Community Living

  • Student playing pool

Living on-campus positively impacts the educational journey students take when joining the Plymouth State University Community. This section aims to provide current and prospective students with information about the residential experience.

Resident Information

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Educational Priority

Recognizing that each student has unique needs and goals, Residential Life & Dining Services is committed to enriching the student experience beyond the classroom through a holistic approach that emphasizes self-authorship, growth through critical thinking, and engagement with an inclusive community. Students who actively participate will have a strong foundation for success as community members of Plymouth State University and on the path that takes them further.

Commitment to the Habits of Mind

Plymouth State University’s approach to developing students in the classroom supports student success and beyond related to exposure and development in Habits of Mind. Habits of mind are a set of four usual ways of thinking or ways of engaging with the world. The Habits of Mind focused on at Plymouth State University are:

  • Purposeful Communication
  • Problem-Solving
  • Integrated Perspective
  • Self-Regulated Learning

Residential Life & Dining Services, through the focus of the Educational Priority, has adopted the general education Habits of Mind as overarching Residential Learning Goals. In order to best develop students through these Habits of Mind, the following definitions through the lens of living on-campus have been developed.

  • Purposeful Communication is the understanding and sharing of ideas, information, and experiences.
  • Problem Solving requires the ability to think creatively, adapt, and extend one’s thinking to develop effective solutions.
  • Integrative Perspective is the ability to distinguish the identities you and others hold to bring together experiences, ideas, and beliefs. It is discouraging the singular viewpoint.
  • Self-Regulated Learning encourages students to intentionally take ownership of their own learning & experiences by setting goals & self-reflecting to navigate obstacles.

At PSU, we recognize that classroom learning is just part of the picture, along with extracurricular and co-curricular activities, internships, and community involvement. We’ve re-imagined our Residential Life Program to create a First-Year Residential Experience (FYRE) that enriches student engagement and the transition to PSU.

Classes typically represent only one-third of a student’s time on campus; FYRE adds important value to the other two-thirds with special programs, increased access to faculty and University services, and experiences that help students find their personal path at PSU.

FYRE benefits first-year students by:

  • Having students live together in traditional-style halls to support social and community development
  • Introducing campus resources and instilling Habits of Mind that help students achieve academically
  • Fostering new and different perspectives that support skill development required for future success
  • Fostering connections with alumni and community members, who share career advice and wisdom
  • Providing a great start to college for all students, including transfer and commuting students, who are invited to group activities.

Study Rooms and Lounges

Need a quiet place to study or want to hang out with friends? Check out the study rooms located in each residential community. Lobby and floor lounges are provided to residents and their visitors for studying, meetings, programs, and community-building activities.

Recreational Equipment

Most communities come equipped with billiard and/or table tennis (ping-pong) tables. To use these pieces of equipment check with the front desk of your residential community, as staff members can sign-out pool sticks, ping-pong paddles, and balls.

Kitchenettes

Community kitchens enable residents to prepare and share meals. Residential Communities have a limited number of pots/pans and other cooking equipment available for checkout. Connect with the front desk of your residential community for assistance.

Laundry facilities are located in each residential area/building. Students living in the White Mountain Apartment Complex area have laundry rooms located near apartments: 48, 61, 78, 124, and 141

Washer cycles are $2.00. Dryer cycles are $2.00. Pricing is accurate as of September 2023 and subject to change.

Laundry services are paid for and controlled through the use of the Laundry Connect app available on the Android or iOS app stores.  Students will need to create an account on the app and link to a credit or debit card to pay for laundry services.  Laundry machines do not accept cash or coin.  Deposits to the Laundry Connect app are administered by our laundry services contractor (Automatic Laundry) and will be reflected on debit/credit card statements as “mobcode 6179694340”.

All washers are high-efficiency, front-load machines. Please use only detergent designed for this style of machine.

Contact information for the laundry vendor:

We are happy to announce our partnership with Eepy, who will provide MicroFridge combination units to those who wish to rent this coming year.

MicroFridge units supply unparalleled safety on campus with their patented 1st Defense Internal Smoke Sensor built into the microwave and patented energy distribution technology that prevents circuit overloads and other potential hazards.

You can cancel your order at any time, and Eepy even offers a 30-day return policy with a full refund after students arrive if they are unsatisfied. So you can order now and check something off your back-to-school list a little early this year!

If you have any questions about the rental program feel free to reach out at info@eepy.com or call toll-free at +1 (332) 345-4044.

