Residence Life at Rose
About Our Residence Halls
At Rose-Hulman, all freshmen are required to live on campus, but many of our upperclassmen choose to stay in the residence halls as well.
Why live on campus? It’s incredibly easy to access campus resources such as the library, classrooms, food services and athletic facilities. As a member of the Rose-Hulman community, you’ll be surrounded by students taking the same classes as you, and as a result, are likely facing many of the same challenges.
Upperclassmen are nearby and will be able to provide assistance with homework. If you live on campus, you will also have fewer distractions since everything is provided for you here. Focus is key to success at Rose-Hulman.
But most of all, living on campus is fun! You will make lifelong friends and have stories you’ll remember forever.
Curious about whether or not all your stuff will fit in your room? Check out our handy list of dimensions.
BLUMBERG HALL
Blumberg Hall is a four-story brick residence hall opened in 1967 on the northwest portion of campus. It sits adjacent to sister halls Scharpenberg and Mees. Each floor is built in the shape of an "H" containing 12 two-person rooms to accommodate 76 students. The hall is air-conditioned and features a lounge area, laundry room and vending machines.
DEMING HALL
Deming Hall is located near the main academic building, on a ridge overlooking the lakes and the athletic field. About 80 freshmen live on the first three floors, and 29 upperclassmen make their home on the fourth floor. Deming features carpeted rooms, two large lounges, laundry facilities, ping pong and vending machines.
LAKESIDE
The first LEED Silver-certified campus building, this 240-bed, 75,000-square-foot residence hall located on the west edge of campus is packed full of energy-efficient amenities that reflects the institute’s commitment to sustainability. There are two wings that extend out at slight angles from a glass-enclosed center corridor. Its northern-facing stairwell also is a wall of glass, and every apartment- or suite-style room has large windows – showcasing that natural day lighting is a central feature of the hall’s design.
Other energy-efficient features in the building are: Online energy consumption monitoring system; individual room thermostatic controls; room occupancy lighting sensors; directly-focused room lighting; recyclable flooring materials and a white thermoplastic material roof.
MEES
Mees Hall is a four-story brick residence hall opened in 1967 on the northwest portion of campus. It sits adjacent to sister halls Scharpenberg and Blumberg. Each floor is built in the shape of an "H" containing 12 two-person rooms to accommodate 76 students. The hall is air-conditioned and features a lounge area, laundry room and vending machines.
PERCOPO
Percopo Hall is a three-story residence hall located on the southwest portion of campus. Six tutors and one graduate assistant reside in the hall to provide academic support to students, including one-on-one tutoring, course review sessions, nightly homework support and workshops. The hall has 109 double rooms, each sharing a restroom with a second room. Percopo features a library, classroom, and several lounges and study areas.
SCHARPENBERG
Scharpenberg Hall is a four-story brick residence hall opened in 1967 on the northwest side of campus adjacent to Mees and Blumberg halls. Each floor is built in the shape of an "H" containing 12 two-person rooms to accommodate 71 students. The hall is air-conditioned and features a lounge area, laundry room and vending machines.
SKINNER
Built in 1976 as apartment living on the Rose-Hulman campus, Skinner Hall was renovated in the summer of 2012 to serve as sorority housing. Each of Rose-Hulman’s three sororities, Alpha Omicron Pi, Chi Omega, and Delta Delta Delta, occupies a section that accommodates up to 12 residents. Besides newly refurbished living space, each chapter also has meeting space for activities and events.
SPEED
Opened in 1963, Speed Hall is a three-story residence hall located on the south side of campus with accommodations for 116 freshmen. It has a kitchen, a main lounge, ping pong, laundry room, vending machines and carpet in every room. Speed Hall is named in honor of 1895 Rose Poly graduate William S. Speed.
Rooms in Speed Hall feature updated furniture.
Suites in Apartments East and West contain bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bath.
Suites in Apartments East and West contain bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bath.
Suites in Apartments East and West contain bedrooms, kitchen, living room, and bath.
Bunk beds and desks in a Lakeside Hall bedroom
Each Lakeside suite has its own bathroom.
Lakeside residents enjoy a spacious living room in each suite.
Suites in Lakeside Residence Hall are equipped with small kitchens.
Typical room in BSB Hall.
Typical room in BSB Hall.
Typical room in Deming Hall
Desks provide dedicated study space in each room. Typical room in Percopo Hall pictured.
Typical room in Percopo Hall.
