Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about residence life and housing.
Obtaining on-campus housing
What do I need to do to get a dorm room?
Am I required to live on campus?
Why should I live in the dorms?
When can I sign up for housing for the next school year?
How can I request a specific roommate?
Will I get the hall I requested?
Dorm Rooms
What furniture is included in the room?
What should I bring?
What can I not bring?
I like to hunt. Is there a place to store my gun and other hunting equipment?
Do I need special bedding?
Why should I bring a landline phone when I have a cellphone?
What are the sizes of the dorm rooms?
Are the dorms carpeted?
What supplies do I need for the bathrooms in the co-ed dorms?
Life in the dorms
What are some of the activities offered in the dorms?
What if I get sick?
How secure are the dorms?
What if I have conflicts with my roommate?
I’m in college now and an adult. Why do I have to follow the dorm rules?
Housing Information
When will I find out which hall I’m living in and who my roommate is?
How will I get my mail?
What will my phone number be?
What if I don’t get the roommate I requested or the dorm I wanted?
What if I have questions in addition to the ones listed here?
Obtaining on-campus housing
What do I need to do to get a dorm room?
Reserving or getting a dorm room is easy as the housing packets are online. The housing packet contains the housing contract, an emergency contact card, a student health sheet, and a personal information sheet, which is used to match you with your roommate. Once you have returned the completed housing packet, along with a copy of your immunization records and a $200 deposit, the housing office can reserve a room for you for the coming school year. However, the housing office cannot assign you a room if your housing packet is not complete, thus make sure you include your immunization records and deposit with all the papers in the housing packet. Housing assignments are made on a first-come, first-serve basis so it is ideal to get your housing packet, immunization records, and deposit in as early as possible.
Am I required to live on campus?
The only students required to live on campus are students with a scholarship of $500 or more. The exemptions to this requirement are 1) you are married, 2) you are 21 or older by December 31 of the current academic year, 3) you live with your parents, legal guardian, or other immediate family members, 4) you have a handicap that can't be accomodated, or 5) have lived in Pratt County a minimum of two years and established residency.
Why should I live in the dorms?
There are many benefits to living in the dorms. Some of these include computers with Internet access in the lobby of each dorm, in-room wireless Internet access, free Cable TV service (you must provide the cable cord), local telephone service with voicemail, hot meals with no cooking or cleanup, and onsite washer and dryer. In addition, many students enjoy the close proximity to activities and classes.
When can I sign up for housing for the next school year?
Housing packets are available online beginning in March.
How can I request a specific roommate?
Specific roommate requests can be made on the personal information sheet located in the housing packet. If you and a friend want to live together, you must both list each other and it is highly recommended you turn your housing packets in at the same time. The housing office will make every attempt to accommodate your roommate preference, but please remember it may not always be possible.
Will I get the hall I requested?
Housing assignments are made on a first-come, first-serve basis, thus the earlier you turn your housing packet in, the better your chances of getting your hall preference. Co-ed dorms are often full by the middle of April.
Dorm Rooms
What furniture is included in the room?
Each room (except for singles) contains two extra-long, twin-sized beds, two desks and chairs, and two wardrobes/dressers.
What should I bring?
You should coordinate with your roommate as to who is going to bring what as space in each dorm room is limited. You should bring extra long or “campus size” twin sheets, pillow(s), an alarm clock, towels, toiletry items, laundry supplies, quarters, a landline phone, and a trashcan/liners. You are encouraged to bring other items to make your room unique and somewhere you want to hang out. These items may include gaming systems, VCR/DVD players, a fan, a computer, dishes, a can opener, a cable cord (to hook up the free cable), a stereo, a TV, a refrigerator, a microwave, pictures, posters, etc.
What can I not bring?
George Foreman grills, toasters, hot plates, electric skillets, burners, grills, coffee pots, candles, incense, guns/weapons, and animals (except for fish) are all prohibited. The reason George Foreman grills, toasters, and other cooking devices are prohibited from the residence halls is because they are considered a fire hazard. PCC does allow you to bring microwaves, and as you will soon learn, you can cook just about anything in the microwave. As for candles, they are also a fire hazard. We recommend plug-in air fresheners if you need something to freshen up your room.
