The primary focus of Lewis & Clark is its academic mission. To support and enhance students’ academic experience, Lewis & Clark staff members provide a variety of services, resources, and programs that encourage participation in curricular, cocurricular, and extracurricular activities. These services are highlighted here. More detailed information on each is available at Student Life.

Alumni Association

College of Arts and Sciences students become members of the Alumni Association upon graduation, joining a network of more than 25,000 members worldwide. Membership is automatic, and there is no fee to join. Coordinated by the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement, the association promotes on-campus, regional, and virtual events designed to foster lifelong connections between alumni, current students, parents, and the broader Lewis & Clark community.

Supported by regional chapters, the association provides opportunities for career networking, social interaction, and lifelong learning. The annual calendar of events includes Homecoming and Family Weekend, Alumni Weekend and reunions, and various gatherings in major cities across the United States and overseas.

The Alumni Gatehouse serves as the headquarters of the association and features a lounge available to students and alumni for meetings and social activities. The Gatehouse is also the base for the Student Alumni Association, a leadership group dedicated to building meaningful connections between current students and the alumni network.

Board of Alumni Members of the Board of Alumni serve as representatives of the worldwide alumni community. They facilitate the relationship between Lewis & Clark and its graduates to deepen lifelong connections across generations, geographic areas, and affinity groups. Members are nominated by the Lewis & Clark community and elected by the sitting board to serve up to two three-year terms.

Campus Living

Lewis & Clark is committed to the residential experience, which is guided by the following Campus Living foundations: purpose; relationships; wellness; and social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These are realized through formal and informal interactions with fellow students, as well as faculty and staff. The residence hall community supports students as they achieve academic success, find meaningful ways to be involved on campus and in the greater Portland community, and make the most of the college experience. The Office of Campus Living collaborates with students to create a supportive, interdependent, and educationally purposeful residential community.

Consistent with Lewis & Clark’s mission as a residential liberal arts college, students are required to live on campus for four semesters, typically their first two years, unless they are living with their parent(s) or legal guardian in the Portland area, are married, are 21 years of age or older when fall semester begins, or are an entering transfer student with at least 60 semester hours of transferable college credit. 

Each residential area is managed by a full-time professional area director (AD) who coordinates all aspects of the community. This includes training and supervising an undergraduate residential experience manager (REM) and resident advisors (RAs), coordinating programs and events, and providing general student support such as tailored referrals to campus resources, roommate mediation, and crisis response. The REM and RAs help students transition to group living using the extensive training they receive in peer support and from campus resources, leadership, activities planning, and community building.

The Office of Campus Living administers housing and food service contracts; coordinates room assignments; manages student leader selection, training, and supervision; provides leadership development opportunities; and offers cocurricular support programs.

Campus Safety

The mission of the Office of Campus Safety is to enhance the quality of life for the Lewis & Clark community by providing a safe and secure environment that is conducive to learning and consistent with the educational goals of this diverse institution, while building community partnerships that foster trust, mutual respect, and cooperation.

Campus Safety provides coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Phone 503-768-7777 in the event of an emergency, or for any service call. For routine business, call 503-768-7855.

The Office of Campus Safety can quickly dispatch officers to any part of the Lewis & Clark campus through a two-way radio system. The staff includes uniformed Campus Safety officers, dispatchers, a Campus Safety supervisor, and the director of the Office of Campus Safety.

Center for Social Change and Community Involvement

The Center for Social Change and Community Involvement prepares Lewis & Clark undergraduate students to engage meaningfully and bring about positive social change via active citizenship.

The center offers immersive learning experiences, fosters meaningful relationships with community partners, and promotes leadership development opportunities for students. Some program offerings include volunteering, service-learning, and local and global immersion trips. 

Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement

The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (IME) is a campus resource and community space that supports students from all identities and backgrounds, with a special focus on those who identify as students of color, first-generation students, and/or students within the LGBTQ+ community. IME focuses on creating opportunities for belonging, leadership, advocacy, and the celebration of diverse cultures on our Lewis & Clark campus and beyond.

Counseling 

Student Counseling Center staff offer culturally responsive, professional mental health services for students experiencing personal and academic concerns. Counseling (psychotherapy) is available to all undergraduate, graduate, and law students. Appointments with the Student Counseling Center staff are free of charge. Staff include licensed mental health professionals and advanced master's and doctoral trainees. 

