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Paying for College Student Life Resources |
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STUDENT LIFE The College House System advances students’ academic and social adjustment to college and educates students in community living. For these reasons, first-year students must live in College housing unless they commute from home. Each undergraduate student “house,” a mix of firstyear and upperclass students, has a Resident Head (RH) or a resident head couple—faculty members, administrative staff, or advanced graduate students—who coordinate social, cultural, and recreational activities. Houses also have Assistant Resident Heads (RA)—graduate students or advanced undergraduates—who support the work of the RHs. In the five major residence halls, Resident Masters— senior members of the faculty who live in these residences with their families—also organize events for students. Resident Heads assume many roles: mentors, role models, social directors, arbitrators. No less important, they offer informal guidance to students who seek or require counsel. Though parents are welcome to contact Resident Heads, the confidential nature of staff-student relationships prevents Resident Heads from sharing information without students’ consent. The College House System has set standards for community living. Breaches are addressed first by resident heads and then, when necessary, by the student housing directors. Severe infractions may result in disciplinary action by the Office of the Dean of Students in the College. Local students who commute from home have their own “Resident Head”—a College administrator who assists the Commuter Students Association in organizing social activities and arranging programs of special interest to this group of students. The Commuter Students Lounge, centrally located on the quads, provides informal meeting and study space. After the first year, some students choose to live off campus. If living off campus will lower housing expenses, the financial aid award may be reduced. The total out-of pocket expense usually remains the same. Entering students receive housing assignments in the summer before they arrive on campus. Upperclass students receive housing assignments, by “lottery,” in spring of each year. Except for Shoreland Hall, residence halls close during winter and spring breaks. Shoreland residents may remain in their rooms and may allow students from other houses to stay as guests. Apart from the many social opportunities they offer, co-curricular activities cultivate old and new interests, stimulate academic progress, spur personal growth, and, even, promote career exploration. More than three hundred student organizations support the performing arts; community service; academic competitions; political activity; ethnic, religious, and cultural groups; journalism and creative writing; and sports and social clubs. At the final event of Orientation, the Student Activities and Resources Fair, these organizations advertise their programs and welcome new members. The Office of the Reynolds Club and Student Activities offers organizational advice to groups in formation and programming advice to established organizations. The Reynolds Club functions as an informal student union, with space for formal and informal activities: pool tables, television lounges, and rooms for parties, lectures, and other student-driven programming. Chicago students participate heavily in sports and fitness activities. More than 450 College students play on the 19 varsity teams, and the vast majority of students participate in the University’s extensive intramural and club sport program. The Gerald Ratner Athletics Center offers state-of-the-art fitness, recreational, and athletic facilities while the historic Henry Crown Field House provides the perfect complement with an indoor running track, basketball/volleyball courts, a martial arts room, weight room, and squash/handball/racquetball courts. Outdoor athletic and recreational facilities are available on campus at Amos Alonzo Stagg Field and the Midway. Hundreds of students perform, or assist in staging, music, dance, and other theatrical productions. University Theater produces approximately thirty-five plays each year. Other venues showcase vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, and performance artists. Community service, a healthy counterbalance to the inwardness of much academic work, attracts many Chicago students. Students feel useful, make practical contributions to communities beyond our campus, and learn to be responsible citizens. The University Community Service Center links interested students to an extensive list of volunteer opportunities. First-year students are not permitted to have cars, and upperclass students are strongly discouraged from bringing cars to campus. Street parking is scarce and University parking facilities charge fees during weekday business hours. Many students choose to bring or buy a bicycle, which is a convenient mode of transportation. Please note, however, that a bicycle should always be secured with a Ushaped lock. Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses, free to students, travel throughout campus and the surrounding Hyde Park–South Kenwood neighborhoods during the day and evening. The University provides free nighttime campus and neighborhood transportation. Buses and trains make other parts of the city easily accessible. Please note the following information about travel to and from campus. Students should not make end-of-quarter arrangements in conflict with final exams. Those who must make reservations before exam schedules become available at the start of each quarter should travel on Saturday of exam week; College residence halls remain open until noon. Travel plans for the return to campus should not conflict with the first class of the following quarter. Many courses require attendance at the first class to confirm enrollment. College residence halls reopen the morning before classes resume. Campus ministries, embracing a range of faiths, offer faith exploration, fellowship and service, and personal counseling with campus ministers. Rockefeller Chapel holds ecumenical services, sponsors interfaith programs, During Orientation, the nine days prior to the start of Autumn Quarter, new students settle into housing, explore the neighborhood and the city, take placement tests, register for courses, learn about campus and community resources, meet faculty members and advisers, and, of course, make friends. Parents who accompany their students to campus are invited to participate in opening day activities. Parents who remain in Chicago beyond opening day, however, should know that students will be expected to eat meals with their houses and attend required meetings, beginning the afternoon of the first day and continuing throughout Orientation. This schedule prevents students from spending time with parents. Family Weekend, in the middle of Autumn Quarter, is an opportunity for families to see students in their new community, learn more about the College’s curriculum and traditions, visit model classes, and ask questions about programs and services. Families can meet the President, the Dean of the College, the Dean of Students, Resident Masters and Resident Heads, and students’ academic advisers. It is a time, too, to get acquainted with students’ roommates and new friends, and enjoy a trip downtown for shopping, dining, or sightseeing. Family Weekend information will be available in September. |
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