CAMPUS LIFE
Where you will live
Drury is a residential campus: almost everyone lives here, eats here, and walks to class. This page covers the halls and apartments, how rooms are assigned, what a meal plan buys, and the rules you agree to when you sign a housing contract.
Living on campus
All full-time day school students must live on campus unless they are approved to live off campus. For an international student arriving on an F-1 visa, this is usually good news: your housing is arranged before you land, it is a short walk from class, and it comes furnished with utilities and internet included.
FIRST-YEAR HALLS
Three
Lydy Suites, Sunderland, Wallace
INCLUDED EVERYWHERE
Utilities
Plus internet, laundry access, mini-blinds, air conditioning
DISTANCE TO CLASS
Walking
All campus housing, including the apartments in Midtown
A look inside campus housing at Drury.
ONE THING TO KNOW
Your housing contract runs for the academic year and does not cover the summer or the winter break between contracts. If you are not travelling home, ask the Housing Office about summer housing early: spaces are limited and handled separately.
Residence halls
The majority of freshmen and sophomores live in one of three residence halls. Each is staffed by a professional live-in Hall Director or Graduate Assistant and several Resident Assistants, the people who answer your door at midnight and run the floor events where you meet everyone.
Sunderland Hall
Opened in 2005 and home to 132 residents in suites of four private carpeted bedrooms and two bathrooms, so you share a bathroom with one person rather than three. Each suite has a microwave and compact refrigerator; each bedroom a closet, desk, dresser, and XL twin bed that can be lofted. Every floor has a classroom with a built-in projector that doubles as a movie room, plus its own laundry room. Elevator and ADA-accessible housing available. Reserved for the living-learning and themed living communities, so you must apply to one to live here.
Lydy Suites
Around 152 residents in suite-style rooms: two students per room, four per suite sharing a bathroom. The only building with a community kitchen, useful if you cook the food you grew up with. Each room has a compact refrigerator, microwave, two XL twin beds with drawers underneath, and two closets. Pool and ping-pong tables downstairs, two washers and dryers per floor, laundry already covered by your housing fee.
Wallace Hall
Renovated in 2010 and home to about 130 students, again two per room and four per suite sharing a bathroom. Rooms have an in-room sink, so more people can get ready at once, plus XL twin beds with lofting legs, two desks, two dressers, a compact refrigerator, and a microwave. Leather lounge furniture in the community room, an elevator, and ADA-accessible housing. Four washers and dryers in the basement.
Every hall and apartment building has central air conditioning. WiFi reaches all residential areas, though wired Ethernet ports are not in every room; depending on your building you will use Drury's network or Apogee's ResNet, which runs a 24/7 support line.
Apartments & houses
Drury's apartment-style housing sits in Springfield's historic Midtown, within walking distance of the academic buildings. Apartments give you an independent living environment with the services and security of hall living, and they include the same utilities, internet, laundry access, and mini-blinds.
Inside Drury's apartment-style housing.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible for apartment-style housing as a full-time undergraduate if you graduated from secondary school at least one full year before your anticipated move-in date. Returning students pick their own roommates, and apartments are then offered to groups based on combined credit hours. Roommate groups may be gender-inclusive or same-gender. Students with few credit hours typically live in the residence halls.
Kitchen amenities vary by apartment type, check the building page before you buy cookware. Note that appliances with open heating elements, air fryers, pressure cookers, and hot plates are only permitted in designated apartment kitchens, never in hall rooms. Fraternity houses are also available to full-time fraternity members who finished secondary school at least a year before move-in.
Living-learning communities
If you want a ready-made group of friends in your first week, apply to a community. A Living Learning Community (LLC) is built around a theme that matches your FUSE 101 course, so you attend class together and live on the same wing. A Themed Living Community (TLC) is not tied to a class; it connects you to an established student organization that you join and stay active in for the year.
15–20
STUDENTS PER SECTION
Selection is competitive and based on the quality of your application and short essays, not on who applies first.
No extra cost
BEYOND THE HALL RATE
You pay the normal Sunderland Hall housing and meal plan rate. Nothing is added for the programme itself.
15 April
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Application, housing contract, and deposit must all be in by 11:59 p.m. Offers and waitlists go out the last week of April.
LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITIES · TIED TO YOUR FUSE 101 CLASS
- The Traveler Within
- Finding yourself in the world, the places you can visit, and the skills and confidence to travel for life.
- Art and the Human Experience
- Humanity and culture through art, music, theatre, and literature, with trips to shows and concerts.