The primary purpose of the Student Counseling Center is to help students sustain their academic, social, and personal well-being. We provide strategies to improve problem-solving and interpersonal skill development, manage the impact of past or recent trauma, address ongoing mental health concerns (within the scope of our practice), and provide crisis intervention. We offer support for students encountering barriers or interference in their living or learning environment, and work with students in a model that follows a time-limited, intermittent course of treatment.

Following an initial consultation to understand the student's needs, the most common outcome for students seeking ongoing therapy on campus is the offer of biweekly individual therapy or group therapy. In some cases, students may be offered periods of weekly therapy or may be supported while finding treatment off campus. Students who are seeking or might benefit from long-term weekly counseling, who are seeking psychiatric medication management without therapy, and/or who require specialized treatment are encouraged to seek mental health treatment off campus. Student Counseling or Case Management staff can help students with the off-campus referral process.

Information shared at the Student Counseling Center is held in strict confidence in accordance with state law and professional ethics.

Health Promotion and Wellness

The Office of Health Promotion and Wellness leads efforts to develop a community that supports balanced and healthy lifestyles. The staff are committed to helping students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions regarding personal health and well-being. We encourage students to be mindful and to make choices that support community health and well-being. Health Promotion and Wellness staff collaborate with campus and area resources to provide support and prevention education on an array of issues that typically concern Lewis & Clark students.

Student Health Center

The Student Health Center provides medical services to all students attending the undergraduate, graduate, or law schools. Services include diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic medical conditions, routine physicals, gynecological care, prescriptions, laboratory services, immunizations, administration of maintenance allergy injections, and referrals to medical specialists in the Portland area. Medical consultations and examinations are provided with a $5 office visit fee. Additional charges may be applied for on-site laboratory tests, medications, immunizations, allergy injection administration, medical procedures, medical equipment, and missed appointments. Off-site laboratory tests are charged a handling fee and are billed directly to insurance by Quest Diagnostics. The Student Health Center does not bill insurance for services: a statement is available for students who choose to submit an insurance claim. If a student has enrolled in the school-sponsored health insurance plan, all fees at the Student Health Center will be reimbursed at 100 percent when a claim is submitted. Claims for other insurance plans will be considered out of network. Note that medical records are strictly confidential and are not released without the student’s written consent. 

Student Health Insurance

Lewis & Clark requires all degree-seeking and visiting undergraduate students to have medical coverage comparable to that offered through the school’s comprehensive student health insurance plan. Students are automatically enrolled in the school’s student health insurance plan each year unless they submit a waiver attesting to the fact they have comparable coverage. Students are given one opportunity each academic year to waive the school’s coverage. For further information, please refer to the Costs section of this catalog.

International Students and Scholars

The Office of International Students and Scholars provides academic and personal advice, assistance with housing and on-campus employment, processing of immigration and financial aid documents, and opportunities for community involvement to international students, visiting international scholars, and American Third Culture Kids (TCKs). The office supports the recruitment and admission of international students and TCKs, then provides orientation, advising, and advocacy for these students. Professional staff members also serve as advisors to the International Students of Lewis & Clark and the Third Culture Kids Club.

Student Engagement

Engagement inside and outside of the classroom is critical to a rewarding college experience. Lewis & Clark supports more than 120 recognized student organizations, including the Campus Activities Board, club sports, and student media. These student-run organizations enrich their memberships’ common interests and activities and the student body as a whole. Student organizations cocreate symposia, seminars, speakers, leadership trainings, and programs for the campus community. As officers, chairs, and committee members, students develop and exercise interpersonal and organizational skills while cocreating recreation and engagement opportunities. Lewis & Clark provides staff and resources to support student involvement and help students integrate their curricular and cocurricular experiences. 

Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students

The vice president for student life and dean of students is the executive officer for the Division of Student Life and is a member of Lewis & Clark’s Executive Council. Reporting directly to the president, the vice president serves as a leader and collaborator in the institution’s strategic planning and decision-making activities, and is the senior advocate for the support and engagement of the student body and enhancement of the student experience at Lewis & Clark. The vice president provides leadership and administrative management for all offices and centers in the Division of Student Life, which include Campus Living, Campus Safety, College Outdoors, Community Accountability & Conflict Education, Case Management, Emergency Management, the First-Year Experience, Health Promotion and Wellness, Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement, International Students and Scholars, Physical Education and Athletics, Student Counseling Center, Student Health Center, the Center for Social Change and Community Involvement, the Center for Spiritual Life, Student Engagement, and Transportation and Parking. The Office of the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students is located on the first floor of East Hall.