University of Florida's Off Campus Life office provides resources, services, support, and education for UF students, staff, and faculty living in the Gainesville community. Off Campus Life is also here to provide YOU and the Gainesville apartment community support. Off Campus Life is here to answer your questions and help to keep you informed of UF updates, resources, and opportunities to connect.

Hello Community Managers,

The April newsletter has some exciting information. Below are the 2023 Preview dates, information about Preview, and information about the UF policy for off-campus vendors to come on the UF Campus. We know this time of year many of you send staff on-campus to share information about your properties. We want your staff to do this safely and within UF guidelines. Please note there are some new updates to the policy, please review the information below carefully.

Below you will also find UF and Off Campus Life updates including information about the UF Honors Village. I hope these resources are helpful. Off Campus Life is here to provide support, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I hope leasing for 2023-2024 is going well.

Sincerely,

Nora Kilroy

Director of Off Campus Life

email: nlkilroy@ufl.edu

phone: 352-392-1207

Preview (Orientation) Dates & Information

What is Preview?

Preview is UF's new student orientation program for freshman, PaCE, and transfer students. This long-standing UF program is provided by the UF Center for New Student & Family Programs which is part of the Division of Student Life. Preview provides an opportunity for students, families, and parents to connect with and learn about UF resources, services, and academics. In addition Preview provides an opportunity for students to connect with academic advisors and pick their academic classes for their first semester. Preview will be in person this summer, please see below for the summer 2023 Preview dates.

How does Off Campus Life participate in Preview?

Off Campus Life provides presentations for each Preview date listed below. Topics covered in the OCL presentation include off-campus housing search tips, average costs, lease information, transportation information, safety tips, roommate resources, and the opportunity to answer student, parent, and family member questions. OCL's annual publication, The Gator Guide to Off Campus Life, will be distributed at all of OCL's Preview presentations. This summer will be Off Campus Life's 19th year presenting at Preview, and as always we are looking forward to connecting with our incoming students, families, and parents.

Summer 2023 Preview Dates:

May 12 - Transfer

May 16-17 - First Year

May 18-19 - First Year

May 23-24 - First Year

May 25-26 - First Year

May 30-31 - First Year & PaCE

June 1-2 - First Year

June 5 - Transfer

June 6-7 - First Year

June 8-9 - First Year

June 11-12 - First Year

June 13-14 - First Year

June 15-16 - First Year & PaCE

June 20-21 - First Year

June 22-23 - First Year

June 26 - Transfer

June 27-28 - First Year

June 29-30 - First Year

July 6-7 - First Year & PaCE

July 10 - Transfer

July 11-12 - First Year & PaCE

July 13-14 - First Year

July 17 Transfer

July 18-19 - First Year

July 20-21- First Year

August 17-18-19 - First Year & PaCE

August 21 - Transfer

August 23 - Convocation

August 22 - First Day of Classes

*There is one hidden Preview date (August 15-16) these dates are placed on hold and may or may not be used for Preview.

UF Regulations - Outside Vendor - Commercial Activity

I know that many of you are still seeking tenants to fill your apartments and might choose to come on the UF campus to connect with UF students. UF does have a policy for off-campus vendors, click here for a link to the policy. This policy is part of UF's Regulations, for a full list of UF Regulations click here. The off-campus vendor policy can be found under UF-4 Student Affairs and the policy is specifically UF-4.006. In addition click here for a link to the UF Regulations 2.003 for the Distribution of Printed Material. Below are examples of what you can and cannot do when promoting on campus.

What you CAN do:

You can hand out paper flyers only in the following three locations: Plaza of the America's, Turlington Plaza, or the North Lawn. Click here for a UF campus map.
You can post paper flyers on public bulletin boards on campus. These boards are located outside Little Hall, Library West, and Turlington Hall.

