Summer study accommodations are simple, standard college dormitory facilities. They are furnished with twin beds, desks, dressers, chairs, and small closets with a few clothes hangers.  We provide all residents with the following:

• two twin sheets
• one pillow
• one pillowcase
• one mattress pad
• one light-weight blanket
• one bath towel
• two hand towels
• one washcloth

The towels are small and some students like to bring extras. You may also wish to bring an additional pillow or blanket. Laundry facilities are in the dormitory and are available to students free of charge.

Roommates
Whenever possible, students taking courses for credit are given single rooms to facilitate deep study. Religious participants generally share rooms with those from their own religious order.  Audit students will be paired with a roommate. To request a particular roommate, please write the name of the individual with whom you wish to share a room by emailing the Graduate School (graduate.school@christendom.edu) by May 15. No roommate requests can be accommodated after May 31, 2022.

Safety & Security Information
On every wing and floor of each dormitory, bulletin boards can be found with general information such as emergency contact numbers, directions to medical facilities, local maps, etc.  For your safety, a security officer is on patrol across campus each night.  Dormitories are accessible only by key cards, which will be issued to students upon arrival on campus. Students will receive more information on safety and security during the student orientation, and a staff member will be available for questions.

Accessibility Accommodations
Students are welcome to disclose any physical limitation or restriction that may affect their stay or require special attention by emailing the Graduate School (graduate.school@christendom.edu). We will place students in rooms that are appropriate for their needs.

Please Note: Christendom is a walking campus.  Although the campus is not large, students need to be able to walk to and from buildings or to provide their own transportation. The dining and classroom facilities are all handicap accessible.

All residential registrations and special requests MUST be received by May 31. Accommodations after this date cannot be guaranteed as space is limited and housing assignments are locked in by early June.

Shuttle Service

Christendom College’s undergraduate campus is located in Front Royal, VA, about an hour and a half outside of Washington, D.C. Christendom College offers shuttle service to and from Dulles International Airport (IAD) and the Vienna Metro Station (Orange Line) at the beginning and end of every summer session according to the dates and times.

Shuttle Schedule

I. Shuttle Arrivals: Picks up from Dulles Airport or Vienna Metro Station

Sunday Shuttles Prior to Study Start

• Shuttle #1: Pick up at Dulles 12:00 pm; Pickup at Vienna Metro Station 12:30 pm
• Shuttle #2: Pick up at Dulles 5:00 pm; Pickup at Vienna Metro Station 5:30 pm

II. Shuttle Departures: Drops off at Dulles Airport or Vienna Metro Station

Friday Evening Following End of Study

• Shuttle: Leaves campus 4:00 pm

Saturday Morning Following End of the Study

• Shuttle: Leaves campus at 6:00 am

SIGN UP FOR THE SHUTTLE SERVICE

Please Note:

• There is no additional charge to students who travel on the shuttles within these time-frames.
• Requests outside of set shuttle times cannot be accommodated by the Christendom shuttle service.
• Shuttle services must be requested for each individual person traveling in your party at least three weeks prior to pick up.
• We will send an email within 5 days before a student’s arrival, confirming the time and place of the van pick-up, and the driver’s name and cell phone number.
• You MUST contact the transportation office at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel you shuttle reservation.
• For questions about the shuttle services please contact the transportation office at 540-551-9170 .

Please Note: Pick-up and Drop-off times are only estimations depending on traffic.  The Transportation Department allots extra time for all shuttle services, but cannot promise that shuttles will arrive at the specific time.  For this reason, it is very important that the transportation office has a way to contact you. Please be sure to log an email address AND, more importantly, a cell phone number where the driver can reach you in case there is a delay.

Shuttle service urgent situations

• College Delay: If the college must delay a shuttle due to inclement weather, a staff member from the Transportation Office will contact all students scheduled for shuttles on their cellphones. For this reason, the Transportation Office requires that all students using shuttle service submit their cellphone numbers when requesting a shuttle.
• Student Flight Delay: Should your flight be delayed, please call the Transportation Office phone number at 540-551-9170. If outside of business hours, please listen to the voicemail recording for instructions on how to reach a staff member via cellphone. If you have a last-minute delay, please call your van driver. Christendom Transportation cannot promise to provide shuttle service for all delayed flights, but will do its best to provide adequate service.

Parking on Campus

For those who plan to park on campus, there will be a lot available close to the dormitories.  Because of limited space across campus, we ask that those planning to drive get in touch with us (703-658-4304  | graduate.school@christendom.edu)  at the time of registration so that we can ensure a parking space for you.

Meals & Special Dietary Accommodations

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served daily at St. Lawrence Commons. The cost of meals is included in the room and board charge for those residing on campus. Students with allergies and dietary are encouraged to disclose these to the Graduate School.

Christendom College is committed to providing safe and healthy dietary accommodations to students with food allergies, food sensitivities, and unique dietary needs. Students are free to navigate the dining Commons themselves, as menus are displayed in each food line listing ingredient information for main allergens.  If a student is ever in doubt about ingredients or allergens in a meal, he should ask our Executive Chef or a Kitchen Staff member.  If the student requires specially prepared meals, the College offers the following dietary accommodations:

• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Nut-free
• Egg-free
• Soy-free
• Shellfish/fish-free

While we make every effort to prepare all allergen-free menu items as safe as possible, we are a facility that uses allergens in other areas of our space, and no kitchen is guaranteed to be completely allergy-free. A  severe allergy, such as anaphylaxis, is not able to be accommodated.

