Off Campus Living

Our Mission

Off-Campus Living empowers students to build connections on and off campus, and live with intent.

Off-Campus Living (OCL) provides opportunities for interaction, integration, and enrichment for off-campus students in order to provide an environment, on and off campus, that develops community and promotes good relationships between University students and surrounding neighborhoods. We provide a variety of services and programs intended to meet the practical, social, and advocacy needs of commuter students. These programs include:

• Neighborhood Liaisons
• Gopher Hall
• Commuter Connection
• Renter Education
• Roommate Finder

OCL is here to help you navigate any challenges, transitions, or questions you have.

OCL staff are working hybrid at this time with some in person and some remote work but are still active and available to meet with you virtually, by phone, email or in person based on your comfort level.

Current Staff

Communication Liaisons

• Safa Ali (ali00266@umn.edu) (on leave until spring 2023)
• Irene Yang (yang6751@umn.edu)
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Neighborhood Liaisons

• Davit Azizyan (azizy001@umn.edu) (on leave until fall 2022)
• Laine Ciaramitaro (ciara004@umn.edu)
• Yasmeen Iman Junaidi Ja'afar (junai011@umn.edu)
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Special Projects

• Karl Penaz (penaz005@umn.edu)

Off Campus Community Engagement

Students sometimes forget they are a part of a larger community. Through OCCE, we connect with neighborhood associations around the U of M to identify projects in the neighborhood that could use student assistance. This program aims to improve the relationship between the community and off-campus students and give students opportunities to engage in the community. Students find themselves at neighborhood cleanups, community events, and community gardens. Students are able to meet their neighbors and vice versa. For more information or if you are interested in volunteering in your community, email our office (ocl@umn.edu).

Greater Dinkytown Initiative

GDI is a partnership with the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, the Dinkytown Business Alliance, Preserve Historic Dinkytown and community stakeholders to impact the future of Dinkytown and increase the vitality, engagement and economic viability of the area. We work with stakeholders and students to better the existing rich history of Dinkytown. The Greater Dinkytown area has been going through a lot of change in recent years, and it is our goal to adapt to that change. The GDI project is an all-encompassing project that is made up of small objectives, such as asset mapping, educating folks on the ABCD business model, and connecting the University’s Engagement Plan to the area. Contact our office (ocl@umn.edu) for more information.

General Safety

This initiative is centered on creating safety/crime reports of campus and nearby neighborhoods. We create a monthly “safety report” to put up on our website with the statistics regarding crime from the last month and suggestions on how to avoid being a victim of common crimes. This project works closely with police to be informed and presenting our statistics without any biases..Contact our office (ocl@umn.edu) for more information..

Como Cookout

Como cookout is a large-scale outdoor BBQ with live music, free food and fun activities to welcome back students into the neighborhoods, hosted at Van Cleve Park each September. The event is held each year in the fall and is organized by Off-Campus Living, SE Como Improvement Association, and Van Cleve Park. Check out our Facebook page for pictures of these events, and look out for our 2021 Como Cookout!

Pack & Give Back

Over 100,000 lbs have been diverted from landfills and given back to students. P&GB encourages students to start packing early and identify reusable items to donate with the goal to reduce the trash piles on the boulevards upon move out and increase sustainability. A University partnership operates a Free Store each fall during Welcome Week and the first week of class with items collected May to August on campus and in the neighborhoods. Contact our office (ocl@umn.edu) for more information.