5.1 Community Living at Saint Louis University

Living on campus at Saint Louis University provides an integral part of a Student’s educational experience, offering opportunities and services beneficial to their overall development. We expect students to be responsible and involved citizens in the residential community and thus active co-constructors who participate in making and carrying out decisions affecting their community. Residents will come together to create community standards that each student will be held accountable for as a participant in the residential experience. Residents will also work with their roommates, suitemates, or apartment mates to create an agreement on how their personal living area should be managed throughout the year. Students are vital in the process of creating their residential environment.

As a residential student, you enjoy and receive considerable freedom, and with that freedom comes many responsibilities. You are responsible for your room/living unit. Regardless of your presence, you are responsible for all activities that occur there if you have knowledge of others’ activities or fail to take proper actions to stop any activity. You are also responsible for your actions, the physical environment of the building, and the community as a whole. If you are aware of, or in the presence of, a violation of University Policy, and remain in the presence of, or fail to take reasonable actions to stop the violation, you are giving your implied consent to this violation, and could be held responsible.

A benefit of attending a Jesuit University is our strong commitment to values. We value your right to privacy, freedom of choice, and the responsibility that comes with those freedoms. Your room/living unit is a private space and we try to respect your privacy as best we can. You have the freedom of choice, and that, as individuals, you will make decisions that will affect your life. Hopefully, these decisions will be a result of a close examination of available information, and your own careful thought. It is in this context that you will make decisions about how you will act, represent yourself and comply with the expectations of other residents, the University, and the law. It is important that you examine and consider the predictable outcomes or results of your actions. Our expectation is that you will comply with these policies, as well as any local, state, or federal laws.

The Housing and Residence Life section of the Student Handbook is designed to provide you with information about services, policies, procedures, and opportunities that will enable you to fully participate in on-campus living. As a residential student, it is your responsibility to review the Student Handbook. If you have any questions about the Housing and Residence Life section, please talk to a Housing and Residence Life (HRL) staff member or contact the Department of Housing and Residence Life at (314) 977-2811 or via email at reslife@slu.edu.