Students with special dietary needs are encouraged to follow this link for more information: https://www.christendom.edu/campus-life/student-services/dining-services/st-lawrence-commons-special-services/

Non-Residential Students

• Please contact Executive Chef Don Higby in person or by email at donald.higby@christendom.edu (preferably with a week’s notice) before you plan to eat on campus. If you plan to regularly dine in the Commons during the semester, please communicate your schedule to the Chef.
• Individual meal prices for non-resident students and guests are $9 per meal.

At the center of Christendom’s community, Christ the King chapel provides a beautiful setting for liturgy and worship.  The Sacraments are celebrated frequently, and the chapel is a peaceful setting for individual prayer.

Christendom offers daily Mass and Confession. During the Vita Consecrata Institute (July 3  – July 28), an additional morning Mass will be celebrated, along with daily Liturgy of the Hours and Exposition and Benediction.

Christendom’s Sunday Mass is offered in Christ the King Chapel at 10:00 AM.

The Christendom Chaplain (Fr. Marcus Pollard) is available to graduate students for any spiritual needs; students can contact him at the rectory (540-622-6128) or by email (fr.pollard@christendom.edu). 

St. John the Evangelist Library
The St. John the Evangelist Library is the center of the academic life of the Christendom College campus, and has a collection of more than 90,000 volumes specifically designed to serve and support the intellectual and spiritual formation of the students, faculty, administration, and staff. With this in mind, the library aims to provide an uplifting atmosphere and excellent instructional, reference, and collection services.

Students participating in the graduate school’s summer residential studies are able to check out books from the library and use available spaces for quiet study.  Additional information about the library’s services and collection may be found on the library webpage.

Crusader Gymnasium
The gymnasium is located near the Library and Saint Clare’s dorm and overlooks the Shenandoah River.  The 20,000 square-foot structure features:

• Full size collegiate basketball court including side practice baskets
• Regulation volleyball court with 2 practice courts
• Full size (2) racquetball/handball courts
• Fully functional weight room with free weights, strength machines, bench stations, and 2 multi-use machines
• Fitness and cardio room equipped with treadmills, elliptical, free weights, medicine balls and mats
• Student TV lounge with snack machines
• 2 locker rooms with bathrooms and showers

Access to kayaks and canoes for use on the Shenandoah River is also available through the gym. Information on how to sign up will be provided during orientation.

Campus Map
A campus map is available for download here: Campus Map (pdf).  There are many scenic walkways and sights to explore on campus. 

1. When should I arrive at and depart from campus?
There will be a mandatory Orientation session at 6:30 pm on the Sunday prior to the start of your study. The campus will be open for students to arrive after 3:00 pm on Saturday. Please note that there will be no dinner served in the Commons on Saturday. The first meal will be dinner on Sunday.  If you are planning to drive in later in the evening, please get in touch with the Graduate School as soon as possible so that we can arrange for you to pick up your orientation packet and dorm access card. Security will be locking up after 7:30 pm.

Dorms must be vacated no later than 10:00 am on the Saturday following the conclusion of each study to make room for any other attendees who are arriving.

2. If I am local to Christendom, can I attend classes without staying on campus?
Commuting students are more than welcome to attend classes. Please be sure to touch base with the Dean’s Assistant (graduate.school@christendom.edu) so that parking and food services may be appropriately arranged.

3. Is Christendom close to town?
Christendom is located roughly 5 miles from the town center of Front Royal.  There are limited public transportation options from campus to town.  A free shuttle service will run from campus to town once a week.

4. Can I receive mail while I am attending?
Students may receive mail at 134 Christendom Drive, Front Royal, VA, 22630.  Mail is distributed to resident students and faculty during the noon meal by Walter Janaro, Christendom College’s Registrar.  Students may give Walter outgoing mail at that time, or may drop off at his office in Regina Coeli. Postage can be purchased from Walter. In an emergency, a message may be left for a student at the college toll-free number: 800-877-5456.

5. What kind of activities are there to do during my stay?
Christendom has many beautiful hiking trails in the forest overlooking the Shenandoah River; we highly recommend that students take time to enjoy the scenery. The gym features racquetball and basketball courts, and the campus also has a tennis court which may be used by anyone (please note the equipment for tennis is not provided). The St. John the Evangelist Library offers a relaxing environment in which to study and read.

6. Does St. Lawrence Commons provide gluten-free/dairy-free eating options?
Students with any allergy concerns or other dietary requirements are encouraged to reach out to contact the kitchen (donald.higby@christendom.edu) with any restrictions and check out the St. Lawrence Commons Special Services page.

7. When is the last day to sign up for a residential study? 
While students can sign up for classes up until the day of when class begins, students are encouraged to sign up by May 15th.

Please note that we do need to know if you need housing and transportation by May 31 at the latest. Housing and transportation requests may not be fulfilled after that time.

8. Can I take online courses and attend the summer residential courses at the same time?
Yes, some students choose to double up on their course load over the summer by taking both online and onsite courses.

9. Is there a dress code?
Dress for classes and meals is business casual, but we ask that no shorts be worn at Mass. Summers in Virginia tend to be hot and humid. As such, each of the buildings is air-conditioned and some can be quite cool. We encourage students to also pack clothing that can be worn to enjoy the outdoors.

10. Is there internet on campus?
The dormitories, library, gym, and student center will have Wi-Fi connections available.  The library has computer labs that students may use during open hours.