Student Life and Living

Off Campus Living & Commuter Resources

www.uakron.edu/offcampus
330-972-5869
uazipassist@uakron.edu

Our office is located within ZipAssist, on the first floor of Simmons Hall, in room 120A. Students may stop in for resources and assistance related to commuting, budgeting, and advice for renting. Join us for FREE programs throughout the semester to meet other commuter students and stay connected to the UA community! 

WHO we work with: Students - transitioning from on-campus living to off-campus and commuters; permanent residents; local area landlords; on-campus departments; and parents of off-campus students.

WHY: Our purpose is to help you succeed both on and off campus. We are a resource that fosters student engagement and creates an environment on campus to enable student growth. 

WHAT we do: Assist you with finding off-campus housing; help commuting students when on campus; partner with local businesses to promote the Akron community; and inform students of their rights and responsibilities as a commuter.

Student Recreation and Wellness Services

www.uakron.edu/rec
Phone: 330-972-2348
email: rec@uakron.edu

With Student Recreation and Wellness Services, there is so much to explore! The mission of SRWS is to serve and engage all students to learn, develop and succeed through innovative recreation and wellness opportunities that encourage healthy and balanced lifestyles. The department includes the following program areas:

  1. Aquatics
  2. Club Sports
  3. Fitness & Wellness
  4. Informal (Drop-In) Recreation
  5. Intramural Sports
  6. Outdoor Adventure

SRWS are comprised of the following facilities:

  • Student Recreation & Wellness Center (SWRC): Amenities include a leisure pool with a current river and vortex, spa, jogging track, cardio and strength equipment, three multi-function gyms, group exercise studios, rock climbing wall and adventure equipment rental.
  • Ocasek Natatorium (ONAT): Amenities include an Olympic-size swimming pool, racquetball courts and wallyball courts.

Residence Life and Housing

http://www.uakron.edu/reslife
330-972-7800
reslife@uakron.edu

The Department of Residence Life and Housing is administratively responsible for managing the University's student housing program. The University provides reasonably priced, clean, convenient and secure residence hall facilities. In addition, the residence hall program is committed to providing a meaningful living/learning environment which directly supports the education, social and personal development of each student. The Department of Residence Life and Housing supervises and manages six (6) on-campus residence hall facilities accommodating approximately 2,300 students. Students are encouraged to apply for residence hall accommodations as soon as possible.

On-Campus Housing Residential Requirement

The university of Akron seeks to provide a learning environment supportive of its academic mission and complimentary to its academic programs.  The university acknowledges national studies that find students uniquely benefit from a residence hall experience. Social integration, access to faculty, staff, and institutional resources are better achieved through an on-campus experience, which positively influences academic persistence and success. Further, the university considered and accepted findings that living on campus facilitates integration into the campus  social network of peers and extracurricular activities, all of which positively affects degree completion.

For all these reasons, All undergraduate students taking a total of nine (9) credit hours or more, with any credit hours occurring on the university of Akron main campus, must live in university residence halls unless: they live in Summit, Medina, Portage, Stark or Wayne county with a parent,
legal guardian, or close relative (as determined on the application for admission); or they are 21 years old or more by the first day of the  semester; or they have attended college for at least two semesters (excluding summer sessions) at the university of Akron or any other college or university post high school; or they are otherwise exempted below; or if residence hall space is unavailable.

Exemptions to the on-campus residential requirement include:

  • Military experience 1+ years (proof of service required)
  • Married (proof of marriage required)
  • Student is parent with custodial care responsibilities (proof of custody care required)
  • Permanent home residence of parents or legal guardians who reside outside Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, or Wayne countries AND such residence is 25 miles or fewer from main campus (proof of residence is required).
  • The address for which the student lives with their parent or legal guardian has changed since the time of admission and now falls within the exemption region of this rule (proof of residence is required).
  • Medical condition, disability, or special dietary needs (student must register with the Office of Accessibility)
  • Other extenuating circumstances, including but not limited to special dietary needs or conditions, cultural or religious needs or accommodations, undue hardship, or an other circumstance(s) in support of an exemption which, if not granted, would undermine or contravene the purpose of the On-Campus Housing Residential Requirement.

Students seeking exemption from the On-Campus Housing Residential Requirement can submit an exemption form in the Slate. 

The Department of Student Life/The Jean Hower Taber Student Union

https://www.uakron.edu/studentlife/
https://www.uakron.edu/studentunion/
330-972-7866

Within the Jean Hower Taber Student Union, there are many offices and services to enhance your collegiate experience. The staff is committed to building community through collaborative learning experiences that provide our students the opportunity to engage, serve and lead. The department includes the following:

  1. Student Organization Resource Center (SOuRCe),
  2. serveAkron,
  3. Fraternity and Sorority Life,
  4. Zips Programming Network,
  5. Campus Programs,
  6. Event Planning Services,
  7. Student Employment.

The Jean Hower Taber Student Union is comprised of the following facilities:

Amenities include: PNC Bank; Campus Bookstore; 7 retail food operations (Auntie Anne's, Chic-Fil-A, Freshens, Panda Express, Qdoba, Starbucks, & The Union Market); DocuZip (shipping and printing services); The Roo Lounge (game room); and ample study space, lounges, meeting rooms, The Grand Ballroom and Gardner Theatre. Other offices located in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union include: Dean of Students Office, Career Services and Student Employment, ESports, and Undergraduate Student Government (USG), Graduate Student Government (GSG), and Black Excellence Commission (BEC) office suites.