Each one of us can contribute to thoughtful preparation during storms on campus by closing windows and doors during inclement weather and reporting any water leaks or other weather-related maintenance issues to the Facilities Management at 619-260-4250 or by submitting a work request. For reporting after hours and on weekends call Public Safety at 619-260-2222 (emergency) or 619-260-7777 (non-emergency).
Personal Preparation:
- Avoid walking or diving through flood waters
- Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down
- 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away
- Be aware of areas where flood waters have receded and watch out for debris. Flood waters often erode roads and walkways
- Avoid standing water as it may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines
- Be aware of USD emergency notifications and listen to voicemail
- Wear rain coats/ponchos with reflective tabs
- Use umbrellas
- Wear rain boots
- Personal preparedness bags (flashlight, batteries, cash, first aid supplies)
- Make sure car is gassed & check windshield wiper blades
- Purchase renter's insurance for on or off campus
Other Ways to Prepare:
- Download the San Diego Emergency App
- Sign up for AlertSanDiego to get safety information delivered directly to your phone.
- Ready San Diego - A resource website for emergency preparedness in San Diego County.
The following online resources may be helpful in your own preparations for inclement weather
- NOAA guidelines & YouTube Channel
- Connect with the City of San Diego on social media for information before, during and after an emergency
- National Weather Service Watches and Warnings
- San Diego Tsunami Map
- Ready.gov
- California Office of Emergency Services
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Local fire departments may provide you with free unfilled sandbags, if needed.
For the most up to date information about USD's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our Onward website.
If you are locked out of your room, please stop by one of our desk areas.
If you need assistance when the desks are closed please call Public Safety at (619) 260-7777. You will be let into your room (keyed-in) by staff or depending on the circumstances a temporary key may be issued for you to access to your room.
You are allowed two free key-ins or temporary keys per semester. Your Community Director (CD) will call you in for a Community Standards meeting after two lock-outs.
If a temporary card is not returned to the desk you will be charged $6 per card. Lost IDs can be replaced for ~$20 at Campus Card Services.
Visit our Residence Hall Locking System page for more information, especially if your key is not working. You can also visit your RA office, or any of our Residential Desks, for help with your key!
The University takes bed bugs very seriously. If you suspect bed bugs please contact your RA, your Community Director, and/or the Residential Life Office as soon as possible.
It is helpful to send along pictures of any bugs you have seen and any bites you have received as it can help us diagnose the type of pest. The Residential Life Office can be reached at (619) 260-4777 or housing@sandiego.edu
Review our Bed Bug Procedure and if you have any questions please contact us directly.
Residential Life provides toilet paper and trash bags for free at our residence hall desks. Cleaning supplies such as Swiffers and vacuums are also available for checkout.
We have made a quick list of things to consider bringing with you as you transition to the University of San Diego. The list we have created is a good place to start but we would also suggest you connect with your roommate if possible to see what items you can share. Review this "what to bring" checklist for a list of items you might need.
First Year and Second year resident students (or any resident student with 0-59.5 credits) are required to select a meal plan. View the available options for meal plans. Voluntary meal plans are also available for Upperclassman, Graduate, and Law students. Note that all Meal Plan changes, including cancellations, must be made online via the MySanDiego portal during the first ten class days of the undergraduate semester. After that time frame there will be no changes or cancellations allowed. Required plans cannot be lowered or canceled at any time.
In order to use your Meal Plan, you must present your Torero (ID) Card (or show your virtual ID via the MyUSD mobile app) at the register.
Meal swipes may only be used at the SLP for brunch on weekends and nightly for dinner. A la carte prices apply for breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday in Pavilion Dining. Meals expire at the end of each semester on the last day of undergraduate finals. Meals do not roll over semester to semester.
- Most Meal Plans include Equivalencies, which may be used in campus dining areas in lieu of Meals during daily dinner and brunch on weekends. Meal Equivalencies have a value of $10.70.
- Most Meal Plans include complimentary Guest Meals, which may be used to pay for a guest when dining at Pavilion Dining. Let the cashier know that you would like to use a Guest Meal.
- You may use Dining Dollars, Campus Cash, cash, or a credit card to pay for a la carte items.
- Without your ID Card, you must use another form of payment to complete your transaction (such as cash or credit card).
Unlike Meals, unused Dining Dollars will roll over from the fall semester to the spring semester. Dining Dollars expire at the end of the spring semester on the last day of undergraduate finals. Students not participating in a Meal Plan in the spring semester will forfeit all remaining fall Dining Dollars at the conclusion of the fall semester and/or as soon as they cancel their Meal Plan.
Dining Dollars work similar to cash and may be used at all campus retail locations on most individual or single serve-sized food and beverage items. Dining Dollars and Meal Equivalencies may be used to purchase:
- GET Food mobile menus (order food for pick up or delivery)
- Food & beverages made to order
- Prepared grab and go items
- Individual fruits and vegetables (non-packaged)
- Snack items - single serve only
- Fountain beverages
- Bottled/canned beverages - 1 liter in size or smaller, 2 items per transaction
Dining Dollars and Meal Equivalencies may not be used to purchase:
- Grocery items
- Bulk candy
- Non-food merchandise
- Alcohol
Find answers to all your dining questions on our dining website.
For repairs, go to the housing portal. and click on the "Room Maintenance" tab. Be sure to select the corresponding category and item and leave a detailed description of the issue along with it's location.
If anything is lost or stolen in your room/apartment please notify Public Safety and your RA immediately.
All of our First Year residence halls are furnished with Twin-XL size beds. These beds are 80"L x 40"W x 6"D. All Twin-XL size sheets and bedding should fit these residence hall beds.
