required to fill out their applications on the Simplicity Housing Portal. For students who choose to apply for a Senior Year Living, Alfond Main St. Commons (civic engagement), Healthy Colby, Substance Free, or Co-Op, there is an additional Application & Theme-Based Housing Form that must be completed. Failure to complete both applications individually will result in being placed randomly in the traditional class year room draw.
For those students seeking a Colby-owned campus house, Alfond Senior Apartment, or Alfond Main St. Commons apartment, but that do not complete both applications, this will result in your entire group being ineligible for that selection and you will all be placed randomly in the traditional class year room draw.
All eligible student groups may participate in the specific Senior Year Living and Healthy Colby Room Draw Processes. More groups/students may be allowed to participate than the total number of apartments/houses/rooms available. Those groups unable to successfully select housing during this time will then be entered into their Class Year Room Draw.
Students choosing to select a single space on campus with another single attached with access between the two rooms may pull in another student. The student with the highest number will need to email [email protected] with all of the details of their request, room #s of both spaces with information of who goes into which room, student name of who they want to pull in, student ID# of who they want to pull in. Then, once you have selected the space during room draw, please email [email protected] again with the same information to inform staff that you have selected and that you would like for the student to be pulled in next to you.
Unfortunately, there is no direct way for you to apply to live in a single. You can only indicate your desired housing (Traditional, Healthy Colby, Substance-Free, Senior Year Living, Alfond Main St. Commons, and Co-Op).
Students requiring the need for a single room accommodation will need to follow the outlined process for accommodations by Friday, March 10, 2023.
Students choosing to participate in Themed-Based Housing (Healthy Colby, Sub-Free, Co-Op) are choosing the overall theme and their connection to it. While some theme-based housing communities have designated locations, others will not until all applications are received.
When Room Draw occurs, students will see which buildings are available and will be able to make their selection.
Please note, students that apply for application-based and theme-based housing are not able to opt out after the building placement and room draw numbers are announced.
Students are unable to apply for more than one form of Application-Based or Theme-Based housing. This means that a student cannot apply for both apartment areas or apply for multiple forms of Application-Based or Theme-Based housing. Application-Based or Theme-Based housing includes Substance-Free, Healthy Colby, Co-Op, Senior Year Living, and the Alfond Main St. Commons (civic engagement). Students are only able to select one of these options in their Symplicity housing application.
Students who would like to live in Colby-owned campus houses, the Alfond Senior Apartments, or the Alfond Main St. Commons, must be in good academic and Community Values at the time they are completing the application.
Students who are away from campus on an academic or Community Values related leave are not considered in good standing and therefore are not eligible to apply for these housing options.
Once students have been approved to return to campus and their leave has been officially cleared they should reach out directly to [email protected] for more information about the appropriate process to gain on campus housing.
Since you went through your Class Dean for this leave of absence, you will have to work with your class dean to have that removed. If it is removed before the release of selection times on November 21, 2024, you are welcome to submit an application and participate. If it is not completed by then, you will receive instructions for receiving a room assignment in December.
