One of the major roles of the residence life staff is to help foster the development of community within the residence halls and across campus. The residence life staff seeks to promote a feeling of cooperation and understanding; enhance open communication; and provide structured and unstructured opportunities for group interaction. The residence life staff is also responsible for helping to develop an awareness and sensitivity to expectations and standards around which communities are formed, and educate through positive confrontational dialogue.
It is through the combined efforts of the entire residence life staff that the out-of-class experiences of St. Olaf students are brought into partnership with the academic area in the education of the whole person.
St. Olaf College supports open dialogue concerning these policies and standards and how they affect the life of the campus. Students wishing to be involved in this effort are encouraged to become active in their residence hall, student government or student organizations.
The following are general guidelines for community life at St. Olaf. For complete delineation of the policies related to housing and residence life, please refer to The Book: The St. Olaf Student Planner and Official Handbook or contact the Dean of Students Office.
As a residential college, St. Olaf requires that all full-time students reside in college-owned housing, as far as accommodations will permit. These housing commitments are binding for the entire academic year, unless a student is released from housing by the Residence Life Office. Exceptions are granted to students who are married, are a custodial parent, living at home in Northfield, or are 22 years of age or older by the first day of the Fall Semester of the current academic year. For further information concerning off-campus options, please contact the Residence Life Office.
All first-year students live in designated First-year Halls. A long-standing tradition and integral part of the St. Olaf community, small "corridors" of students are assigned to live together and develop living/learning skills in a small-group setting.
The possession, distribution, or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the St. Olaf campus, on land owned by the college, and in college-owned honor and language houses. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at all college-sponsored functions, no matter where located, that include students.
St. Olaf prohibits the unlawful possession, distribution, or use of illicit drugs and/or controlled substances on any property owned by the college or in any program or activity sponsored by the college in any location.
For reasons of privacy and safety, the college has established visitation hours for students in the residence halls. Men and women are permitted to visit one of the opposite sex in private rooms during intervisitation hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. There are 24 hour study and social spaces in every hall.
Weapons including but not limited to guns, knives, archery equipment, and ammunition, are not permitted. Students wishing to store weapons on campus for sport or hunting purposes must register and store them with Campus Security.
Students wishing to keep cars on campus must receive a permit from the Parking Office. Because parking spaces on campus are very limited, a priority system is in place to ensure fair distribution of permits.
Ellingson Hall (1961): Houses 200 first-year students in double-occupancy rooms.
Gertrude Hilleboe Hall (1951): Houses 125 first-year and upperclass students in double-occupancy rooms; adjoins Kittelsby Hall.
Hoyme Memorial Hall (1961): Houses 200 first-year students in double-occupancy rooms.
Kildahl Hall (1957): Houses 170 first-year students in double-occupancy rooms.
Agnes Kittelsby Hall (1957): Houses 175 first- and second-year students in double-occupancy rooms.
Agnes Larson Hall (1964): One of two high rise residence halls, Larson houses 300 upperclass students in double-occupancy rooms.
Manitou Hall (1989): Houses 400 students, primarily seniors, in double rooms with adjoining lounges.
Agnes Mellby Hall (1938): Houses 200 mostly upperclass students in traditional double-occupancy college rooms.
Mohn Hall (1964): The second high rise residence hall, Mohn houses 300 first- and second-year students in double-occupancy rooms.
Rand Hall (1980): Provides several rooming options, including suites and quads, for 245 upperclass students.
Thorson Hall (1948): Houses 240 upperclass students in double rooms.
For more information on each of the residence halls, including pictures of the buildings and sample rooms, please visit our internet site: http:/www.stolaf.edu/stulife/reslife
In addition to its traditional residence halls, St. Olaf has ten honor and four foreign language houses. Located primarily along St. Olaf Avenue just east of the campus, the honor houses are home to 150 upperclass students. Each house features a kitchen, living area and laundry facilities. Residents of the honor houses participate in service projects associated with volunteer organizations in the Northfield and St. Olaf communities.
