About UCU
Planning Your Schedule
UCU is a busy environment with lots of fun opportunities to participate in, and choosing your academic schedule to allow for as much involvement as you would like is important to fully experience it!
Regular, mandatory events are our weekly Monday night worship and Bible study and business meeting. Worship and Bible study begin right after dinner at 6pm, and end at 7:30pm. Immediately following is business meeting, where the men and women separate to discuss upcoming events and other house agenda. This meeting usually ends around 8:30pm.
Another part of being involved with the UCU community is the expectation to participate in the well-being of the house by doing chores. Each resident is expected to do two to three hours of chores per week, which include meal preparation/cleanup and cleaning of common areas. Chores are part of the reason why Room and Board is lower than other communities.
Events
A house full of 45 students means there are a lot of impromptu activities including hiking, movie nights, and going to the Ave to get tea or boba. Our Social Chairs also plan some awesome events for us each quarter!
Intramural Sports
The house participates in several intramural sports each quarter. The consist of both co-ed and gender specific teams. We play flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee and more.
Fall Retreat
At the start of fall quarter there is a retreat that takes place at Lakeside Bible camp on Whidbey Island. It is a great way to get to know your new housemates or get reacquainted with friends that you missed during the summer.
Halloween Party
The Halloween Party consists of a night full of the best music, decorations, dancing, desserts, and a costume contest.
Special Dinners
Kate cooks us several holiday themed meals throughout the year including Valentine's Day, Easter, and St. Patrick's Day, in addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in the fall.
Christmas Party
Hosted at a UCUer's house, the Christmas Party is a great time with desserts, games, and a chaotic white elephant gift exchange.
Pixie Week
Pixie Week occurs once a quarter and is exclusively for the women. They give gifts anonymously each day to their pixie and have evening events throughout the week, ending with the pixie reveal!
Week of Man
This week is for Men participation only, but the women do get to watch the events like the Root Beer Mile, Fight Night, and Hot Ones. The men unite around their manliness and take part in an epic quest to outdo each other in feats of personal style, strength, and hygiene (or lack thereof). Friday night the winner is announced and they get bragging rights and their name engraved on the house sword.
Java Night
During Winter quarter, the Social Chairs host Java Night. This event is a talent show that is open to community participation. Ranging from musical performances, skits, and other various creative acts, this night provides entertainment for everyone, and is a great way to show people what UCU is about.
Women's Social
An event where the women take the men out for a fun outing during Winter Quarter. This event can be any kind of activity ranging from ice skating to a scavenger hunt around Seattle.
Week of Woman
This week is for Women participation only. There is a lot of dressing up and ridiculous nightly activities. Just like the men, a winner is announced at the end of the week. The winner gets bragging rights as well as their name engraved on the plaque.
Men's Social
An event where the men take the women out for a fun outing during Spring Quarter. This event can be any kind of activity ranging from visiting the zoo to a trampoline park.
Beach Bash
The house takes a final retreat over Memorial Day Weekend where UCUers get away for a weekend and enjoy the upcoming summer. Past years have included traveling to Eastern Washington for a relaxing and sun-filled weekend. We spend the whole weekend enjoying each other's company while swimming, playing sports and games, and having good conversation.
Meals
When you live at UCU, all of your food expenses are covered in your room and board costs. This means that you are provided two cooked meals a day (lunch and dinner), but there is always food around whether you're hungry in the middle of the night or in the afternoon when you get back from class. Our wonderful cook, Kate, is an excellent cook, so dinner is always a real treat.
Nutrition Theory
With nearly every diet the bottom line is – eat more fruits and vegetables, so let’s do that! We will try to cook in a way that you can mix and match items for when you want to indulge, lean on the protein, or binge on veggies for your meal. We also throw in some good old comfort food on occasion like homemade mac n’ cheese.
Food Sensitivities
We want to do our best to accommodate your food sensitivities and allergies. We want you to feel at home here too! We will need your help. When you arrive, we will need a list of ingredients that you are allergic to. We will also need your help and patience throughout your residency as we work together to adjust our menus to accommodate your needs.
