Community life at Reed is intended to complement the college’s academic program through a commitment to creating and learning together in a community of scholars from diverse racial, ethnic, national, religious, socioeconomic, and political backgrounds. Richard Scholz, the college’s second president (1921–24), stated the college’s aspiration in his inaugural address: “Education is not merely a process of instruction, nor an individual matter of self-development. It is also a matter of self-realization through membership in a community of like-minded and congenial ‘comrades of the quest’ for knowledge and for wisdom.”
Honor Principle
Since the college’s founding, members of the Reed community have described the Honor Principle as one of the most important and distinctive features of the college. In its most basic definition, the Honor Principle instructs us that any action that causes unnecessary pain or discomfort to any member of the Reed community, to any group within the community, or to the community as a whole is a violation of the Honor Principle. Its origins can be traced to the first class of Reed students, who “voted to relieve the faculty of the burden of enforcing honesty in . . . tests, and agreed to make it a ‘point of honor’ not to cheat in examinations.” In 1973 the faculty adopted a more explicit statement about the Honor Principle that reconfirmed the community’s responsibility for “maintaining standards of honesty and mutual trust in their academic and social lives. . . . The Honor Principle also demands the respectful concern of each person for the other, and the exercise of conscionable judgment in all actions toward individuals and their property.” This statement continues, “Although the college does not call upon its members to sign a pledge of honor, it does recognize the necessity for tacit agreement of all its members to support the Honor Principle by governing their own conduct in accordance with its spirit, [and] by respecting regulations which the community has established.”
The preamble to the community constitution applies to all students, faculty members, and staff members. It states, “We declare our commitment to honorable conduct in academic and community affairs, and we reaffirm one another’s rights to freedom of inquiry and expression in coursework, scholarship, and the day-to-day life of the Reed community. Since such freedom requires an atmosphere of trust and mutual confidence, we further declare that dishonesty, intimidation, harassment, exploitation, and the use or threat of force are incompatible with the preservation of this freedom.”
An honor council composed of equal numbers of students, faculty, and staff is responsible for educating members of the Reed community about the meaning and importance of the Honor Principle. Members of subcommittees of the honor council provide advice to those seeking resolution of grievances. The mediation subcommittee oversees the process of formal mediation, including the provision of neutral third-party mediators. The community rights subcommittee may bring honor cases on behalf of the community when the community’s rights have been violated. The education subcommittee raises awareness of the Honor Principle and educates the community about honor.
When violations of honor or policy rise to the level of adjudication, the student judicial board and a student and staff Title IX board have primary responsibility for adjudicating formal complaints against students.
Student Services
The mission of student services is to promote student success and well-being, and to foster an inclusive Reed community.
Student services supports Reed’s educational mission:
- by providing information, guidance, and resources;
- in collaboration with students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other community partners;
- through sponsoring comprehensive programs and services;
- in order to enhance learning in and beyond the classroom.
Vice President and Dean of Student Services’ Office
The vice president and dean of student services’ office works with faculty, staff, parents, and students in an effort to coordinate a comprehensive network of support for all students. Students are invited to contact the vice president and dean of student services’ office for guidance regarding their progress and engagement at the college, including questions relating to administrative and academic issues and college policies and procedures. Please visit reed.edu/student_services for more information.
Descriptions of the resources and services available through the various areas of student services are listed below.
Academic Support
Students choose Reed because they seek intellectual and personal challenges. In order to assist students as they rise to meet those challenges, Reed offers opportunities for students to work on their academic skills both inside and outside the classroom. In collaboration with faculty, academic support services offers peer tutoring, a cooperative study environment, writing and quantitative support, workshops, and individualized coaching.
Peer tutors, who are talented undergraduates recommended by faculty, provide deep understanding and a student perspective on Reed’s approach to academics. Tutors are available on a drop-in basis for biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, physics, mathematics, languages, and writing. Tutors collaborate with students to talk through a particularly difficult problem set, offer feedback on lab reports, ponder questions about course materials, or share a fresh perspective on a concept that’s just out of reach. In addition to drop-in group tutoring, students can meet individually with tutors by appointment for up to an hour per week in many subjects. Cooperative learning is a cornerstone of the Reed education; this is such a popular resource that over half of all current tutors have been tutored themselves.
Individual academic coaching by academic support staff gives students a chance to develop goals and improve the skills needed for college success. Coaching allows students to explore strategies related to study skills, learning styles, time management, test anxiety, procrastination, writing, quantitative skills development, and academic stress. Students can consult with staff to develop personalized strategies for success from their first Humanities 110 paper to the oral defense of their thesis.
