OFF-CAMPUS LIVING AND NEIGHBORHOOD RELATIONS
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@UofSCOffCampus
By Mafe Balthazar Moving off-campus can be a challenging task for USC students in a city that is as much college town as it is a small metropolitan environment. The Office of OffCampus Living and Neighborhood Relations facilitates students’ moving experiences and encourages the preservation of ties to the USC community and student experience. Students are mostly required to reside on campus their freshman year, and most move off-campus following their first year due to limited on-campus availability and personal preference. Students face a variety of options and challenges in this venture, which the office addresses through educational outreach. Helping students find viable living options off-campus is one of the office’s goals. A 20-minute OffCampus Living Module provides an overview of the sometimesoverwhelming transition. Areas and neighborhoods surrounding the university include downtown Columbia, Cayce, West Columbia, Forest Acres, Irmo, Northeast Columbia and Lexington. Living options within each can be found on a convenient resource that’s specific to USC and Columbia: GarnetLiving.org. This robust listing site, which also allows students looking to sublet their living spaces to post for free, includes apartment complexes, duplexes, houses and other options. Tools on the office website include a crime map and walkability score that help narrow down housing options for students. The crime map populates criminal activity in a specified area and the walkability map details a place’s proximity to
campus, shops and restaurants. In transitioning to an off-campus location, these tools help students keep safety and accessibility in mind. Moving off-campus means students must interact and create living agreements with new individuals. Roommate compatibility can be a big factor in living experiences. Many students decide to live with friends after their first year. Those in need of finding new living companions can utilize the office’s message board to connect with other students in the USC community. Subleasing and short lease opportunities are also found through the message board. Students off-campus may also communicate with landlords, other tenants and maintenance teams as part of their new living situations. In navigating these relationships, conflicts that arise can be addressed with the help of Student Legal Services if needed. These services are included in tuition and are commonly used to review leases proactively to avoid conflicts in the future. Of the many factors that come with moving off-campus, not being under the umbrella of direct university supervision is one that comes with a lot of responsibility. “Once you kind of move off campus you’re no longer just representing the university, now you’re kind of a community member at-large,” said Assistant Director of OffCampus Living Blair Boozer. The office emphasizes the importance of upholding the Carolinian Creed and abiding by the Student Code of Conduct as Columbia residents.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY STEVEN TAPIA-MACIAS / DEPARTMENT OF STUDENT LIFE
The office’s website lists tips for creating positive neighbor relations and reporting problems within the community. In addition to students’ rights and responsibilities the office lists parking, trash and recycling, budgeting and safety resources. The Office of Off-Campus Living and Neighborhood Relations, in partnership with Garnet Media Group, offers housing fairs and expos throughout the year as opportunities for students to being their search. It also holds a yearly panel with property managers to connect them with resources regarding students’ well-being and a smoother off-campus transition.
Close collaboration with the Columbia Police Department, neighborhood associations, Student Conduct Office and Student Government provides students a comprehensive guide on how to successfully manage moving offcampus. The unit offers in-person consultations in the basement of Russell House in addition to online resources. The Office of Off-Campus Living and Neighborhood Relations serves as a liaison between students and opportunities for living off campus, in efforts to help students “have an exceptional living experience,” Boozer said. 21
