A Comprehensive Guide to Berry College Dorms
Berry College, a four-year residential community, emphasizes that learning extends beyond the classroom. Residence Life aims to provide opportunities for personal development, interpersonal competence, and social responsibility. As part of the Berry Journey, students are expected to live on campus for all four years, and housing assignments are designed to support this experience.
General Housing Information
Berry College is a residential college, and students are generally expected to live on campus for all four years. However, exceptions are made for students who:
- Are 25 years old or older.
- Are married.
- Reside with their parents or legal guardian within a 40-mile driving distance of Berry College.
- Are 5th Year Seniors.
Students meeting these criteria may apply to live off campus.
Housing Assignments
Student housing assignments are made available at SOAR sessions. Freshmen students are typically housed together in traditional-style buildings, which consist mostly of double occupancy rooms with common bathrooms on each floor. There are also some larger triple occupancy rooms available. Each traditional-style building includes laundry facilities, lounges, at least one kitchen, and wireless internet access.
Roommate Assignments
To facilitate a smooth transition to college life, Berry College considers roommate preferences indicated on the housing contract, which students complete upon making their deposit. The college encourages students to respond honestly when indicating their preferences and honors all mutual requests made on the housing portal by May 15. Requests made after this date may not be accommodated.
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Room Amenities and Customization
Each resident is provided with a bed (twin extra long), a chest of drawers, a closet/wardrobe, a desk, and a chair. Students are allowed to hang pictures and posters, using products that will not leave residue, such as 3M pull tab strips or painters tape. Lofts are available for rental through the Berry College Loft Program.
Room Changes
Room changes can be requested starting two weeks into the semester. Students interested in a room change should first speak with their current roommate and then their Resident Assistant (RA), who will provide further instructions.
Technology and Entertainment
Cable television is provided, with one jack per room. Each student also has an Ethernet port for computer connection to the internet. Additionally, television is provided through Comcast Xfinity On Campus. If students choose to bring a TV, it must be capable of wireless or wired network connectivity and compatible with Roku or Chromecast. Amazon Fire TV works, but Apple TV does not. Students needing physical network access (network port) should submit a request to the Information Technology Helpdesk. Just log in at xfinityoncampus.com to start watching live TV, sports and thousands of shows and movies.
Resident Assistants (RAs)
Resident Assistants (RAs) are fellow students trained to foster community among residents. They are trained in emergency procedures, roommate mediation, programming, and campus resources. There are typically two RAs per freshman hall, and they report to undergraduate student Head Residents.
Laundry Facilities
Washers and dryers are provided in each residence area.
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Important Breaks
Residence hall facilities are not open during Thanksgiving Break and winter break (the break between fall and spring semesters). However, the residence halls are open during Fall and Spring Breaks.
Pets
Fish are the only pets allowed in residence halls. Aquariums are limited to 20 gallons and must be well maintained. During Thanksgiving and winter breaks, all electrical appliances, including aquarium equipment, must be disconnected. The policy pertains to the animal (fish) and not to the habitat/living environment in which they live (aquariums). Turtles, crabs, snakes, lizards, etc., are not permitted.
Visitation Hours
Visitation hours are as follows: Sunday - Thursday ……….
Security
Security begins at the Welcome Center, where non-Berry decal holders are all screened. All residence halls are on a card access system that works with the student's ID card.
Types of Residence Halls
Berry College offers a variety of residence hall styles to accommodate different student needs and preferences. These include traditional-style halls, suite-style halls, townhouses, and special program housing.
Read also: Berry College Admission Landscape
Traditional-Style Residence Halls
These halls feature bedrooms located along a central corridor with community bathrooms serving the floor. Most rooms are double occupancy, with a limited number of three and four-person rooms. Traditional residence halls are equipped with common areas and kitchens.
Suite-Style Residence Halls
Suite-style residence halls are reserved for upperclassmen and offer two, three, or four bedrooms that share an adjacent bathroom, a common area, and a kitchen. The suites in Thomas Berry and Centennial are accessible from an interior common space. These halls come outfitted with full-size kitchens equipped with a microwave, stove, oven, and refrigerator.