Menus
Everyone loves different things and has different tastes depending on preferences or backgrounds. Kate loves to learn your favorite foods so that she can cook what you love to eat. Our menus are often top picks from our student residents with a few chef-inspired surprises aimed at growing our overall knowledge of cultural cuisines.
Meal Schedule
Breakfast
At UCU, you have several options for breakfast, but all of them are prepared by you. Whether it's cereal, eggs and toast, granola, fruit, or just a cup of orange juice, you are your own chef!
Lunch
Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30am - 1:00pm. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to come back to UCU during these times, you can make yourself a sack lunch with sandwich fixings, fruit, or pack some leftovers in your own food container. Common lunches that we have include Asian lettuce wraps, breakfast for lunch, teriyaki bowls, tacos, salad bar, gyros, soup and sandwiches, mac n’ cheese.
Dinner
Dinner is served Monday through Friday around 5:30pm. If you can’t make it to dinner there are always plenty of leftovers to heat up some dinner. Dinner meals are a variety of menus including pad thai, chicken fried rice, taco bar, gyros, spaghetti, Thai curry, hamburgers, pizza, grilled chicken sandwich, sweet and sour pork.
Weekend Meals
On Sunday, dinner is served and prepared by a group of student volunteers. The rest of the weekend you are your own chef! Let your creativity take flight. There are supplies to make something as easy as a sandwich or as complicated as a French omelet. Some of our students enjoy cooking together so weekends become a fun way to show off your culinary skills.
Rates
Rates are set for the duration of the academic calendar, shown on the Apply page.
Payment Due Dates
Payment of room and board is due by the payment due date listed below. Payment received in full on or before the payment due date will be eligible for a $100 discount. The Payment Due Dates for room and board are on the date of the Alumni Board meeting as follows:
Fall Quarter: Third Monday in October
Winter Quarter: Fourth Monday in January
Spring Quarter: Fourth Monday in April
Summer Quarter: Fourth Monday in June ($800)
If full payment is not received by the payment due date, the resident is considered delinquent and is responsible to arrange payment to the Alumni Accounts Receivable volunteer. A student with a delinquent account at the end of a quarter will not be allowed to continue residence the next quarter unless a payment arrangement is reached.
Instructions for Payment
Payment on or before the due date can be given to the house treasurer for delivery to the Alumni Accounts Receivable volunteer at the quarterly alumni meeting (with the exception of summer quarter). After the above dates, contact the Alumni Accounts Receivable volunteer for directions.
For questions about room and board, or for set up of a payment schedule, contact the Alumni Accounts Receivable volunteer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people live at UCU?
Up to 45 people can live at UCU at a time; at full capacity there are 27 men and 18 women.
How much does it cost to live at UCU?
Room & Board and Social Dues are the quarterly payments required for each resident. See the Apply page for more details.
Are there any single rooms?
No, there are no single rooms. UCU encourages Christian community and friendships, so each room is shared by at least one other occupant. Most rooms are doubles, but each house has a single 4-person room.
Are you affiliated with any particular church or denomination?
No, UCU is not affiliated with any denomination. We are a Protestant organization that embraces many different denominations. We believe in the core Christian beliefs listed on the Statement of Faith.
Do I have to live at UCU for the entire year? What about study abroad?
A move-out form can be turned in to move out between quarters, but residents are encouraged to stick around for the duration of a school year. If studying abroad, you can leave your deposit to reserve a spot upon return, if space is available.
How long will it take to walk to classes or the Ave?
From the back porch, it takes about ten minutes to walk to Kane hall in the middle of campus. Depending on where you want to go on the Ave, the time varies. However, walking to Starbucks, Safeway, and Tea Republik all take about five minutes.
Does UCU have internet?
UCU has a high speed internet connection (wifi or ethernet) to help you get your classwork done. Students study in their rooms, or in common areas such as the dining room or living room. If you prefer to study on campus, it is just a short walk to Odegaard or Suzzallo.
Anything else I should know?
Know that we love Jesus and have a ton of fun. Feel free to drop by the house and get to know us!