Similar to the honor houses, language houses provide a unique environment to students who are studying foreign languages. Inside the houses, residents are encouraged to speak the native language of the country their house represents.
The unique opportunities of a residential college atmosphere include the social experience of coming together for meals. The college views meals as an important part of each person's day, not only for nutrition, but also for personal growth through interaction with others.
All students living on campus must participate in the full board plan (21 meals per week). Students living off campus must take a minimum of one meal per day in the cafeteria in the St. Olaf Student Center unless they are married or living with their parents.
The St. Olaf Academic Support Center (ASC) offers a variety of services to assist students in meeting the demands of higher education. The Analytical and Verbal Skills Coordinators are available for academic counseling and to help students design individual programs to improve reading, writing, listening, concentrating, reasoning, mathematical, or problem-solving skills.
At the beginning of the year, during "Week One," the ASC also offers a one-day study skills workshop for First Year students.
The ASC staff supervise several ongoing programs:
Academic Assistants are students trained by the ASC and assigned to residence halls to provide assistance with study strategies, note taking, time management, and test taking. These students are available for individual help, group discussions, or workshops on study skills. Most students seeking tutoring discuss their study habits with an Academic Assistant before being assigned a tutor.
The Tutoring Program provides student tutors who give help in most subject areas for students having difficulties.
Writing Place Tutors offer assistance at various stages of the writing process.
Math Clinics provide help with the homework and the ideas of beginning calculus, pre-calculus, and statistics courses.
Information on help sessions offered by academic departments is also available at the ASC.
Personal and psychological counseling is available through the Student Counseling Center in the form of individual and group counseling sessions.
Services are available to all students on a confidential, no-fee basis.
The center assists students with a variety of concerns which typically involve issues related to relationships, identity, self-esteem, family, depression, victimization, anxiety/panic attacks, academics, grief and loss, socialization/isolation, food/body image, or chemical use/abuse. However, any personal concern is appropriate to bring to the Counseling Center.
A variety of counseling groups are offered throughout the academic year. These groups focus on topics such as: family issues; food and body image concerns; coping with grief and loss; victimization issues; enhancing relationships; men's issues; women's issues; and personal growth.
Personal counseling is also available from the College Pastor, the Dean of Students, Associate Deans, and Assistant Deans.
The St. Olaf Career Development Center provides a wide range of resources to both students and alumni who wish to explore career alternatives.
Career planning is an ongoing and developmental process. At St. Olaf, students are encouraged to consider career issues in a larger context. The process is called Career and Life Planning. The ultimate goal of the Career Development Center is to help students find a career direction that allows them to use their gifts, talents, and abilities.
The Career and Life Planning process consists of three distinct phases.
Phase One involves Self-Assessment. In this phase, students explore personal issues such as values, skills, and interests. They are encouraged to examine who they are and what is important in their life.
This involves asking such questions as:
The job search process comes alive during the Action Phase: students develop resumés, practice interviewing techniques, and participate in workshops and career panels.
Students also have access to an active and helpful Alumni Career Advising Network. The Career Development Center Resource Room has information on internships, summer jobs, and specific job market statistics.
A placement service for seniors and alumni provides listings and personal contact with many employers.
Phase Three is Career Management. This aspect of the process is important to long range goals. After graduation, and once the student has settled in a career, it is important to remain open to new opportunities and challenges and to continue to grow professionally, whatever the career.
By actively working on these issues in an ongoing manner, the career journey can be satisfying and fulfilling. Continuing alumni involvement is encouraged.
The Multicultural Student Services Office was established to provide services and assist with issues and concerns of African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American students. The office also will provide academic advising, and financial, personal, career, and social counseling when needed. Planning for cultural programming is deliberately integrated with the entire campus in an effort to raise the level of awareness and increase appreciation of cultural, social, and ethnic differences. Support and guidance for Harambe, Gospel Club, and other student organizations are provided by the office.
