Every
semester the Office of Residential Life formally evaluates all Program Houses to
ensure that the needs of the residents and the expectations of the Office are
being met. Houses are evaluated on the following criteria: programming,
occupancy, House Manager role, house commitment, advisor mentoring, community
standards and recruitment. A total of 3 points can be earned in each of the
seven categories and houses must meet the minimum requirement of 16 points (out
of a possible 21) to remain in good standing. Failure to meet the minimum
requirement in a given semester may result in provisional status for the house;
two semesters out of a three-semester period on provisional status may result in
the loss of a house’s Program Housing status. Every semester, the Office of
Residential Life will review the performance of each house and will make a
formal recommendation to the Dean of the College, Dean of Student Services and
Chair of the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) who will either approve or decline
a house’s status for the following year.
In addition to the
following guidelines, Program Houses must be able support the University’s
commitment to non-discrimination, which promotes resident selection and program
participation without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation,
class, age or ability.
Programming Points:
Each Program House can
earn 3 points for completing the programming model requirements and
incorporating the house mission in 75% of its programs, 2 points for meeting 90%
of these requirements and 0 points if less than 90% of the requirements are not
met.
Occupancy Rates:
Each Program House can
earn 3 points if they are able to fill the house to 100% occupancy with students
who apply to live in the house as an active Program Housing resident, 2 points
for 75% applicant occupancy and 0 points if the house is filled with more than
25% boarders.
House Manager Role:
A House Manager can
earn points for their performance in the following areas: a) timely
administrative work; b) regular communication with and between residents and the
Office of Residential Life c) staff meeting attendance and participation; d)
positive house evaluation. A House Manager earns a total of 3 points for
outstanding performance in all of these areas, 2 points for satisfactory
performance, and 0 points for failing to perform their job expectations as
required.
House Commitment:
Housemates who have
applied to live in the house as active Program Housing residents can earn points
for their Program House through participation in programming and other
activities that demonstrate commitment to the house mission. Each house can earn
3 points if house members demonstrate a strong commitment to programming and to
the house mission, 2 points if the members are somewhat active and committed,
and 0 points if the housemates show little interest in programming or in the
mission of the house. The House Manager, Head Resident, and Area Coordinator are
all involved in the evaluation of a house’s level of participation and
commitment.
Advisor Mentoring:
Since Program Houses
are required to work in conjunction with a faculty/staff advisor that will serve
as a resource to the house, those that maintain consistent contact with and
utilize their advisor at least biweekly will earn 3 points, houses that utilize
their mentor monthly will earn 2 points, and houses that fail to utilize and/or
maintain contact with their advisor will earn 0 points.
Community Standards:
It is the expectation
that Program Houses serve as role models to the Wesleyan and Middletown
community by living up to the Community Standards for In-Town and Wood-Frame
Houses, and exemplifying good behavior as a house. As such, Program Houses can
earn 3 points if the house is found in good standing with the SJB (no
violations) and is in full compliance of the Community Standards, 2 points if
the house is found in good standing with the SJB (no violations) and minor
violations of Community Standards are remedied quickly, and 0 points for houses
that have been found in violation of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct and/or
have gross or repeated violations of the Community Standards.
Recruitment:
Each Program House can
earn 1 point if they demonstrate that their recruiting efforts invited all
students in the community to live in their house. The house can earn an
additional point if the house is successful in recruiting/enrolling a
cross-section of the student body for the subsequent semester. A 3rd
point can be earned if the house proves over time (at least 3 previous
semesters) to have successfully recruited a cross-section of students.
OF NOTE:
The Office of
Residential Life reserves the right to recommend provisional status or
elimination of any Program Houses for egregious concerns in any of the above
categories regardless of the house’s point standing.
In categories where
houses are not eligible for 2 points, but demonstrated effort warrants more than
0 point, the AC for Program Housing can recommend that 1 point be earned.