I like to hunt. Is there a place to store my gun and other hunting equipment?
Guns are not allowed anywhere on the PCC campus. This includes toy guns, such as pellet guns, BB guns, water guns, air guns, and paintball guns. Any guns found will be confiscated and not returned. In addition, PCC doesn’t offer storage. Everything you bring must fit in your room.
Do I need special bedding?
You do need special bedding. The beds at PCC contain mattresses that are longer than a standard twin mattress, thus extra long or “campus-size” sheets are necessary. Generally, these sheets measure 35”x80” or larger for a fitted sheet and 65”x100” or larger for a flat sheet.
Why should I bring a landline phone when I have a cellphone?
While cellphones are a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, PCC recommends that you or your roommate bring a landline phone for your dorm room. Local phone service and voicemail are provided free by PCC, and instructors and PCC personnel often use your campus phone number to get in touch with you since they don’t have your cellphone number.
What are the sizes of the dorm rooms?
The size of your dorm room varies depending on which dorm you live in. Rooms are approximately 17’x15’ in North and Scholarship, 13’x12’ in Beck, and 13’x11’ in Novotny.
Are the dorms carpeted?
All of the dorms except for Beck are carpeted.
What supplies do I need for the bathrooms in the co-ed dorms?
PCC provides a shower curtain, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies for the bathrooms in both North and Scholarship. Often times, students will purchase items such as a bathmat or small storage containers to hold their toiletry items.
Life in the Dorms
What are some of the activities offered in the dorms?
Hall Council coordinates the different activities in the dorms. Every resident is encouraged to get involved by participating in activities or helping plan them. Some of hall council’s activities in the past include movie nights, ice cream socials, games of Capture the Flag and Hide and Seek, Playstation/Xbox tournaments, Fear Factor competitions, and Battle of the Sexes.
What if I get sick?
One of the services provided to students at PCC is the College Health Office, which contains an RN and Nurse-Practitioner for students with health problems or who are ill. They provide a number of services and can refer you to a local physician or other off campus medical resource should you need it.
How secure are the dorms?
PCC strives to make the campus as safe as possible for students. A professional member of the residence life staff walks through and around each dorm several times each night to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents. In addition, full time security personnel patrol the campus, including the dorms, in the evening and throughout most of the night. Both the residence life staff and the security officers can be reached on their cellphone if assistance is needed.
What if I have conflicts with my roommate?
If you and your roommate are having problems, you should contact your RA (resident assistant). Your RA is a student staff member that lives in your dorm and is there to answer any questions you have or help you with problems.
I’m in college now and an adult. Why do I have to follow the dorm rules?
No matter where you go in life, you’re always going to find rules. The PCC dorms have rules to help you make the most of your college experience. We want you to be happy here and have a great experience – academically and socially. With 282 students living on campus, the rules are designed to create a positive and safe living environment for all students.
Housing Information
When will I find out which hall I’m living in and who my roommate is?
Hall and roommate information is mailed out to students the first week of August.
How will I get my mail?
Each student living on campus is assigned a mailbox. Your mailbox number will be included in the hall and roommate information sent to you the first week of August, while the combination to your mailbox will be provided when you move in. Your mailing address will be:
Your name
348 NE SR 61, Box #_____
Pratt, KS 67124
What will my phone number be?
Your phone number will depend upon what dorm and room you live in. Your phone number will be provided to you in the housing information sent to you the first week of August.
What if I don’t get the roommate I requested or the dorm I wanted?
Rooms are assigned based on when you turned in your housing information, thus this may be why you’re not in the dorm you requested. Once you get to PCC in the fall, you can request that your name be added to the waiting list for whatever dorm you would like to live in. As for roommates, PCC makes every attempt to accommodate your roommate preference, but this is not always possible. PCC requires that you live with your assigned roommate for two weeks to give you and your roommate the opportunity to get to know each other. After this two week period if you still want a different roommate, you can contact your dorm parent to request a change.
What if I have questions in addition to the ones listed here?
You should contact the housing director, Joy Schwartz, at 620-450-2225 or Email.
