Residential Life

There are 60 buildings for student housing on campus, and all first-year students are assigned to first-year communities. Sophomores live together in sophomore buildings, and juniors and seniors can choose from other housing options across campus. First-year students are placed into their first-year communities based on their first-year seminar assignments. This is the start of a student’s experience in our living-learning environment.

Professional Staff

There are a number of professionals on campus to help students with the transition to Middlebury. 

The Residence Directors (RD) live on campus and oversee residential areas on campus. They work to build community, support the student residential life staff, and provide after-hours support for students. 

The Residential Life Staff includes first-year counselors (FYC), resident assistants (RA), and community assistants (CA). These are students who serve as community leaders. They uphold residential policies, facilitate a sense of community, and collaborate closely with deans, the Office of Health and Wellness Education, the Office of Community Standards, and other staff.

Residential Programming 

Residential Life integrates academic experiences with life in our residence halls to encourage the free exchange of ideas and a robust intellectual community. This begins with the first-year seminar—students who are in class together also live in the same first-year community, allowing them to bring classroom experiences into the residence halls.

Residential Life staff offer activities and programs inspired by academic events taking place on campus. There are also an abundance of social and cocurricular programs provided to build a strong and lively community.

Student Support

Students have numerous avenues for support.

Deans

The deans oversee the educational experience and provide academic and personal support, assist in resolving conflict, and help enforce College policy. The deans help bridge academic and residential experiences, playing a crucial role in supporting Middlebury’s goal of a seamless educational environment. All students are connected to a dean upon arrival on campus and remain connected to them throughout their time at Middlebury.

Student Life Coordinators

Each first-year community has a coordinator who oversees daily operations, advises students on the logistics of daily life, and creates a welcoming atmosphere in the cluster office. These key staff members also support the deans administratively and remain valuable resources throughout students’ time at Middlebury.

Assistant Director of Student Success

It’s normal and expected that some students will encounter challenging circumstances during their college experience. When this occurs, additional support systems are in place to supplement the efforts of the deans and other student life colleagues. The assistant director of student success helps coordinate care and support efforts for students in these challenging moments. 

Restorative Practices

Students are introduced to restorative practices (RP) in our residence halls, during orientation. RP is a community-building tool chosen by Middlebury that includes a broad range of informal and formal practices to help us deepen our sense of community. Through RP, all of our experiences—students, faculty, and staff—are richer and more meaningful. New students can look forward to learning more about RP, and building community within that framework, during orientation and into their time at Middlebury.

Roommates

One of the most wonderful and sometimes challenging aspects of new college life is learning to live with a roommate. Roommates are selected based on responses to a detailed questionnaire, and we do our best to match roommates by interest, personality, and habits. The initial adjustment period can sometimes be difficult and awkward. If and when roommate conflicts arise, we encourage students to try to work out their differences. We do not permit new students to change rooms for the first month of school. After this period, students still having difficulty—who have made use of all of the assistance we offer (FYCs and RD)—may change roommates, space permitting.

Other Living Options

Juniors and seniors have a range of living options to choose from.

Residence Halls: Middlebury maintains a number of large dormitories such as Forest, Painter, and Starr. These buildings primarily have singles and doubles.

Small Houses: Small houses are scattered in and around the College for groups of students to live together. They range in size from three to 10 beds and many have kitchens and larger living spaces.

Suites and Townhouses: A number of options around campus allow for students to live in apartment-style housing. These accommodate three to seven students, and many have kitchens.

Superblocks: Groups of students (from seven to 30) who share a common interest can apply to live as a group in a superblock. These competitively selected, single-year theme houses receive a small budget for events and activities.

Social Houses: Social houses allow students to assume responsibility for activities and programs that enhance the social life of the student community. Some students reside in the houses, but many do not. The social-house system is self-governed by the InterHouse Council.

Academic and Special Interest Houses: Residents pursue a common academic or special interest and share the fruits of that interest with the campus community. Currently language houses include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish; and special interests include InSite (a 2013 award-winning Solar Decathlon house), Intentional Living, Outdoor Interest, Queer Studies, Self-Reliance (a 2011 award-winning Solar Decathlon house), and Weybridge House.

Housing Lottery Process

After the first year, students either apply to live in special interest or superblock housing or are assigned to housing via the housing lottery process. Students receive a random time slot that determines the order in which they may select a room. Students should make housing plans based on friendships and not on the hope of living in a suite or any other type of housing. Those who do are happier with their living arrangements in the long run. 

Campus Access and Keys

Middlebury uses an electronic access system to ensure students, faculty, and staff have safe access to College facilities. The MiddCard allows students entry to all residence halls and appropriate access to other campus facilities. Students are also issued a touchpad code for their bedrooms. We urge all students to protect their property and ensure their personal safety by locking their rooms when they are away or are sleeping. The sharing of touchpad codes is strongly discouraged. Middlebury does not accept responsibility for the loss of money or personal property or for damage to belongings in the residence halls or anywhere else on campus. Check with your insurance carrier to confirm if your belongings are adequately covered. Students will receive their MiddCards and touchpad codes on the day they move in.

