Colorado State University Participates in Community Welcome

Gown meets town and vice versa – that’s the premise behind the annual Community Welcome, an event from 5-9 p.m. Wed., Aug. 27, that welcomes residents who live close to the Colorado State University campus.

The annual event, sponsored by the city of Fort Collins and Colorado State, involves about 28 teams of representatives of city and CSU Police, staff, students and residents who will visit about 2,500 homes near campus. The team will fan out in neighborhoods to the east, north and west of campus providing information to residents outlining their responsibilities, including expectations for respecting local codes and ordinances.

"As residents living in a college town, you may find yourself looking for ways to greet your new neighbors," said Beth Sowder, Neighborhood Services Manager for the city of Fort Collins. "A simple ‘hello’ goes a long way and is the first step in building a positive relationship."

Sowder wants to make the back-to-school transition safe and enjoyable for new members of the community and long-term residents. She encourages students to exhibit responsible off-campus living practices by becoming informed on noise, trash, public nuisance and snow ordinances, as well as keeping neighbors informed before undertaking something that might affect them, like hosting a party or getting a dog.

In addition to distributing information off campus, CSU Residence Hall students and Apartment Life residents will receive information about city ordinances and resources. "The goal of distributing information on campus is to inform students of off-campus expectations before they move into neighborhoods or apartments," said Jeannie Ortega, director of Off-Campus Student Services at Colorado State.

Community Welcome is a collaborative effort between CSU Off-Campus Student Services, Vice President for Student Affairs Office, Associated Students of Colorado State University, Fort Collins Neighborhood Services and Fort Collins Police Services. For more information, contact Jim Beers at Jim.Beers@ColoState.edu or (970) 491-6401 or Beth Sowder at bsowder@fcgov.com or (970) 221-6676.

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