The Residence Life is happy to welcome our newest campus community members and our returning community members! As the semester gets underway and you settle into classes, routine, and your residence hall, our office wants to remind students of policies and share important dates and information for the fall. Students are responsible to know, understand and abide by all campus policies and regulations.
Important Information
The Residence Life Office is open M-F 8 am-4:30 pm and located in Price Hall suite 1003. We can be reached via reslife@clarkson.edu or by phone at (315) 268-6642. Our team is made up of Professional Staff members known as Area Coordinators (AC) for each area of campus and Resident Advisors (RA, who are student staff in each area of housing).
Clarkson is a four-year residential campus which means students are required to live on campus all four years (8 semesters) of their undergraduate experience. Students who do not reside in an apartment are required to be on a full meal plan. Students have until the end of the second week of classes to change their meal plan with the Office of Residence Life in Price Hall.
The Residence Life Office reserves the right to make changes to residential assignments at any time, with little or no notice, in response to facility limitations, changes in enrollment, conflict resolution, etc., or to address the needs of the overall residential community. This includes reassigning students to any vacant spaces.
Students who need accommodations related to a medical diagnosis should contact the Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) via email at oas@clarkson.edu or visit their website accessibility-services
Students are required to be responsible for the keys to your residential space, failure to pick up the key for your room may result in a fine of $25 (only in cases where students choose to not pick up a key). Keys that are lost, or not turned in when necessary will be charged to students’ accounts.
Residents are financially liable for damage to rooms, apartments, furnishings, and common area facilities. Residents are responsible for completing a Room Condition Report when moving into a room/apartment, these can be picked up from your RA/HA. If a report is not submitted, the resident is liable for all damages or repairs discovered by a University Official. Fees for unclaimed or common area damages will be shared jointly by the residing students.
The University expects that all students and organizations will conduct themselves as responsible members of society as defined by the student regulations. Failure to comply with instructions of administrative officials, including resident advisers, who have duly identified themselves may result in disciplinary action.
To find the complete University Student Regulations 2023-2024 please go to
Important Phone Numbers
911 – Emergency Services
988- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
(315) 268-6666 – Campus Safety and Security
(315) 268-6633 – Student Health & Counseling Center
(315) 268-4000 – Facilities & Services (rolls over to Campus Safety in the evenings)
(315) 379-9845 – Renewal House
(315) 265-2422 – Reachout of St. Lawrence County
Reslife on Duty
RA duty begins at 8:00 pm every night of the semester. RAs will remain on active duty until 11:00 p.m. on weeknights and 1:00 a.m. on weekend nights. Your RA can provide you with the duty phone number for your area.
RAs can help with unlocks, addressing policy violations, safety concerns, conflicts, and more.
Campus Safety is open, operating, and available 24/7/365 and can assist with failcities issues, safety/medical issues or concerns, unlocks, car issues, safety walks, addressing policy violations and more.
Semester Breaks Information:
October Break – Begins after classes end on October 6th and lasts until classes start the morning of October 11th. The university remains open, students do not need to vacate campus or request to stay. Dining options will be limited and meal swipes will not be usable during this time.
November Break – Begins after classes end on November 21st until classes restart on November 27th. The university is closed during this time. All students must vacate campus by 10 a.m. on November 22nd. Students who must request to stay for any portion of the break must do so by completing the vacation housing request form on Knightlife, log in and go to the Residence Life page. If you need to stay as part of a university organization, group, or department, the coach/manager or advisor for the group must contact Residence Life to confirm the request. Students may begin returning to campus as of 8 a.m. on November 26th. There is no food on campus during this break.
Winter Break- Non-graduating students must vacate campus within 24 hours of their last exam, or by 10 a.m. on December 16th at the latest. Students who are graduating in December must vacate their campus housing by 10 a.m. on Sunday, December 17th. Students who must request to stay for any portion of the break must do so by completing the vacation housing request form on Knightlife, log in and go to the Residence Life page. If you need to stay as part of a university organization, group, or department, the coach/manager or advisor for the group must contact Residence Life to confirm the request. There is no food on campus during this break.
Work Orders:
Common Policies/Regulations Reminders:
*This list is not fully comprehensive of all policies and regulations students are responsible for knowing and upholding all campus policies which can be found in the Student Regulations. Violations of campus policy are subject to the University conduct system.
Students who would like to learn more about the conduct process and university sanctions through the Student Regulations Code of Conduct can be found in the Student Regulations beginning on page 32.
