General Housing FAQs | COVID-19-Related FAQs
HMDS stands for Housing Management and Dining Services. The HMDS Office is located in the center of campus, in Sage Hall 138. The HMDS staff can assist students with license agreements, room assignments, keys, meal plans and points, and Mills ID cards. For assistance call 510.430.2127 or email housing@mills.edu.
Graduate women have the option of living in Warren Olney Hall, Ethel Moore Hall, and the Courtyard Townhouses. Graduate men may live in the Courtyard Townhouses. Graduate students with families may apply for the Underwood Apartments (PDF).
The move-in date depends on whether a student is new or continuing and is usually one to five days before classes start each semester. The move-out date is the day after the last scheduled final exam of the semester, unless otherwise indicated in section E. of the License Agreement for On-Campus Housing: Terms and Conditions, found in the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF). You can also see the Mills Academic Calendar for quick reference dates.
All residence hall occupants are required to leave when the residence halls close during the winter break, but students returning for the spring semester do not need to remove their belongings from their rooms. Students may stay in the residence halls during the Thanksgiving and spring break periods.
Ross House, Larsen House Co-op, Prospect Hill, the Courtyard Townhouses, and the Underwood Apartments are open during the winter break. Underwood Apartments (family housing) are also open during the summer, as are some of the apartments at the Courtyard Townhouses.
Winter break housing may be available for a few days or the entire break period. There are additional charges for room and board during this period. Space is limited, and students do not live in their normal rooms. Those interested should call 510.430.2127 or email housing@mills.edu for details.
There is no curfew. Outer doors to residential spaces are always locked and each resident has her/his own key and/or keycard to the building. For fall 2020, no outside guests will be allowed in residence halls, either for visits or for overnight stays. Residents living in Ross House, Larsen House, Courtyard Townhouses, and Prospect Hill are not allowed to have any guests inside their apartments, including other Mills College students. Residents living in Orchard Meadow, Warren Olney, Ethel Moore, Ege, and White Halls are not allowed to bring any guests into the residence halls from other residence halls. Residents living in these buildings may visit residents living in the same building as them, but social distancing is enforced.
The only exceptions to the guest policy are for individuals providing care to a resident or providing care to a family member of a resident (Underwood only) on campus. These individuals will need to be identified to Residential Life and Public Safety.
A Mills ID is issued to each Mills student after account clearance and arrival on campus during Orientation. Students are encouraged to email ID photos (in a .jpg format) to housing@mills.edu by July 31 for the fall semester or by the end of the first week of January for the spring semester. If you want your preferred name on your ID card, you must make sure your preferred name is registered with the Registrar's Office before the above deadlines. By sending your image in advance, you will avoid waiting in line to have your picture taken during Orientation.
When emailing a photo for your ID card, please keep in mind:
In light of COVID-19, please be sure to also bring the following items:
First Aid items to bring:
Prohibited items or items not needed:
The Office of Residential Life and/or HMDS staff may conduct a walk-through of any residential space with 48 hours' advance notice, to look for health and safety hazards, policy violations, and maintenance concerns. Walk-throughs of the entire independent living community (apartments, townhouses, and houses) will be conducted once per semester with 48 hours' advance notice. During inspections, staff will be looking at the cleanliness of kitchens and bathrooms including stoves, floors, and tubs, and will check each individual bedroom. After closing the traditional residence halls for winter break, staff will walk through all of the traditional halls to assess the safety and security of the building.
For information on forbidden items and potential policy violations, please see "What are some suggested items I can bring (and not bring) to Mills?" and the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF). In preparation for health and safety checks, students should also be sure that their living spaces are clean.
Each Mills residential student receives a Personal Mailbox (PMB) for the duration of her/his residence agreement. Students will register for a PMB with the Mail and Copy Center on campus at Adams Plaza. Mail should be addressed as follows:
[Your Name]
PMB [Your Personal Mailbox Number]
5000 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94613
Beginning three weeks in advance of your scheduled move-in date, you may send no more than five packages that do not exceed 50 pounds each to the following address:
[Your Name]
[Your Building Name and Room Number]
5000 MacArthur Boulevard
Oakland, CA 94613
After move-in, packages should be sent to your personal mailbox (see "Where will my mail be delivered?" above).
Our guestroom housing will be offline for fall 2020 and spring 2021. If you have a question regarding our on-campus guestrooms please feel free to contact us at guestroom@mills.edu.
Yes, please see the Mills College Student Handbook (PDF) for Mills College's policy regarding liability for loss.
Liability for Loss—Mills College assumes no responsibility, and does not provide insurance or any other financial protection, for residents, family member occupants, their guests, or their respective property. Residents are advised to obtain their own insurance protection against loss, theft, or damage of personal property (such as computers, stereos, cell phones, jewelry, cameras, etc.).
If you have a concern related to laundry machines, plumbing, door or window issues or general maintenance or safety concerns within your residential community/ room please fill out a Service Request to have the issue addressed as soon as possible. Our campus facilities team is a group of highly trained and knowledgeable staff who will be dispatched to address your concern once the issue has been reported through the service request system. Submitting a service request gives permission to the attending staff member to enter your residence to assess and address your concern.
Bon Appetit at Mills College has adapted infection control practices using appropriate combinations of engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE) to help prevent exposures within the Mills College community. As classes begin on campus at Mills College, Bon Appétit Management Company is implementing rigorous sanitation and service measures to ensure students can dine with us safely and comfortably.
These new measures have been developed based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health and sanitation experts from their company’s Coronavirus Response Team, and local health regulations.
As the pandemic evolves and state and county regulations change, it is anticipated that dine-in service will be possible at various times during the academic year, while at other times it will be takeout only. The health and well-being of the Mills community is our top priority. Bon Appetit’s corporate safety team is continuously monitoring CDC recommendations, updating guidance as needed, and regularly communicating with the on-site team.