Students petting golden retriever on campus

Office of Residential Life

An All-Around College Experience

At LVC, your residential life experience is an integral part of your education; our residential life staff work hard to ensure you have the best time possible while living on campus. We provide a safe, supportive environment that complements your academics while encouraging life skill development you’ll take with you long after graduation—like communication, problem resolution, personal and shared responsibility, and respect for the people you live with.

All LVC students, from first-years to seniors, are required to live on campus, unless you are enrolled as a commuting student. If you are a residential student, you must have a residential meal plan. More information about residency and commuter policies are available in the FAQ below.

Student housing, meal plans, and dining options may have to be modified before and/or during the semester to address health and safety concerns and/or to comply with risk mitigation strategies. As a student, you accept full financial responsibility for housing and meal plan charges, regardless of any such changes. In the event that the College is unable to provide housing or meals during a portion of the semester due to the effects of COVID-19 or other circumstances beyond the College’s reasonable control, the College will determine the amount of any housing or meal plan charges to be refunded.

You can contact the Office of Residential Life at res-life@lvc.edu or 717-867-6230.

Residential Life Staff Roles & Responsibilities

The Director of Residential Life is responsible for keeping LVC’s residential life running smoothly, including overseeing the operation of all residential facilities and administering all residential life policies. The director is also the supervisor for all student and professional residential life staff, and develops programs that make living on campus fun and productive.

The Associate Director of Residential Life lives on campus and supervises residential facilities and the residence assistants (RAs), ensuring that all students living on campus have a safe and enjoyable experience. They are also responsible for selecting RAs and developing educational programming.

The Area Coordinator (AC) lives on campus and helps the associate director create a secure and fun student living experience by supervising residential facilities and RAs, and developing communities and programs within the residence halls that enhance students’ time at LVC.

Resident Assistants (RAs) are undergraduate students who serve as peer leaders and mentors for LVC residential students, helping to create a safe, supportive, and rewarding living environment. RAs are trained and employed by the College, live on each floor of the residence hall, and are well-informed about LVC—which means they can answer all questions about LVC’s services, activities, and programs.

Additionally, the RAs help to manage and maintain physical facilities and resident student behavior in support of the rights of all residents to live, sleep and study in their rooms. RAs assist residents with roommate problems, and in planning and carrying out special floor or residence hall activities. Other major responsibilities include getting to know each person in their area; facilitating interactions between students and between students and faculty/staff; assisting in the development of social and educational programs; and familiarizing new students with residence hall policies, College policies, and the rationale behind such policies. RAs hope to form positive floor communities, which have a significant impact on student life. Lifelong friendships are frequently mentioned as one of the significant outcomes of residential living.

Roommate FAQs

All new students reside in traditional residence halls designated as first-year residential communities. After you pay the enrollment deposit, you’ll be notified of your access to the housing information form, which is posted on the student portal.

You’ll then complete the online Housing Interest Form, which we use to identify compatible roommate pairings. LVC offers a Facebook group for accepted students to connect, and many of our athletic teams facilitate connections between incoming players to help with choosing a roommate.

New student housing assignments and requests are honored according to the enrollment deposit paid date. The Residential Life staff attempts to honor requests from new students to live together but there are no guarantees.

As a new student, you’ll receive your room assignments and roommate information by mail in mid-July. New students are not required to pay the $100 room deposit. New students are housed in double and triple rooms in coeducational halls.

Returning students select their rooms by a lottery system for the next academic year in late March or early April. All returning students must pay a nonrefundable $100 room deposit in March to select a room or be assigned to a room. Room selection procedures are sent to all returning students in late February. For more information, see our Room Sign-Up page.

At LVC, we consider the sharing of living space with another person to be part of your greater educational experience. Both roommates are expected to invest in the relationship. We encourage a culture of communication, compromise, and mutual respect, as they are the keys to a successful on-campus living experience. If you and your roommate have issues that you are unable to resolve yourselves, your RA, area coordinator, and residential life director are available to mediate. All room changes must be approved by the Residential Life Office.

You should discuss your concerns with your roommate as early as possible. If you need assistance in addressing your concerns with your roommate, you should talk to your RA or contact your Area Coordinator.

Students in rooms with vacancies should expect to be assigned a roommate at any time.

Residential Life FAQs

As an incoming first-year student, you are assigned a room in a traditional residence hall, which we call first-year residential communities. You’ll have all of the resources and support you need to successfully transition to LVC academically, emotionally, and socially.

