MySLC

Welcome to the Sarah Lawrence Community!

Families and loved ones play an important role in the Sarah Lawrence experience. As your student begins life on campus and continues their college journey, your encouragement, perspective, and support can make a meaningful difference. Students often turn to the people they trust most when they have questions, encounter challenges, or need guidance.

Our goal is to partner with you by providing helpful information and resources that can help you understand campus life, navigate the transition to living at college, and support your student along the way.

We are delighted to welcome you to the Sarah Lawrence community and look forward to having you as part of our extended campus family.

Empowering Your Student

When your student is facing a challenge on campus, one of the best ways you can support them is by encouraging them to take the first step. College is a time for students to build confidence, learn how to handle challenges, and become comfortable asking for help. Encourage your student to reach out to the people and resources available to them. Their Resident Advisor (RA) or Residential Coordinator (RC) can be a helpful place to start and can connect them with the right support when needed.

If you are working with your student to address a concern, start by helping them understand the situation and think through their options. Our staff is always happy to help, but there may be certain details we cannot share with family members without the student's permission. We can, however, explain our general policies and processes and help you understand how we approach student concerns.

If your student is frustrated, worried, or unsure about what to do, try guiding them through the problem instead of taking over. Asking a few simple questions can help your student think through the situation and decide what to do next:

• What do you need right now? Are you looking for someone to listen, or would you like help figuring out a solution?
• What happened? Help your student identify the details of the situation and separate what they know from how they feel about it. Encourage them to consider the situation from different points of view.
• Who have you talked to? Ask whether they have reached out to their RA, RC, or another member of the Residential Life team. If they have not been able to connect with one person, help them identify another appropriate resource.
• What have you tried? Talk through any steps your student has already taken and what they learned from those attempts.
• What could you do next? Help your student choose a reasonable next step and identify who they should contact.
• When should you check back? If the issue needs follow-up, help your student decide when and how to follow up.

Supporting your student does not always mean solving the problem for them. Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can do is listen, ask questions, and encourage them to take the next step. These experiences can help students become more confident and independent as they navigate college life.

The Residential Life team is here to support students and their families when concerns come up. We value working together to help students feel supported, connected, and confident in their Sarah Lawrence experience.

Student Privacy and FERPA

As your student begins college, your role in supporting them may begin to look a little different. You are still an important source of encouragement, perspective, and support, while your student takes on greater responsibility for their own college experience. One part of that transition is understanding student privacy.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of students' education records. When a student attends a postsecondary institution, FERPA rights generally belong to the student rather than their parent or guardian, even if the student is under 18. These rights include the right to access their education records and, in most circumstances, control the disclosure of information from those records.

For families, this means that your student's relationship with the College may look different from their relationship with their school before college. Your student has a greater role in deciding how information about their College experience is shared.

What does FERPA mean for parents and families?

FERPA does not mean you stop being a parent. You can continue to be an important source of support, encouragement, and perspective throughout your student's college experience.

You can:

• Share information or concerns with Residential Life.
• Ask questions about College policies, processes, and resources.
• Listen to your student and help them think through a situation.
• Help your student prepare for a conversation or meeting.
• Encourage your student to ask for help and follow up when needed.
• Work with your student to determine how you can best support them.

At the same time, there may be information about your student's situation that Residential Life cannot share with you without appropriate authorization or another applicable FERPA exception.

This is an important distinction: FERPA may limit what we can share with you. It does not prevent you from sharing information with us.

If you contact Residential Life because you are concerned about your student, we can listen to what you have to say, answer general questions, explain our processes, and consider the information you provide when determining how we can support your student. The information you share can be helpful even when we cannot discuss specific details about your student's records or situation.

Student privacy is about more than protecting information. It is also part of helping students take ownership of their college experience.

When students contact an office themselves, explain a concern, ask questions, participate in a meeting, or follow up on an issue, they are practicing skills they will use throughout college and beyond. They are learning how to:

• Communicate clearly
• Ask for help
• Advocate for themselves
• Navigate unfamiliar processes
• Make decisions
• Follow through when something needs attention

For families, this can sometimes mean shifting from doing something for your student to helping your student figure out what they can do themselves. That does not mean stepping away. Your encouragement, perspective, and support remain important.

Every student and family relationship is different. Some students and parents already have a strong partnership and regularly work through decisions and challenges together. Others may be establishing a new balance between support and independence. We recognize that family involvement can look different for every student.

Our goal is to support that partnership while giving students opportunities to build confidence, develop independence, and learn how to navigate challenges with support from the people around them.

Residential Life works with students on housing, roommate and community concerns, conduct matters, well-being concerns, and many other aspects of residential life. In the course of this work, our staff may receive or maintain information that is part of a student's education record.

If you contact Residential Life about your student, you can share what you know and ask questions about how we generally handle a concern. We can explain our policies, processes, and available resources and help you understand how your student can seek support.