However, most first year housing areas are furnished with storage drawers underneath the beds with limited additional space. There is approximately three feet of space from the ground to the mattress in Maher Hall.
Lofting, dismantling, or removing beds from the wall is not permitted. Some beds can be bunked with the approval of the Residential Life Office. Please contact us at 619-260-4777 to see if your bed can be bunked.
Academic Year selections for Resident Assistants take place throughout the course of the Spring semester. Informational sessions regarding the application process are held beginning in December, and continue into early February. Throughout this time, the application materials are posted on the Residential Life website.
The application process consists of a paper application, group interview, and an individual interview by invitation. Notification of Academic Year Resident Assistant appointments typically take place by early April. Candidates must have a 2.75 minimum GPA, and prior service in Student Affairs or on-campus involvement is recommended.
Summer Resident Assistant applications become available in the last week of March on the Residential Life website. This position involves administrative responsibilities in addition to the typical Resident Assistant responsibilities. Summer Resident Assistant appointments are notified by the end of April.
Yes there is a branch of U.S. Bank on campus located on the lower level of the University Center room 125.
Residential Life is dedicated to providing safe, comfortable, and supportive living environments for all students, including those whose gender identity and/or expression differs from the gender assigned to them at birth.
Transgender, Gender Non-conforming, and Non-binary students have the option to:
- Live with students who share their identity or who are affirming of their identity.
- Correct their gender identity, name, and pronouns in the housing application within the Housing Portal. Please be aware this updates housing records only.
Residential Life does not allow any room changes until the 3rd week of classes. Please work with your RA and CD should you desire a room change.
Please note that room changes are difficult to facilitate, especially in first-year areas. Please keep in mind that a room change may result in you being moved from your LLC community, and there are many benefits to remaining in your assigned community.
Room Change Request Information Page
Please click on the link for more information on the room change process.
Students living in LLCs make connections from the day they arrive on campus with peers, faculty, resident assistant (RA), scholastic assistant (SA) and others. They participate in curricular and co-curricular activities related to the theme. They share interests, knowledge and experiences, with others, and enrich their experience at USD. All this — learning in a small group, getting to know your professors, making connections with classmates and sharing ideas and experiences — helps build your engagement in our community.
Contact ITS at the Help Desk, (619) 260-7900. Someone is available 24/7. Or visit the ITS website.
Please review this video for best practice laundry tips!
Please contact WASH through the app, at www.fixlaundry.com or 1-800-421-0575 for assistance. If there is a water leak or immediate hazard please notify the nearest residential desk and/or report it to Public Safety at 619-260-2222 (emergency) or 619-260-7777 (non-emergency).
- The washer machines are made to be filled to 3/4 of max capacity. Underloading or overloading the machines can result in water left after the wash or impartial cleaning.
- Balance your loads. That is, do not include heavy items such as beach towels with light items such as socks. Doing so creates an imbalance within the washer/dryer and can produce poor results.
- All of the USD washers are HE, high efficiency, washers. For best results, use HE detergent. Powder and pods are not recommended and could cause damage to the machines and clothes.
- Finally, shut the doors tight after putting laundry in the machine, especially on the washers!
For medical accommodations, students should reach out to wellness@sandiego.edu where campus wellness partners will review students' needs on a case by case basis. After reviewing proper documentation, campus wellness partners will reach out to Residential Life where our team will do our best to meet accommodations based on inventory.
No, AC units are not allowed in the Residence Halls.
Residents must contact USD's Wellness staff via email with supportive medical documentation at wellness@sandiego.edu to have their request for an A.C. unit assessed. Then Residential Life will provide a final, written decision to the resident after having an opportunity to review the recommendation from Wellness. No plans should be made to purchase or install an A.C. unit until if and when a resident has received written approval from the Department of Residential Life.
Incoming freshmen should get information in the email about the MicroFridge rental program. However, you can also contact the company by calling1-800-525-7307. There is also information available on the MicroFridge Website
For more information about what a MicroFridge is, please check out this video.
While the University of San Diego does not cover lost, stolen or damaged property, the university certainly recognizes the need for ensuring the safety of your property. The university does not recommend or endorse any individual insurance company however we strongly urge all families to contact their insurance agents, check their homeowner's policies, and consider purchasing a renter’s policy to cover the student while living on campus.
For more information on college specific renter's insurance please see below:
While living on campus, a student's mailing address is:
STUDENT FIRST & LAST NAME
5998 Alcala Park Unit ____
San Diego, CA 92110
The unit number is: the first initial of the student's first name, first initial of last name, and the last three numbers of the student’s USD ID number. EX: AB009
When mail arrives at the Mail Center, students will receive an email to their Torero e-mail account with information on how to pick up packages and letters.
Visiting Students living on campus over the summer can use the following temporary address:
[Student Name]
5998 Alcala Park UNIT SUMM
San Diego, CA 92110
All residence hall rooms have standard coaxial cable wall jacks, which will connect students to 16 HD channels of basic cable. No cable box is necessary to access these channels unless your TV does not support a digital signal. In this case a digital to analog box might be needed.
Unfortunately, students are unable to upgrade this service through any area cable provider. However, our wireless network does support a variety of devices that allow students to stream services such as Hulu, Netflix and DirectTV Now (AppleTV). Please note these services have additional fees, and USD does not officially endorse any streaming service. Students are responsible for managing any related costs or issues directly with these or other service providers.
Please refer to the USD Campus Cable Guide for additional information about the channels. For information regarding USD television please visit the ITS website.