All students within a residential community will experience shared courses (first-year seminar), in-hall tutoring, and programs designed to assist in their daily transitions.

In addition to select traditional halls, upperclass students can choose from apartment style, suite style, or special interest housing (based on availability). For further insight, we encourage you to view the housing options page.

When a vacancy occurs in a room, suite, or apartment, the remaining student(s) will have the opportunity to choose a roommate to fill that vacancy; otherwise, the Residential Life staff will fill the vacancy. The Residential Life staff may also consolidate vacancies and relocate students to other rooms on campus.

The Student Affairs staff and the Director of the Center for Accessibility Resources evaluate documented conditions and make reasonable housing accommodations. Special housing accommodations will be made only in situations where the documentation clearly indicates that the accommodation is medically necessary.

If you require housing accommodations and are a returning student, we encourage you to contact the Student Affairs Office prior to room sign-up in March; new students should contact the office in early June.

Yes. LVC is a four-year residential college and believes that an LVC education is the holistic result of curricular and co-curricular experiences in class, on campus, and in the residences. As such, all first-year students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are required to live on campus, unless they are enrolled as a commuting student.

All resident students must have a residential meal plan.

The College provides housing to currently enrolled full-time undergraduate students who have not completed an undergraduate degree. If you are a ninth-semester senior who has not completed an undergraduate degree, you may appeal to the Director of Residential Life for on-campus housing.

To be considered a commuter, a student must live within a 30-mile radius of campus and commute from their parent(s)/guardian’s home or permanent residence daily. The change of housing status form can be obtained from the Office of Residential Life.

The form requires a parent or legal guardian’s signature and must be received in the Office of Residential Life by July 1 for the fall semester and by December 1 for the spring semester.

Students listed as a commuter and later found living in off-campus quarters will be assigned a room and meal plan on campus and charged accordingly.

Residential life staff include professional staff and student resident assistants (RAs). They are responsible for promoting a safe and supportive residential environment that provides educational opportunities for students. There are RAs living on each residence hall floor and professional staff members who live across campus. Professional staff oversee the administration and operation of residence halls and the supervision of the RAs.

For health and safety reasons, all college-owned residential facilities are clean air communities. In accordance with this standard, the burning of substances (candles, incense, tobacco, etc.) is not allowed in any residential facility.

The College sets the maximum hours for room visitation. To encourage harmonious living situations, roommates must approve of all guests visiting the residence hall room.

Events and activities are initiated by the RAs, area coordinators, and residents. This includes social, cultural, and educational programs such as outside speakers, campus presenters, movies, discussions, games, and study breaks, etc.

Each year, students receive housing information from Student Affairs early in the spring semester outlining the overall housing selection process. Each student must pay a $100 non-refundable room deposit by late February or early March in order to participate in the housing selection process.

Students select housing based on a randomly generated lottery number, which is based on completed credit hours. Only students who have paid the room deposit will be in the lottery.

What to Bring & Room Decor FAQs

Room layouts including dimensions are available for students to view in MyLVC.

All student rooms are furnished with a standard bed, dresser, desk, and a desk chair. Most rooms have a shelf to place your books. In addition, each room has appropriate closet space for each occupant. To ensure an equitable distribution of resources, room furnishings must remain in their designated rooms. LVC Residence Life can provide pins to bunk the beds in residence halls where this is permitted (Mary Green and Silver beds cannot be bunked due to ceiling height).

Air conditioning varies across residence halls. Funkhouser, Mary Green, Silver, and Stanson have air conditioning in the rooms. Vickroy, Hammond, and Keister has air conditioning in the hallways that helps to cool the building. No window or portable air conditioning units are allowed.

3M products including Command Strips and putty are the best options for hanging anything on the wall. No nails/hooks/screws are permitted. Fabric may not be hung from ceilings or draped on walls. LED and fairy lights are permitted.

Refrigerators are allowed (maximum capacity of 4.9 cubic feet). A microwave (max 700 watts) and a small Keurig are also allowed. No other cooking appliances, including air fryers, of any kind are permitted.

Televisions, stereos, computers, and small personal items (e.g., blow dryers, curling irons, etc.) are also allowed.

If you are using an extension cord or multiple outlet, please use only UL-approved cords, which have their own internal fuse and act as a surge suppressor. Each room is allowed one refrigerator and one microwave.

All beds on campus are twin XL—except for Vickroy that has twin beds. Mattresses are approximately six inches thick.

