In April of 2006, the Residential Advisory Board published a report entitled "A Critical Examination of the College House System at the University of Pennsylvania".

Contained within this report are the most urgent issues that currently face the College House system. We seek to highlight the most salient issues facing the Houses collectively and individually in order to better the undergraduate residential experience. This report serves as a critical examination of the entire College House system from a student perspective. Further reports such as this will be required in future years as the University and the College House system continue to evolve.

We have strived to be specific as possible in our policy recommendations, although in many areas, we are not able to make logistical calculations. For these areas, we have included broader guiding principles that reflect the resident’s needs and wants.

Throughout the past semester, RAB has engaged in a thorough examination of the College House system through a series of brainstorming session and intense research. Members of RAB spoke with the various constituent groups involved in College Houses, such as key administrators and House staff. In addition, RAB, along with the Undergraduate Assembly and CHAS, hosted discussion forums in ten of the College Houses. Here, students were encouraged to speak about various components of the residential experience. We have also performed quantitative analyses on data from the 2006 College Houses Survey.

By no means is this list exhaustive. With over 5,000 of our students living on-campus in College Houses we acknowledge that there are a large number of opinions and experiences that we are unable to capture in this brief report, and we encourage students and staff members who additional sentiments to share to please contact us. The College House system is shaped by its residents, and RAB seeks to represent the student voice within the system.

RAB hopes continue its active role within the College House system. In regards to the constituent groups involved in College Houses, we would like to offer our support in further investigating and researching all of the issues we bring up in our report. It is vital, through active discussion of the following issues and any others that may arise, to preserve the tradition of Penn and the mission of the College House system while allowing for its continual evolution.

Click the image below to view the whole report in pdf format.

NEXT MEETING:

COLLEGE HOUS WEE

April 14-18

Stouffer Commons
3702 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

(P) 215.573.1218
(F) 215.573.6789
rabhelp@pobox.upenn.edu

Last Updated August 6, 2006 5:46 PM