Townhouses
The Townhouses house men and women and have a capacity of 185 students. The Townhouse area consists of 16 buildings, containing 24 four-person suites and 16 six-person suites. All townhouses are equipped with a kitchen. Four-person townhouses have one bathroom, while six-person townhouses contain two bathrooms. A laundry room and RA Office can be found in building F.
Special Program Housing
These include the cottages, Friendship and Pilgrim Halls on the Mountain Campus, and the Oak Hill Residences. The cottages house special programs, including animal units and Year of Service, while the Mountain Campus houses the WinShape College Program. The cottages and Oak Hill Residences house both men and women; the Mountain Campus communities are single-gender buildings with females housed in Friendship and males housed in Pilgrim.
Specific Residence Halls
Berry Residence Hall
Also known as Berry Hall, this residence is conveniently located above City Bistro, an all-you-care-to-eat dining hall. It is a co-ed (by suite), six-story building at the corner of Calhoun and St. Constructed in 1988 and renovated in 2003, with new HVAC coming in 2026, Berry Hall offers a welcoming environment with numerous community spaces designed for connection and convenience. Each floor features a full-size shared kitchen, along with TV lounges and dedicated study spaces, while free washers and dryers are conveniently located on floors 2-6.
Room dimensions may vary, but most of the rooms have a small area about 5' x 10' that contains the wardrobes and then a larger area measuring about 10' x 10' that contains the beds and desks. Typically, there are 4’ of aisle space between the beds. A standard 3' x 5' rug easily fits and a 5' x 8' rug fits when the edges are under the beds.
Double-occupancy bedrooms have twin extra-long metal frame beds: 36” W x 80" L with 12.25" clearance underneath. Reinforced plastic risers are the only permitted method to increase the clearance. Mattresses accept only twin extra-long sheets.
Triple-occupancy rooms have one metal-frame bed and one bunk bed: 36" W x 82" L x 60" H. Mattresses accept only twin extra-long sheets.
Wardrobe: 36” W x 24” D x 72” H. The bottom portion of the unit contains 2 drawers (36" W x 24" D). Wardrobes are equipped with a hasp that allows students to lock the wardrobes (but not drawers) with their own padlock.
Desk: 36” W x 27” D x 30” H. All desks have a retractable keyboard and mouse surface with rear storage. Desk chair.
Living rooms have a chair (34.5" W armrest to armrest x 29" H to top of cushion) x 33.5" D (back to tip of armrest) and a couch (82.5" W armrest to armrest x 29" H to top of cushion x 33.5" D back to tip of armrest or loveseat (59" W x 29" H x 33.5" D) Hightop table and chairs. Microwave and refrigerator.
One window: variable in size according to floor. 1st floor windows are 66.5" W x 65" H. 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor windows are 26.5" W x 65" H. 5th and 6th floor windows are 26.5" W x 54" H. All windows are covered by 2"-slat blinds.
Suite bathrooms include three separate enclosed areas: one with a toilet, one with a shower, and one with two sinks.
Centennial Hall
Centennial Hall houses both male and female upperclassmen with a capacity of just over 120 students. Most units are four-person apartments, complete with a full-size kitchen, living room and two bathrooms. Each student has a single bedroom, with the exception of three suites which have one double room. Every floor has a lobby and two study rooms.
Clara Hall
Clara Hall is an all-male residence hall, named after Henry Ford’s wife, that houses over 120 students. The main lobby is located in center of the first floor with plenty of comfortable seating and a flat screen television. Laundry is located off of the first floor.
Dana Hall
Dana Hall houses both male and female students with a capacity of just over 330 residents. Dana is equipped with several common areas that include flat screen televisions. A game room with a Ping-Pong and pool table is located on the first floor.
Friendship Hall
Friendship Hall is an all-female residence housing close to 60 students. Laundry is located on the first floor, where there is also a lobby with seating and a flat screen television. The kitchen is located on the first floor as well.
Mary Hall
Mary Hall, named after Henry Ford’s mother, is an all-female residence hall that houses close to 270 students. Each wing sports large lobbies, kitchens, and laundry rooms. The Interfaith Center is located in East Mary.
