Housing Information

Campus housing is available to all undergraduate students at Lewis & Clark in a variety of residential settings. The College requires all first and second year students to live on campus because we believe that your academic experience is enhanced by the learning that goes on outside the classroom. Housing applications are mailed to prospective students along with the letter of acceptance beginning in January for completion in May. Continuing students receive housing information through campus mail early in March for submission in April.

For Spring semester accommodations, housing materials, must be submitted to the Office of Campus Living by the end of October for new and continuing students.

2008-09 Room & Board

* Eligibility rules apply.

Your room rent includes electricity, heat, garbage disposal, recycling, local telephone service, high-speed direct network access and voice mail. The College supplies a bed, desk, desk chair, bureau, closet and wastebasket.

The "board" portion of "room and board," commonly referred to as the meal plan, is required of every residential student. You may choose from among five meal plans; three of which include flex points. Flex is value, placed on your student ID card, which you can use like a declining balance. The 14 Flex plan has 150 flex points to use throughout the semester, 10 Flex comes with 175 points and 7 Flex has 200 points. One point equals $1 in value. Points carry over from semester to semester if you remain on a meal plan, however, at the end of the year, any remaining points are lost.

Now in their sixteenth year on campus, our food service provider, Bon Appetit, takes special care to offer students a wide variety of entree items (including vegetarian and vegan options) plus unlimited salad, dessert, and beverage bars. You can view the current weeks menu through their website as well as other helpful information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Over the past several years, the following questions have been asked consistently by new students. We hope these answers are helpful to you. Of course, if you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact us by email at living@lclark.edu or by telephone at 503-768-7123.

What amenities are available in the residence halls?

Each residence hall has common study space, kitchen and/or kitchenettes, card access laundry facilities, recreational equipment and coin operated snack machines. Each room is equipped with voice mail and all residence halls have direct access to the internet. The residence halls feature a convenience store, coffee shop, recreation/exercise space, a copy center and a Student Art Center which includes a dark room, ceramics studio, areas for painting/drawing and adequate practice or performance space for dance and music.

How much "stuff" can I bring to campus?

Keep in mind the living space of a typical residence hall room is only about 10 x 12 which you’ll share with another student, so you should limit your packing to the most important personal belongings. All furniture and fixtures are provided so you should leave your favorite easy chair at home. You and your roommate/s will be able to decide on the particular décor of your room, (if you’re into that sort of thing) and which one of you should bring the stereo, please include headphones! If you plan to bring a bicycle to campus please purchase a good quality U-lock for increased security. There are bike racks in each residence hall for storage.

Is storage available in the residence halls?

Storage is available in each hall on a limited basis. When you return home for vacations, we suggest you remove your valuables from your room and store them in our locked storage areas or, better yet, take them home with you. If you intend to return to the residence halls the following September, you may leave a maximum of three boxes (which you can move yourself) in residence hall storage rooms during the summer. However, should you choose to leave your things on campus, you do so at your own risk.

Do I have to have a meal plan?

Yes, a meal plan is obligatory when you live on campus. Our food service provider, Bon Appetit, has a twelve year history of working cooperatively with students and staff to offer excellent quality, variety and presentation of food service on our campus. They are open to suggestions and eager to meet the needs of Lewis & Clark students. If you have a medically prescribed diet that our food service cannot provide for you, an exemption to the meal plan may be in order. Complete procedure guidelines for exemption are available from the Office of Campus Living.

When will I get the name/s of my roommate/s?

Once we receive the majority of the completed housing contracts in May, we then begin the arduous task of matching students based on the information you give us on the Room Placement Questionnaire. Because this is done by Campus Living staff and not a computer, our success rate is very high. In July you will receive by mail the name/s, address/es, email and telephone number/s of your assigned roommate/s.