Advisory Council on Student-Neighbor Relations: Archive

About Us

Convened in 2005, the Advisory Council on Student-Neighbor Relations is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the neighborhoods adjacent to the campus.  Focused on facilitating communication, mutual respect and cooperation between Cal students and permanent residents the SNA’s primary aim is to build good student/neighbor relations.

Since its inception, the Council has developed good neighbor initiatives, campaigns and programs that respond to the changing needs of Southside residents including: Cal Move Out, Cal Move In, Happy Neighbors, Every Bear Goes Home, health education programs like PartySafe@Cal engage and serve students and neighbors.

Historically, Council members have represented students, neighborhood and merchant organizations, senior University and City of Berkeley staff and other community groups. Voluntary in nature, SNAC members represent their respective constituencies and are committed to building connections with their campus or community counter-parts. 

In 2015, the Council was co-chaired by Joseph Greenwell, Dean of Students and Chris Treadway, Assistant Chancellor of Government and Community Relations, in partnership with ASUC and City representatives, the Advisory Council holds regular meetings.  During those meetings the campus and community stakeholders have opportunity to hear updates of work conducted in partnership with campus, city and community leaders; and consider new opportunities for collaboration.

Members

Projects and Initiatives

Cal Move-Out program

The Cal Move-Out program, developed by the Advisory Council in 2007, brings together the resources of the University of California, Berkeley and the City of Berkeley in an effort to decrease the environmental and social impacts of illegal dumping in near-campus neighborhoods at the end of the academic semester.

Students often do not have the means or are unsure of how to properly dispose of unwanted items like mattresses, couches, and small appliances, etc. Unfortunately, many of these items are left curbside, an environmentally harmful practice that we have been trying to eliminate by educating students and providing specialized services.

The program itself combines outreach to students and property owners about responsible disposal and reuse strategies as well as the deployment of large debris bins in the student-dense neighborhoods near campus. In 2009, the Cal Move-Out program distributed a flyer to nearly 10,000 addresses in the Southside advertising the program and collaborated with the ASUC Auxiliary on the Bear-ly Used Furniture Drive, an effort to collect and sell reusable furniture.

For more information on the 2012 Cal Move-Out program, please visit the Cal Move-Out page or download the 2012 Cal Move-Out flyer.

Cal Move-In program

The Council sought to expand the successes of the Move-Out program, held at the end of the spring semester, and developed the Cal Move-In program to combat illegal dumping and littering as students move into their new residences at the beginning of the fall semester. Targeted outreach and education to students as well as strategic sweeps of city streets by the city’s public waste crews collected and removed cardboard, furniture, mattresses and other items from the public right-of-way.

Good Neighbor Campaign

Promoting neighborly relations between Cal students and the permanent residents of Berkeley remains the central goal of the Advisory Council. The Good Neighbor brochure was created to inform and educate students as well as long-term residents about good neighbor behaviors, important city ordinances concerning noise and alcohol, and available city services. The brochure is distributed to organized student living groups (Greeks, Co-ops, etc.) as well as Berkeley property managers and neighborhood associations.

Click to view or print the Good Neighbor brochure.

City of Berkeley ordinances

The Advisory Council was involved in the initial development and passage, and the subsequent revision, of Berkeley’s Second Response and Social Host ordinances. These ordinances seek to discourage large, out-of-control parties and under-aged drinking by imposing hefty fines for violations.

• Social Host Ordinance - This ordinance holds the host liable for allowing underage drinking at party. Reasonable prevention steps must be taken to avoid under-aged drinking, including: controlling the access to and quantity of alcohol, checking IDs, and monitoring the gathering’s attendees. Initial violations carry a $250 penalty and penalties increase for subsequent violations.
• Second Response Ordinance - This ordinance classifies any gathering of 10 or more people a “public nuisance” if it substantially hinders the “quiet enjoyment of private or public property.” First offenses merit warning, public notices and orders to disperse. Further offenses that night, or any time within a 120-day period lead to automatic fines of $750 to $2500.

Meeting Materials

Resources

Party Safe @ Cal