Housing Information

You will be staying in Petersen Hall (304 Grand Avenue, Iowa City, IA 52242) this summer. Specific information for Petersen Hall can be found in the 2025 Westside Summer Housing Guidebook. 

The Guidebook will provide you with detailed information about living at Petersen Hall.  For example, it covers custodial services, dining facilities, electrical appliance, keys, laundry rooms, liability and personal property, Wi-Fi services, and residence hall policies.

It is the responsibility of each BSURF participant to read and understand all policies and procedures in the Summer Housing Guidebook.

A few items to highlight:

• Pillow, bedspread, and sheets will be provided by the residence hall. New linens provided weekly (see page 5 of the Guidebook).
• It is the participant's responsibility to take their own trash to the dumpster, located at the Petersen Hall loading dock. Participants are also required to keep their rooms clean. Custodial service will not be available.
• Participants will need to bring their own towels. It is recommended that they bring towels in a color other than white.
• Each room will have its own micro-fridge (stacked as one unit) Size: 2.3 cubic foot fridge, .90 cubic foot freezer, and .80 cubic foot microwave.
• For each lost key ($50) or lost prox. card ($15), participants will be responsible for payment to receive a replacement.

Dress Code for Labs

While working in your assigned lab, please adhere to the guidelines set forth by your supervisor. In general, apparel should include full foot coverings and clothing that covers the skin. Lab coats and gloves should be worn, as appropriate. 

Payroll Information

Direct deposit for your paycheck is mandatory and can be set up online within the UI Employee Self-Service system. You will be provided with your log-in/temporary password to employee self-service on your first day. To complete your direct deposit information, please be sure to have your bank routing number and account number with you.

Additionally, please bring a valid, government-issued photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc).  This is needed to obtain an ID badge for you, which is used to access the building, labs, etc.

Parking

If you plan to drive your vehicle to Iowa City and need to make arrangements for parking, please see the instructions on page 9 of the Summer Housing Guidebook.  

• Short-term parking near the dorm is available at parking meters. Meters are monitored from 7:30 AM through 11:00 PM daily.
• West side residence halls do not have their own parking facilities.
• University parking lots are marked as to when parking is prohibited - you are free to park there during off hours.  Parking is not enforced on university holidays.

You are also welcome to bring your bicycle to campus, as Iowa City is a very bike-friendly community. Alternatively, there is a bike library close to campus where you can check out a bike for the duration of your stay.

Public Transportation

All buses in Iowa City & Coralville use the Transit App.

• There is also a bus service to Cedar Rapids that only operates Monday-Friday.
• Coralville bus services operate Monday-Saturday.
• Iowa City bus services operate Monday-Saturday.
• The Cambus is a free bus service for the UI campus. Please check the website for summer operating hours.

Group Me 

The UI Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) created a "GroupMe" account for UI Summer Program Students to join. The account is solely used by summer program students. Students usually use the chat to coordinate social events, trips, sporting activities, or ask questions. BSURF participants are welcome to join! Sign up at: https://groupme.com/join_group/100426959/5CgX5d1C

Recreational Services

If you wish to obtain a monthly fitness membership to the University of Iowa's recreational facilities, please let Sonya Housholder know. More information can be found here.

What To Do In the Iowa City Area

• Things you should do at Iowa, put out by the UI Division of Student Life
• Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Visit the Black Angel and other nearby curiosities
• Take in some nature at one of Iowa's State Parks
• Things to do in Iowa City
• Guide to Iowa City - When You're Here for Summer Research

Summer Events