Residence Life

The Residence Life program recognizes that learning extends beyond the classroom and continues into the areas in which students live. Therefore, Residence Life seeks to be an integral part of the educational opportunities at Mercyhurst and strives to create an environment that enhances student growth socially, culturally, physically, and emotionally while fostering academic success. All traditional undergraduate students are required to live on campus in university housing, unless they reside within Erie County, Pennsylvania, with parents/guardians.

Residents must leave the residential buildings when campus closes for break periods. Should extenuating circumstances require that students remain in residence during one of these periods, they must communicate their plans to the Residence Life office, and students must register for the time period they are requesting. Students permitted to remain in residence over breaks may be reassigned to alternative housing for the break period. All housing areas close for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring breaks and at the end of semesters.

Freshman housing includes: Warde Hall, housing 300 students; McAuley Hall, housing 175 men; and Baldwin Hall, housing 200 women. Each freshman residence hall has its own laundry areas and lounges. An Area Coordinator, a live-in professional administrator, oversees the freshman residence halls. Each hall is directly supervised by a Hall Director, a live-in graduate student, who is assisted by Resident Assistants.

Sophomore housing includes Duval Apartments and Ryan Hall. They are co-educational facilities. There are common laundry facilities available. The building is supervised by a Hall Director and two Resident Assistants. Ryan Hall is home to the 501 Grille dining area and the Anchor Express grab-and-go option. Ryan Hall houses 350 students in suites with a common living room and snack preparation area. Two laundry rooms are located on each floor. Ryan Hall also houses lounge areas and study rooms. An Area Coordinator, a live-in professional administrator, oversees the building along with two Resident Assistants per floor.

Upperclassmen live in suites, apartments, or townhouses. Each apartment consists of two bedrooms, a living room, bathroom, and kitchen. These apartments house four residents (limited triples may be available.) There are townhouses available for six-person occupancy, five five-person townhouses, and four four-person townhouses. Many but not all townhouses have full basements, with washers and dryers, and central air conditioning. Upperclassman housing areas are supervised by an Area Coordinator, a live-in professional administrator, a Hall Director, a live-in graduate student, and Resident Assistants.

Off-Campus Living

Mercyhurst is a residential campus. Undergraduate students are required to live on campus during their enrollment. Students who live within Erie County, Pennsylvania, may live at home and may be designated a commuter, provided they reside with a parent or guardian within the county. In rare cases, exemptions to the residency requirement may be granted. Exemptions are limited to married students, students over the age of 24, and students who have an accessibility accommodation (ADA) that cannot be met on campus. A previously signed off-campus lease will not be considered a reason for an exemption to be granted.

Completing the Off-Campus Exemption form does not guarantee that approval will be given. Off-Campus Exemption forms are found on the Housing portal. Failure to adhere to the on-campus living requirement and procedure for exemption may result in a student being billed for campus housing, being denied approval to live off campus, being required to move back into campus housing, adjudication through the Student Code of Conduct, and/or a registration hold being applied to the student’s account.