We may not be able to confirm or discuss specific information about your student's situation, including information from their education records, without appropriate authorization or another applicable exception.

For example: If your student tells you they are having difficulty with a roommate, you can contact Residential Life to share your concern and ask how roommate concerns are generally addressed. We can explain the process and available resources. We may not be able to discuss specific conversations we have had with your student or actions we have taken on their behalf.

A limit on what we can share does not mean a limit on our ability to listen or support your student.

The information you provide can help us understand a concern, consider what support may be appropriate, and connect your student with available resources, while respecting their privacy.

Students may choose to authorize a parent, family member, or another designated person to receive information from their education records. Sarah Lawrence's Request to Release Education Records form allows students to identify both the person or people they are authorizing and the education records they are permitting the College to release.

Students should complete the form carefully because the College can only release information within the scope of the authorization.

Understanding the Authorization

A FERPA authorization gives the College permission to share information within the scope of the student's written authorization. Students should complete the form carefully and make sure they identify both the person they want to authorize and the specific education records they are permitting the College to release.

For Residential Life and Housing, students must select “Other” under the section asking which education records may be released and enter:

• Residential Life and Housing Records

This designation is important. Residential Life can only release FERPA-protected information covered by a student's authorization when Residential Life and Housing Records have been properly identified on the form.

For example, if a student has designated a parent or family member but has not identified “Residential Life and Housing Records,” Residential Life cannot release the student's Residential Life records or other FERPA-protected information simply because the designated person requests it.

If a student would like to designate a person to have access to their Residential Life and Housing records, the student must submit a Request to Release Education Records identifying the designated person and clearly indicating “Residential Life and Housing Records.” Students must submit a separate form for each person they wish to designate. Completed forms should be emailed to regoff@sarahlawrence.edu, with ResLife@sarahlawrence.edu copied on the email.

What does the authorization allow?

The authorization applies to the records identified on the form. It is not a request-by-request process in which a student approves or denies individual requests after the authorization has been submitted.

Students should therefore carefully consider who they are authorizing and which education records they are authorizing the College to release before submitting the form.

Supporting Your Student While Respecting Their Privacy

Every student and family relationship is different. Some students and parents may already have a strong partnership and regularly work through decisions and challenges together. Others may be establishing a new balance between support and independence.

There is no single way for families to be involved. Your student's college experience is still theirs, but your support, perspective, and encouragement can continue to be an important part of it.

When your student encounters a challenge, consider how you can support them while also giving them an opportunity to take the lead:

• Listen before solving. Give your student space to explain what is happening and what they need.
• Ask questions. Help them think through their options and identify a reasonable next step.
• Encourage them to connect. Help your student identify the appropriate campus resource or person to contact.
• Let them take the lead. When appropriate, encourage your student to make the call, send the email, attend the meeting, or follow up themselves.
• Stay supportive. Being there for your student does not require taking over the situation.

Supporting your student does not mean solving every problem for them. Sometimes the most meaningful support is helping them find their own next step.

We value families as partners in the Sarah Lawrence experience. Our goal is to work with you in ways that support your student while keeping them at the center of their college experience.

FAQs for Parents & Families

Parents, guardians, and families can view an overview of the returning student housing process here.

If your student notices a maintenance or repair issue in their room, encourage them to submit a work order through MySLC. Campus Operations is responsible for handling maintenance and repair requests in the residential buildings.

Students can find instructions for submitting a work order on MySLC and will need to log in to submit a request. If your student is unfamiliar with the process, you can go through the steps together the first time while allowing them to submit the request themselves.

What happens after a work order is submitted?

The time needed to complete a repair depends on the issue. Some requests may be resolved quickly, while others may take longer if additional work, materials, or parts are needed.

Encourage your student to keep track of their work order number and submission date, as well as any updates or staff members they speak with. This information can be helpful if they need to follow up.

For questions about a work order or to request an update, students can contact Campus Operations:

• Email: operations@sarahlawrence.edu
• Phone: (914) 395-2385

If your student is unsure who to contact or needs help navigating the process, Residential Life is also available to help.

As a parent or family member, you can support your student by helping them understand the process and encouraging them to take the lead. These everyday responsibilities are opportunities for students to practice communicating with campus staff, using College resources, and following through on a concern.

Conflict is a normal part of living in a community. Students come to Sarah Lawrence with different backgrounds, experiences, routines, communication styles, and expectations. Those differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or disagreements.

Roommate and shared-space concerns may involve noise, cleanliness, guests, shared belongings, personal boundaries, or different expectations for a shared space. Students may also experience conflict with neighbors, friends, or other members of the SLC community.

As a parent or family member, you may be one of the first people your student calls when something goes wrong. You may hear about the situation while your student is frustrated or upset. Your first role can be to listen and help your student think through what comes next.

How Can You Support Your Student?

