Housing FAQs

Housing Resources > Housing FAQs

Living on a college campus is a new experience for the majority of our first year residents. Here are answers to some common questions:

Residence Halls

1. What are Residence halls?
Residence halls are the communities that you reside in! We have 16 residence halls spread across our campus. Please visit this page to learn more about each hall.

2. What is an RA?
The Resident Assistant (RA) aid the social, academic, and personal adjustment of students to the residence hall and Providence College. The RA develops a sense of community among residents as members of a floor, residents of a hall, and active participants in Student Life of campus, serving as a positive role model for residents and peer staff members. The RA enforces the rules and policies of Providence College and the Office of Residence Life & Housing and acts as a liaison and a resource between students and College administration. 

Providence College RAs serve as a team of sophomore, junior, and senior student leaders in each residence hall community. They receive extensive- training and are prepared to provide support and enhance the living environment for Resident students during their time as members of the PC community.   

3. What is a CD or HD?

• Complex Directors (CDs) are full–time live-in professional administrators who are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations for each residence hall or area.  
• Graduate Assistant Hall Directors (HDs) are part-time professional staff live-on campus who are completing their graduate degree at Providence College. 

As an enhanced measure of safety and security, a Complex Director/Hall Director is on-campus, On-Call 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, should an incident arise. 

4. What if I do not get along with my roommate?
It may take some time and effort to adjust to living in a residence hall and sharing your space with one, two, or three other people, but living with people who are different from yourself is an important component of your co-curricular education. As you transition to PC, your Resident Assistant (RA) can assist you and your roommate develop boundaries, set expectations, and work-through any concerns that develop. Building a positive roommate relationship may be work, but we promise it will be worth the effort.

In the event a student finds his or her roommate is incompatible, the Office of Residence Life & Housing has programs and policies in place to help students work through the situation. 

5. Are there any co-ed residence halls?
Most traditional residence halls are either all-male or all-female buildings, with the exception of Aquinas Hall (co-ed by wing), and St Joseph’s and Guzman (co-ed by floor).  Students who live in these buildings are only able to access wings/floors occupied by the same gender.  All apartment and suite buildings are co-ed, but they are single gender by unit.

6. What type of security is provided in and around the residence halls?
Residence halls are only accessible via swipe access of individual students PC IDs. Each student’s room is locked either by card access or individual codes.

Security is present on campus 24 hours a day 365 days a year; they may be contacted for emergency situations at (401) 865-2222. The Department of Public Safety employs 35 Public Safety Officers on campus who are available to respond to emergency situations 24 hours a day. Public Safety patrols the interior of campus including the buildings as well as patrolling the borders of campus. At any time, students may call for an escort back to their residence hall from around campus if they feel the need.

For additional information about safety on the Providence College campus, please visit the Office of Public Safety website.

7. What is Hall Council?
The Residence Hall Council is a leadership opportunity for all students living on campus. Hall Council coordinates programs, activities, and events with the support of Residence Life & Housing staff.  The Hall Council can even propose hall improvement projects!

8. What is not allowed in the room?
We have a full list of what to bring and what not to bring when moving on campus.

9. What size sheets do I need?
All mattresses on campus are twin extra-long and do require extra-long sheets.

10. How high do beds loft to?
The majority of beds on campus have two loft settings with the higher loft setting giving 36 inches underneath the bed. Students can switch between the two lofted heights without need of maintenance.

11. Is housing available during breaks?
Housing is available during all breaks with consent from Residence Life. All students who want to remain on campus during breaks must apply to stay in a residence hall or apartment building that will remain open.

12. When are students permitted to live off-campus or in apartments/suites?
Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors are required to live on campus. Seniors are allowed to move off campus without restriction.

13. What transportation is provided?
All students can ride the Rhode Island public transportation for free with their student ID. There is also a neighborhood and East Side shuttle service throughout the week and weekend. More information is available on the Transportation website.

Dining and Meal Plans

1. What dining locations are there on-campus?
The primary dining facility on-campus is Raymond Dining Hall. This all-you-care-to-eat facility was updated in 2019 with refined to provide inclusive offerings to many diets. Students are able to use their meal swipes and guest passes here.

Alumni Hall Food Court offers various stations, ranging from pizza to stir fry. Here, students purchase their meals with Friar bucks. Additionally, students are able to order food at the “Meal Exchange” station to utilize their meal swipes.

2. What are the dining hours?
Visit the Dining Services website for detailed meal information and hours of service during breaks in the College’s Academic Calendar.  You can find the most current Dining Information here.

Technology/Maintenance

1. Who do I contact for maintenance issues in my room?
If you have any maintenance issues in your room, you can contact FixIt at fixit@providence.edu.

2. Who do I contact for technological issues?
If you have any technological issues including cable, internet, or land line connectivity you may contact Information Technology’s Help Desk at (401) 865-4357.

3. Do I need a printer?
While this comes down to personal preference, most students do not bring printers to campus. All students get a no-cost allotment of printing through the PC Prints system, which includes the ability to print from one’s own computer or campus computers in our labs and clusters to printers available throughout campus at all times of the day. Find more PC Prints program information here (requires login to the MyPC portal).

4. Is there cable television in my room?
Yes, cable television is provided, however, the College does not provide coax cords so you should discuss with your roommate(s) who will bring the cord.

Additional Resources

• What to Bring
• PC UPS Ship Ahead Program
• College Student Personal Property Insurance