"Don't just sleep LIVE, LEARN, LEAD..."

We are very excited that you are interested in joining the CAU family. At CAU, we do not have Dormitories; we have Residence Halls!

Why Residence Hall and not dorm? "Dorm" comes from the Latin word "dormus" which means "to sleep. "We want our students to get more than that out of the on-campus living experience.  The next few years are crucial, so we believe that all our students should do more than just sleep, we want students to build a community...Live, Learn, and Lead. 

Our diverse staff is trained to help all students through their matriculation. We are here to create a community living space, to allow students to focus on their academic and personal growth.  

The next time you hear the word "dorm," remember that our students will get much more than that with CAU Residence Life! 

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Applying for Housing l Contact Us l Housing Information l Housing and Residence Life Policies l Shop Supplies for your Room l  Documents

Housing Information

Housing and Residence Life Policies

Effective Fall 2016 Housing Policy:

To ensure that all Clark Atlanta University students receive a strong foundation and create a path of success, we believe that all students with fewer than 58 earned credit hours should live on campus. All students enrolled or accepted to Clark Atlanta University will be required to reside on the campus until they have earned 58 or more credit hours. Residing on campus yields positive benefits such as higher GPA, higher retention, higher graduation (within 4 - 6 years), and likelihood to attend graduate or professional school (i.e., law school, medical school, etc.).*

For first-time freshmen females, residency is defined as residing in Holmes Hall, Merner Hall, Pfeiffer Hall. For freshmen males, residency is defined as residing in Beckwith Hall. 

For students that are not first-time freshmen, but have acquired fewer than 58 earned credit hours, residency is defined as residing in CAU Suites, or Brawley Hall. Graduate and students with 28 or more hours can reside in Heritage Commons.

Effective Fall 2016 Meal Plan Meal Plan Policy:

• All first-year students are required to have the Platinum Unlimited Meal Plan
• All sophomore students are required to have a minimum Silver Meal Plan. 
• All residential junior, senior and graduate students are required to have a Block 60 Meal Plan.

**These meal plans will automatically be placed on the student's account.

Exceptions to the Policy

As there may be compelling individual circumstances that would warrant residing off campus, exceptions to this requirement are handled on a case by case basis. Individuals seeking an exception to the policy must complete an Exemption Form and submit the appropriate documents to the Residence Life office.

Exemptions to the policies may be granted with appropriate documentation under the following circumstances:

• The student is experiencing medical conditions which require special attention or is the caregiver of someone experiencing medical conditions which require special attention.
• Students with children, married students, and students involved in domestic partnership.
• Non-traditional students age 24+ by August 1
• The student lives in the metro Atlanta area.
• Extenuating circumstances

Deadline

Exemption Form and supporting information must be received in the Residence Life Office before August 1 for fall deadline and December 15 for the spring deadline.

Exemption Procedure

Residence Life must receive the Exemption Form with all supporting documentation on or before the deadline to avoid delays. This information will be reviewed by a committee and the student will be emailed the final decision.  Please note that if you are approved it will only release you from being required to live on campus. You may still be required to maintain the mandatory meal plan.  Read the Housing Contract carefully to understand the penalties for breaching the contract and any fees associated with breaking this agreement. If a student is denied an exemption, they will be given information on the appeal process.

Sanctions

Failure to comply with the requirements or providing false or misleading information to the Office of Housing and Residence Life in order to receive an exemption from the on-campus housing requirement may result in cancellation of registration privileges and/or revocation of acceptance to Clark Atlanta University.

*Research by Alexander Astin, Gregory Blemling, Ernest Pascarella, Patrick Terenzini, Paula Wilcox, Sandra Winn, Marylynn Fyvie-Gauld, and Vincent Tinto has discussed this in their student development and retention writings.

Living Learning Communities (LLC)

In Fall Semester of 2018, Clark Atlanta University launched our Living-Learning Communities. These living-learning environments afford students with similar academic interests to reside together and participate in academic-major based programs that support their academic, social, and personal growth and development.

LLC's consists of a group of students with similar majors or interests who live on the same floor or floors of a Residence Hall. It is found that students who participate in a living learning community are more likely to be retained by their selected institution. Because of their LLC experience, students are also better able to connect with each other, along with all of the faculty and staff connected with LLC's

Benefits of Living-Learning Community Participation

-       Increased academic performance

-       Increased retention and progression toward graduation

-       Increased academic, interpersonal, and personal development skills

-       Increased campus connection

CAU's New Student Placement Process

New Students (Both Transfers and First Time Freshman) are administratively placed by the Office of Residence Life and Student Development (ORLSD). Our office assign students to residence halls and floors within a given residence hall based on the student's major. Students are housed this particular way to develop our Living Learning Communities. (Please note: Institutional Scholarships will also determine what residence hall a student is assigned)

Notification of Room Assignment

Freshman students will begin receiving notifications of their housing placement in early August for the upcoming Fall Semester.

Freshman Roommates

Roommates are announced in August. Students receive roommates based on major and compatibility. We encourage the student (not the parents) to complete the personal preferences questionnaire within the Housing Portal for the most accurate results.

Shop Supplies for your Room

Looking for affordable supplies for your new CAU home? Click the links below to order today.

Room Essentials!

Documents

The following documents can be downloaded for your reference and use.

Move In information

Frequently Asked Questions

Living Guide

Meal Plan and Pricing 

There are a few more adjustments to the Documents Section that will be forthcoming

Contact Us

Lamar White, Ph.D.
Director of Residence Life & Student Development
lwhite@cau.edu
Phone: 404 880-8074
Fax: 404-880-8350

Larance Carter
Associate Director
lcarter@cau.edu
Phone: 404-880-6280
Fax: 404-880-8350

Kayla Flemmings
Assistant Director for Pfeiffer Hall
kflemmings@cau.edu
Phone: 404-880-8874

Treven Holcomb
Assistant Director for Beckwith Hall
tholcomb@cau.edu
Phone: 404-880-8642

Quianna Lavant
Assistant Director for Merner Hall
qlavant@cau.edu
Phone: 404-880-8876

Johnny Surry
Assistant Director for Brawley Hall
jsurry@cau.edu
Phone: 404-880-6242