Brock University strives to be a committed partner and trustworthy neighbour in the Niagara region, and it’s asking its students to do the same. Don’t Put the Bad in Badger is an initiative to remind students to engage in safe and responsible celebrations.
St. Catharines city’s Don’t Put the Bad in Badger flyer.
Thorold city’s Don’t Put the Bad in Badger flyer.

The Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations Department at Brock University is committed to developing and enhancing positive relationships with students and residents in the Niagara Region. Our team conducts regular neighbourhood visits to student and resident houses when concerns have been raised. The purpose of these visits is to provide education to students regarding their behaviour, how it impacts their neighbourhood and to foster positive relations between students and residents.

If you would like to learn more about our neighbourhood visits please contact our office at 905-688-5550 extension 3721 or email us at ocl@brocku.ca.

Brock University is an active participant in the ongoing Town and Gown Committee meetings for the City of St. Catharines and the City of Thorold. The intent of these meetings is to maintain open lines of communication between campus and community stakeholders; and to develop strategies to ensure that issues related to off-campus student living are identified and addressed appropriately. The University also participates in the Town and Gown Committee meetings for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the City of Welland upon request.

For more information on the Town and Gown Committee, please contact our office at 905-688-5550 extension 3721 or email us at ocl@brocku.ca.

Each September, the Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations department collaborates with the Brock University Students Union, municipal by-law in Thorold and St. Catharines, the Niagara Region and St. Catharines and Thorold Fire and Emergency Services to welcome Brock students to the community. Welcome Kits are distributed door-to-door to approximately 800 households (both student tenants and permanent residents). This initiative also focuses on connecting with local residents and providing them with Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations resources, along with answering any questions related to living with students.

The Welcome Kits include resources on topics and services related to living off campus, including municipal by-laws and regulations, waste management, responsible partying, volunteering in Niagara, the Good Neighbour Guide and much more.

Residents and students are welcome to call the Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations department to learn more about this program at 905-688-5550 extension 3721 or email us at ocl@brocku.ca.

Brock’s Good Neighbour Guide provides useful information for student tenants, residents, and landlords to support positive neighbourhood relations. The Guide is available online and distributed at community events throughout the year.

Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations arranges for Community Engagement Stations during key campus events and holiday’s such as Orientation Week, Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. These stations are used to distribute materials from municipal and community partners such as Fire Services, By-Law Enforcement and Niagara Region Waste Management. The goal of these stations is to provide important information to student tenants and to increase awareness of local services and regulations.

This award-winning collaboration between Brock University, Niagara College and the Niagara Regional Fire Chiefs, uses stylized video content and direct-to-web marketing to deliver fire safety messages to the 17-24 age demographic, particularly university and college students living on and off-campus. The campaign includes eight educational videos and a customized interactive website, www.knowfire.ca. The campaign launches each year during an Orientation Week event where the Fire Services assist with a ‘Live Burn’ on campus that replicates a ‘flash-over’ fire in a mock student bedroom.

This initiative is funded by Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations and conducted by the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) during identified periods throughout the school year. These identified periods include Orientation Week, Homecoming, Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day. The initiative allows for dedicated NRPS officers in St. Catharines and Thorold that will provide increased visibility and respond directly to off-campus noise or nuisance party concerns that arise. Each call is documented and fines under the noise or nuisance bylaws are issued where warranted.

Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations execute educational campaigns to encourage students to make a positive impact in their surrounding communities. These multi-faceted initiatives utilize mediums such as drink coasters, posters and banners, print ads in the student newspaper and social media platforms. Information and materials are also distributed from Community Engagement Stations on campus and in neighbourhoods directly.

This initiative recognizes student tenants for making an effort to create positive relationships with their neighbours. Recipients of a Good Neighbour Award receive a small token of appreciation and a certificate.

Off Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations delivers a series of information sessions for students that helps prepare them to live off-campus. These sessions reinforce the importance of understanding their rights and responsibilities as tenants, along with identifying ways that they can be good neighbours in their new community. These information sessions are typically delivered in January.

The Off-Campus Living Survey gauges students’ awareness and usage of various off-campus and community-related services. It provides additional insights into trends and satisfaction levels and gathers information that is used to develop new services and initiatives for the off-campus student population. The survey is conducted on a three-year cycle, most recently in 2020.