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Living On Campus

What It Means

If you live on campus during your first year at PSU, you'll be part of the First Year Experience, or FYE, program. FYE is on floors 3–8 in both the Ondine and Broadway buildings. First-year students also have the option to live in the Global Village community on the 6^th floor of the Stephen Epler building. All FYE rooms are furnished, double rooms, which means they come with two beds, two desks, two chairs, and two dressers. Floors 7 and 8 in Ondine include a kitchenette, but all Broadway rooms have kitchenettes. Ondine rooms on floors 3–6 and all Broadway rooms include a private bathroom for each room, which you share with your roommate. Ondine floors 7 and 8 have one bathroom that’s shared between two double rooms.

Meal Plans

All rates for students living in FYE include a meal plan. For updated meal plan rates visit the university housing dining page or the PSU dining site. You can always add more dining dollars, which can be used at the various food vendors on campus, the campus convenience store in Ondine, and the Subway in Smith Memorial Student Union. Global Village does not include a meal plan, but students have the option to buy a meal plan or to buy dining dollars.

Focused on Transitioning to PSU

The FYE program is designed to be a living-learning community that supports the social, educational, and academic programming you will be introduced to all year. The Resident Assistants (RAs) and Learning Community Assistants(LCAs) are trained to help you navigate the university and to address any problems or concerns you may have. The LCAs are only present in FYE and they help connect the living environment with the Freshman Inquiry courses (FRINQ) that all first-year students are required to take. The following are some tips from RAs and LCAs on how to make the most of your time in FYE.

How to Make the Most of It

Tips for success and avoiding problems that may arise within the FYE:

• Complete your housing contract early. University housing spaces are limited and tend to go quickly. There have been waiting lists to get into FYE for the last few years. Submit your housing contract to the University Housing Office as soon as you decide to attend PSU and live on campus.

• Read the Housing Code of Conduct to be aware of the university and housing policies. This will help you avoid breaking housing policies. Click here to learn more about the PSU Housing Code of Conduct. Students who do not adhere to the code of conduct face significant consequences that can jeopardize their academic careers.

• Attend floor meetings to get to know your RA, LCA, and floor mates. This will help you get and stay informed about what’s happening on your floor and in your building. 

• Be respectful. You are part of a community and must understand and respect the right of your neighbors to live in a safe and quite place. This includes your roommate. Strive for open and honest communication with your roommate. You will be asked to complete a roommate agreement during the first week of school to help you and your roommate get along. Conduct yourself in a way that is mindful of the rights and needs of others.

• Choose your friends wisely. If you are hanging out with a group of people that is constantly violating policies—like consuming illegal substances, vandalizing university property, or making excessive noise—you may find that you'll also get written up for violating housing policies just because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong group of people.

• Take advantage living in the middle of it all. By being part of FYE you are in close proximity to all of PSU’s resources on campus and all the activities and happenings in downtown Portland.

 

Where to Find Information

You can get more information about the FYE by contacting Residence Life.

Residence Life Office

Ondine Building,

1977 SW 6^th Avenue, Suite 230

Portland, OR 97201

Phone: (503) 725-2450

Email: reslife@pdx.edu

For general housing information from the University Housing Office click here and for Frequently Asked Questions about housing click here.

Benefits and Advantages of Living in FYE

• Campus Resources: By living on campus you have easier access to the many PSU campus resources, such as:
  • Student Fitness Center;
  • Multicultural Center;
  • Women’s Resource Center;
  • Queer Resource Center;
  • Writing Center;
  • Tutoring Center;
  • University Success, after hours academic support, Ondine 204;
  • All student-run clubs and organizations have meetings on campus. There are over 200 student organizations at PSU.

• Convenience: Another advantage of living in FYE is you avoid traffic and long commutes. Living in FYE, you can wake up and get to class in five minutes (some students have been known to wear their pajamas to class). You’ll also be close to free public transportation. The downtown area is in Fareless Square which means the street car, bus, and MAX lines are free.

• Community: Being part of FYE will help you build community and meet friends. Living on campus is the best way to meet people and it makes it much easier to get involved with events and clubs on campus. Living on campus is also a way to make a large university feel smaller because you'll be living with students who are new to PSU just like you.

• Care: RAs go through intense training to learn how they can make your experience on campus better. They are there to answer questions, run FYE programs, and help you find the resources on campus that you need. RAs also ensure your floor is a safe place for you to live and a quiet place to study. FYE also has LCAs who function in a similar way to RAs but are more focused on academic skill development. LCAs conduct additional FYE programs that compliment FRINQ courses. 

• FYE as a learning community: FYE is designed as a living-learning community. The First Year Experience supports your academic and social transitions by purposely creating connections among academic courses, faculty, and staff. This arrangement reinforces what you are learning inside the classroom and provides you with the opportunity to meet other students who share similar interests, classes, and social activities. Three FRINQ courses have been designated solely for residents participating in the FYE program. Each of hese three FRINQ courses will have an LCA who will be living in FYE and available to you for extra help. The three FRINQ instructors will also participate in residence hall FYE programs and will be accessible to you. There are many benefits to taking a class made up of students who live in your building or across the street. It makes getting notes, working on group projects, forming study groups, and making friends much easier!

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