It’s time to settle into your home away from home, and we are excited to welcome you to campus. We know you have questions about when to move in, what to pack or not pack, how to check in, and more. In addition to the information below, keep an eye on your MyHousing Portal, where you will see notes and messages posted, and check your email regularly for up-to-date information.  

Move-in Schedule 

  • The first day of move-in for all residents is Wednesday, August 14th. All residents are eligible to check in on this day, as well as Friday, August 16th and Saturday, August 17th. 
  • Move In 2024 is on Friday, August 16th, and Saturday, August 17th, 9 AM – 12 Noon. Volunteers will be available at Gilbert Hall to assist with traffic flow, unloading your belongings, and helping you get them to your room. These are the best days for Gilbert residents to move in.
  • Several dates are set aside for specific groups that are required to be on campus early. Those groups are listed on the schedule. Only members of these groups can check in on their assigned date. Members of these groups should contact their coach/advisor to make sure they are on their group’s roster for early move-in. Groups not listed do not have a special check-in date and should check-in on any of the three open check-in dates (August 14th, 16th, or 17th).
  • Once you check in, you are welcome to come and go whenever you would like. Some residents will bring only a few items, check in during their assigned time, and then have family and friends meet them at a later date or time to move in fully. This works well for families who can only come on a weekend, or on a date not listed above.

Checking In  

  • Every resident must schedule an appointment for check-in. Appointments can be scheduled on the main page of your MyHousing Portal starting on July 10th. Residents must be assigned to a room before they can schedule a check-in appointment. 
  • You must bring an official form of identification — your UWA Student ID, a driver’s license, a passport or other state/federal-issued ID. 
  • Set up your mobile credentials before arriving to campus. This will add your Tiger Card student ID to your phone and/or smartwatch. You’ll need to upload a photo to the system and add your ID to your phone’s wallet, as you’ll use these credentials throughout campus.
  • You must be registered for classes in order to check-in. Make sure you have paid your university account fully or set up your payment plan before Registration Day.  
  • Check-in location will depend on the day you are scheduled to check-in. You will receive additional information about location of check-in in mid-July.

Your Tiger Card

Your Tiger Card will be used many times throughout the day and is now available as Mobile Credentials. For more info and to get started, go to https://www.uwa.edu/dining-services/tiger-card/.

  • Gilbert, Hoover, and Selden residents use Mobile credentials for their residence hall. It serves as the room key for Gilbert and Hoover residents and will get Selden residents into the exterior door of the building.
  • Use your Mobile Credentials for Food. All students use it in our on-campus dining facilities for their meal plans, and when using dining dollars and Tiger Bucks (including printing).
  • Use your Tiger Card for on-campus laundry. The cost of laundry is built in to your rental charges, so all you have to do is tap your phone or watch on the screens in the laundry room, select your washer/dryer, and get started with laundry. If you want to see if there are washers or dryers available or would like to set an alert to let you know when the cycle has finished on your load of laundry, check out LaundryView. You can change the laundry room you are viewing by clicking on the drop-down in the top left corner. To set an alert to be notified when a cycle finishes, just click on the specific machine you would like to monitor (must be in use) and tap the notification slider to the ON position. There are also QR codes in the laundry room to assist you with setting alerts also.

What to Bring 

It’s easy to forget things, but here’s a quick list of things to bring. For more ideas, check out our full packing list.  

  • Bedding — twin XL sheet set (Selden sorority rooms have full-size beds), mattress pad, comforter, and pillow. 
  • Bathroom Items — towels, bathmat, vinyl shower curtain, and personal hygiene items 
  • Laundry Supplies — clothes hamper and/or laundry basket, liquid detergent or pods, fabric softener, dryer sheets, drying rack, iron with automatic shut-off, and small ironing board 
  • Kitchen Supplies — dishes, utensils, can opener, paper towels, dish soap, hand towels, and snacks. 
  • Kitchen Appliances — toaster (not toaster oven), coffee maker and rice cooker with auto shut-off, microwave (800 watts or less — only one per room). Compact refrigerators are permitted in Gilbert, Reed and Selden ONLY (one per resident) and must be 4 cubic feet or smaller with a power requirement of 350 kWh/year.  
  • Cleaning Supplies — broom and dustpan, mop and bucket or a wet/dry Swiffer, small vacuum cleaner (Reed, Patterson, and Hoover have carpet), air freshener, all-purpose cleaner, toilet cleaner, toilet brush, and a wastebasket. Residents of Patterson, Stickney and Hoover should also bring oven cleaner. 
  • Electronics — computer/tablet, printer (must be able to turn off wireless capabilities as this interferes with university wireless network), TV* with coaxial cable, headphones, gaming system, and surge protector. 
  • Other Supplies — your prescription medication with labels, school supplies, first aid kit, umbrella, flashlight (a must for power outages!), a bicycle with a lock, and a weather radio. Note that scooters are permitted on campus but may not be used inside the halls — they must be carried in the halls to avoid causing damage to the floors. 