Cleaning

Cleaning equipment is readily available, and students are responsible for keeping their rooms in order. The custodial staff cleans and maintains common areas, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and lounges, but students are collectively responsible for ensuring that these common areas are kept tidy. In the event that common areas in the residence halls are damaged and those responsible cannot be identified, all students living in the residence are billed a prorated share of the expenses. Charges are imposed for damage to rooms or furniture, for removal of furniture, and for rooms not left in neat condition at the end of the occupancy period.

Dorm Damage

We call upon every member of the community to respect our buildings, landscaping, and educational resources. They are shared among students, faculty, and staff, today and tomorrow, this year and next. Theft of or damage to College property is considered a serious offense, which may lead to disciplinary proceedings with penalties up to and including suspension or expulsion. Students will also be charged for any costs associated with replacing or fixing stolen or damaged property.

Bikes and Cars

Parking on campus is limited and often far from residence halls. Most businesses in town are within a short walk. If students bring bicycles to campus, they must register them with Public Safety. We encourage bringing a sturdy bike lock. There is ample outdoor bike-rack space and indoor storage is available during the winter.

If students bring cars, all vehicles must be registered with Public Safety, display a valid permit, and be parked in designated parking areas in accordance with the parking rules, which are in effect all year.

Laundry Facilities

Laundry facilities are conveniently located around campus (see a list online). Rechargeable cards can also be purchased at the College Store.

Storage

Some residential facilities offer storage spaces for empty boxes, trunks, and suitcases. All personal belongings must be removed from residential storage spaces at the end of the academic year, or when a student withdraws from the College or leaves to participate in an off-campus study program. Items not claimed at the end of the storage period are disposed of. Middlebury is not responsible for items placed within storage spaces. Students who have questions about storage should contact their RD.

Sustainability on Campus

Waste reduction, recycling, and reduced energy consumption are important aspects of living sustainably on campus and reaching our Energy2028 goal. You can do your part by reducing the amount of waste you generate—carrying a reusable water bottle and mug, purchasing goods with minimal packaging, and reading articles electronically—and by recycling what you can. All students receive personal-size blue recycling bins for recyclable materials. Compost bins can be found in most dormitory kitchens or trash areas. Please take the time to sort properly. You can also reduce your energy consumption by purchasing Energy Star appliances, using LED light bulbs, and unplugging items when not in use.

Dining Services

We provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week in dining halls as part of the meal plan included in the comprehensive fee. There are no restrictions on the number of times you can enter a dining hall during each meal period—eat dinner at one dining hall and enjoy coffee and dessert with friends at another. Ingredient lists are posted for all main entrees and many other foods. Students are encouraged to take advantage of Dining Services’ open-kitchen policy to speak with managers and chefs about special needs or requests.

Dining Services maintains a green-dining approach to campus food practices—buying local and organic foods, composting, using biodegradable products, and partnering with the Knoll, Middlebury’s organic farm, for produce, among other initiatives.

All students who live on campus will be on an Unlimited Meal Plan. This plan allows students access to the dining halls at all open times. Students are required to swipe their MiddCard upon entrance.

Guest Meals

On your MiddCard, each student on the meal plan will also receive four guest meal passes and a $25 declining balance for both the fall and spring semesters, which works out to eight guest meal passes and a $50 declining balance for the 2020–2021 academic year. Remaining balances and passes will carry over from the fall semester to the spring, but will not carry over from spring semester to fall.

The declining balance dollars can be used at any of the Dining Services locations (the Grille, Crossroads Café, MiddXpress, Wilson Café, concessions, Proctor Dining Hall, Ross Dining Hall, and Atwater Dining Hall). Students and parents will be able to add additional dollars onto the MiddCard. These additional dollars will carry over semesters and years.

Dining Options on Campus

There are plenty of dining options on campus other than the dining halls.

• Crossroads Café, in McCullough Student Center, is a student-run business committed to using local, organic, and sustainable products whenever possible. Items include fruit smoothies, coffee and tea, homemade baked goods, soups, and sushi.
• Dolci is a student group that hosts restaurant-style dinners on campus. Tickets to meals are free, and students get paid to serve as head chef, chef, prep chef, dishwashers, and servers.
• The Grille is perfect for casual lunches with professors and for late-night snacks—from Caesar salads and veggie wraps to cheeseburgers and fries.
• MiddXpress provides snack food, prepared lunches, and beverages, as well as general drugstore items, cards, and newspapers.
• Wilson Café, in the Davis Family Library lobby, offers Starbucks coffees and teas, plus grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, bagels, and muffins.