The College and the Neighborhood

Lewis & Clark is a residential liberal arts college, with professional graduate and law schools, located atop Palatine Hill and adjacent to the Collinsview and Dunthorpe neighborhoods of southwest Portland. Our proximity to these quiet residential neighborhoods is part of what makes our campus special. The cultural, artistic, athletic and intellectual events on our campus, as well as our beautiful and historic grounds, enrich the neighborhoods around us. This proximity also creates an obligation to be respectful of the neighborhood and to mitigate the potential negative impacts that a college campus can have on the livability of the surrounding community.

Parking

Members of the Lewis & Clark community–students, faculty, staff and vendors–are not permitted to park on neighborhood streets while engaged in Lewis & Clark activities or business. Lewis & Clark enforces this requirement by requiring that members of the campus community register their vehicles with the Parking and Transportation Office. Registered vehicles that are improperly parked in the neighborhood are subject to being fined by the College, and such fines will be assessed to student accounts as appropriate. Concerns about parking on residential streets should be directed to Parking and Transportation at 503-768-7857 or parking@lclark.edu.

The speed limit on S. Palatine Hill Road, as well as all other residential streets in Portland, is 20 m.p.h. Speed bumps have been installed to help maintain this speed limit. Walkers, bikers, and children at school bus stops are common along these streets. Please be safe and courteous by respecting this speed limit. In addition, those traveling to or from the undergraduate or graduate campuses and the Lake Oswego area via S. Terwilliger Blvd. are asked to use the traffic circle in front of the law school to access Terwilliger, and to not cut through the neighborhood. (Cutting through the neighborhood does not save time!)

Lewis & Clark is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. This restriction applies to all Lewis & Clark spaces including, but not limited to, buildings, sidewalks, parking lots, recreational areas, athletic venues, and in other outdoor areas managed by the College. This includes the sidewalks, driveways, bus stop shelters and other areas adjacent to the campus. Smoking receptacles are located at various entrances to the campus so that any person approaching the campus on foot is able to safely extinguish a cigarette without littering. Areas with smoking receptacles are NOT designated smoking areas.

Student Conduct

We encourage students living both on- and off-campus to develop positive and respectful relationships with the local community. Students should be aware that they are often temporary members of the local community, regardless of where they live, and they should be mindful of the impact of their actions on neighbors who have made long-term commitments to their neighborhoods. Students are expected to show good judgment and be receptive to the needs of neighbors when concerns are raised. This includes students living off-campus or students living on campus who may access the neighborhoods bordering the campus.

The Student Code of Conduct, which applies to all undergraduate students, states that the College has jurisdiction to adjudicate alleged conduct violations regardless of whether they take place on- or off-campus. If the College receives information about a student or students violating policies in a manner that disrupts our neighbors, including those bordering the College, the College will work to hold those students accountable for violations of our student conduct expectations to the same degree, and in the same manner, as if the conduct had occurred on-campus.

Unlawful behavior, public intoxication and/or drug use, disorderly conduct, loud music, and/or noise that violates Portland noise ordinances are examples of behaviors that may be disruptive to neighbors, and that may be enforced through the student conduct process.

Neighbors with concerns about student conduct impacting their neighborhood can report their concerns using this online reporting form, with as much information as possible. Reports can be filed anonymously, although our ability to respond to you will be limited if the concern is anonymous. In addition, our ability to provide information regarding the resolution of a complaint may be limited by applicable federal student privacy laws.

Safety Concerns

Lewis & Clark’s Campus Safety Office provides a full range of safety services on campus, including response to medical and fire emergencies, safety escorts, vehicle accidents, and enforcement of college policies, including policies regarding alcohol and drug use, weapons possession, and student conduct.

Campus Safety officers are not police officers and are not armed. They are licensed as Unarmed Private Security Professionals through the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). Campus Safety staff are on duty 24 hours/day, 365 days/year.

All criminal activity, suspicious activity, and other emergencies on campus should be reported to Campus Safety by calling 503-768-7777. If there is no answer at that number, please call 971-323-7118.

Campus Safety officers are necessarily focused primarily on on-campus needs. Concerns regarding the off-campus activity or safety of students can be directed to Campus Safety, but Campus Safety will not likely be able to respond to any call that is not related to activities on, or reasonably adjacent to, the campus.

Any need for an off-campus emergency response should be directed to 9-1-1. Off-campus non-emergency public safety concerns can be directed to the Portland Police Bureau’s non-emergency number at 503-823-3333. Information about when to use 9-1-1 or the non-emergency number can be found here.

Property Management

The College’s Facilities Management team is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of College grounds. Facilities is also responsible for construction projects, waste management, and snow removal on College property. Concerns regarding College buildings, grounds, trees or other facilities should be directed to the Facilities team at 503-768-7845 or facility@lclark.edu.

SW Trails

The SW Trails system is a community-operated and community-maintained trail system that promotes wellness and supports safe walking and biking in southwest Portland. SW Trail #4 crosses the Lewis & Clark campus, providing access to the Willamette River to our east and to numerous trails and parks, including Tryon Creek State Park, to our west. In various places, these trails enter private property, with the permission and hospitality of landowners.

There has been a noticeable increase recently in the use of SW Trail #4 from campus, particularly through the ravine to the east of campus, as well as complaints about late night noise and trash. We do not want this valuable resource to be closed due to misuse.

Please be mindful and respectful of the residential neighborhoods along the trail. Do not use the trail through the ravine to the east of campus after dark or in ways that disturb our neighbors. Please keep noise to a minimum when near residential areas. And please do not litter or smoke in the forested areas near campus. Smoking can create a significant risk of wildfire.