Living at Southwest Baptist University is a unique experience that provides opportunity for growth and learning. At SBU, your residence hall will provide a welcoming, home-like environment where you will form lifelong friendships.
Each facility is overseen by a Resident Director, who is dedicated to developing and
directing the student staff. Resident Assistants are students who have been carefully
selected to assist you during your time in campus housing. Residence Life staff ensure
that facilities have community identity and opportunities to help create some of the
most meaningful experiences in your life.
Residence Halls
Each residence hall has unique features and traditions. Each residence hall page includes a brief description of the dorm, a video, a floor plan and a message from the resident director. Learn more about our residence halls to find the one that will be the best fit for you.
Housing/Residence Life FAQs
If you are younger than 21, you are required to live in university housing (unless living at home with parents) and may choose to live in any of the eight residence halls on campus. All residence hall facilities are open to freshmen, sophomores and upperclassmen. To apply for apartment living, you must be of junior or senior status, require year-round housing accommodations, or have special housing needs.
Housing assignments are prioritized according to special needs, class status/age, date application was received, and pre-payment fee. It is recommended that you turn in your housing contract as soon as possible, in order to receive the residence hall and roommate of your choice.
Every effort will be made to accommodate student housing requests. Residence Life reserves the right to prioritize housing assignments according to availability and information submitted by the student. Residence Life cannot guarantee that the preferred residence hall of choice will be granted.
If you and a friend wish to room together, you should request one another on the residence hall application. You each still need to fill out your own housing application separately.
Residence Life cannot guarantee that preferred roommates will be assigned together.
If you do not designate a mutual request for a specific roommate, you will be assigned a roommate. You can request a room assignment change after the first two weeks of classes each semester. After an assignment is made, you may not change your assignment without the approval of the Resident Director. For more information, please contact the Student Life Office.
If available, you may have a private room but an additional private room charge is
assessed. Please contact Residence Life for more information.
Freshmen: Move-in day is the first day of Welcome Week. Though not required, you are highly encouraged to attend the Welcome Week new student orientation. If not attending Welcome Week, returning student check-in information applies.
Returning students: Check-in is 2-5 p.m. the Saturday and Sunday before the first day of classes. You must check in with the residence hall staff at the residence hall office.
You are encouraged to personalize and decorate your room. You may bring additional furniture, but are not allowed to remove furniture from the room. Recommended items include:
- Bed sheets, pillows and blankets (Check out the SBU linens program.)
- Towels and wash cloths
- Soap and shampoo
- Shower bucket/caddy for shower items
- Laundry and cleaning supplies
- Trash can/bags
- Television/DVD player
- Stereo headphones
- Alarm clock
- Lamp
- Carpet/rugs
- Hangers
- Mini-fridge (4.3 cubic feet or smaller)
- Utensils
- Crockpot
- Room decorations/sticky tack/3M poster strips
You should bring a power-surge protector strip for electrical appliances. You may bring:
- Mini-fridge (no larger than 4.3 cubic feet)
- Stereos
- Televisions
- DVD/Blu-ray players
- Hair dryers
- Shavers
- Computers
- Clothing irons
- Crockpots
- Coffee pots
- Air popcorn poppers
You are not allowed to bring the following electrical or cooking appliances (except for apartment units):
- Amplifiers
- Halogen lamps
- Heating units
- Open-coiled appliances
- Hot plates
- Bunsen burners
- Electric skillets (e.g. George Foreman grills)
- Toasters / toaster ovens
- Deep fat fryers
- Instapots
- Microwaves (there are microwaves available for general use in each residence hall)
Additionally, the following items also are prohibited in residence halls:
- Candles, incense, fireworks, Scentsy
- Firearms
- Flammable items
- Pets (other than fish)
- Alcoholic beverages or containers
- Tobacco products
- Drugs or paraphernalia
- Any item that may be misconstrued as a weapon
Lofts are permitted but must meet the following guidelines:
- Include original bed frame and mattress (bed frames are 6'8" in length and are 3'2" wide)
- Use 4x4s for the posts; 2x4s and 4x6s for the frame.
- Use bolts, not nails.
- Loft, springs or mattress must be 6' or less in height. Due to ceiling fans, height needs to be 70" or less in Memorial Hall.
- Lofts need to be free-standing (i.e. not attached to walls, floor or ceiling, no wiring attached).
- Keep one-third of room air space clear.
- Keep loft clear of smoke detectors, windows, heaters and doorways.
- Keep flammable materials, such as paneling, tapestries, curtains, posters or fish net, away from loft.
- Remove loft at the end of the academic year.
- Lofts must be checked by your resident director.
You are responsible for cleaning your own room, bathroom suite, and/or apartments. Residence halls with community restrooms are cleaned by the housekeeping staff, but you are still responsible for keeping your bedroom clean. You may check out a vacuum cleaner located in each residence hall office.
The university is not responsible for any theft, loss, or damage of students’ personal property. It is recommended that students obtain renter’s insurance through their insurance provider.
To change your meal plan, you must contact the Office of Residence Life. If you choose to downgrade to a smaller meal plan, you must do so by the end of the fifth day of the semester for which your plan is purchased. You may upgrade to a bigger meal plan at any time. Prices are subject to change on a yearly basis.
Mail is delivered to the campus mail room and will be distributed through lockers in the Student Union.
The Student Handbook is available to view on our website and through the student portal. It provides you with information regarding your rights and responsibilities as a resident of university housing.
The Office of Residence Life is located in the Goodson Student Union in the Student Life Office and is open from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. You may come by in-person or call (417) 328-1885.
Residence Life Services
Each residence hall and various apartment units are equipped with an electronic card
access system. This security system provides monitored access to the residence halls
in order to ensure student safety. All residence halls and Casebolt Apartments have
24-hour security, Monday-Sunday. Residents must enter through the front door entrance
and scan their student identification cards. Please note that the side doors may be
exited but are alarmed at midnight, Monday-Sunday. If your student ID card has been
misplaced, please contact Safety and Security at (417) 328-1556. Misplaced ID cards
must be reissued through SBU Safety and Security.
Internet access is available in all residence halls and apartment units. Each room in the residence halls has at least two network connections allowing each student to have their own individual connections. Each room is network ready, but the student will need to have Ethernet cable (network cable) in order to make the connection from their computer to the network. The network connection allows high-speed access to e-mail and the Internet.
Residence hall lobbies and hallways are equipped with access points for wireless Internet connections.
All residence halls and apartments are equipped with unlimited use laundry facilities.
The residence life custodial staff cleans all public restrooms, public areas, and residence hall community restrooms on a regular basis. It is your responsibility to clean your own room, apartment or the residence hall suite bathrooms where applicable.
Specific residence halls are accessible for students with physical disabilities living in the residence halls. For special needs or accommodations, please contact the Office of Student Life at (417) 328-1885.
Adequate parking is provided at each residence hall and/or apartments. You must register your vehicle and obtain a parking sticker through SBU Safety and Security.
Many activities and educational programs are planned throughout the semester by the residence hall staff. You also may get involved in leadership opportunities through dorm council, residence hall activities, community service projects, multicultural services programs, Bible studies and/or becoming a Resident Assistant in the residence hall.
Each residence hall and various apartment units have lounge and/or study areas equipped with lounge furniture and other recreational equipment. These areas are great for study groups, recreation and gathering with other residents.
Each residence hall office supplies basic cleaning equipment that you may check-out at no cost. You may check out vacuums, mops, brooms, dustpans, etc. Toiletry items, such as toilet paper, are provided for students and are available in the residence hall office.