What you CANNOT do:

You cannot solicit in the following locations: parking lots, walkways, sidewalks, or inside any UF buildings including residence halls.
You cannot put flyers on cars, scooters, or motorcycles.
You cannot tape flyers on UF light posts, buildings, vending machines, or walkways.
You cannot pass out food, water, T-shirts, or any promotional items (bags, cups, sunglasses, koozies, pens, etc.).
You cannot sell any items on campus including promotional items, t-shirts, cups, bags, food, etc.
You cannot record the names and contact information of students or family members.
You cannot interrupt campus tours.
You cannot enter UF Residence Halls.
You cannot flyer inside UF Residence Halls.
You cannot chalk on buildings, sidewalks, etc.
You cannot set up a table or utilize any of the permanent tables in Turlington Plaza or outside the Reitz Union.
You cannot set up a tent or chairs.
You cannot ask a UF student organization to table for your property or business and you cannot table with a UF student organization.
A UF student organization cannot reserve a table for you at the Reitz Union or Turlington Plaza.
A UF student organization cannot distribute promotional items for your property.
Properties should not place apartment community yard signs on the UF campus.

Off Campus Life did not create these policies, they are the official UF Regulations of the University of Florida. OCL is providing this information to you so you and your staff can safely and respectfully promote your property within the UF Regulations. The purpose of the UF Regulation is to ensure UF offices and departments are able to pursue their missions without distraction and to provide a safe environment for all students, faculty, and staff.

UF Resources

UF Regulations: https://regulations.ufl.edu/regulations/

UF Regulation 4.006 - Commercial Activity; Selling of Merchandise, Activities Involving Off-Campus Vendors: https://regulations.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/UF-Regulation-4.006.pdf

UF Regulation 2.003 - Distribution of Printed Material:

https://regulations.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/2.003.pdf

UF Campus Map: https://campusmap.ufl.edu

UF Updates

UF Honors Village Update

This fall, UF will be opening two buildings within the Honors Village. Work will continue on two additional buildings. Housing and Residence Life staff are working with returning students previously assigned to the Honors Village to find a new space on-campus. All students have a guaranteed space on-campus.

For those who may wish to seek off-campus accommodations the Off Campus Life (OCL) office will share resources including the Housing Locator, Gator Guide, and provide individual consultations.

If you would like to be included within OCL's Housing Locator, please see below for more information on the Housing Locator and contact information about listing.

This is a busy time of year for both Housing and Residence Life and Off Campus Life. Please direct any questions related to connecting to off-campus students to the Off Campus Life office.

Off Campus Life Updates

Housing Locator

Off Campus Life provides an online Housing Locator where students can find apartments, roommates, subleases and post their apartments for sublease.

Off Campus Life partners with Off Campus Partners (owned by CoStar makers of apartments.com) to provide this essential UF resource.

To learn more about the OCL Housing Locator click here. To learn more about listing your property or updating your current listing reach out to Off Campus Partners either through email at offcampus@costar.com or by phone at 1-877-895-1234.

OCL Social Media

A great way for you and your tenants to connect with Off Campus Life is through our social media pages. This is a fun way to learn more about what is happening in Gainesville and at the University of Florida.

We also have Tip Tuesday that features fun tips to help off-campus student be successful and Food Friday that features OCL's favorite local restaurants and food shopping options.

You can find us @UFOffCampusLife on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

We hope you will like, follow, and connect with Off Campus Life.

Great Gator Neighbor Medallion Program

Off Campus Life wants students to become a Great Gator Neighbor before graduation! The Great Gator Neighbor Medallion program allows students to complete specific milestones to help them engage in the local community and learn what it means to be an active citizen.

The Great Gator Neighbor Medallion program is open to all UF students, regardless of standing or location. Students who register will be added to an e-learning course that will include the list of milestones, updates, and announcements. Students who complete all milestones will be recognized at the end of the semester Off Campus Life Ceremony and receive their medallion for commencement the semester they are graduating.

For more information, please contact Off Campus Life coordinator Elery Ostertag at elery.ostertag@ufl.edu.