Substance-Free Housing

A substance-free environment is a dorm hall or mod in which all residents and their guests agree to keep their hall or mod free from substances at all times. Substances are defined to include alcohol, cigarettes, and other smoking materials, as well as illicit and illegal drugs. While there is an expectation for the entire community to comply with all College, local, state, and federal regulations regarding the use of alcohol and other drugs, the sub-free housing option provides an added measure of support for people who choose not to smoke, drink, or use other drugs. Residence life and housing is committed to maintaining substance-free communities within each of our residential areas in proportion to the desire for those spaces.

Students must register for substance-free status each year in order to reside in a designated sub-free community. The deadline to register as substance-free before the 2016 housing lottery is Friday, April 15.

How does being registered as sub-free affect the housing lottery?

Substance-free lottery groups are groups composed entirely of students who have a current registration on file with the HOO and will participate in the regular lottery process. The deadline to submit the registration form for the purposes of the 2016 lottery is Friday, April 15 at 4 p.m. Students who have registered as substance-free prior to the deadline will see the words "substance-free" in the top left corner of their lottery points letter.

Residence life and housing is committed to maintaining substance-free beds in the mods as long as there is a need for them. If a substance-free group has not already won a mod in a particular size mod group based on points, the substance-free group with the most points will win the last available mod of that size. All students in a substance-free lottery group must have completed a registration for the 2016-2017 academic year by Friday, April 15 at 4 p.m. in order to be eligible for this benefit in the spring 2016 lottery. This benefit for substance-free groups is only available for 5-person, 6-person, 7-person, and 8-person mods.

Learn more about the housing lottery

Is my registration kept confidential?

Yes. Only professional residence life and housing staff have access to your responses, and they are kept strictly confidential. Any information you submit is used only for the purpose of housing you.

What are the rules for living in substance-free housing?

No alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs are to be brought into the mod or hallway.
No one living in the mod/hallway will come into the mod/hallway under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
All residents of the mod/hallway are responsible for their guests' compliance with the rules of the mod/hallway.
Failure to abide by the rules of the mod/hallway will result in disciplinary action, including possible removal from the mod/hallway.
Filling vacancies in the substance-free mods/hallways will be done solely through a list of eligible students.
All residents must have a sub-free registration on file for the current academic year.
Vacancies that occur during the academic year will be filled, through the use of a list of eligible students, under the direction of the assistant director of residence life.

What happens if I decide I want or need to be in substance-free housing once I have a housing assignment?

We are committed to providing substance-free spaces for any students who need them. Prior to your arrival on campus, contact the housing operations office directly to discuss your options. Once the semester is under way, please contact your current area coordinator to start the process. We will work with you to find a space that meets your needs as quickly as possible within the confines of current vacancies.