As noted in your housing agreement, Plymouth State University is not liable for harm to your personal belongings, as well as any damage caused by students to school property. In an effort to provide its residents with quality and affordable benefits, Plymouth State University has partnered with GradGuard to offer an exclusive College Renters Insurance Plan that is specifically designed for students. Here are some of the features of the GradGuard plan:

  • Theft and Fire Protection
  • Worldwide Property Coverage
  • Liability Protection
  • Replacement Cost Endorsement
  • Preferred Rates for PSU Residents

When you’re registering for housing, you’ll have the option to purchase coverage from GradGuard and have it start as soon as you move on campus!  If you want to learn more about how GradGuard helps protect college life, visit GradGuard.com/Renters.

Plymouth State University Students and Families,

We are pleased to announce that Plymouth State University will be partnering with Dorm Room Movers effective immediately to provide summer storage and shipping services to all students in need. We recognize that the end of the
year can be a particularly stressful time for students and parents alike. Between finishing exams, packing up, moving out and travelling home, students do not have much time to spare.

To help free up your student’s time, Dorm Room Movers offers a hassle-free summer storage and shipping solution. They will pick up your student’s items from their room, store them over the summer, and return them in the Fall. Not returning to campus? No worries! Dorm Room Movers can ship your items anywhere in the U.S. and to over 30 countries.

Over the years, Dorm Room Movers has demonstrated a proven and impressive track record of providing reliable, professional, and top-quality service to boarding schools nationwide. We are excited to offer their services this year, and we know that parents and students alike will be pleased with the value this service will offer them.

Learn more and register on their website to join over 85,000 students that have made life easier for themselves.

Have questions? Learn more, text (856) 369-3676 or call (888) 769-3676

Care Packages & Linen Program

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Residential Life & Dining Services is a proud partner with SWAKu. SWAK University Services is a family-owned business established in 2007 and located in Lenexa, Kansas. It is a nationally recognized fulfillment organization exclusively focused on supporting universities and colleges across the United States. This partnership helps to raise funds for activities and services for residents living in the halls that Residential Life organizes.

 

Linen and Essentials – https://www.swaku.com/plymouth-room

Care Packages - https://www.swaku.com/plymouth-care

 

Residential Life & Dining Services is committed to making sure your experience on campus and with SWAKu is a positive one, so if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of the customer support resources below, with SWAKu, our office, or review the Frequently Asked Questions information provided at the bottom of this page.

 

SWAKu Customer Support is available by e-mail at service@swaku.com. There is also a service form on their site https://www.swaku.com/plymouth-rmoff-contact-us. Text Customer Service at 833-673-9047.

If you have any issues with SWAKu Customer Support or have questions about the program or your student retrieving a package, please feel free to message Residential Life & Dining Services, ResLife@plymouth.edu, or by phone 603-535-2260. We do our best to respond within 24 hours during days we are in the office. If you feel you have not received a response within 24 to 48 hours, please make sure to check your e-mail’s spam folder for messages from campus. If you are unable to find any responses, please free feel to send a follow-up e-mail to request more information.

I ordered care packages for my student and wondered what is the general timeline of when they all should arrive?

Care package orders can vary from year to year, depending on the delivery and the timing of when care packages are shipped by SWAKu and received on campus. Below is a general outline of when we typically will receive each set of packages for students.

  • Fall Welcome Care Packages—Last week of August
  • Halloween Care Packages—Third week of October
  • Fall Finals Care Packages—First week of December
  • Valentine’s Care Packages—First week of February
  • Spring Surprise Care Pages—Mid-March
  • Spring Finals Care Packages—Last week of April

There are several Care Package options, customizable to the needs of you and your student!

 

I spoke with my student and believe their care package should have arrived. Why have they not received it?

When care packages are received by our office, we sort each one by the hall they are scheduled to be brought to by our hall staff and cross-reference them with the order sheet that we received directly from SWAKu. Students are notified by text and email that they have a package to pick up at the Residential Life Office in the Speare Administration Building. 

 

If by chance, your order was processed after SWAKu’s deadline, it means the package may be sent in a second shipment to campus at least one to two weeks following the regular timeline listed above. If, for some reason, you are still uncertain about the arrival of the package, you can always feel free to contact SWAKu Customer Support (information listed above) to ask questions about your order or contact our office directly for support.

 

How long do I have to retrieve the Care Package?

Students will have two weeks from the date of initial contact to retrieve their care package. Residential Life will discard any package not collected within that window, as our office does not have the capacity to store packages for longer than that time period.