Dear <roepnaam>,
In this edition of the newsletter, we would like to give you a closer look at our campus - the place where we hope you will spend three fulfilling and unforgettable years. Students come from highly varied backgrounds and living together on campus provides unique opportunities to learn from one another’s experiences. So, read on to learn more about your arrival on campus, what student accommodations are like, and an introduction to all the things you can find and do on our college campus.
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Official matters
The campus fee is the yearly fee that covers your room, utility bills, access to campus facilities, and membership fee for the University College Student Association (USCA). You will receive an invoice (including a further specification of the costs) as well as detailed payment instructions from the University College Utrecht’s Finance Office in July. Find more information on our website. If you opt to share a room with another student, you can request financial compensation amounting to €1000 per semester after first paying the campus fee in full.
Life on the UCU campus is governed by the Campus Life Rules and Guidelines. This document includes the Social Honour Code of UCU, rules relating to residence facilities, health and safety guidelines, and an inventory of student rooms and units. All UCU students need to be aware of these rules and guidelines and abide by them. Read the Campus Life Rules and Guidelines here.
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Arrival period (15-16 August)
The arrival period is when all incoming degree and exchange students will arrive on campus and move into their new rooms. For students starting in Fall 2024, the Arrival Period is from 15 to 16 August 2024. You can arrive on either of these days between 9:00 and 17:00 and a group of students and staff will be there to greet you. You will receive the keys to your new room, building, and mailbox, as well as key cards to all academic buildings on campus.
A couple of weeks before the Arrival Period, we will contact you via email with an arrival form to collect your arrival details. On the arrival form, you will be asked to submit your estimated date and time of arrival, which country you will be travelling from and your means of transport. Having this information is essential for our planning of the Arrival Period. Arriving on campus earlier than 15 August is not possible. If due to factors out of your own control you will be arriving after 16 August, please contact ucu.arrival@uu.nl.
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Campus at a glance To give you a sneak preview into student life on campus, we have included a selection of recent photos of some indoor and outdoor spaces on campus, and how our current students like to use them. We hope this will help you to imagine fitting into campus life, getting to know your unit mates, and relaxing on the quad on a sunny day.
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| We also offer a virtual campus tour where you can navigate a map and click on markers that will each open a new video. In this series of videos, our student Perlei takes us around campus as we visit some of our classrooms, study spaces, student clubs and housing. |
Residence halls
University College Utrecht student accommodations are located in several residential halls on campus. Each hall is divided into units that vary in size, with between 4 and 12 individual student rooms. All units have a shared kitchen and living area, laundry room, and bathroom(s). Rooms and units are fully furnished. You can find an inventory of the items/furniture that will be in your unit in the Campus Rules and Guidelines. All units have an indoor or outdoor space for bike storage, where it is recommended that you lock your bike securely.
All students, new and returning, Dutch and international, and of all genders, live together in units. New students are assigned evenly across all units. You will be assigned a room shortly before arrival, taking into account the preferences you indicated in the Housing Questionnaire when you accepted your offer of admission. You will find out your room assignment upon arrival on campus.
Rooms are assigned for the full academic year. This means that you can stay during winter break, but you will be expected to move out on the last weekend of the summer term. In your second year, you will be assigned a new room, and you can express a preference for a building or unit-mate.
University College Utrecht works together with housing corporation Lekstede Wonen to provide and maintain the student rooms. A representative of Lekstede Wonen conducts inventories of rooms, furnishings, and their condition before students’ arrival and after moving out. You will be personally responsible for your room and all the furniture inside. For items and furniture in shared areas, all unit-mates have joint responsibility. Students are strongly recommended to ensure windows and doors remain locked. Utrecht University assumes no liability for loss of or damage to personal possessions of students or their guests on college property.
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Academic buildings
Classrooms are spread across three lecture halls on campus, called Locke, Newton, and Voltaire. Next to classrooms, academic buildings have tutor rooms, lounges used for informal meetings and extra-curricular lectures as well as (quiet) study areas.
About 28 desktop computers are available on campus for use by students, most of which are in areas which remain accessible in the evenings. The computer areas in Newton are open to students seven days a week until 1am, while the silent study area in Voltaire remains open 24/7. In Voltaire, you can also find a small student-run library from which every UCU student can borrow books.
Dine-In and UCSA bar
Although there are kitchens in all student units, during the week you can also eat out on campus at DINE-in: a coffee corner in Dining Hall.
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You can also grab a drink or have a party at the UCSA Bar. The UCSA Bar is run entirely by the Bar Committee, who not only serves your drinks but organises regular events such as Cocktail Nights and the Bartender’s Weekend.
Sports, arts and recreation
Life on campus extends beyond the academic buildings! Of the 168 hours in a week, you will spend approximately 20 hours in class. The other 148 may be spent studying, sleeping, relaxing, eating, exercising, and doing many other activities. No matter how you like to spend your free time, there is something for everyone on the UCU campus. Some highlights:
- The UCU campus has its own sports facilities, including a basketball court, a multi-functional sports field (tennis, soccer, volleyball), and a fitness room. There are also facilities to play table tennis and chess.
- There is a designated arts studio as well as a music rehearsal room, drama/dance studio, and other multi-purpose spaces on campus. The Music Room and Arts Room are set up with instruments, art supplies, and equipment that is free to use for all UCU students.
- There is a silent prayer and meditation room for all religions and practices.
- The University College Utrecht Auditorium houses regular events such as guest lectures and student performances.
And this is just what is on the UCU campus. As we are part of Utrecht University, all students of UCU also have access to facilities offered by the UU on the other campuses or other locations such as the Olympos Sports Centre and the Parnassos Cultural Centre, as well as borrowing resources from or using the silent and group study spaces in the two university libraries.
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Smoke-free campus
As part of the National Prevention Accord, smoking is prohibited in all campus buildings, including student accommodations. The entire campus is a smoke free area. This means that smoking is prohibited everywhere on campus, including in the outside spaces. We urgently request that students and employees avoid smoking near surrounding homes and businesses to avoid causing inconvenience to residents and the public. Learn more about the National Prevention Accord and its implementation by Utrecht University and University College Utrecht here.
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Next time...
It's all about community! Stay tuned for our upcoming edition next month where we will be introducing you to social life on campus and the ins and outs of the University College Utrecht community.
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