Housing Selection
2020-2021 Housing Selection Process Overview
Welcome to the housing selection process overview page! We have a housing application process that allows you to find roommates and complete the housing selection process from the comfort of your own room. Please review this page carefully so you are aware of how the housing selection process will work.
Application
The 2020-2021 housing application is not yet available. The early housing application will be available on November 22, 2019, and the returning student housing application will be available on February 3, 2020. All students will access the housing application in the Res Life Portal, which can be found at the top, right of this page and on the Residential Life website.
Our application allows for matching of roommates based on the answers to the questions in the housing application. Please answer each question honestly.
To get started, please complete the following in the Res Life Portal:
1. Complete the ‘Returning & Transfer Student Application’ or the 'First Year Student Application'.
2. Complete the information requested in ‘My Info’
3. Find and match yourself with your roommates. Only students who have completed a housing application will be able to search/be found in the roommate matching process. Each student in your group will need to match themselves with all the others in your group.
4. Select a ‘Dining Plan’.
Priority Numbers
For returning students, priority numbers will be used to determine when you will select your housing. The highest priority numbers will be given to those students with the highest number of earned credit. Credits in progress will not be considered when determining priority numbers. The highest priority is '1'.
When choosing a roommate group, keep in mind that the priority numbers of all roommates will be averaged to determine when you will select your housing.
Roommate Matching
Roommate matching can occur in one of three ways:
1. You can search for and select specific people you know and would like to live with during the application process. All roommates will need to add each other as roommates in the roommate finder, which is part of the housing portal.
2. You can use the search function in the roommate finder in the housing portal to find students who answered application questions similarly to you. You have full control to focus your search on specific questions or all questions.
3. You can let us use the new roommate matching software to find you the best match based on your application questions. For returning students, this process will occur after the housing selection nights.
Help Guide for Selecting a Roommate
Housing Selection Details
Because we are entering a phase of residence hall renewal, there will be a fewer number of single rooms available in 2020-2021.
When you go through the housing selection process on your selection night, students must fill a complete room. Stuyvesant Hall will allow for students to sign up for one half of a suite (2 students), and Hayes requires students to fill an entire suite (4 students).
Groups who do not have a full roommate group capable of filling a suite (group of 2 in Stuy, group of 4 in Hayes) will not be able to select housing on their housing selection night. Students in this situation will be assigned a room on April 13, and any vacant spots within a roommate group will be filled with another student using the Roommate Finder system.
Students will move in to the new apartments sometime during the 2020-2021 academic year; most likely between the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. During housing selection, seniors will be able to select to live in the apartments. Until construction of the apartments is complete, they will be assigned to live in a suite-style room in one of the existing residential communities. Students selecting this option will live with other students who are also relocating to the new apartments mid-way through the 2020-2021 academic year. If a group of seniors would like to include a junior in their group, that is permitted. However, the average of the group's priority number will go down based on each students total credit hours earned. Juniors are only eligible to live in the apartments if they are living with a senior. Sophomore and first-year students are not eligible to live in the apartments. More information and greater detail will be available as the construction progresses.
First Year Housing Options
All First Year students live together because we understand first year students are going through similar issues as they relate to their transition away from home. In their first year, OWU students will live in Smith, Welch, Bashford, and Thomson. For more information on our housing options, please our Housing Options web page.
Early Housing Placement Process
The following houses and circumstances will go through the early housing placement process, which takes place before other returning students go through the housing selection process. Early placement applications will be available November 22, 2019 and are due on January 10, 2020. Full timeline details is available under the "Returning Student Housing Selection Timeline" below. Students not selected for an early housing placement will be asked to complete the Returning & Transfer Student Housing Application.
| Bigelow Reed House | This house is reserved for students majoring in Business Administration, Economics, Accounting, and International Business. Students and roommate groups comprised of students all studying in these majors will be given priority assignments in Bigelow Reed House over others. |
| House of Black Culture | Students who have lived in the house in the past will be given priority. All other placements are decided based on application question responses. |
| Panhel House | This house is reserved for women in a sorority. Each sorority is allowed 5-6 spots in the house, though spots unfilled by one sorority can be filled with members of another sorority. For those interested in living in the house, selection will be based on credit hour and involvement in sorority or Panhel leadership positions. |
| Honors House | Only students in the Honors Program may live in the Honors House. For those who express interest in living in the house, selection in to the house is decided in consultation with the Honors Program. |
| SLUs | SLUs recruit and select their own members. SLU Moderators will communicate rosters and room assignments to Residential Life. |
| Fraternity Houses | Fraternities recruit and select their own members. Fraternity RAs will communicate rosters and room assignments to Residential Life. |
| Housing Accommodations | For those with official housing accommodations through Student Disability Services. |
| Special Interest Floors | Any other special interest floors that require early placement |
| Resident Advisors/Moderators | Those hired for a Res Life staff role will be placed in their housing assignment |
Returning Student Housing Timeline
| November 22, 2019 | Early housing process applications available |
| January 10, 2020 | Early housing process applications due |
| January 31, 2020 | Early housing assignments out to students |
| February 3, 2020 | Returning student housing application available |
| February 3 - March 25, 2020 | Roommate matching is open |
| March 26, 2020 | Returning student application closed for housing selection |
| March 27, 2020 | Housing priority numbers sent to each returning student |
| March 30, 2020 | Housing selection night 1, 6pm-9pm |
| March 31, 2020 | Housing selection night 2, 6pm-9pm |
| April 1, 2020 | Housing selection night 3, 6pm-9pm |
| April 2, 2020 | Housing selection night 4, 6pm-9pm |
| April 3, 2020 | Returning student housing application reopens for late applications |
| April 13, 2020 | Students who didn't go through housing selection assigned to residential spaces |
| April 14-August 1, 2020 | Late applications processed and placements made on rolling basis |
First Year & Transfer Student Selection Timeline
| February 3, 2020 | First year and Transfer student housing applications open |
| February 3 - July 3, 2020 | Roommate matching is open |
| July 3, 2020 | Final deadline for first year and transfer student housing applications |
| July 13, 2020 | Housing placements shared with first year and transfer students |
Small Living Unit Application & Renewal
The application for new and renewing Small Living Units (SLU) will be available on October 21, 2019. Please review the application for a full timeline and overview of the application and renewal process. If you have questions, please direct them to reslife@owu.edu.
New & Renewing SLU Application
The new & renewing SLU application will be available on October 21, 2019.
2020-2021 SLU Selection Important Dates
| October 21, 2019 | Moderator application available |
| November 22, 2019 | SLU application available, shared with SLUs, RAs, and OWU Daily |
| December 13, 2019 | SLU applications due |
| January 10, 2020 | Moderator application due, SLUs must each have two moderator candidates. |
| January 16-17, 2020 | SLU Presentations |
| January 24, 2020 | SLUs notified of application status and house assignment |
| February 3-7, 2020 | SLUSH |
| February 9, 2020 | SLUs provide Res Life with list of new member candidates |
| February 10-14, 2020 | SLU interviews of potential members |
| February 15-16, 2020 | SLU membership decisions |
| February 17, 2020 | SLUs notify new members and those not selected |
| February 19, 2020 | New member acceptance deadline |
| February 21, 2020 | SLU rosters and placements due to Res Life |