While you may not agree with all of our answers, please remember our ultimate goals focus on the safety, well being, and development of our students. With that in mind, we hope this page is a quick reference for anything you might be curious about and need answers. If you need to talk to us, please do not hesitate to ask.
The Office of Residence Life and Off-Campus Housing’s mission is to develop a holistic community which facilities learning in a safe and supportive living environment that embraces diversity and growth through individual student interactions.
1. Why does it take so long for housing assignments to be completed?
Answer: Our office takes pride in doing housing assignments correctly. We read every student's application to understand the likes and dislikes of each student. Using the information from each application we then search for apartment mates with similar interest. Please be patient with us a little longer.
2. How will my student be notified of their housing assignment?
Answer: All students housing assignments are sent to the students MICA email account. If If your student needs assistance accessing their MICA email account please have them contact the MICA help desk at help@mica.edu. When submitting an email to the help desk, your student should provide their name, ID number, and birthday and request help accessing their MICA email account. An email should be sent from your students personal email account. MICA email accounts will be assigned to all new incoming students by Mid August.
3. Why has my students MICA account been charged for a single bedroom when my student requested a double bedroom?
Answer: All incoming students are charged a maximum estimated housing charge for a single bedroom. Once our office has housed all incoming students, the maximum estimated housing charge is reversed and the correct housing charge is then placed on your students MICA account, no later than August 15. This applies to the fall semester.
4. Why was my student placed in a double when they requested a single?
Answer: Placement into a double or single bedroom is based on the date you paid your $550 housing deposit was paid by the student and not the date the student completed their housing application. Unfortunately every year the request for a single bedroom exceeds the number of single bedrooms we have available to offer incoming students. This makes it difficult to give everyone a single bedroom.
5. If my student was placed in a double bedroom how can they request a single bedroom?
Answer: Encourage your student to send an email to residencelife@mica.edu and request to be placed on our single bedroom wait list. If changes can be made to your student's housing assignment prior to your arrival on campus we will notify them via their MICA email. If we can not make any changes prior to your arrival on campus, we will notify you after the fourth week of classes to see if you are still interested in moving to a single bedroom. Please note only a small number of incoming students will be able to be placed in a single bedroom.
6. Does MICA provide students assistance with moving in an out of their apartment?
Answer: During Fall orientation for new and incoming freshmen and transfer students MICA will have student leaders available to assist students move into their apartment. MICA is not able to provide additional staff to assist students with the move out process at the end of each semester. Each building has carts that can be signed out from the front desk of each building for 20 minutes at a time. The 20 minute limit on the carts provides more students with the opportunity to use the carts to assist with their move and keep the process as fair and smooth as possible. During move out in the spring semester please limit your use of a cart to 20 minutes.
7. Does my students apartment have a oven?
Answer: All apartments in Founders Green (Carter, Glace, Spear, and Leake halls) and Gateway will have an oven. Some apartments in Meyerhoff only have a kitchenette. The kitchenette apartments will have a refrigerator and a microwave. Please see Meyerhoff House floor plans here for additional information.
8. Does MICA provide cleaning for my students apartment?
Answer: Students are responsible for cleaning their apartments. We suggest a weekly cleaning schedule that has been agreed upon by all apartment-mates to ensure the common areas of the apartments are cleaned as needed on a daily and or weekly basis.
9. Does MICA provide linens for my students bed?
Answer: MICA does not provide linens. If your student is living in Founders Green or 1534 Mount Royal your bed size is a twin extra long. Students living in Gateway your bed size is a lofted twin extra long. Please refer to floor plans for Meyerhoff House to determine your students bed size.
10. Does MICA provide toiletries?
Answer: MICA does not provide any toiletries. Students need to buy their own toilet paper, hair products, soap, towels, and any other personal care items. We recommend using Scott toilet paper. Other thicker brands of toilet paper will clog the drain. Additionally, “flushable” wipes do not actually flush down our toilets due to the older pipes in our historic Bolton Hill neighborhood. So, we do not recommend purchasing these for your student.