Additional resources, including tutor and workshop schedules, are available at reed.edu/academic_support.
Athletics, Fitness, and Outdoor Programs
The athletics, fitness, and outdoor programs department provides everything students need to enjoy an active lifestyle and to take advantage of all the recreational activities Oregon has to offer. There are opportunities to challenge those with varsity backgrounds, those who are new to the gym, and everyone in between.
In addition to the more than 50 physical education courses the college offers, the department sponsors a number of team sports and special events throughout the year, in addition to wellness retreats that include instruction in yoga, mindfulness, and massage and offer healthy teas and nourishing foods. Last year Reed students participated in men’s basketball, men’s and women’s Ultimate Frisbee and soccer, women’s and men’s rugby, squash, and rowing. Special events included the juggling festival; the March Madness basketball tournament; badminton and tennis play days; and fall and spring softball tournaments. Reed also offers outdoor education classes, including white-water rafting, rock climbing, winter camping, and backcountry navigation.
Please visit reed.edu/sports_center for more information on physical education classes, team sports, and events.
Center for Life Beyond Reed
The Center for Life Beyond Reed guides, inspires, and supports students as they plan for and engage with life beyond Reed. The staff works to develop relationships with faculty, staff, alumni, parents, community partners, and employers so that students have access to quality resources, special programs, and a variety of opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom.
In collaboration with faculty advisers, staff members also provide assistance to students in the pursuit of fellowships and advanced studies in graduate or professional school.
Alumni of the college are enlisted as volunteers to support students in making the transition to the world beyond Reed. Students can search a secure online database of Reed alumni, and staff members help students connect to individuals and organizations of interest. Many alumni volunteers visit campus to support career-related programming.
Visit reed.edu/beyond-reed/ for more information.
Community Engagement
Students for Education, Empowerment, and Direct Service (SEEDS) builds mutually beneficial relationships within the Portland community to foster sustainable and positive change. SEEDS is committed to enhancing the academic mission and supporting Reed students in developing tools for self-reflection and passion for lifelong community engagement.
SEEDS programs, which reflect a wide range of interests and issues, include weekly community engagement commitments as well as one-time engagement opportunities, such as the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Community Engagement. There are also multiple community engagement trips each academic year, including the Community Engagement Orientation Experience for first-year and transfer students. As part of the Committee for Civic Engagement, SEEDS also helps to facilitate Project Pericles initiatives, advocacy workshops, and community-based learning in the curriculum. To promote access to community engagement, SEEDS manages Reed’s off-campus Federal Work-Study (FWS) program. Students who qualify to participate earn an hourly wage while working with FWS-eligible community organizations and public agencies around Portland. SEEDS hosts an on-campus event series, Collective Voices, featuring local community organizers and activists who talk with students about their community work and how to get involved. Finally, SEEDS manages volunteer staff and operations of the Reed Community Pantry (RCP), which is a part of Reed College’s Food Security Initiative (FSI) program. The RCP provides nonperishable food items, toiletries, hygiene products, clothing, books, and more at no cost to members of the Reed community. Contact SEEDS for detailed information about the program.
Visit reed.edu/seeds for more information on SEEDS programs and community partners.
Community Safety
The primary mission of the community safety office is the safety and well-being of the Reed community, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Community safety staff seek to achieve this through collaboration with all members of the Reed community as well as with a variety of supportive resources in the greater Portland area.
Community safety oversees the college’s programs and activities in several key areas, including emergency preparedness, crime prevention and response (including sexual assault), and alcohol and other drug policy monitoring, and acts as the primary liaison with law enforcement. The office operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing patrols of the college campus and facilities. Reed College community safety officers (CSOs) are trained and able to assist with CPR and first aid, fire safety, criminal incident investigation and reporting, crime prevention, vehicle jump starts and unlocks, vehicle and bicycle registrations, and parking. Community safety dispatch serves as a resource for students with medical or psychological needs after hours by helping students connect with the appropriate resource, and by working with parents who need to call their student in an emergency. The emergency phone number is 503-788-6666. The nonemergency number, which is also the college switchboard, is 503-771-1112. The nonemergency number to text is 503-849-8678.
Working to keep the Reed community safe, CSOs provide safety escorts on campus 24 hours a day, and the college provides free bus service at night to take off-campus students who live in the vicinity from the library to their doorsteps.
Visit reed.edu/community_safety for more information.
