College Houses
Established in 1998, today’s eight College Houses are a cornerstone of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ residential experience. Sometimes referred to as the “living rooms” of campus, the houses sponsor special meals, study breaks, and other events for first-year affiliates. They also host campus-wide events from lectures and film screenings to off campus trips and social gatherings. Each College House is comprised of 20-30 members and is led by a group of six individuals, five elected Committee Leaders and a House Proctor employed by Residential Life.
House residents are selected through an application process with input from faculty, deans, students, and staff. Successful selection is based on creative programming ideas and willingness to contribute to an energetic, cooperative team. All College House members gain leadership skills that often propel them to other highly visible leadership roles at the College. Once selected into a College House, students can choose to run for a Committee Leadership role to develop their skills further. There is no shortage of support for these leaders; the residential life directors, deans in the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, and faculty and staff advisors all serve as supports for the College Houses.
Programming in the Houses
Year after year, College Houses enrich our campus community with a diverse offering of programs. These programs, funded by the College, serve both academic and social purposes to help create a complete experience for the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾ community. Examples of campus-wide programs include collaborations with local libraries, cultural celebrations with affinity groups, or a Thanksgiving dinner for students who stay on campus during breaks. House members develop and coordinate all aspects of these programs, providing them an opportunity to expand their learning and skills outside of the classroom. The Houses are also spaces where outside programming finds a home, whether a club needs a meeting space or an academic department wants a cozy environment for a speaker. If you are interested in programming with a College House, please contact one of the Committee Leaders found at the link below.
Staff and Faculty Connections
The active participation of faculty and staff in the College House system is vital to the system's success and to the College's overall mission. Each house has two Faculty and Staff advisors to support them throughout their year. Faculty-College House engagement helps to integrate the academic and social spheres of the College as described in the Commission on Residential Life's Interim Report. Faculty engage with the College Houses through many Kurtz fund-sponsored events and meals, join students for debates and film screenings, and bring their families to events like House trick-or-treating, cookouts, and concerts. Staff members are also an important aspect of the College House System. Staff advisors assist houses in engaging with other staff as well as help bring campus-wide initiatives, like the Women's Resource Center, Career Planning Center, Outing Club, Religious and Spiritual Life, Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity, McKeen Center, Gender Violence Prevention and Health Center, into the College Houses. These faculty and staff also connect with individuals throughout the House system and help them develop their role as thoughtful leaders in the broader campus community.
House Affiliations
All incoming first-year students are affiliated with a College House based on their room in the first-year bricks. House members work hard to create connections with their affiliates and serve as peer mentors helping with their adjustment to campus life at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø±¬ÍøÕ¾. Affiliates are encouraged to participate in all College House events and have full access to the House, including to amenities like kitchens and programming spaces.
The Donald and Barbara Kurtz Fund, managed by the Office of Residential Life, supports campus events that encourage learning and discussion outside the classroom and bring faculty, staff and students together within the College Houses. Any member of the Houses can propose a program and request financial support from the Kurtz Fund to make it a reality.
Past and present programs include:
- Dinner with Six Strangers (click for more info)
- Kurtz Book Club
- Blind Date with a Book
- Food Crawl with Local Restaurants
- Branching Out of Brunswick: Rural Maine Education Panel
In previous years the Kurtz Fund has helped sponsor events with special guests including DeRay McKesson, Arlene Saxonhouse, Shaun Leonardo, Noam Chomsky, Mike Rosen, Jose Antonio Vargas, Monica Guzman '05, and Maine Inside Out.