11. Does MICA provide kitchenware (dishes, pans, silverware, etc)?
Answer: MICA does not provide any kitchenware. Please bring whatever cooking and eating supplies necessary. It is also a good idea for apartment mates to check with each other before move in about who is bringing what for the kitchen in order to cut down on duplicate purchases.
12. I don't want the furniture that is provided, can it be removed?
Answer: MICA does not have storage space available to remove any furniture that is already in the apartments. Additionally, all furniture provided must stay in the apartment it has been assigned to so it cannot be moved to another space on campus or to an off campus storage facility.
13. Am I allowed to drill holes in the wall?
Answer: Homasote boards are provided in every bedroom, which is where students can hang things such as shelving, but the walls are not to be drilled into.
14. What size rug can I purchase for my students bedroom?
Answer: We recommend a 5-foot by 7-foot area rug for the bedroom. However, it is a good idea to wait until after move in to decide on whether or not to purchase a rug after seeing how your student wants to set up their space.
15. What lighting is provided in my students apartment?
Answer: We have overhead fluorescent lighting in all residential halls. You can purchase a floor lamp if your student needs more lighting. We recommend your student first see their space before making any lighting purchases.
16. Do I need to buy a shower curtain?
Answer: MICA provides a shower liner. You may purchase a shower curtain in addition to the shower liner.
17. Where can my student watch cable television?
Answer: Cable television can be watched in the lounge areas of the residence halls. We do not have cable television in the apartments.
18. Are desks provided in the residence halls?
Answer: Desks are not provided in Founders Green, Gateway, or Meyerhoff House. We suggest students come to campus for one week and get a feel for their apartment and their classes before deciding to purchase a desk.
19. Does MICA provide storage when students leave in the Spring?
Answer: Unfortunately MICA does not have enough space on campus to provide storage for students. We suggest you Google search storage places close to MICA using our zip code of 21217. This will give you a chance to look at different places and compare prices.
20. How can my student get their housing deposit back?
Answer: The only portion of the housing deposit that is refundable is the $250 damage deposit (the $300 reservation deposit is non-refundable). The student must send an email to residencelife@mica.edu requesting a refund of the damage deposit. This should be done once the student knows they no longer live on campus. Our office can reverse the charge on your students MICA account. Student Accounts can issue your refund check once our office reverses the charge. Student Accounts can be contacted at 410-225-2356 or studentaccounts@mica.edu.
21. What is gender inclusive housing?
Answer: There are some students for whom traditional, same-sex room assignments are not ideal or appropriate, and MICA believes it is important that housing policies evolve to meet the needs of students to create an inclusive, diverse, and safe environment. Gender inclusive housing provides options for a variety of students that includes but is not limited to:
- students that feel uncomfortable rooming with members of the same sex
- transgender students in the process of discovering their gender identity
- students who feel they would be more compatible with a roommate of a different sex or gender
- and students who do not want sex or gender to be a primary factor in choosing an apartment-mate.
This housing policy helps create an environment that recognizes, appreciates, and respects the diverse nature of the MICA community. We also hope this housing option will give students a greater chance of finding a more compatible apartment-mate.
22. Who will be able to apply for gender inclusive housing?
Answer: This option will be available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors through the housing selection process in the spring of each academic year. New incoming freshmen and transfer students will be able to indicate that they are interested in gender inclusive housing via email. All new incoming freshmen and transfer students should email residencelife@mica.edu by July 1 (for fall) and December 15 (for spring) of the current year to indicate a preference for gender inclusive housing. Students who wish to take advantage of the gender inclusive housing policy have the option of choosing an apartment-mate of any gender identity or gender expression. The Office of Residence Life encourages new incoming freshmen and transfers students to discuss this decision with their parent or guardian.
23. What if parents don't want their child to live in a gender-neutral housing space? Are parents notified if their child opts for gender-neutral housing?
