Frequently Asked Housing Questions

HLEC stands for Housing Loose Ends Coordinator, and acts as what you would normally think of as an RA (Resident Assistant) for the building. There are traditionally two HLECs in Tank, Harkness, and Keep, and one HLEC in TWSJ.  

HLECs facilitate house meetings, make sure house-elected positions are filled, and take care of personal and interpersonal problems as they arise. HLECs are there to answer your questions and make your transition to OSCA as smooth as possible. Never hesitate to tell your HLEC if you have having a problem, or ask your HLEC for advice or knowledge!

Harkness Alex Sanandaji, Gus Fogler

Keep Levi Putnam, Natalie Scott

Tank Jonah Keener, Lily Conner

TWSJ Ben McHarris

Your bed should do both. When you arrive, place a work order and Oberlin College Facilities will assist you. (A lofted bed is about three feet off the ground and can fit a small filing cabinet or mini-fridge underneath it.)

Your RCR is a very important document which lists all the problems with your room upon move-in. Make sure to fill it out very carefully, listing every scratch, dent, and chip throughout the room. 

Also, read the paper to see what is supposed to be in your room. If the RCR lists a chair, do you have one? How about a bookshelf, or a desk hutch? Anything that you do not check or list on your RCR which is found to be wrong with your room at the end of the year will be charged to you by Oberlin College. (There is nothing OSCA can do about this, so it is important you protect yourself from errant charges. You don’t want to be paying for damage made by someone else!)  

Finally, make sure you get an RCR every time you switch rooms. In co-ops, rooming assignments can be very fluid. Please be sure that you get an RCR and fill it out as thoroughly as your last one. No matter what anyone may tell you, this is a very important responsibility.  

Co-ops do not usually have house stereos, so a personal stereo can be useful. You are welcome to bring one as long as you observe rules your house makes about quiet hours. Also, you may want to be careful about the size of your stereo along with the amount of things you bring. While rooms in OSCA are generally larger than first-year dorm rooms, they are still smaller than what you may be used to, and the space must be shared cooperatively with your roommate. 

A television is also an okay thing to bring. However, cable is not included in your room bill, and would have to be purchased from the local cable co-op. An antenna will get you the networks (NBC, CBS, FOX and UPN) in most places on campus. Again, be mindful of space and be respectful of the community you are living in.  

You! 

Unlike traditional residence halls, where people are hired by Oberlin College to clean the hallways, bathrooms, and common spaces, co-ops are kept clean by their members. At the beginning of each semester, every member receives training about how to keep your co-op clean. You will then be assigned two chores each week, which can be anything from sweeping the stairs to scrubbing the toilets. Members are expected to spend about an hour each week cleaning, although it usually takes less time.

Yes! But before you bring your ESA, you must send a note from a healthcare professional to office@osca.coop detailing your need. Please note that OSCA does not allow pets, so any animal not registered with the office as a service animal or ESA cannot live in OSCA housing.