- I Know It's Only Rock and Roll, but…
- Popular music as a lens on social movements and global culture, from Little Richard to Bad Bunny.
- Pre-Health Sciences
- The developing healthcare professional. For students aiming at medicine, dentistry, PA, or anesthesiologist assistant programmes.
THEMED LIVING COMMUNITIES · TIED TO A STUDENT ORGANISATION
- The Social Scene
- Fall Fest, Homecoming, Spring Fling
- Get in the Game!
- Building intramural teams; frisbee and climbing clubs
- Fanatics
- Watch parties and fantasy leagues with the Fanthers
- The Game Domain
- Esports, tabletop RPGs, or the DU Indie Game Studio
- The Green Grid
- Sustainability with the Think Green organisation
- Gotta Have Faith!
- Faith-based groups and campus ministries
- Panther Pulse
- Wellness and prevention with Panthers 4 Prevention
- Panthers First
- First-generation students, with mentors and events
Themes are offered based on student interest, so the lowest-ranked themes may not run in a given year.
Applying takes five steps
Be accepted to Drury, find your student ID and Drury email in the "Your DU Credentials" message, complete the housing contract with LLC/TLC marked as your first choice, pay the $500 enrollment deposit, then submit the application form using your Drury login. Questions go to Jennifer Goodman, Director of New Student Programs.
Dining & meal plans
A meal plan comes in two parts. Blocks are buffet meals at the Commons. Panther Bucks are a dollar balance you spend at the CX, where everything is individually priced. You choose a plan per semester and have 16 weeks to use it.
Meal plan options
| PLAN | BUFFET MEALS PER SEMESTER | PANTHER BUCKS |
|---|---|---|
| 45 Block | 45 | $150 |
| 90 Block | 90 | $225 |
| 120 Block | 120 | $300 |
| 150 Block | 150 | $375 |
| 180 Block | 180 | $375 |
- Panther Bucks roll from autumn to spring. Blocks do not.Nothing carries over from one academic year to the next.
- You can use blocks at the CX between 6:30 and 8 p.m.Or pay for a Commons buffet with Panther Bucks. Check your balance with the cashier or in the FreshX app.
- Halal, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free needsFresh Ideas offers vegetarian options at every meal and can tell you which items are vegan or gluten-free. For medical dietary needs, bring a doctor's note and meet the Director of Dining Services together with Accessibility and Disability Support Services.
- Plan changes close two weeks before classes startSubmit the request yourself in MyDrury: it changes your contract, so it cannot be done by phone or by a parent. You can upgrade mid-semester at any time.
- You may swipe a guest into the CommonsBut never hand your ID card to someone else to use.
Getting your room
BY 1 MAY
Housing contract and deposit reach the Housing Office
December 1st for spring entry. Miss the deadline and Housing assigns you a room from the preferences on your contract.
FIRST FULL WEEK OF JUNE
Your assignment arrives by email
Sent to both your Drury address and your personal one. Contracts received after May 1st are assigned as rooms and roommate matches open up, so check your Drury email regularly, reassignments happen through the summer.
BEFORE YOU FLY
Message your roommate
Their name and Drury email are in the assignment message. Agree who brings the larger shared items, a rug, a television, so you are not both carrying one across an ocean.
MOVE-IN DAY
Check in first, then unload
You must collect keys in person: hall residents at the hall desk after returning the paperwork, apartment residents and early or late arrivals at the Security Office, FSC 101. No entry before buildings open, and the mail room accepts packages no more than a week ahead.
FIRST WEEK
Roommate agreement and a damage check
Your Resident Assistant (RA) gives you a roommate agreement form to fill in together. Report anything broken, damaged, or missing, photographs help, to facilities@drury.edu or the work order system, so it is not charged to you later.
What to pack
Drury's full move-in checklist assumes a student driving a car from elsewhere in Missouri. Flying in with two suitcases is a different problem. Pack what is hard to replace and buy the rest here, bedding, cleaning supplies, and storage bins are cheap at shops a short drive from campus, and there are trips organised during orientation.
BRING THESE IN YOUR HAND LUGGAGE
Passport with your visa, I-20 or DS-2019, SEVIS fee payment confirmation, admission and financial documents, and prescribed medication with the prescription itself. Everything on this list is either irreplaceable or needed within your first week.
BED & BATH
XL twin sheet set, pillows, bedspread, bath and hand towels, washcloths, bath rug, shower caddy and toiletries, bathrobe, hair dryer, first aid kit.
XL twin is a US mattress size and is not sold everywhere. Buy it here rather than carrying it.