St. Olaf welcomes international students from around the world and Americans educated abroad. Upon their arrival, new international students are met at the airport and brought to the St. Olaf campus. Before the beginning of classes, new international students receive a special orientation to provide assistance with registration, U.S. immigration regulations, housing, banking, and U.S. tax concerns.
Students may choose to live in a first-year residence hall or in an international hall where they will share a room with an American student. Specially trained international student counselors are available to assist students throughout the year. They also plan social activities for international students, their roommates, and other St. Olaf students.
Local families enjoy being Friendship Families to international students and there are several home-stay programs offered for the Christmas holidays.
The International Student Adviser is available to students for personal, social, academic, financial, and immigration counseling.
The St. Olaf College Health Center is under the direction of physicians from the River Valley Clinic in Northfield. The on-campus Health Center is located on the first floor of Ytterboe Hall and is staffed by a registered nurse practitioner.
All students seeking medical attention are seen initially at the campus facility. Students requiring the services of a physician are then referred by appointment to the River Valley Clinic. Medications, supplies, laboratory tests, and x-rays are provided at the student's expense.
Hospital and medical insurance with 12-month coverage is available to students at an additional cost. Information and application forms are sent to parents during the summer.
A medical history, immunization records, and a physical examination are required of all students prior to entering St. Olaf.
The college does not carry insurance on the personal property of students, faculty members, or other employees, and is not responsible for the loss or damage of such property.
A complete book and supply store owned and operated by St. Olaf College and serving students, faculty, staff, administration, and campus visitors, is located on the main floor of the St. Olaf Center. All textbooks, general reading and reference books, classroom supplies, art materials, stationery, gifts, soft goods, athletic sportswear, health and beauty aids, calculators, and other student needs may be purchased there.
Special services include a special-order desk, check cashing, photofinishing, and typewriter sales and service. Visa, Mastercard and Discover Card are welcome in the bookstore.
Students and faculty are assigned mail boxes in the St. Olaf Center and are held responsible for all official notices deposited in their boxes.
Post office hours coincide with those of the bookstore. Stamps, aerograms, Express mail, certified mail, insured mail, and package mailing services are available. The mailing of insured and special delivery items must be handled by the Northfield Post Office.
89.3 WCAL is St. Olaf's public radio station. It is owned and operated by St. Olaf College. 89.3 provides classical music, National Public Radio (NPR) news, and more to the Twin Cities region.
89.3 WCAL calls itself "the music station that keeps you informed." A significant amount of programming originates at St. Olaf, including broadcasts of numerous concerts and recitals, chapel services, and commentaries by faculty and other members of the St. Olaf community. 89.3 produces programs from the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival Concert that are carried on over 500 stations in this country and abroad.
A professional staff of 20 directs the operation of the station. 89.3 WCAL employs from 20 to 30 students for part-time work during the school year. Both academic and informal internships can also be arranged. Students are invited to volunteer during 89.3's fund-raisers.
89.3 WCAL broadcasts with 100,000 watts at 89.3 MHz, 24 hours a day. The station is a founding member of NPR and receives an annual community service grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). It is an affiliate of Public Radio International (PRI). 89.3 is independent of Minnesota Public Radio. St. Olaf's radio service is "America's first listener-supported station," and listener support remains the station's single most important source of income.
The student activities program at St. Olaf College is designed to complement the academic program of studies and to enhance the overall educational experience of students through development of, exposure to, and participation in social, cultural, intellectual, recreational, and governance programs.
Student activities are planned and implemented through collaborative efforts by the Student Government Association, under the leadership of the Director of Student Activities. At first glance, the name, Student Government Association (SGA), is slightly misleading. The SGA is not a separate committee itself, but the term used in referring to its seven divisions as a whole. These divisions are the Student Activities Committee, Political Awareness Committee, The Pause, The Student Organizations Committee, Board of Regents Student Committee, Volunteer Network, and Student Senate.
