Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Students need to be back in the residence hall by 11:00 PM on Sunday through Thursday and by 12:00 AM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Students are responsible for signing out when they leave the residence hall in the evenings and on weekends.  Students are responsible for signing back in when returning to the residence hall.

Each student is responsible for setting an alarm early enough so s/he can appropriately dress, eat breakfast, organize for the day, and be on time for the first class or activity.  You get ready for morning classes and go to Burge Marketplace for breakfast with fellow REACH students. After breakfast, you have a few classes. In the afternoon, you have study tables and community life experiences. On some days you have career courses and experiences. Each day you have time for leisure activities and dinner. In the evening, you have study tables or a program to attend.

On the weekends, the staff coordinates a variety of opportunities to help you get involved in the campus or community. Some of these include social outings, community service, leisure activities, and sports events. In the beginning of the year, REACH staff plans additional weekend programs to ensure you do not become bored and lonely. As the semester continues, you are encouraged to plan social gatherings and events as you learn more about the offerings on the campus and in the surrounding community.

Sharing a room with someone offers many opportunities for interesting experiences, fun, and maybe a life-long friendship. Any relationship requires respect, consideration, patience, and compromise. Good communication helps you have a successful living experience. If problems such as different schedules, habits, and lifestyles occur, your Resident Assistant and REACH advisor are trained to help you resolve these conflicts. It is important to talk about problems when they happen instead of writing a note or complaining to another student on the floor. The staff mediates conflicts in roommate situations and strives to reach a compromise with the individuals involved before any room change request is considered.

At the beginning of each semester your Resident Assistant creates an agreement with both roommates to discuss issues such as anticipated normal bedtime, study habits, guests, cleaning the room, sharing belongings, and interests to set a good foundation for the relationship.

Yes. With any security system, all residents play a major role to ensure their own safety. Each student is responsible for carrying their room key, prox card, and Iowa One (University ID) Card at all times. Each roommate should lock the room door when they leave or are asleep. You need your University ID Card to eat in the dining halls and to do your laundry. The card has private information and access to money on your account, so you should not loan it to anyone.

It costs $75.00 to replace the room key and $25.00 for the prox card.

Letters and packages are delivered to the hall front desk each day. Your room key opens your mail box. If a package comes to the desk for you, a “package slip” is placed in your mailbox. You need to present your Iowa One (University ID) Card to the front desk to pick up the package. Outgoing mail with proper postage can be left at the front desk to be picked up daily by the mail personnel.

“I am nervous about moving away from my family because I don’t know anyone at The University of Iowa.“

This is a common statement made by most first-year college students, so it is important to remember that you are not alone on this journey.

We are excited to have you join the REACH experience and to create opportunities for you to meet students in your hall community and on campus. Talk to your roommate, a neighbor, or a RA to learn about common interests or to talk about similar concerns you may have about moving to college.

Coming to college can be a difficult transition for many reasons. Most college students experience feelings of loneliness, homesickness, fear, or concern. You are not alone in this experience or these feelings, so it can be helpful to talk to someone about your concerns. You can talk to your parent/guardian, a roommate, a neighbor in your hall, your Resident Assistant, or a REACH advisor.

There may also be a time when you do not feel comfortable talking to the people listed above. The University of Iowa offers free Counseling Services to all students. You can contact them at (319) 335-7294 to schedule a same day appointment.

If you feel threatened by another person's comments or actions, discuss this with a hall or REACH staff member.  If the threat is immediate, contact the University police.

If you need to speak to a nurse, you can call the Student Health Service’s Nurse Line at 335-9704 from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday.

After hours, you can contact The University of Iowa Health Access line at 319-384-8442 to speak with a nurse about health information and assistance.

If you need to visit a doctor, you can call Student Health Service to schedule an appointment at 335-8394.

There are “Code Blue Phones” around campus that connect you immediately to the University Police if you have an emergency. There are also police around campus in cars and on bikes to respond to emergency situations.

If something happens and there is not an officer nearby, go to the closest campus building and report the emergency to a staff member.

If it is a weather-related or fire emergency, you should follow the directions given by staff or instructors at the time of the emergency.

In case of an emergency, REACH students will be able to contact a REACH on-call staff member.

We recommend that you carry a campus map with you during your first semester at The University of Iowa so you can become familiar with places on campus.

If you are lost on campus and do not have a map, go to the nearest building and ask someone in an office to assist you in finding your class, hall, etc.

If you are lost in the community, go to the nearest business, school, store, or restaurant to ask an employee for directions. You may also ask a police officer or bus driver for directions to get to the place you are going.

You may call the REACH on-call phone.

You may program the residence hall address into your phone if you have that app (application).

Class attendance and participation are key parts of the learning experience for the REACH Program. You are responsible for attending classes, internships, and programs regularly. Attendance and participation are included in the grade for each course, so ongoing attendance concerns may affect your grade, participation in the Program, and graduation from the program.

Also, REACH staff and instructors understand that sometimes you may have a prior commitment, for example, a doctor’s appointment that conflicts with your schedule. In this situation, please give your instructor advanced notice of your absence when possible. If you miss a class without notification, it is your responsibility to follow-up with the instructor to talk about make-up work and a due date.

Yes. You are graded on class participation, in-class assignments, and homework. You receive a grade for each internship. You must earn a passing grade to earn credit for each class and your internship.  Students may be placed on academic probation or even dismissed from the Program if they do not attend classes and complete assignments satisfactorily.

You must follow The University of Iowa Code of Student Life, Student Rights and Responsibilities, and the Residence Hall Guidebook. These documents explain general rules and academic conduct policies. REACH staff may be involved in the disciplinary decision or action. Typically, REACH students will follow the University of Iowa’s procedure identified for alleged violations of the Code of Student Life.

REACH students can be dismissed from The University of Iowa and the REACH Program. Violations of the Code of Life can result in sanctions including written warnings, probation, restitution and fines, exclusion from University facilities or activities, a no contact order, suspension, or expulsion. A student may also be involuntarily separated from the residence halls if an infraction occurred or involved Residence Halls.