College House Experience
Welcome and congratulations! You’ve been assigned to one of Penn’s thirteen College Houses. The guiding principles of the College Houses are Academics, Community, and Belonging. Living in community with your fellow students offers you the opportunity to learn and create relationships with your neighbors and roommates that could last a lifetime. Take advantage of this by participating, exploring, and connecting with all of the cool things that your College House has to offer. You will help us create an awesome community!
People in your College House
You and your new floormates will be neighbors with several of Penn’s professional staff and faculty. These incredible people are ready to guide you through your transition to life at Penn. Get to know your House Director (HD), House Coordinator (HC), Faculty members, and Resident Advisors (RA).
Your House Director (HD) is a Penn professional staff member who lives in your House, supervises the College House team, and guides the House vision and mission. They also serve as academic advisors in the College and provide support and encouragement to all students.
The HD is assisted by the House Coordinator (HC), who oversees the House office and provides support to students during business hours.
Working closely with the HD and HC, your College House Faculty Director and Faculty Fellows are members of Penn’s standing faculty and guide the House’s academic life. Seek them out, use them as a resource, and participate in the House activities they offer.
Finally, your floor will have a Resident Advisor (RA) who is an undergraduate or graduate student and serves as initial point of support in the House. Get to know them when you arrive! They will set up a meeting early in the school year to greet everyone. RAs are also responsible for encouraging connections, creating events for you and the House community, and offering you many opportunities for social interaction and learning.
Getting Help in your College House
As you can see, there are many people who are glad to help you when you have questions, need advice, or are otherwise unsure of the best way to approach a situation. You’ll find them through your House Office and Information Center. The RA on Duty and house website are also great resources!
Your House Office is open during weekday business hours and is a great point of contact for your HD, HC, House Faculty, and RAs. Contact the House Office by phone, email, or by visiting in person.
The Information Center is typically located near the main entrance of your college house and open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Staff members can help you locate the Information Center when you arrive.
At times when you need assistance and the House Office is not open, you can contact the RA on Duty through the Information Center. Visit the Information Center in person or call. Explain that you would like to speak with the RA on Duty, and staff at the Information Center will contact them for you.
In an emergency, contact Penn Department of Public Safety at 215-573-3333.
Your house website also provides contact information for your House Office and Information Center. You can also find details about house events, opportunities to get involved, and resources.
Spaces in your College House
Beyond the House Office and House Information Center, your College House has many public spaces: lounges, music practice rooms, study spaces, and gathering areas. Many of these spaces are available for you to reserve. Explore your House and see all that it has to offer.
Technology Services and Support in the College Houses
Our College Houses and Academic Services Technology team offers highly-skilled IT staff members that support and provide access to current and emerging information technology resources for students residing in the College Houses. The services include in-House tech support, technology-rich Learning Spaces for collaborative work and study, printing, computer labs and project rooms for 24-hour computing, and access to an equipment loan program to provide laptops and other technology essentials. For technology assistance inyour College House, visit https://support.collegehouses.upenn.edu.
For More Information
To learn more about your College House and College House life, you can visit the College Houses & Academic Services website at https://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu. You will find links there to each College House, our policies and services, as well as to our Resource Guide (https://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/resources/guide), a PDF booklet which presents information about the Houses and the many resources available to you as a resident.
Remember, you help build the community by participating, exploring, and connecting! We hope you make the most of your College House experience, and we look forward to living with you this year.