The Student Activities Committee (SAC) is the largest programming board on campus. SAC's 13 committees program everything from Homecoming Week to concerts, student-parent banquets, dances, comedians, movies, and trips to the Twin Cities.
The Pause, located in Ytterboe Hall, is a place as well as the SGA's second division. It provides space for students to kick back, grab a plate of nachos or homemade pizza from The Pause Kitchen, watch a few minutes of big-screen TV, play a video game, and simply relax in the Den. The Pause Mane Stage also features a dance floor and stage and hosts many campus and regional bands, dances, and other entertainment.
The Political Awareness Committee (PAC) strives to keep students on top of critical political and social issues by bringing in national speakers, such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., of the National Resources Defense Council, and Lynne Cheney, former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. They also work to keep students aware of election issues and candidates.
The Student Organizations Committee (SOC) oversees 85+ student organizations, ranging from service groups such as Habitat for Humanity to club sports such as Co-ed Water Polo. SOC grants formal recognition status and coordinates grants and funding to these organizations to help them with the planning of programs and activities.
The Board of Regents Student Committee is responsible for gathering and voicing students' concerns to the governing body of St. Olaf, the Board of Regents.
The Volunteer Network, the most recent addition to the SGA, provides St. Olaf students with a wide range of rewarding volunteer opportunities in Northfield and the surrounding communities, such as pet therapy with nursing home residents, tutoring in Northfield schools, Special Olympics, and being role models for Northfield youth.
The St. Olaf Student Senate is the legislative division of the SGA. The Senate is elected by the student body and serves as the main liaison with the administration and faculty. It consists of seven SGA division chairs and representatives from residence halls and campus-wide committees.
All divisions of the SGA are entirely student run and are funded by the Campus Activities and Programming (CAP) Fee, an optional yearly fee that 97% of the St Olaf students elect to pay.
Any student who is enrolled for a minimum of three courses for the current semester and has paid the student activity fee may participate in student organizations which represent the college in approved programs.
Eligibility for intercollegiate athletics is certified by the faculty in accordance with Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference policy.
Student groups are free to organize and regulate their own activities within the limits set forth by college policy. The specific roles appropriate for each of the intra-student organizations are specified by the constitutions of these bodies.
Each student is a member of the St. Olaf College Student Community and may participate in the election of its officers.
The St. Olaf Student Senate, composed of elected student representatives, is the official student government on campus. It represents the interests of the St. Olaf College student community, overseeing student-related affairs. Copies of the St. Olaf Student Senate Constitution are available in the Student Activities Office and the Dean of Students Office.
The Interhall Council (IHC) plays a significant governing role in the shaping of residential life. Membership is determined by elections held in the fall. The hall councils meet regularly to review the needs and concerns of hall residents.
The Student Judicial Council and the Honor Council (in conjunction with a College Judiciary and a College Appeals Board) are the primary bodies for hearing discipline cases involving students.
For more detailed information about campus governance, consult The Book: The St. Olaf Student Planner and Official Handbook.
While the curriculum of college is designed to prepare students for lives of worth and service in the 21st century, many opportunities outside the classroom help them put their ideals into practice even before they graduate from St. Olaf.
St. Olaf's primary aim is to provide the best possible education. As a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, St. Olaf intentionally carries out that aim in the context of a worshipping Christian community.
In addition to the study of theology, the college provides time, facilities, and personnel to sustain the worship life of the community of faith on campus. A 20-minute chapel service in Boe Memorial Chapel every weekday is part of the college's regular schedule. Through the years, the St. Olaf faculty and student body have exercised the privilege of voluntary attendance at these services in a remarkable way.
Sunday morning worship on campus is the responsibility of the Student Congregation. Because of the denominational affiliation of the college, the worship services are predominantly in the traditional Lutheran liturgical format. The office of the College Pastor, together with the Student Congregation, does, however, seek to carry on a ministry addressed to the needs and interests of all students, regardless of church affiliation. The various churches in the Northfield community cordially invite students to participate with them as well.
