Students who are in the final year of college can apply for an off-campus housing release through the Service: Neighbors with Neighbors Program. This initiative is a collaboration between Residence Life and Academic Community Engagement. The program creates a synergy between the values of residential housing and community based independent living.
Until a student receives and accepts approval to the program all questions should be directed to housing@stolaf.edu.
Objectives
- Community Engagement
- Supporting advocacy skill development
- Connect to Vocation (and the common good)
Eligibility
- Anticipated Graduation Date must be Class of 2025 or 2026.
- Be enrolled with an academic schedule at the college.
- Have no open student conduct sanctions during the application period (or thereafter)
- Students may be required to return on-campus housing if a sanction occurs during the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Be accepted and committed to the tenants of the Service: Neighbors with Neighbor
What is Required
- Participate in “Northfield 101” orientation
- Critical service learning lens (Tania Mitchell) and recorded lecture
- Asset-based framework
- 5Cs
- Charity to Solidarity framework
- Identify a relationship with a service site
- Service site must be located in Rice County
- Minimum of 4 hours a month
- The months are identified as follows: September, October, November, December, February, March, April, and May).
- Community Based Work Study If participating in CBWS, must work more than 4 hours a month.
- Participate in assessment processes, i.e. surveys, focus groups
- Participate in one on-campus outreach initiative addressing Community Engagement
- Allow for image to be used
Timeline
| DATE | NOTES |
|---|---|
| November 13 | Off-Campus/Service: Neighbors with Neighbors Program Application Opens
Informational Session I |
| November 14 | Informational Session II |
| December 10 | Off-Campus/Service: Neighbors with Neighbors Program Application Closes |
| December 19 | Final application decisions communicated via St. Olaf Email account |
| January 7 | Students approved must accept the Off-Campus/Service: Neighbors with Neighbors Program Approval |
| March 4 | Student must submit their off-campus address and lease deadline |
Application Process
Applications go live via SIS on November 13, 2024 and must be submitted by December 10, 2024 by 11:59 pm (CST).
The system timestamps submissions. Late submissions will not be considered.
- Decisions will be announced on/by Wednesday, December 19, 2024 via stolaf.edu email.
- Applications are reviewed, considered and granted/denied on an individual basis.
- Approved exemptions must be accepted by the individual student by Wednesday, January 7, 2025, 11:59 pm via SIS.
- Submissions are timestamped.
- Approved students must provide the following by Friday, March 4, 2025:
- Student not living with parents/guardians must submit a scanned copy of your off-campus housing contract to housing@stolaf.edu.
- If not present within the off-campus housing contract, students must provide an address of the off-campus housing location to housing@stolaf.edu.
- Students who have accepted the Off-Campus/Service: Neighbor to Neighbors Program but do not meet the two requirements above will automatically be placed into the regular Returning Student Housing Selection Process. The Off-Campus/Service: Neighbor to Neighbors Program approval extended will be rescinded.
Terms of Agreement
Approvals are only granted on an academic year basis (no automatic renewal)
A student provided an exemption may be rescinded if the student’s behavior at the college or off-campus is that which does not positively reflect on the college, e.g. noise complaints, vandalism, mismanagement of alcohol.
An off-campus housing contract is between the student and the landlord solely.
Students are responsible for maintaining an accurate physical address with Residence Life and the Registrar’s Office.
The address is used by the Financial Aid Office
The address is shared with the Dean of Students
The address is shared with Northfield City Administration