Graduate Student Housing

Welcome to Graduate Housing

Soka University of America offers optional single graduate students suite-style housing accommodations in the residence hall community. Graduate student housing is a designated floor in a residence hall community shared with undergraduate students.

 

Exterior of Residence Hall

UNDERGRADUATE and GRADUATE HOUSING

Umoja Hall 370  (ooh-MOE-jah)

An African word meaning UNITY, aptly named to characterize the spirit of the residential community
 
 
Residential Living Features:
  • Furnished suites, including private bathroom and detached bedrooms
  • Access to the community kitchen pantry and public living rooms
  • Local telephone service and high-speed Internet (Ethernet and wireless)
  • Live-on Residential Life staff to provide 24 hour support
  • FREE laundry

The university provides the following items in resident's rooms:Suite Layout

  • Twin sized bed
  • Mattress
  • Desk with hutch
  • Chair
  • Wardrobe closet
  • Trashcan/Recycle bin
  • Plunger
  • Cisco IP Phone

The Graduate Housing Application will be available online in early June. The housing contract is for the 2018-2019 academic year. Graduate students will be matched with another student from the program. Soka University does not have on-campus accommodations for married students or students with families. 

For more information about campus living, consult the Graduate Residential Life Guide.

Office of Residential Life

Michelle Hobby-Mears, Director of Residential Life and Student Activities
 949-480-4134
mhobby-mears@soka.edu 

The residence hall community has full time live-in professional staff members responsible for overseeing daily operations. All staff members are readily available to residents and a staff member is on call at all times.

Lisa Deiser, Assistant Director of Residential Operations and Planning
949-480-4149
ldeiser@soka.edu

Andy Lyum, Residence Hall Coordinator
949-480-4212
landy@soka.edu

Jaime Dance, Residence Hall Coordinator
 949-480-4189
jdance@soka.edu 

Ruby Nagashima, Residence Hall Coordinator* serving Umoja Hall 370
949-480-4190
rnagashima@soka.edu

Residence Hall Coordinators are senior professional staff whose responsibilities include supporting residents' needs, supervising Resident Advisors, and managing hall facilities. The RHCs are available to assist in all matters.*

Graduate Housing Staff

Sharon Legese Gemechu, Residence Hall Coordinator
 949-480-4382
slegesegemechu@soka.edu

In addition to the professional staff, Resident Advisors (RA) serve as paraprofessional Residential Life staff during the academic year. RAs work closely with the professional staff in supporting the Residential Life mission of supporting residents in cultivating a meaningful living-learning community. The RAs operate the front office during evening office hours assisting residents with checkout, maintenance or service requests and in any other area of need. RAs assist the staff when conflicts or crisis arise within the community.