Salem State College has two residence halls housing a total of 598 students and an apartment complex which houses 350 students. Bowditch Hall, a co-ed hall, has 276 students, while Peabody Hall, a co-ed hall, accommodates 329 residents .

Each residence hall has its own full-time, live-in Residence Hall Director, who is responsible for the management of the building, for creating an environment that enhances the development of each resident, and for assisting residents with their college experience in and outside of the residence hall.

A Resident Assistant lives on each floor, and together with the residents, he/she tries to establish the kind of environment that will maximize personal as well as community growth.

Students play an integral part in creating an atmosphere and community that is conducive for all. Each hall has its own Hall Council which is made up entirely of resident students. The Hall Council and the Residence Hall Staff all work toward fostering a democratic community that will promote respect and understanding of the rights of others.

Peabody and Bowditch Hall are co-educational residence halls. It is the goal of such a living arrangement to have all residents interact in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. It has been our experience over the years that male and female residents are respectful of one another and tend to develop close-knit friendships. The Hall Councils and Residence Hall Staffs have sponsored such educational, social and recreational programs as: evening chats with the President, semi-formal dances, pool tournaments, ice cream socials, study skills workshops, flag football, etc. On any given evening one can find residents playing monopoly, or backgammon, or getting together over a bowl of popcorn, having physical fitness workouts and, of course, studying.

Bates Residence Complex. The College's townhouse apartments are located at South Campus directly across from the Harrington Building. Each of the apartments has been designed for six occupants. The units include a kitchen, living room, a bath-and-a-half, and three double bedrooms. These facilities are limited to 354 junior and senior students.

The "Commons" building has a laundry room, a mail room, meeting rooms, and a computer room. Some resident parking is available immediately adjacent to the townhouses.

Bates has a full time, live-in complex director who is responsible for the management of the townhouse complex. The Complex Director assists students with their college experience, serves as a mediator in conflict/dispute resolution, and provides administrative coordination and leadership to the entire Residence Life Program.

The townhouse also has its own student government composed of residents of the complex. This government and the residence hall staff work together toward fostering a democratic community and developing social, cultural, and educational programming for all residents.

Residence Hall Association
All students living on campus are members of the Residence Hall Association (RHA). As stated in the RHA constitution, the purpose of this organization is: 1) to represent the resident student population of Salem State College in all matters and affairs with the administration and all organizations concerned with or affecting resident students; 2) to insure representation for all resident students; 3) to sponsor programs and activities between and among the various residence halls through the use of each Hall Council/Board of Governors; and 4) to take all necessary and appropriate action to improve any and all aspects of residence life on campus.

RHA sponsors educational and social programming within the residential areas as well as for the entire SSC community. The most popular activity that RHA coordinates is the annual Spring Fling, a semi-formal dance. In addition, RHA is affiliated with the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH) and therefore students attend various regional and national conferences each year.

During the Spring '00 semester, RHA received both the regional and national Building Block Award sponsored by the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). This award is given to the RHA that has shown the most outstanding growth and development during the academic year. In January 2001, NACURH, Inc. selected the RHA sponsored program entitled, "The Yellow Ribbon Project" as one of the top two national finalists. The Salem State College RHA continues to lead and is an example to the other RHA's in the North East by hosting three NEACURH (North East Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls) Regional Board members.

The governing body of RHA includes a seven member executive board and four voting representatives from each Hall Council/Board of Governors. Elections within the individual residential areas occur at the beginning of the fall semester. Financial support for RHA and the Hall Councils/Board of Governors is generated from the $10.00 per semester Residence Hall Activity Fee. Students involved in Hall Council or the Board of Governors have a direct impact on how this money is spent.

Residence Hall Councils
The Hall Councils of Bowditch and Peabody Residence Halls and the Bates Complex Board of Governors are composed entirely of resident students. Their responsibilities include, but are not limited to: designing living policies which are in the best interest of all residents; planning and organizing programming activities and events; and making recommendations to the Council membership, residents and the College regarding all aspects of residential life. For more information, please call (978) 542-6416.

Eligibility
Salem State College does not have on-campus residence hall facilities for graduate students or married couples. However, any undergraduate single prospective student who would like on-campus accommodations in Bowditch, Peabody Hall or Bates Complex should apply for housing with his or her admissions application. Newly accepted students are guaranteed housing for two academic years contingent with students following the policies as specified in the Residence Life Occupancy Agreement and the Guide to Living in the Residence Halls. After the second (sophomore) year, residency will be based on a lottery. During the past few years, Salem State has had an on-campus housing shortage due to the increasing number of students who are requesting space in the residence halls. Therefore if we are not able to accommodate you, you should inquire at the Admissions Office or the Office of Residence Life about the waiting list. A $200.00 deposit is required to be placed on the waiting list. We also have a listing of some of the local off-campus housing options.

Housing Contract
Students are not required to live on campus, but once you do decide to live on campus you are required to sign a Residence Hall Occupancy Agreement which is binding for the entire academic year. You should carefully read the Agreement and the accompanying residence life brochure. Bowditch and Peabody residents are required to eat in the Dining Hall and must subscribe to the 10-day or 14-day board plan. Any questions relating to the Agreement or payment of fees may be answered in either the Office of Residence Life or the Financial Services Office.

Fees
The current rate for room and board can be obtained from the Financial Services Office, 2nd floor Administration Building, (978) 542-6118.