• Listen first. Give your student a chance to explain what happened before jumping to a solution.
• Ask questions. Help them think through what has happened and what they would like to happen next:
  • What happened?
  • What have you tried so far?
  • Have you talked with the other person?
  • What would you like to happen next?
• Encourage perspective-taking. Your student's experience is important, but there may be another perspective to consider. Help them think about what the other person may be experiencing without requiring them to agree.
• Encourage clear communication. When appropriate, help your student prepare to speak directly with the person involved. This can often help address misunderstandings, particularly with roommates and shared-space concerns.
• Let your student take the lead. Encourage them to communicate directly with the other person or with Residential Life rather than contacting the other student or their family yourself.
• Encourage them to ask for help. If your student is unsure how to proceed or has tried to resolve the situation without success, encourage them to contact Residential Life. Staff can help students understand their options and determine appropriate next steps.

When should my student contact Residential Life?

Students do not have to wait until a conflict becomes serious before asking for help. Every residential student is assigned a Resident Advisor (RA), an undergraduate student leader who lives in the residential community and supports their peers as they navigate residential life.

An RA can be a helpful first point of contact when a student needs advice, is unsure how to approach a situation, or wants help preparing for a difficult conversation. When appropriate, RAs may also help facilitate conversations or mediations between students.

If your student is unsure about contacting their RA or has difficulty connecting with them, they can contact Residential Life directly:

• Email: ResLife@sarahlawrence.edu
• Phone: (914) 395-2575
• Visit the Office: Bates 220, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Encourage your student to reach out for support. Asking for help is part of learning how to navigate challenges and use the resources available to them.

For an immediate emergency or safety concern, contact SLC Campus Safety at (914) 395-2222.

With support from their family, RA, Residential Life, and the broader SLC community, students can work through challenges while building confidence in communication, problem-solving, boundary-setting, and self-advocacy.

Sharing difficult or unexpected news with your student while they are away from home can be challenging. Whether it involves the loss of a loved one, a serious illness, a family change, or another difficult situation, Residential Life can help coordinate support for your student.

How can Residential Life help?

During regular business hours: Contact Residential Life at ResLife@sarahlawrence.edu or (914) 395-2575 and let us know what is happening and what kind of support you are looking for.

You may want someone to be available while you share the news with your student, or you may want Residential Life to follow up with your student afterward or be aware of a situation that may affect them. Let us know what would be helpful, and we can determine appropriate next steps.

Depending on the situation and your student's needs, Residential Life may also help connect them with Health & Wellness, Spiritual Life, or other campus resources. 

• Health & Wellness provides physical and psychological health support and can connect students with appropriate care and resources.
• Spiritual Life offers individual support and guidance for students navigating grief, difficult experiences, personal reflection, and questions of meaning or values. Spiritual Life welcomes students of all religious, spiritual, and secular backgrounds.

After regular business hours: Contact SLC Campus Safety at (914) 395-2209 and ask to speak with the on-call Residential Life staff. They can help coordinate support for your student.

You do not have to navigate this alone. If you are unsure what support your student may need, contact Residential Life and let us know what is happening. We can help determine an appropriate way to support your student.

Your support remains an important part of helping your student through a difficult moment. With your support and the resources available at SLC, your student can receive care while also having space to process the situation and determine what support they need.

It is natural to worry about your student, especially when you notice a change in their mood, behavior, health, or overall well-being. If you are concerned about your student, we encourage you to contact Residential Life and share what you have noticed. You do not need to know exactly what kind of support your student needs before reaching out.

Residential Life can listen to your concerns, help identify appropriate next steps, check in with your student when appropriate, and connect them with Health & Wellness or other campus resources.

What should I do?

If there is an immediate emergency or your student may be a danger to themselves or others:

• Call 911 for emergency medical, police, or fire assistance.
• Contact SLC Campus Safety at (914) 395-2222, available 24/7.
• For a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

If you are concerned but there is no immediate emergency:

• Contact Residential Life and share what you have noticed or what your student has told you.
• Encourage your student to contact the Health & Wellness Center at (914) 395-2350 for medical or psychological support.
  • The Center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Students can also contact Mantra ConnectNow at 1-833-589-0153 for 24/7, in-the-moment support from a licensed mental health provider
• For after-hours safety concerns, contact SLC Campus Safety at (914) 395-2222.

What can I expect when I contact Residential Life?

We will listen to your concern. You can share information even if you are unsure what action may be needed or whether your student has already contacted SLC.

Residential Life may use the information you provide to inform our outreach to your student, help identify appropriate resources, or coordinate support with campus partners when appropriate.

At the same time, student privacy rights may limit what we can share with you about your student's situation, conversations, or care without their permission or another applicable exception. We may be able to listen to information you provide and take appropriate steps to support your student without being able to share details about what happens next.

If you are concerned, please reach out. Your observations can provide important context and help us understand how we may support your student, while encouraging your student to remain actively involved in their own care and well-being.