Morgan and Deerfield Halls
Morgan and Deerfield Halls are Berry's newest residence halls housing both male and female students with a capacity of approximately 340 students. Kitchens, laundry rooms, common areas, and study rooms are located on each floor. Fireplaces are available for use in the outside patios along with an indoor fireplace.
Morton/Lemley
Morton/Lemley houses both male and female students with a capacity of slightly under 200 residents. There are two large common areas on the first floor each with a television and comfortable seating. Laundry rooms are located on the first floor and also in the basement. The kitchen is connected to the first floor laundry room.
Pilgrim Hall
Pilgrim Hall is an all-male residence hall housing over 70 students. The lobby includes comfortable seating, a flat screen television and a Ping-Pong table. The laundry room is located on the first floor and the kitchen is located on the second floor.
Thomas Berry Hall
Thomas Berry Hall is a men's and women's residence hall named for Martha Berry's father. The building consists of four and six-person suites, each of which contain a kitchen and bathroom. There are a limited number of double rooms which do not have kitchens but are equipped with bathrooms. A lounge, public kitchen and laundry room are located on the fourth floor, accessible by elevator.
Perceptions and Needed Renovations
It is said that Berry College is one of the most beautiful campuses to exist. Among students, it is also well known that Morgan, Deerfield, Centennial and Thomas Berry are the nicer residence halls. While Morgan and Deerfield may not have their own bathrooms, their buildings are newer and show very little wear. Additionally, they have large kitchens that can accommodate many students.
However, most upperclassmen agree that all first-year dorms - including Ford, Morton Lemley and Dana - need renovation. Ford, one of the oldest buildings, is somewhat well-maintained but has multiple problems that could be fixed with an update. Each individual room does not have its own bathrooms; instead, each hall has two communal bathrooms with around three to four stalls. These bathrooms often have mold, clogged shower drains and other maintenance issues. Each section - Clara and East and West Mary - has just one kitchen, which is not always well-kept. The appliances are old and appear unkept. Laundry rooms also have ongoing issues. In West Mary, while there are a lot of units, they frequently malfunction - sometimes even catching fire despite not having lint buildup. The ventilation system in Ford is problematic, with students able to hear their downstairs neighbors through the vents. Finally, these dorms do not have elevators.
Morton-Lemley, the oldest residential buildings, are not well-kept. There is often a strange smell, the walls have chipping paint and the overall appearance feels dirty. Like Ford, each floor has communal bathrooms that are shared by an entire floor. This makes them not well-maintained, as 40 students are constantly sharing 6 stalls. Some sinks, showers, stall doors and toilet paper holders are often broken or unusable. The rooms are a decent size for two people, though they can feel crowded, making it difficult to have friends over. The walls are so thin that conversations from neighbors can be clearly heard, making this one of the loudest residence halls. Like Ford, Morton-Lemley also lacks an elevator, limiting some students with disabilities options to Dana if they wish to live among other first-years.
Dana Hall is considered one of the nicer freshman dorms. The bathrooms are well-organized, with three separate sections: shower stalls on one side, sinks with mirrors in the middle and toilet stalls on the opposite side. The best plus side of these dorms is that there are elevators. However, despite these delights, there are still issues with mold and insects. Some showers only have curtains instead of doors, which causes water to spill onto the main bathroom floor, creating a safety hazard. Additionally, these dorms are much smaller than other traditional residence halls. Beds must be lofted, as two people cannot comfortably fit otherwise.
Addressing Disparities in Living Conditions
While some residential halls, like Morgan, Deerfield, Centennial and Thomas Berry, offer comfortable living spaces with modern amenities, many of the first-year dorms are in dire need of renovation. It may be expensive to renovate these halls, but if Berry wants to keep their students comfortable and keep their retention rate high, they should start with updating living spaces. Ford and Morton Lemley struggle with outdated facilities, maintenance issues and accessibility concerns, while Dana Hall has good features, it also has its own shortcomings. The disparity between student living conditions and the upkeep of other campus buildings raises concerns about Berry’s priorities. Addressing these issues would significantly improve the residential experience for first-year students and create a more welcoming and functional environment for all.
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