DESK & TECHNOLOGY
Laptop and a lock for it, power strip with a long cord and surge protector, Ethernet cable, reading lamp, alarm clock, flashlight and batteries, backpack, paper, pens, stapler, scissors.
US outlets are 120V, type A/B. Bring plug adapters, and check your chargers are rated for 100–240V.
STORAGE & ROOM
Under-bed bins, storage shelves, shoe rack, clothes hangers, bulletin board, photographs, frames, posters, wastebasket and liners.
Only 3M Command adhesive hangers may be used on the walls.
FOOD & CLEANING
Microwavable dishes, utensils, cups, can opener, snacks, HE laundry detergent, laundry basket, dish soap, glass and bathroom cleaner, small vacuum, broom and dustpan.
A microwave and mini-fridge are already provided in the residence halls.
CLOTHING
Season-appropriate clothing, swapped out over the breaks where possible, umbrella and rain gear, a warm coat, gloves, and boots for the Missouri winter.
Springfield runs from around 33°C in August to below freezing in January.
MOVE-IN DAY ITSELF
Box cutter, trash bags, notepad and pencil, a small tool kit: rubber mallet, screwdrivers, crescent wrench, socket set, a small sewing kit.
Bring a dolly or luggage cart if you can borrow one. Lydy Suites has no elevator.
AGREE WITH YOUR ROOMMATE FIRST
- Rugs and carpet
- Curtains
- A television
- A games console
- A door message board, you only need one of each between you
- Approved cooking appliances are toasters (not toaster ovens), coffee makers, rice steamers, and air popcorn poppers; all must be UL approved
- Sunderland residents may add a second mini-fridge up to 4.3 cubic feet
LEAVE AT HOME
- Extension cords
- Couches
- Lofting materials
- Candles and incense even unburnt
- Tape or tacks of any kind
- Extra refrigerators in Lydy or Wallace
- Microwaves
- Alcohol containers
- Weapons including air-soft and pellet guns
- Any cooking appliance not on the approved list
- These are confiscated and carry conduct sanctions
House rules
Signing a housing contract means agreeing to the residential policies. These are the ones students most often learn the hard way; the full list is in the Community Standards Handbook.
- Quiet hours, 11 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Mandatory in all campus housing. Courtesy applies at every hour.
- Guests: 2 at a time, 4 nights running
- No more than 8 nights a month. Overnight hall guests sign in with the RA on duty. You are responsible for your guests and escort them.
- Campus is tobacco and nicotine free
- Including chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes, anywhere on campus.
- No marijuana, despite Missouri law
- Federal law still prohibits it, and Drury must comply to receive federal funding. The odour alone is a violation.
- Alcohol only behind a closed door, at 21+
- Anything above 15% ABV is prohibited on campus for everyone regardless of age, as are kegs, funnels, and drinking games.
- Pets: fish only
- Except service animals and approved emotional support animals arranged through Residence Life.
- 3M Command strips for posters
- Removable ones. No tacks, nails, putty, or ceiling decorations, and no painting. Buy the strips before you travel, Springfield shops sell out at move-in.
- University furniture stays in the room
- All of it, for the whole contract. Missing pieces are charged to you. There is no storage in the halls.
DO NOT PACK THESE
Space heaters, candles and incense, fireworks, gas grills, combustible fuels, appliances with open heating elements, instant pots, air fryers, crock pots and pressure cookers, hot plates, toaster ovens and electric griddles, motorised scooters, refrigerators over 4.3 cubic feet, furniture not approved by the Housing Office, empty glass bottles, and extension cords without a grounding wire and circuit breaker. Weapons of any kind are prohibited across the whole campus, including car parks.
Some cooking appliances are allowed in designated apartment kitchens. Residence halls and Greek housing suites have no cooking area.
Accessibility
Accommodations are available for all forms of disability, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Support is decided individually, in conversation with the Director of Accessibility and Disability Services, so start by submitting the request for accommodations form rather than waiting until term begins. Accessible housing exists in Sunderland and Wallace, and dietary and emotional support animal requests run through the same office.
ACCESSIBILITY & DISABILITY SERVICES
Kris Luginbill
Director of Accessibility & Disability Services
Housing contacts
CONTRACTS, ROOM ASSIGNMENTS & MEAL PLANS
Housing Office
Housing
& Residence Life
SAFETY & SECURITY
+1 417-873-7400
Lockouts, lost ID or key, parking permits, night escorts
TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
+1 417-873-7300
Springfield Hall 227. ResNet runs 24/7 on +1 888-963-1773