*In order to work with the University’s cable service, a television must have a QAM 256 (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) digital tuner. Most flat-screen televisions manufactured after 2009 come equipped with a QAM 256 tuner but some do not. If you are buying a new TV, you should make sure that the TV has a QAM 256 tuner. This is especially important if you are buying one of the following television brands: Apex, Dynex, Element, Emerson, Haier, HiSense, Insignia, Magnavox, ProScan, RCA, Sanyo, Sceptre, Seiki, Sylvania, ViewSonic and Westinghouse. 

What to Leave 

Just as important is to keep in mind things that you don’t need or can’t have on campus.  

  • Alcohol and Drugs — including alcoholic beverage containers, such as bottles (even if empty) and drug paraphernalia. Also, smoking and vaping are allowed outside (must be at least 50 feet from the building), but neither are allowed inside any of our residence halls or apartments. 
  • Pets — dogs, cats, hamsters, snakes, and other pets and animals, not even for a quick visit. Fish are allowed in small aquariums up to 10 gallons. 
  • Cooking Devices — air fryers (even if part of a different appliance), Instant Pots, hot plates, toaster ovens, slow cookers, George Foreman-type grills, deep fryers, waffle makers, outdoor grills and any other cooking devices not listed as permitted kitchen appliances.  
  • Weapons and Explosives — including, but not limited to, firearms, ammunition, hunting knives, swords, fireworks, darts and dartboards and explosive materials. 
  • Items Causing Wall Damage — including, but not limited to, LED Light Strips (causes significant wall damage that results in $150+ in damage per strip), contact paper, adhesive hooks in Gilbert and Hoover (not even 3M Command Hooks), exercise poles and chin-up bars (anything that attaches to the floor, ceiling, wall, or door frame) and nails and screws. 
  • Items that represent potential Fire Safety Issues — including, but not limited to, candles, incense, candle/wax warmer, potpourri simmer pots, halogen lamps, electric blankets, personal/portable heaters, multi-plugs without surge protection, lava and oil lamps and lighter fluid. 
  • Other Items Not Permitted — including, but not limited to, bed risers, loft kits, personal routers, wireless printers, and other electronics that interfere with the University’s wireless network, washers, dryers and other large appliances. 

Tips for Success 

As you plan for your move-in day, here are some tried and true tips from students, staff and families who have learned through failures and successes. 

  • Start now and communicate with your roommate. While you don’t have to color-coordinate everything, you should coordinate with them concerning large items. While each of you can have a refrigerator at Gilbert, there’s only one opening for it, so many roommates share. You can only have one microwave, and there’s only so much room for larger items such as a futon/loveseat, entertainment centers, TVs and more. Plan now so you’re not wasting money purchasing items you won’t need or wasting time bringing them to campus and sending them right back home. 
  • Consider packing only what you need for the first few weeks or what you can’t purchase when you get to campus. You can grab it next time you’re home if you still need it, OR your roommate and you can decide to make a shopping trip together to get what you may need. Overpacking results in having to use more than two cars and sometimes a U-Haul or trailer — these aren’t allowed in the unloading zones making it even harder for you on move-in day. 
  • Use medium-sized boxes and avoid trash bags while packing. Carts will be available at Gilbert, Selden, and Stickney, but not at Reed, Patterson and Hoover. Large boxes can become too heavy to carry, and small boxes result in more trips to your room and back. Trash bags can be mistaken for trash — we don’t want that to happen in the busyness of Move-In Day. Don’t forget to label boxes and items with your name and room number — this is helpful in case the item/box gets separated from you. 
  • Everyone wants their room to look AMAZING, and we want you to feel comfortable in your home away from home. However, when decorating, remember that decorations can cause damage which you will be responsible for when you move out of the room. For Gilbert and Hoover II (buildings 3 – 5), you are allowed to use small thumbtacks or staples (up to 12 across the entire room and none within 12″ of each other) and up to 4 small tacks/nails that are less than 1/16″ in size (tiny!). Hanging heavier items on any of these can result in larger holes for which you would be responsible. Adhesive hooks and strips are not permitted in Gilbert or Hoover II. Residents of Stickney, Reed, Patterson, Selden, and Hoover I may use removable strips/hooks as long as they don’t damage the wall and are removed appropriately at check-out. Stickers, vinyl, contact paper and similar products are not permitted on walls — these will cause damage. Plan now so you save money at check-out! 
  • All beds on campus are height adjustable. You are welcome to raise or lower the bed, as it can provide a great deal of storage space underneath. The best way to adjust the bed height is to flip it over (using two people), tap it with a mallet, and then put it back together at the appropriate height. If you place university furniture, such as the chest of drawers, underneath the bed, place a piece of cardboard or a thick pad on top of the furniture to keep the springs from scratching it. When you check out, you will need to return the bed to the appropriate height (third rung from the top).  
  • Your first instinct will be to start unpacking, but don’t! Inspect your room first. You will complete a Room Condition Report (RCR) online to officially note any damages or issues present when you check in. Before you fill your room, log in to your MyHousing Portal, and click on the link for your RCR to get started. Do a thorough inspection, note damages or issues, and take pictures to upload. It’s easy to miss things when your belongings are all over, so doing it with an empty room is better. This will keep you from being charged for those specific damages when you check out. If you find any issues after you complete your RCR, send an email with pictures and a description of the damage to housing@uwa.edu.  
  • Our Housing and Physical Plant staff members have worked hard to inspect rooms and take care of maintenance issues, but if you have a maintenance concern, you can report it in your MyHousing Portal. Log in, click on RCR/Damages in the main menu, and then click on Maintenance Requests. You can add your work order on this page — use it to report a light that is out, something that may be broken, a slow drain, etc. For emergency concerns, call the Housing Office at (205) 652-3686) during regular business hours or your hall’s staff member on call after business hours and on the weekend. Emergency issues include AC out when it’s 80-plus degrees outside, door locks not working, a clogged toilet if a plunger isn’t working, or the power is out in your entire room. 

