Oregon State University will open an on-campus dorm in the fall semester solely for students recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
The university plans to transform the former co-op living center Dixon Lodge into the new dorm, which it is calling The Recovery and Learning Community, the Oregonian reported. It will feature dual-occupancy rooms, a community kitchen for residents, and programming space. OSU announced the new housing option two weeks ago.
It's the first of its kind as a housing option for students in recovery in Oregon, a university spokesperson told KEZI.
"You might have a student who's in recovery, living in a residence hall and committed to being substance-free, but they have a hallmate that comes back and has been using," John Ruyak, OSU’s drug and alcohol recovery specialist, told KGW. "That can be triggering for that student."
Nine people are expected to live in it during the first year, but the university hopes to expand it to house 24. The living space builds on a Collegiate Recovery Community that started at OSU in 2013, which provided space and funding for sober events and meetings, and a clubhouse for students in recovery to study, similar to programs in other states.