Bed risers are permitted. There is a clearance of about 6-8 inches under the bed frame in most residence halls. Bed frames are not adjustable for height and are made of wood. LVC Residence Life can provide pins to bunk the beds in residence halls where this is permitted (Mary Green and Silver beds cannot be bunked due to ceiling height).

While rugs are not required, some students prefer to have a rug in their center of their room. An 8×10 size rug works well in most spaces.

  • Rooms include blinds, but some students also choose to bring black-out style curtains.
  • Ethernet cord for faster internet connection (wifi is available in the residence halls)
  • Multiple extension cords and surge protectors of varying lengths
  • Shower curtain and rod to cover the closet
  • Broom/Swiffer
  • Clothing steamer
  • Foldable step stool to reach higher closet shelves
  • Toiletries
  • Medications
  • Clothing
  • Picnic/Outdoor Blanket
  • Laptop/Tablet
  • Laundry Basket and High-Efficiency Detergent
  • Umbrella
  • Snacks

Halogen lamps, cooking appliances (besides fridge and microwave), and portable/window air conditioning units are just a few of the items not permitted in the residence halls. Others include: air fryers, alcohol, weapons, dartboards, lofts, nails/hooks/screws, pets other than fish, large furniture, and desk chairs.

For health and safety reasons, all college-owned residential facilities are clean air communities. In accordance with this standard, the burning of substances (candles, incense, tobacco, vaping, etc.) is not allowed in any residential facility.

As a student, you are responsible for cleaning your own room. This includes taking your recyclables and trash to the appropriate containers in your hall. Housekeeping personnel clean residence hall lounges, bathrooms, hallways, and all public areas. Vacuums are available in each residence hall. Some students also keep a broom or Swiffer in their room.

Yes, you need to bring your own trash can and liners/bags for the can. A recycling can is provided, but no liners.

Students living on campus have Xfinity cable service that also includes streaming access. TVs are not allowed to be mounted in the room. Some students place televisions on their dressers, other purchase small stands and place the TV between the beds. There is no restriction on size of TVs, but please keep in mind the space availability.

While rooms are arranged in the optimum setup at move-in, you are welcome to move furniture around to suit your preferences. LVC Residence Life can provide pins to bunk the beds in residence halls where this is permitted (Mary Green and Silver beds cannot be bunked due to ceiling height). Please note all furniture must remain in your room.

LVC does not placed students in forced triples. All triple rooms on campus are designed for three students and include three standard beds, dressers, desks, and desk chairs along with shelves for books and closet space for three students.

Each residence hall has laundry facilities that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Washers and dryers do not require any coins or money to operate. You must provide your own laundry detergent. All machines require high-efficiency (HE) detergent.

The most secure way to send mail and packages to campus is to use this address:

Student Name
Lebanon Valley College
101 N. College Avenue
Annville, PA 17003

Mail sent this way will be routed through LVC’s Mail Room and students will receive an email when they have mail or a package to be picked up.

LVC does not provide storage areas in the residence halls, but you may rent storage space from a local storage vendor.

Safety & Security FAQs

Yes. Each room in College-owned housing has an individual lock. Additionally, each building has its own outdoor locking system. Students are issued both a room key and a front door key. Where card access is available, rather than issue a front door key, students use their student ID card to gain access to their specific residence hall.

Students are responsible for the care and safety of personal property. The College is not responsible for loss, theft, or damage to personal property. We recommend each student obtain insurance coverage against loss or damage of personal property.

If you bring valuable equipment with you, we encourage you to record all serial and model numbers. When you leave your room, make sure you lock the door.

For the protection of students living in the residence halls, periodic fire drills are conducted. In addition, formal Fire, Health, and Safety Inspections (FHSI) are conducted by members of the Residential Life Staff each semester. In conjunction, residence hall fire safety equipment is periodically inspected by Facilities Services.

To keep LVC safe and fire-free, we ask all students not to bring halogen lamps to campus and not to burn candles in their rooms.

At all times, residential facilities are locked. Students are issued a key for their rooms and in halls that have yet to change over to card access, one for the entrance door of their residence hall.

As a community, it is responsibility of all of us to help keep LVC safe. That’s why we ask you to lock your room door whenever you leave, never prop open the exit doors of your residence hall, and immediately report any lost key to an area coordinator or RA.

Campus Safety personnel regularly patrol campus grounds at night and provide personal safety escorts for students. Emergency blue light phones which are located throughout campus are connected directly to campus safety personnel’s phones. The College is continuously assessing its environment and completes a campus lighting and shrubbery audit each year.