Meals & Tiger Bucks 

  • Your meal plan at the CAF begins with dinner on Wednesday, August 14th. The CAF is open for cash sales before the meal plans begin. If you are arriving with a pre-season group, check with your coach/advisor to see which meals, if any, are covered by your program. For information about dining locations and hours, meal plans, menus, dining dollars, and more, check out the Tiger Dining website.  
  • Dining dollars and Tiger Bucks will be activated on the first day of classes. You can add money to your Tiger Bucks account prior to this if you want to use Tiger Bucks at any of our local partners. You can manage your Tiger Bucks account and learn more about all the places where you can use your Tiger Bucks by visiting the Tiger Card page.

Parking 

Parking is available near each residence hall, with each hall having a unique permit specifically for its residents, which allows them to park in the designated area for that hall.  

  • All vehicles on campus must be registered and have a permit. You can complete your registration form before you arrive on campus, with registration opening up in late July. You can find the Traffic Rules and Parking Regulations here.
  • During move-in times other than Friday, August 16th, there will be a few spaces at Gilbert reserved for unloading vehicles during scheduled check-in times only. One person must remain with the car at all times and must move the car as soon as the car is unloaded. Parking will not be allowed on the road, in non-parking spaces, in spaces otherwise reserved, or in any fire lane or the Gilbert driveway area. Cars parked illegally will be ticketed by University police. On August 16th and 17th, no parking will be allowed at Gilbert — you will pull into the driveway, unload without parking, and move the vehicle to appropriate parking across the street. 
  • Orange parking spaces at each hall are reserved for authorized housing staff members only. In front of Gilbert, there are additional reserved spaces for authorized personnel. Parking in any reserved spaces will result in a conduct referral, with sanctions starting at a $25.00 fine and escalating for additional violations. In addition, there is a 15-minute parking space available for loading/unloading and can only be used for up to 15 minutes each time. Violations will once again result in conduct referral and sanctions as indicated above. 
  • Handicapped parking spaces are marked and available only to those drivers with valid permits (must have UWA blue decal and the appropriate state-issued plate or placard). Handicap zones are enforced 24 hours a day, with tickets starting at $100.00. 

Housing Policies

UWA’s Residence Life Guide Policies apply to all University residence halls and apartments and cover such issues as Alcohol, Drugs & Tobacco, Weapons, University Facilities, Community Respect and more.

Check out the Residence Life Guide to learn more.

Mail & Packages 

UWA has a mailroom at the Student Union Building, where residents must rent a campus mailbox to receive mail and packages. The University will not accept packages mailed to your residence hall room. After renting a mailbox, mail and packages can be delivered to your mailing address. Mailboxes are $5 per semester and can be paid by cash or check at the mailroom window. 

Mailing address: 

1 College Drive 
UWA Box (your UWA Box Number) 
Livingston, AL 35470