Membership in the St. Olaf College Student Congregation is open to all students. They declare their interest in membership and are given voting privileges by simply participating regularly in the worship life and other activities of the congregation. The activities of the congregation, as well as certain benevolence projects, are supported by free-will offerings at regular worship services.
The congregation states its purpose and aim in the following preamble to its constitution:
"Inasmuch as God is working at St. Olaf College, a community of varied religious and social backgrounds in which the students are challenged by questions and faced with decisions, the St. Olaf College Student Congregation seeks to become an intentional and self-conscious expression of God's gathered people, providing opportunity for the ministry of Word and Sacraments, extending a call for responsible membership in the community of faith as well as the community of learning, and showing a genuine and active concern for the work of the Church both on and off the campus."
In addition to supervising the daily chapel services and the activities of the Student Congregation, the office of the College Pastor is always open to students who seek counseling for personal, vocational, or religious areas of concern, or who simply desire to inquire about ways to get involved in the various religious activities available on campus. The counseling is done, of course, with complete confidentiality.
A large number of St. Olaf students participate in numerous volunteer activities in the local Northfield area and surrounding communities. Students regularly visit with juvenile offenders in Red Wing and with the physically and mentally challenged in Faribault. Some students also visit shelters for the homeless in downtown Minneapolis to serve food, sort donated clothes, or just play with the children. Other students contribute their time and talents visiting senior citizens in the local hospital and retirement centers, serving as coaches for Special Olympics athletes, as well as participating in a number of tutorial opportunities within the Northfield schools and local literacy programs.
Interested students may contact the Student Coordinator of the St. Olaf Volunteer Network in the Student Activities Office for more information.
St. Olaf offers an extensive program of intercollegiate and intramural sports. Excellent facilities and coaching are available for the large number of students who wish to take part in sports activities.
St. Olaf athletic teams compete in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference which includes eleven colleges in addition to St. Olaf: Augsburg, Bethel, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus Adolphus, Hamline, Macalester, St. Mary's, St. Thomas, and St. Catherine's and St. Benedict's in women's competition plus St. John's in men's competition.
The program of intercollegiate athletics for men includes football, basketball, baseball, track and field, wrestling, tennis, golf, swimming, cross country, soccer, hockey, and Nordic and Alpine skiing.
The intercollegiate sports program for women includes volleyball, basketball, softball, tennis, swimming, track and field, golf, cross country, soccer, and Nordic and Alpine skiing.
The intercollegiate athletic program is considered an integral part of the college, and its purpose and scope are educational in concept and in operation. This policy reflects institutional ideals and objectives, and its supervision and control are vested in the faculty.
The intramural program offers a wide range of activities to meet the needs and desires of as many students as possible. The program includes 31 activities offering competitive opportunities for men's, women's, and coed teams. There are also a number of "club sport" teams which provide "extramural" competitive experiences in sports such as Ultimate Frisbee, men's volleyball, coed water polo, cycling, and women's hockey, which are not sponsored as intercollegiate sports.
There are many opportunities for general recreation and free play for all students. Several types of aerobic machines are available for use in both Skoglund and Manitou Field House. The gym, fieldhouse, weight room, and pool facilities in Skoglund and Manitou are available throughout the day and evening, and on weekends. The Mohn outdoor basketball courts and the outdoor fields and hiking/skiing trails surrounding the campus are also available for student use.
Skoglund Athletic Center, dedicated in the fall of 1967, houses all indoor sports, including basketball, wrestling, swimming, indoor track, and tennis. The gymnasium-auditorium, with three full-sized basketball courts, has seating for 3,000 at intercollegiate basketball, volleyball, and wrestling events. The swimming pool has six seven-foot racing lanes and spectator seating for 300. The fieldhouse with a textured tartan surface contains a one-tenth mile track, areas for indoor track and field events, and ample room for indoor baseball, football, softball, soccer, and golf practice throughout the year. Five tennis courts provide students with indoor tennis play.