Blumberg, Mees, and Scharpenburg are three identical halls nicknamed “The Triplets.”
Housing FAQ
What are my housing options as a freshman?
Housing options
Women will be housed on women-only floors in Blumberg, BSB, and Mees Halls while the men will be housed on men-only floors in Blumberg, BSB, Deming, Mees, and Speed Halls.
A portion of Scharpenberg Hall will be designated as a gender-inclusive living environment. Gender-inclusive housing is a residential space intended to be inclusive for students in the LGBTQ+ community and allies. This environment allows students of different sexes, genders, or identities to live together within the same residence hall bedroom.
If you want to live in this environment, you must opt-in to this living space by indicating so on the housing survey. Additionally, you can opt-in to this community as an ally. This may place you on one of the remaining floors in Scharpenberg Hall, which may be co-ed (single-sex by bedroom) with half of the floor being males and the other half of the floor being females who support and respect the gender-inclusive community.
Are all freshmen residence halls the same?
Deming, BSB, and Speed Halls are laid out in a traditional, long hallway style. While walking down the floor, you can see each room ahead of you on both sides, and together, the community will share one common bathroom. Typically, these bathrooms will have about four toilet stalls and then four-five showers separated by walls and curtains.
Blumberg, Scharpenberg, and Mees Halls (referred to as the Triplets) are three smaller residence halls that are identical in structure and layout. Each floor is laid out in an “H” format and each end of the “H” has a restroom. Each floor has four restrooms. Unlike the previous freshmen residence halls, these restrooms are a little more private as they only have one shower and one toilet stall. Typically, the six students nearest one of these restrooms would share it together throughout the year.
The recommendation is for students to preference whichever residence hall seems to be the best fit for them. Talking to current students, some really love the traditional long hallway feel (Deming, BSB, and Speed) and the sense of community that comes with sharing a larger bathroom with everyone on the floor and being able to easily walk down the hallway and see everyone. On the other hand, the Triplets (Blumberg, Mees, and Scharpenberg) are smaller in-size and tend to have an extremely close-knit community of friends each year. Plus, the bathrooms are a little more private if that is something of importance.
In regard to room setup, most freshmen rooms throughout each of the residence halls are approximately the same in size and setup. Rose-Hulman will also provide the following furniture for each student:
- twin-XL bed (36”x 80” mattress)
- desk with a fluorescent light attached to the hutch
- desk chair
- wastepaper basket
- recycling bin
- chest of drawers
- closet or wardrobe
- compact refrigerator (one per room)
- linen sheets (fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcase)
How do I request a specific roommate or residence hall?
The online housing request process will be available beginning mid-May. The exact date and time will be communicated to the entire incoming freshman class towards the end of April/beginning of May. Please note that room assignments are made on a submission date/time order of the housing survey on a first come, first served basis.
If you request a roommate, the request must appear on both you and your requested roommate’s online housing form. If there is not a mutual request, your roommate preference cannot be honored. You will be notified of your room and roommate assignment in late July. Room assignments are made on a submission date/time order on a first come, first served basis.
Are all freshman residence halls air-conditioned?
Please note that Speed Hall and Deming Hall are not air-conditioned (except for Deming Hall Third Floor). Residents of these halls are encouraged to bring fans; however, air conditioners are not permitted.
Are students allowed to build lofts and decks in their room?
Students are permitted to construct freestanding bed surfaces (lofts/decks). Beds must be structurally safe and sound. If a student chooses to build a loft or deck, they are responsible for providing their own wood and tools necessary to build it. All decks and lofts must be at least three feet above the ground or at least three feet away from the ceiling.
What is the difference between a Resident Assistant and Sophomore Advisor?
Each floor will have one resident assistant (a junior or senior student) and two sophomore advisors (a current second-year student). Resident Assistants (RAs) get to know you on a personal level and build a sense of community on your floor. They serve as positive campus ambassadors and ensure our residence halls are supportive and inclusive environments. Sophomore Advisors (SAs) team with RAs and are assigned to each freshman floor. They are great role models who recently went through the freshman-year experience and work hard to ensure everyone on the floor is having the best experience possible.
SPEED
Opened in 1963, Speed Hall is a three-story residence hall located on the south side of campus with accommodations for 116 freshmen. It has a kitchen, a main lounge, ping pong, laundry room, vending machines and carpet in every room. Speed Hall is named in honor of 1895 Rose Poly graduate William S. Speed.