Guests/Visitors
Students are permitted to have visitors and guests in their residence with the understanding that visitors are expected to adhere to all University regulations, including residence regulations.
The resident host should understand that they are responsible for their guest’s behavior and that hosts can be sanctioned for the inappropriate behavior of visitors and guests. Guests should not be left unattended in the residence halls or apartments without their host. Any guest that will be staying in University housing for more than 24 hours must be registered with a member of the Residence Life staff through a Visitor Registration Form. Mutual consent from all roommates is required for overnight guests. Overnight guests are limited to one person per resident. It is expected that no overnight guest will stay longer than 72 hours per month. During times the University is closed guests are not permitted within the residential buildings. This includes November, Winter, Spring, and summer breaks.
Personal Property Insurance
The University does not carry insurance of any kind on the property of students and accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to such property. Students are encouraged to carry their own personal property insurance. Students are expected to keep access doors to residence halls closed and locked at all times.
Quiet and Courtesy Hours
Quiet Hours are designated times when noise will be kept to a minimum to allow studying and sleep. Stereos, televisions and other devices must be played at lower volume levels that will not disturb other residents. Quiet hours must be observed between 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. during the week (Sunday through Thursday) and 1:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. on weekends (Friday and Saturday). Alternative quiet hours are in effect during the week before and during final exams. All residents are expected to extend courtesy and consideration and be sensitive to the needs of other residents at all times. 148 Courtesy Hours are in effect at all times in the residential areas. Each resident and their visitors have the responsibility to act with consideration for others.
Residence Hall Activities/Sports
Playing physical games or sports, and/or roughhousing within residential areas is prohibited. This is to protect the rights of other residents, to prevent personal injury, and to prevent damage to University or personal property. Failure to comply with this policy may result in disciplinary action and/or confiscation of equipment. Activities include, but are not limited to:
● Tossing, bouncing, or kicking a ball, frisbee, etc.;
● Use of roller blades, bikes, scooters, hoverboards, Nerf or squirt guns, water balloons, etc.;
● Boxing or wrestling;
● Behavior deemed disruptive by University staff.
Safety Inspections
The University reserves the right to inspect premises for safety, damage and repair or upgrade planning. Students are responsible for keeping their rooms and apartments in a sanitary condition. The University will, as needed, conduct an inspection of the rooms in the interest of hygiene and safety. Rooms or apartments declared unsanitary and requiring the use of the custodial staff will be charged for the unscheduled cleaning.
Storage
The University is unable to store personal belongings. Residents are expected to remove all personal belongings when vacating campus housing. Items stored/left in hallways, entryways, or stairways are a fire hazard and are subject to immediate confiscation. Violators will be responsible for a fine determined by Environmental Health and Safety when retrieving confiscated items. Students are encouraged to explore off-campus storage options in the Potsdam, Canton, and surrounding areas.
Alcohol
Students 21 years of age or older may possess and/or consume alcoholic beverages in campus housing. Students of age are expected to exercise moderation and responsibility. For more information on the Alcohol Policy, refer to IX-A in the student regulations.
- Kegs and other communal drinking sources are not permitted.
- Alcohol containers of any kind, full or empty, found in an underage student’s room will be considered a violation of the Alcohol Policy, refer to IX-A in the student regulations.
- Possession of alcohol in public residential areas (regardless of students’ age), i.e. hallways, lounges, and outdoor spaces is prohibited unless the event is registered and has been approved by the Office of Student Life.
Drugs
The University does not condone any illegal act involving the possession, manufacture, use (except when properly authorized by a physician), or sale of controlled substances (drugs) on campus. For additional information, refer to the IX-B Drug Policy in the student regulations.
Smoking
Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere in University housing. Smokers and vapors must be at least 30 feet from residence facilities when smoking outdoors. For more information, refer to the IX-U Smoking Policy in the student regulations.
Medical Amnesty/Good Samaritan Policy
Clarkson’s Medical Amnesty and Good Samaritan Exemptions are integrated components of Student Regulations and the Code of Student Conduct and are designed to focus first on the safety and wellbeing of students without fear that actions to protect the safety and wellbeing of students will result in individual or organizational sanctions relating to the use of Drugs and/or Alcohol. For more information review the student regulations Student Regulations (pages 40-41). The goal of this program is to increase student awareness of the risks of alcohol or other drug overdoses and to reduce the instances of such overdoses.
Should you have questions on the above policies or other information pertaining to Clarkson Residence life please contact your RA, AC or the office directly. We wish you a wonderful fall semester!