For many juniors, the transition from on- to off-campus housing may include as many firsts as any freshman might encounter.
The Office of the Dean of Student Development (ODSD), the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC), the Office of Residential Life, Governmental and Community Affairs, the Off-Campus Council, The Heights, and a number of local dining establishments are hoping to ease this process.
"A Taste of Off-Campus" will be held today in Brighton Campus from 4 to 7 p.m.
Off-campus students are invited to meet with BC administrators, area residents, and city officials while enjoying free catering provided by restaurants such as Roggie's, Fin's, College Sub, Pino's, and BC Dining Services. Gift certificates will also be donated from select restaurants, and there will be a raffle.
Assistant Dean of Student Development Judith Robinson said the event was an opportunity to provide students with information, introduce them to the larger Boston community, and help students remain connected with the University.
"A year ago what we were hearing from students was that, 'we're out here off campus now and we only hear from the University when we're in trouble,'" Robinson said. "We're really trying to reach out to off-campus students."
These efforts include the recent creation of an off-campus newsletter as well as an Off-Campus Council, which seeks to provide students with information and offer services and support, though Robinson said that specific initiatives for the year are still being formalized.
The UGBC is also focusing on increasing the accessibility of information for students living off campus.
The system for online rental evaluation profiles (REP), which is for the most part not utilized by students, is being recoded and updated in an effort to increase the consistency and accuracy of the reviews. Students will be able to access information about other students' prior experiences with tenants and properties.
"We're trying to provide an honest medium so that students can learn about where they are moving to, who the neighbors are, and whether they are parents with babies who don't like noise," said UGBC president and A&S '09 Chris Denice.
In addition to aiding in the search for off-campus housing through REPs, the UGBC also plans to help students with the next step in the process: knowing their rights.
Through the "Know Your Rights" campaign, Dani Rosen, the co-director of off-campus issues for the UGBC and LSOE '09, said that the UGBC will try to make students more aware of University regulations and disciplinary procedures, as well the rights and obligations they have as tenants.
This information may be particularly pertinent under the City of Boston's new zoning ordinance, which, as of last spring, effectively prohibits five or more full-time undergraduate students from living together off campus.
While this law may be difficult to enforce, Denice advises students to avoid committing to living situations that violate the ordinance.
"This is something that is over our heads in terms of what we can say or do," Denice said. "Just don't put yourself in that situation."
The Taste of Off-Campus event will also provide information and legal advice, and the Boston Police Department, the UGBC, and the Off-Campus Council will be present to help answer students' questions.
Further information will also be available regarding the recent clarification of the University's disciplinary procedures that will affect both on- and off-campus students.
The clarification, which explicitly details what sanctions will follow each violation of University policy, now mandates that fines will be charged on the first offense, in some cases.
Denice said that while he hadn't had the opportunity to discuss the sanctions in-depth with the administration yet, he felt the sanctions were overly harsh.
"I'm a little bit surprised and startled. It definitely sounds a lot more severe than any interaction I've encountered off campus," Denice said. "They are being clear but not very effective. People aren't going to realize it until it is put into action, and then it will be too late."
Robinson said that while the sanctions for off-campus violations might be more stringent than for on-campus violations, this was not without reason.
"If you live off campus, the ramifications are different - you are impacting the community," Robinson said.
With the expansion of the University through the Master Plan and the recent purchase of the apartment building of 2000 Commonwealth Avenue, the University hopes to eventually alleviate this impact by bringing more students back to on-campus residential buildings.
"There are a lot of things changing," Robinson said. "The big goal is that in x number of years all students will be housed on campus."
In the meantime, both the administration and the UGBC are hoping to improve relations between BC students and the larger community. Today's event will help introduce students to other off-campus students, as well as their other neighbors.
"It's kind of just an introductory meeting," Rosen said. "We're doing this to let the community know that we're not just here to make a lot of noise. We're community members as well, and we're hoping to kick off a better relationship with these neighbors."
The UGBC will also distribute 150 recycling bins at the event in an effort to promote responsibility off campus and support sustainability.
Students living in apartments of six units or less will receive the bins, while students in larger apartment buildings should receive bins from their landlords.
"A lot of community members have complained about big parties overflowing into the street, so I think that's why we thought to tackle recycling to begin with," Rosen said. "Responsible living in your apartment or house plays a role in recycling and responsible living in your street."
Rosen said that though the relationship between BC students and their neighbors within the community has been strained in the past, they hope that initiatives such as the recycling bins will help demonstrate ways in which students can enhance, rather than detract, from the neighborhoods.
"I think it's important for students that off-campus students do reflect the BC community as a whole - that we're very active, involved, and committed students," Rosen said.
Robinson also suggested that negative generalizations about BC students living off campus might be unfair.
"There are something like 1,200 students living off campus," Robinson said. "There aren't 1,200 students causing problems."
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