First-Year RISE

Gettysburg College offers substance-free housing through the RISE program (Respecting Individual Student Expectations about alcohol). RISE's main goal is to create an environment where student choices are respected at RISE events within RISE house, and across campus. We seek to involve anyone who is interested in our alternative social programming. By becoming a member of RISE you are choosing to be respectful of everyone’s choices and being responsible for your own decisions.

First-Year students who select to live in a RISE room agree to:

  • Live in a room with a first-year roommate that promotes and respects healthy lifestyle choices.
  • Live in a room with a first-year roommate where alcohol and tobacco are not present nor used, and no drugs are used contrary to prescription or law.**
  • Be an active and engaged member of the RISE community.

**All students are reminded that they must comply with campus alcohol and drug policies, which can be found in the Student Handbook.

RISE members who fail to fulfill the RISE program residency responsibilities are subject to relocation and, when appropriate, may be sanctioned through the campus student conduct system.

Selecting RISE

Incoming first-year students have the opportunity to select into RISE when they complete the housing forms within the First-Year Dashboard. The Office of Residential Education makes every effort to assign first-year students who agree to participate in the program to rooms with roommates who also agree to participate in RISE Housing. "RISE Rooms" are intermingled throughout first-year floors. Gettysburg College does not offer "RISE floors" in first-year halls but we do offer a RISE House for upperclass students.

RISE Programming

RISE students and staff work collaboratively to coordinate on-campus and off-campus programs that focus on helping students to develop friendships and to have fun. The RISE program often collaborates with other offices to design and implement programs. Some past RISE programs have included:

  • A Trip to a Baltimore Orioles Game
  • A Trip to the National Apple Harvest Festival
  • Late Night Glow Bowling
  • Be a Kid Again Night
  • Holiday Parties
  • Pre-Snowball Mocktail Party

The RISE program has a student house leader and is overseen by Andy Hileman, Assistant Director for the Office of Residential Education. If you have questions concerning the RISE program please contact Andy Hileman.