Answer: MICA encourages students to maintain an open dialogue with their families so that family members can be supportive of a student's housing decision. Students over the age of 18 are legally able to make decisions about their housing assignment. It is the student's decision whether or not to tell their parents or guardians. Our office will not notify parents or guardians of the students decision to select gender inclusive housing. It is up to the student to notify their parent or guardian. Students under 18 should discuss housing plans with their families, as they must provide parental consent.
24. What items are suggested to purchase for the apartment?
Answer: Check out our suggested What-to-Bring list.
25. Does my student need to use high efficiency laundry detergent in the washing machines within the residence halls?
Answer: Your student can use high efficiency or non high efficiency washing detergent.
26. What happens if my students belongings are damaged within the residence halls?
Answer: MICA is not responsible for the loss of or damage to students' personal property. A tenant's personal possessions are not protected from theft, fire, or water damages under the College's insurance. We recommend you obtain renters' insurance to protect your student's personal property as well as provide protection for a negligent loss to a third party. We recommend that students obtain this insurance through their parents homeowners or auto insurance to ensure the best rates.
27. What happens when a vacancy occurs within the apartment?
Answer: When vacancies occur, the College reserves the right to show apartments and assign new occupants to fill the vacancies. It is the responsibility of the students in that apartment to keep the empty space clear and ready for occupancy. Administrative charges may be incurred if a space is deemed not ready for new student occupancy. The College also reserves the right to reassign the remaining occupants of an apartment to different accommodations if necessary. Students will be notified via email when changes to housing assignments occur.
28. What furnishings are in the residence halls?
Answer: Founders Green (Carter, Glace, Leake, and Spear halls) students will have a stove with oven, refrigerator, kitchen table and chairs, twin extra long bed, closet or wardrobe cabinet, and a night stand in the bedroom with three drawers. Students will also have a sofa with and end table.
Gateway students will have a stove with oven, refrigerator, kitchen table with chairs, lofted twin extra long bed, a desk and a wardrobe cabinet.
Meyerhoff beds are lofted twin extra long, twin extra long and double Murphy beds. Meyerhoff apartments amenities vary. Please click here to view the Meyerhoff House floor plans. All apartments have a kitchen table and a chair for each student.
29. Is my student allowed to purchase bed risers for their bedroom?
Answer: Students are not allowed to use bed risers.
30. Who should my student talk too if they want to switch to a new apartment because of apartment-mate concerns?
Answer: Students should first talk with their RA and ask the RA to facilitate an apartment-mate mediation. If the student is unhappy with the outcome of the apartment-mate mediation the student should contact their residential coordinator. Information for our residential coordinators can be found here on the MICA website.
31. How can parents contact the Office of Residence Life and Off-Campus Housing?
Answer: Contact information for the Office of Residence Life and Off-Campus Housing can be found here on the MICA website. If you need immediate assistance and cannot reach your student's residential coordinator, please contact the Office of Residence Life and Off-Campus Housing at 410-225-2398 or residencelife@mica.edu.
32. What should my student do if they have lost their apartment and mail keys?
Answer: For your students safety and the safety of their apartment-mates, students should email residencelife@mica.edu to notify our office that they have lost their apartment or mail keys. Please encourage your student to never leave their apartment door unlocked to avoid a lockout or to avoid the charge for lost keys. The cost to replace your student's apartment key is $200 and the cost to replace your student's mail key is $25. Additional information on our key policy can be found here on the MICA website.
33. What should I do if a package I sent my student is missing?
Answer: If you think your students package is missing please email residencelife@mica.edu providing the carrier, the tracking number for your package and the name of your student. We will do our best to locate the package.
34. Are string lights allowed in the apartments?
Answer: String lights are not covered by the fire insurance policy MICA has with the insurance company so they are not allowed in the residence halls. If string lights are found they will be confiscated and students can pick them up at the end of the school year.
You can find additional housing polices here.