{"id":1160,"date":"2015-06-18T10:27:20","date_gmt":"2015-06-18T17:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wou.edu\/residences\/?page_id=1160"},"modified":"2025-07-22T16:23:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T23:23:25","slug":"first-year-live-in-requirement","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/new-residents\/first-year-live-in-requirement\/","title":{"rendered":"First-Year Live-In Requirement"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3 class=\"sub_head_1\"><strong>Western Oregon University&#8217;s First-Year Live-In Requirement:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>First year students who enroll at WOU within one year of high school graduation regardless of class standing <strong>must<\/strong> live on campus for the <strong>full academic year<\/strong> (Fall, Winter and Spring terms).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>At Western Oregon University we want you to get a great education, inside and outside of the classroom.\u00a0 Living on campus is a way to build community with students of different backgrounds, diverse interests and a variety of perspectives.\u00a0 In the residence halls students build lifelong friends and create lasting memories.<\/p>\n<p>Because of these things, Western Oregon University students are required to live on campus, within one year of high school graduation.\u00a0 We understand that their may be need to be an exemption.\u00a0 Those exemptions are listed below and can be requested through the University Housing petition.<\/p>\n<p>We invite you to explore the options the residence halls have to offer.\u00a0 Please reach out to the University Housing office with questions.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/files\/2023\/10\/IMG_5883-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;IMG_5883&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.21.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Exceptions to this requirement may be requested by <a href=\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/files\/2019\/09\/updated-Fillable-Petition-2019.pdf\">petition<\/a>. Exceptions that are generally approved are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong>Living at Home with Parents.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong>Students with Dependents. <\/strong>Students with legal dependents are not required to live on campus.\u00a0 Verification of legal dependence is required.<\/li>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong>Students who are Married or in a Registered Domestic Partnership.\u00a0<\/strong>Documentation is required.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Western Oregon University&#8217;s First-Year Live-In&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":856,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<h2>WHY, you ask, are we required to live on campus our first year?<\/h2>\n<p>The short answer is: \"It is GOOD for you!\" - Academically, Socially, and in the end, Financially.<\/p>\n<h5><em>The long answer is fact-based on research into the benefit(s) for students living in their first year.<\/em><\/h5>\n<h4><strong>THE FACTS ARE:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Compared to commuter students, students who live on campus participate in more events (extracurricular, social, and cultural) and have more informal interactions with faculty and peers. They are also more likely to persist and graduate.<\/strong>\u00a0 <em>(Pascarella &amp; Terenzini, 2005; Pascarella, Terenzini &amp; Blimling 1994) -pg. 3 Campus Housing Management, volume 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong> A positive sense of community at the local level (campus housing) is important for the successful socialization into the broader social (campus community).<\/strong>\u00a0 <em>pg. 4 Campus Housing Management, volume 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong> On campus students were more likely to engage in campus activities and relationships with diverse individuals as well as exhibit increased academic effort.<\/strong> <em>\u00a0 pg. 4 Campus Housing Management, volume 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Campus housing naturally affords students opportunities to develop interpersonal closeness, as housing staff members intentionally nurture student opportunities for connection and community.<\/strong> <em> pg. 4 Campus Housing Management, volume 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>First-year students who lived on campus earned higher GPAs and were retained at higher rates than those who lived off campus.<\/strong> <em>\u00a0 pg. 5 Campus Housing Management, volume 2<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN?\u00a0 View the First Year Live-In Presentation!<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>[iframe style=\"border: 1px solid #777;\" src=\"https:\/\/indd.adobe.com\/embed\/e99e2635-9a47-4813-ac26-2e69cc1ff0fc?startpage=1&amp;allowFullscreen=true\" width=\"525px\" height=\"371px\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"]<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"sub_head_1\"><strong>Western Oregon University's First-Year Live-In Requirement:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><em>First year students who enroll at WOU within one year of high school graduation regardless of class standing <strong>must<\/strong> live on campus for the <strong>full academic year<\/strong> (Fall, Winter and Spring terms).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Exceptions to this requirement may be requested by petition. Exceptions that are generally approved are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong>Living at Home with Parents, <\/strong> within a 30 mile radius of WOU.\u00a0 <em>F<\/em><em>or the current<\/em><em>\u00a0Academic Year<\/em><em> WOU will offer the option for students living within a 30 mile radius to WOU the ability to submit a <\/em><em>request via petition (see below) to live at home with parents\/legal guardians<\/em><em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong>Having a Dependent that is living with you. <\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong>Marriage or Domestic Partnership. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong> QUALIFY? - Need a petition?<\/strong> Use the link below.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"arrow_list\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/printed-documents\/\">University Housing Petition<\/a><\/strong> - <em>Scroll down to the University Housing Petition link under Rules and Regulations<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<!-- wp:tadv\/classic-paragraph \/-->","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-1160","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1160"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27830,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1160\/revisions\/27830"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wou.edu\/housing\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}