Community WellnessCommunity wellness collaborates across departments with staff, faculty, and students to offer activities aimed to enhance student wellness and foster a culture of well-being at Reed. Program offerings focus on topics such as stress management, mental health, physical activity, and harm reduction. Three groups of student staff coordinate community wellness activities: the Peer Health Advocates (PHAs) and Multicultural PHAs serve as role models and support liaisons for community wellness, and the Night Owls promote harm reduction during social events.
Disability Support Services
As a part of Reed College’s commitment to providing equality of opportunity and meaningful access to all students, disability support services (DSS) takes a highly individualized approach to providing services for students with disabilities. The DSS staff work with students to determine the most suitable and reasonable accommodations, given the context of a particular class, professor’s pedagogy, or area of campus.
Students with mobility, chronic medical, psychological, visual, hearing, attentional, and learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and/or other conditions that impact the student’s access to educational opportunities at Reed are encouraged to contact DSS. Students who have not received a diagnosis or are without documentation of a disability, and who are interested in exploring accommodations at Reed, may contact the DSS office for more information on how to pursue an evaluation or possible diagnosis.
Accommodations and other resources provided by DSS are designed to enable all students to access what Reed has to offer. Reasonable accommodations are not intended to alter the expectations of a course, nor should they fundamentally alter the content of a course.
For documentation guidelines and additional information, students are encouraged to contact DSS and/or review the website: reed.edu/disability_services/
Fellowships and Awards
The fellowships and awards office, in the Center for Life Beyond Reed, publicizes scholarship and fellowship opportunities and engages and assists students in pursuing a range of goals including research, study, teaching, and pursuit of arts or other special projects during and after their time at Reed. With the Committee on Fellowships and Awards, staff coordinate the application and nomination processes for those award programs requiring an institutional endorsement, and they work directly with students to identify relevant opportunities and prepare competitive applications. Through fellowships and awards and in collaboration with the Center for Life Beyond Reed, students receive assistance in drafting and editing resumes, cover letters, and application essays; assistance in reviewing applications for completeness; and tips on successful interviewing.
Visit reed.edu/beyond-reed/fellowships-awards/index.html for more program details.
Health and Counseling Services
The Reed College Health and Counseling Center (HCC) strives to promote students’ ongoing health and well-being as well as academic, personal, and multicultural growth. We embrace the inherent value of diversity and we endeavor to promote a safe environment that respects and upholds the dignity and civil rights of all persons. The HCC acknowledges the injustice and profound impact of discrimination and marginalization of individuals and groups and their effects on students’ well-being. We continue to expand our self-awareness and understanding of how diversity influences concepts of holistic health and well-being.
The HCC is an integrated clinic, providing primary care services as well as counseling and psychiatric medication management. Our medical clinic is staffed with medical doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and certified medical assistants. Our mental health clinic is staffed with psychologists, mental health nurse practitioners, and social workers. We are committed to providing high-quality services with sensitivity to each student’s culture, gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, learning style, and socioeconomic status.
All medical and counseling records remain separate from student academic records and are treated as confidential as required by state and federal laws. Information is released only with the student’s permission, or under rare circumstances for continuity of care.
All students are required to have health insurance that is equivalent to the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) provided by the college. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in the SHIP, as it is designed to cover the expenses incurred by college-age students. Referrals are often made to community providers and for diagnostics. Most providers and facilities in the area will take the SHIP, unlike plans originating from out-of-state insurance providers.
Students are not billed for provider services at the HCC. Students are billed for point-of-care testing, or if medication or medical supplies are dispensed. Students will also incur charges if they see a community specialist, if they require diagnostic testing such as radiology, or if they have blood work done. The HCC does not bill insurance; however, students are provided with the necessary documentation that can be forwarded to their insurance company.
The State of Oregon mandates all students receive two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunizations prior to starting college. If students have not received their MMR immunizations, a hold is put on their registration and they are unable to register for classes. All students are strongly encouraged to have the hepatitis series of immunizations (both A and B), the meningitis series, an annual influenza immunization, and the tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) booster before arriving at Reed.
For medical care, students can self-schedule an appointment through the student portal or call the HCC. Students with urgent concerns can walk in for a nurse triage visit. The nurse will determine if the student needs to be seen urgently or emergently, and will triage the student as deemed appropriate. Students with health concerns after hours can call the Community Careline. The consulting nurses will offer medical advice and refer students to appropriate medical care as needed. The telephone number for the Community Careline is available on the HCC website or by calling the main Reed switchboard. Students who require emergency services should call 911 and/or the community safety office.
The HCC offers brief or short-term counseling for students. Students seek counseling for many reasons, including personal problems, academic pressures, adjustment to college life, mild to moderate psychiatric disorders, and problems related to drugs and alcohol. In addition to individual counseling, groups are available as specific interests and needs arise.
