Community Welcome Will be Knocking on Your Door

Be on the lookout Wednesday, Aug. 25, for a very special knock on your door. As part of a nine-year tradition, teams of students, staff and police officers will be visiting about 2,000 homes near Colorado State University’s campus to personally welcome students back to the area.

The goal of Community Welcome, which is sponsored by CSU’s Off-Campus Life and the City of Fort Collins Neighborhood Services office, is to foster a sense of community and connection between students and long-term Fort Collins residents. Twenty-five teams will spread out and knock on doors in neighborhoods to the north, east and west of the Main Campus beginning at 5 p.m. to distribute information about city ordinances and encourage neighbors to get out and meet each other.

“Exchanging names and contact information can be a great start to having a positive relationship with new neighbors,” said community liaison and event coordinator Melissa Emerson. “For the tech-savvy resident, I’ve recently been told that text messaging is a great way to communicate with student neighbors, particularly with problems about noise.”

Teams will also be encouraging students to use Off-Campus Life’s Party Registration program which is now in its second year. Noise is one of the most common complaints in Fort Collins – a noise citation can have serious consequences including a $1,000 fine per roommate. Party Registration is a warning system that gives students a chance to handle the noise at their parties on their own before police are involved.

Residents and students who are visited will not be left empty-handed. Each household will receive a colorful deck of cards with important tips and facts, a great way to learn more about the Fort Collins community and the expectations CSU has for students.

In addition to distributing information off-campus, those living on-campus in the resident halls and Apartment Life will also 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 Life.

So whether you live on-campus or off, be on the lookout for some important information and a few friendly visitors at your door on Aug. 25.

For more information, contact community liaison Melissa Emerson at (970) 491-2248 or Melissa.Emerson@colostate.edu.

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