FAQs about McMurtry and Duncan Colleges

Facilities:

Q: What furniture can I expect to find in my room?
A: Student rooms are equipped with beds, dressers, desks, desk chairs, and desk pedestal storage for each student.  Beds can be lofted.  One trash can per resident and a paper recycling bin will be provided.

Q: What does my room look like?
A: The walls alternate between polished concrete block and drywall.  The floors and ceilings in student rooms are polished concrete.  Students may want to bring area rugs.  Single rooms can accommodate rugs as large as 6 x 9 feet; doubles can accommodate rugs measuring 10 x 14 feet or two smaller rugs.

Q: What lighting is available in my room?
A: All rooms have windows.  . Rooms have overhead lighting, with individual controls for each side of the room in doubles. Desk lamps and other task lighting are not provided. Do not use halogen lamps, which are a proven fire hazard and energy inefficient.

Q: Will my room have its own bathroom?
A: Single rooms do not have individual bathrooms.  There is one bathroom for every three single rooms.  All double rooms have an attached private bathroom.  Students should consider purchasing shower caddies and/or small storage units for the bathroom.

Q: What are the features of the bathrooms?
A: Bathrooms are European-style modular units—the shower, toilet, and sink occupy a single space.  Bathrooms have a long ledge behind the sink and an open, recessed nook in one wall for toiletries, but do not have cabinet storage.  A shower curtain is provided, but the shower is not otherwise enclosed.  All bathrooms are also equipped with dual-flush toilets.  

Q: Are there closets in the rooms?
A: Both single and doubles rooms have closets.  The closets are 3 - 4 feet wide and 16 inches deep and include two hanging rods at different heights.  Doubles have 2 closets and a set of open shelves.  Students should consider bringing modest amounts of clothing that require hanging, keeping in mind the mild winter weather in Houston.  Students may also want to purchase under-bed storage units as needed.

Q: What telecommunications connections are available in my room?
A: Telephone Telephone lines in student rooms will be active, but rooms will not be equipped with telephones. The colleges are covered entirely by wireless Internet service; student rooms also include hard-wired access (one port for each occupant). Basic Cable is provided. If you would like to upgrade to Premium Cable, please contact Phonoscope Cable Company at 713-272-4600.

Q: Are there limits on decorations for my room?
A: Students are not permitted to make material alterations/improvements of any kind to the campus housing. Do not deface the walls in the rooms, including the bathroom walls, in any way. This includes using nails, screws, tacks, push pins, straight pins, glue, paste, cement, etc. The Campus Bookstore and 13th Street will carry a message board with adhesive for mounting posters, photos, and other items on the wall.

Q: What additional amenities are available outside of my room? 
A: Each of the new colleges is equipped with a computer room (with computers and printers), TV lounge, free laundry room, game room, covered bicycle racks, BBQ pit, volleyball court and common kitchens on each residential floor.

Other items to consider:

Pets are prohibited with the exception of certified assistance animals and non-flesh-eating fish in tanks of 10 gallons or less. Space heaters, window units, refrigerators over 3.6 cu.ft. and cooking appliances of any kind are not permitted.

Q: Where are the new college located on campus?
A: Duncan and McMurtry Colleges are on the north side of campus. A map of campus can be found on-line: http://www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html

Q: What is my mailing address going to be?  How should family/friends address their mail?
A: The addresses for the new colleges are as follows:

McMurtry College
1605 Rice Boulevard, MS-761
Houston, TX 77005

Duncan College
1601 Rice Boulevard, MS-715
Houston, TX 77005

Q: What about parking?
A: New students are invited to bring cars, however they will not be offered priority parking.  Priority parking will be offered to upperclassmen through Baker and Will Rice Colleges.       

Q: Will Housing and Dining store furniture students don’t want to keep in their rooms? 
A: Housing and Dining will remove select university-owned furniture from students’ single rooms, but normal charges will apply to doubles suites.

Q: What about lockers in the colleges?
A: Small lockers will be provided for off-campus students’ use.