Dear Students;

We are writing to you to provide you with both a channel for communication, and to provide some necessary information to you as a member of the Northfield and St. Olaf communities.

We have created an off-campus email alias to enable us to more quickly contact you about issues, concerns and opportunities.  The alias includes all students who have given us current off-campus information, and it will also include  Dean of Students Greg Kneser and Associate Deans Pamela McDowell and LaRue Pierce. We hope it will be a helpful service to you in communicating  with us and each other.  It can also be used by a yet-to-be-elected Off Campus Senator to keep in touch with constituents. 

To further serve you, an off-campus website has been created through the efforts of the Student Government Association.  This website contains numerous links, providing important information to serve the needs of students living off campus.  It can be found at: http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/offcampus/   We encourage you to bookmark this site and review it regularly, as it provides legal information, contacts for local services, and advice for students living in the community.

Predictably, one of the first issues which comes up each year, are parties which occur in off-campus houses, and how they impact neighbors and the college.  Please know that when incidents occur, the College tries to work with neighbors to address their concerns, but students should know that we insist that Northfield residents talk with student neighbors when they see problems, and to call the Northfield Police when a situation warrants it.  I think it is important for those of you who plan to host parties to be aware that you are likely to be held  accountable for the actions of your guests, and this can include citations or other legal penalties from the City.   You might also want to refer to your lease, as a number of landlords include language concerning such situations.

Further, it is important to note that the St. Olaf Code of Conduct addresses the off-campus behavior of students, and details of this can be found in the Student Handbook at: http://www.stolaf.edu/stulife/thebook/official/article4.html    Because of persistent problems in the past, the College has set an expectation that if students are cited at off-campus residences for behavior associated with hosting or attending parties, the sanctions will include 5-day suspensions from all non-academic activities of the college for those involved, which means students may not be on campus for any reason, other than to attend class or go to the library.  This includes all co-curricular activities, including athletics and music, during the suspension.

Obviously, none of us want to go there. I am asking all of you, but particularly those who live in houses which plan to host parties, to consider this matter very carefully.  The main issues that people complain about is underage drinking, noise, litter and the behavior of guests.  As both your Dean and as a close neighbor of the College, we see this problem more clearly than most.  Most definitely we want a vibrant off-campus community of students, but also a group that lives in harmony with families and property owners.

We hope to provide regular and honest communication with off-campus residents, and we hope the resources we have provided assist in doing just that.  To get things off on a positive foot, we suggest  that you get to know neighbors, establish a relationship, and trade phone numbers.  It might help to discuss parking and trash pick-up, as these are some of the usual complaints the college receives from Northfield residents. Further, for those in houses, we suggest that you walk through your neighborhood, and think about what streets your guests would be walking and driving on to get back to campus, and to note where children live, or others who might be affected by noise and disruption late at night. Being aware and taking into consideration the needs of neighbors will go a long way toward building positive relationships.

Also, let us know how we might help.  Whether you live by yourself, at home with family, or in a house with friends, we want your experience off campus to be positive.  We trust we can help it be that way, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely;

Greg Kneser
Dean of Students

Pamela McDowell
Associate Dean of Students

LaRue Pierce
Associate Dean of Students