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Living on Campus

One of the best ways to make friends on campus is to join a club or organization. There are over 400 campus organizations to choose from—including academic and professional groups, sororities & fraternities, intramural sports, political organizations, religious groups, and more.

You can also extend your campus boundaries to include the rest of the world, by studying abroad, participating in an exchange program at another US university, or being involved in UT's Ready for the World initiative.

There are also organized sporting events, plays, concerts, recitals, and art exhibits to attend on campus and in Knoxville—and don't forget the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Remember, your fUTure at UT is what you make it!

Residence Hall Life

Fact: Students who live on campus tend to have higher grades,
a higher graduation rate, and overall greater satisfaction with
their college experience.

Also fact: Living on campus is fun! UT Knoxville’s residence halls
offer you the chance to live with your new friends and classmates.
You also get to be where the action is—on campus!

University Housing’s residence halls offer convenience, both in
location and in valuable services. Living on campus means
easy access to classes, the library, Volunteer Dining options, and
recreation facilities. It also means in-room cable and internet
access, mail delivered to your lobby, 24-hour staffing for your safety
and security, and local phone and utilities. Also, your University
Housing can be covered by financial aid and scholarships!

Once you're admitted, you should act quickly to secure your housing priority by confirming your enrollment. Students who confirm will receive their housing contracts by e-mail and will be able to request their housing choices. The enrollment deposit system is currently closed but will be open again in December to accept enrollment deposits for students entering UT in the summer or fall.

Note: The first annual fire safety report for residential occupancies at the university is available for review online. This report is required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act.

Learn more about your fUTure on campus at the University Housing Web site.

Dining Services

Part of living on campus is eating on campus. UT Dining Services offers a variety of meal plan options for residents—and if you live in a dorm, you may have a cafeteria on premises. To make things a bit easier to "stomach," Meal Plan accounts are set up on your VolCard (that's your official university ID card), so there's never a need to dig between the cushions of the dorm couch to find your lunch money. If you choose a meal plan with Dining Dollars, you can use your VolCard at any campus dining location—including convenience and grocery stores—just like a debit card.

Books & Gear

This may come as a surprise, but you're expected to register for and attend classes while you're at UT. Your professors will assign textbooks for these classes, and you can purchase them here on campus at the UT Bookstore. Once you're there, you'll also find a wide variety of school supplies and UT gear, primarily in shades of orange and white. You may want to check out the educational discounts at the computer store (otherwise known as the Bookstore Technology Center) while you're at it.

» That Does Compute.

Bring your laptop (and iPads, and iPods, and smartphones, and other gadgets), because we have wireless!

UT Knoxville is known both nationally and internationally for its extensive wireless network coverage. UT provides access through more than 1200 wireless access points spanning over 15 million square feet of space. Almost all academic buildings have wireless access coverage as well as many of the non-academic buildings, including athletic facilities, lounges, and common areas.

The Life Preserver is the Office of Information Technology's guide to getting connected on our campus network.

» Living on Campus Policy

UT's policy states that all freshmen who do not commute from the home of a parent or legal guardian are required to live in the University residence halls as long as space is available.

» Dorm Life

You’ll have the opportunity to turn your room into your home.

We’ll give you a head start—each resident is provided with a twin bed (extra long), desk, desk chair, dresser, closet, mattress pad, trash can and micro-fridge.

Each residence hall has the following common features:

• Post Office
• ID card access
• Cable hook-up
• Telephone
• Internet access
• Air conditioning
• Laundry room
• Vending machines

Find out how to plan for your new room and what to bring with you on move-in day (and what to leave at home) on the University Housing website!