SU seeks faculty, staff, neighbors and community to welcome off-campus students

SU seeks faculty, staff, neighbors and community to welcome off-campus studentsAugust 15, 2006Laura Madelonelmmadelo@syr.edu

On Aug. 27, community volunteers will visit the neighborhoods near Syracuse University to welcome back students living off campus. Residents of the East Neighborhood, Syracuse University faculty and staff, Syracuse Police Department officers and community organization members will comprise a welcoming team that will go door to door, bearing information regarding students’ rights and responsibilities as community members.

Recipients will receive a CD containing everything from the off-campus living handbook, “An Insider’s Guide to Living Off Campus,” to information on recycling and shopping in the Westcott area to medical emergency assistance. Last year’s team numbered 100 volunteers who delivered more than 2,000 information packets to students living off campus.

“The Off-Campus Student Welcoming Team is an opportunity for us to welcome students into the community and introduce them to some of the resources that are available to them while they are living off campus. We are looking forward to visiting even more rental units again this year,” says Laura M. Madelone, director of SU’s Office of Off-Campus Student Services. “Working together with neighbors, along with other local organizations and members of the SU community, we want students to know that while they are here, they are an important part of our community and can play a role in making the area a great place to live for everyone.”

Off-Campus Student Services is seeking volunteers for the Aug. 27 welcome program; students, faculty, staff or community members who wish to participate should call (315) 443-4357. Volunteers will be treated to a free meal catered by Dinosaur Bar-B-Q.

Once students have settled in to their new homes, they can attend The Taste of Westcott, which takes place Wednesday, Aug. 30, at 6:30 p.m. at Erwin United Methodist Church, 920 Euclid Ave. In addition to sampling the area’s food offerings, students will have the opportunity to meet their new neighbors, as well as mingle with the key community people who can provide resources for students as they transition into the neighborhood. Students can also make contact with community organizations and learn ways to get involved in their new neighborhood. Last year, more than 600 students participated in The Taste of Westcott.

The Office of Off-Campus Student Services (OCSS), located at 754 Ostrom Ave., offers services and support, including information and resource referrals, to all Syracuse University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students throughout their off-campus housing experience.

The OCSS plays an active role in educating off-campus students regarding their rights and responsibilities, both as tenants and as members of the community. The OCSS staff is dedicated to providing programs and services to all students who live off campus to make a positive impact on their off-campus living experience.

Last year, the office hosted an Off-Campus Student Housing Fair for students interested in living off campus and organized a group of 100 student and community volunteers to participate in the Earth Day Clean-Up efforts in the neighborhoods adjacent to campus. In addition, the OCSS expanded a campus-wide charity donation program, Ten Tons of Love, at the end of the spring semester for students to donate their good used items.