The two-story common unit links all other elements of the Athletic Center and includes a spacious lobby-concourse, classrooms, offices, locker rooms, double-mat wrestling room, weight-training room, training room, two handball/racquetball courts, and a saunas.
Outdoor facilities include a football stadium, adjoining practice fields, a new nine-line artificial surface outdoor track, a separate soccer game field and four adjacent practice fields, tennis courts (12),and numerous intramural fields. The Almli baseball field was completed in 1974. The Carlson tennis courts were completed in 1979. The Mellby soccer field was completed in 1981. The Manitou Fieldhouse, which houses a strength room, meeting/aerobics room, training room, two team dressing rooms, an equipment room, public rest rooms, and general changing areas, was completed in the summer of 1992.
People from across the nation begin their celebration of the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany season with the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a cherished tradition of the college for over three-quarters of a century and an expression of the college's rich musical heritage.
The first festival in 1912 was a worship service in song for the college community, planned and directed by F. Melius Christiansen, the founder of the St. Olaf music department. The four concerts, which attract over 15,000 people to campus, feature the members of the St. Olaf Choir, the Chapel Choir, the St. Olaf Cantorei, the Manitou Singers, the Viking Chorus, and St. Olaf Orchestra performing as individual groups and as a mass ensemble.
The Companydance and Veselica Dance Companies are open to men and women by audition in the fall and spring. Class and rehearsal periods generally occur between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. on week days.
Companies provide choreographic and performing opportunities throughout the year both on and off campus. Veselica emphasizes international dance traditions; Companydance emphasizes modern dance.
A highly diverse group of students participates in theater at St. Olaf. Participation in the theater program is open to the entire community, and all major productions are produced under the direction of the professional theater staff. No previous experience is necessary to participate.
In addition to the major season of five plays selected from the classic and modern repertory, the theater fosters a series of one-acts, experimental and "Readers' Theater" presentations. During the one-month Interim, there are a variety of exciting opportunities to become involved in theater. The St. Olaf College Theater is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theater (NAST).
A long tradition of excellence characterizes the role of forensics in student activities. The St. Olaf debate and forensics team competes with some of the best schools in the nation in a broad range of tournaments which feature a variety of events. Opportunities for participation are provided for students at all levels of skill, from novice through national championship. The tournament season extends from September through April and typically includes approximately 25 tournaments. St. Olaf is affiliated with Pi Kappa Delta, national honorary forensics society, American Forensics Association, National Forensics Association, and the Interstate Oratorical Association.
All student media offices are located on the lower level of the St. Olaf Center.
The Manitou Messenger, founded in 1887, is the college newspaper published weekly by students for the St. Olaf College community. It is the medium for announcing and reporting campus-related events, and for expressing student and faculty opinions.
The St. Olaf Literary Arts Magazine is the publication of the creative arts at St. Olaf College. It stimulates and solicits creative work from students and faculty members as well as from other sources.
The Viking, the college yearbook founded in 1903, is published annually to record and reflect life at St. Olaf College. Students with an interest in design, photography, copy writing, business, or advertising are welcome to join the staff.
KSTO is the student AM radio station for the St. Olaf College community. Its broadcasts include music, athletic events, community service announcements, and taped programs from college and outside sources. KSTO, 590 AM, is student run and operated 18 hours a day, seven days a week.
The St. Olaf Artist Series each year presents several outstanding attractions from the fields of music, drama, and dance. These concerts by world famous artists are intended primarily for St. Olaf students as an important facet of their college education.
The attractions are selected by a faculty/student committee. The concerts are free to students, faculty, and staff. Tickets for both reserved and general admission seats are placed on sale to the public as part of the college's cultural responsibility to the community.
In addition to the regular academic offerings, the college provides opportunities for students and faculty to hear and meet prominent persons in the fields of education, government, politics, theology, and the arts. A series of convocation lectures brings such persons to the campus at regular intervals throughout the year.