Students who are interested in individual counseling may schedule an appointment. Every effort will be made to see students within a week. Daily walk-in hours are available for urgent needs. HCC clinicians are available to consult with a multidisciplinary team of Reed staff after hours and on the weekends for emergency situations. The Reed after-hours crisis line is staffed by mental health professionals available to provide telephonic support and referrals for students with mental health concerns. The telephone number is available on the HCC website.
Please visit reed.edu/health_center/ for more information.
International Student Services
An exceptionally diverse group of students benefits from a range of programs and support offered by international student services (ISS). ISS programming—including international student orientation, the host family program, and the InterConnect mentor program—offers support to international students and third culture kids. ISS provides assistance and guidance on immigration regulations for students on F-1 or J-1 visas. Additionally, ISS collaborates with other campus offices to provide resources and programs that help international students acclimate to life in the U.S. and thrive at Reed.
Please visit reed.edu/iss for more information.
Office for Inclusive Community
The Office for Inclusive Community (OIC) is dedicated to furthering the college’s commitment to diversity, ensuring that all members of the Reed community have an equal opportunity to learn and grow, and promoting equity beyond the Reed community. The office oversees the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), the Peer Mentor Program (PMP), and Students for Education, Empowerment, and Direct Service (SEEDS), and it sponsors events throughout the year, celebrating the voices and experiences of marginalized communities. OIC programs provide opportunities for the community to explore the intersections of identities, celebrate cultural traditions, engage in the broader community, and have dialogue across difference. The MRC also supports student organizations and houses a small library of resources including magazines, books, and films.
Visit reed.edu/inclusive-community for more information.
The Office for Student Engagement
The Office for Student Engagement, formerly known as the Student Activities Office, seeks to help students create community, practice interpersonal and leadership skills, and enjoy well-deserved outlets for relaxation and fun. Programs include the Reed Leadership Academy, leadership and involvement programs and workshops, the Gray Fund, orientation, advising student senate, working with student groups wishing to organize on-campus events, and advising the Model United Nations, mock trial, and chess teams. Visit the office located in the Student Center for more information.
Peer Mentor Program
The Peer Mentor Program (PMP) is a resource for returning and new students. The program pairs incoming students with a peer mentor who provides guidance and support during the first year at Reed. For both new and returning students, PMP seeks to support Reed students from underrepresented communities and encourages the development of spaces for all students to engage in conversations about the impact of diverse perspectives on their educational experience. New students typically sign up prior to orientation and participate in the PMP Odyssey; however, first year students may join the program at any time. The year-long program includes small-group discussions, social outings, academic support workshops, and engagement with the Portland community.
Visit reed.edu/inclusive-community/peer_mentor_program for more information.
Reed Leadership Academy
The Reed Leadership Academy (RELAY) is a semester-long leadership development program for all students. This interactive class helps students learn about themselves, about interacting with others, and about making positive social change in their communities. Cohort members are paired with mentors from outside Reed who help them make meaning of the concepts they learn in the classroom. Past participants have reported that the skills they learned have helped them in many settings, including in the classroom, with roommates, in the workplace, and in student groups. For more information, visit reed.edu/leadership.
Residence Life and Food Services
The residence life office is responsible for providing students with well-balanced, safe, and healthy living options on campus. A primary goal of the staff is to help students develop a community within each of the residence halls and to provide residents with a variety of opportunities for personal and social growth and development. Establishing living units compatible with students’ educational needs, safety, lifestyles, and interests is of primary concern. Living on campus offers proximity to classes and a chance to participate in social and educational events planned by the staff with residents of the floor. Being on campus allows easy access to the college’s resources and services. Nearly 70 percent of Reed students, including almost all first-year students, live in the college residence halls, houses, and apartments.
Reed’s residence halls, in six area groups on the campus, are characterized by distinctive architecture intended to foster community living. Housing choices are typically coed, with the exception of one female-identified floor. The majority of non–first-year students live in singles, with most first-year students living in divided double and a few triple rooms. Within the residence halls specific communities are organized by students and include communities concerned about lifestyle choices such as living substance-free, themes such as fantasy and science fiction, or academic interests. All residence halls are nonsmoking. In addition, Reed’s six language houses accommodate students interested in Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Russian, or Chinese.
Apartments offer students a combination of on- and off-campus living. A short walk from the center of campus, these furnished one- and two-bedroom units house one or two residents respectively. The apartments usually house non–first-year students.
Returning students select housing for the following year through room registration held in the spring. New and transfer students select their preferred housing options, which staff members then use to make room assignments. First-year students who meet the housing application deadline are guaranteed housing on campus; transfer students are provided rooms on campus on a space-available basis.
To help students build communities within the halls, non–first-year students serve as house advisers. House advisers are selected and trained to help students adjust to Reed, provide information, and offer support for the students with whom they live. House advisers encourage students to participate in programs and activities and get involved in campus life. In addition to the house advisers, five full-time professional resident directors live on campus to support the house advisers, serve as a resource for all students, and provide assistance in emergencies.
All students who live on campus, except apartment residents and students living in the co-ops, contract for their meals on an annual basis. Students who live in the apartments or off campus have the option of participating in the board program or purchasing Commuter Commons Cash. All those on board plans eat in the centrally located commons (dining hall).
The food service program operates on a declining balance system. Each student on board pays a fee at the beginning of the term and is credited with “commons cash” (dollars) to be spent in the dining hall. Dining services are available approximately 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and 5 hours per day on the weekends. Information describing the meal plans is available at: reed.edu/res_life/policies/dining.html.
Special Events
Canyon Day (Spring and Fall)
A true Reed tradition, Canyon Day began in 1915. It was originated to encourage the college community to engage with the incredible resource in the midst of campus. Over time, the focus has evolved from recreation to education, and ultimately restoration. For almost 100 years, community members have contributed to the ongoing care and replanting of the 28-acre forest around Reed Lake. Flowing out of the lake, Crystal Springs provides the cleanest water resource in the lower reach of Johnson Creek. Habitat restoration efforts have resulted in the return of ocean-going fish runs. The beauty of the canyon sustains wide interest, and the work of Canyon Day is celebrated with friends, food, music, and fun. This event is cosponsored by campus facilities services and the student group Greenboard.
Gray Fund Events (throughout the year)
In 1991 the late Betty Gray, a longtime friend of the college, endowed a fund, the purpose of which is “to assure that Reed College will have stimulating cultural, social, and recreational programs of excellent quality on a regular and planned basis that will interest students, faculty, and staff members and involve these three groups together in activities outside the classroom that complement the college’s academic program.” A committee composed of students, faculty and staff members, in association with the assistant director of student engagement, acts as an advisory group for use of the fund. Events have included lectures by comedian Jessica Williams, author Ursula Le Guin, TV personality RuPaul Charles, and actress Laverne Cox, concerts, films, and many other activities. Recreational trips have included sea kayaking, wildflower hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Social trips have included Broadway shows, museums, glass slumping and fusing, a gourmet cooking class, and more. The Gray Fund committee plans events throughout the year and encourages input from the community. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in all Gray Fund activities.
Orientation (August)
Reed offers new students—first-year, transfer, and special-admission students—and their families several days of orientation before classes begin in the fall. At these events, new students meet with returning students and members of the faculty and staff at events designed to provide an engaging and informative introduction to the college.
Typically, orientation includes introduction to the intellectual life at Reed through discussions about the Reed curriculum, humanities program, and academic advising, in addition to informal opportunities to meet faculty members and returning students. Other sessions are meant to help students learn about the college culture and our expectations for how they govern themselves under the Honor Principle. Our preorientation programs, which take place immediately before orientation, allow students to meet others interested in outdoor or community engagement programs, take part in the Peer Mentor Program, or participate in international student orientation. A detailed description of the orientation program is available online at reed.edu/orientation.
Paideia (January)
Paideia is a Greek word that means, roughly translated, “education.” Taking place during the period before the beginning of the spring semester, Paideia is a time to enjoy being at Reed without academic expectations or pressure. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of Reed offer informal, noncredit courses and lectures on a wide variety of topics.
Reed Arts Week (November)
Reed Arts Week (RAW) is a celebration of the arts at Reed, including music, dance, theatre, films, creative writing, and the visual arts. In addition to student installations and performances, major artists join in the campus celebration by providing various forms of installations, performing original works, and participating in master class work with members of the Reed community. RAW is organized entirely by Reed student artistic directors, who are supported by the Cooley Gallery.
Renn Fayre (May)
Originally, Renaissance Fayre was a one-day event during the spring semester that turned Reed into the Age of the Renaissance as authentically as possible. Renn Fayre has evolved into a campus-wide end-of-the-year festival. On the last day of classes, seniors march from the steps of the library to the registrar’s office to celebrate turning in their theses and to be congratulated by senior officers of the college. This thesis parade kicks off a weekend-long celebration with music, food and drink, sports, games, events, and fireworks.