The Office of Residential Life
The professionals and staff working for Residential Life coordinate all aspects of the residential experience at Vassar. They perform functions regarding community development, student leadership, room assignments, residence hall furnishings and equipment, health and safety in the halls, and the development and implementation of college policies. The director and associate can be contacted at the central office in Main, N-120 (extension 5860).
House Fellows are faculty members who live in the residence halls. They function as academic advisors and as members of the residential community who offer perspective and counsel. They also serve to broaden and extend the contacts between faculty and students in informal and nonacademic areas.
Student Fellows. In each house, as a part of the overall advising system of the college, student fellows serve as peer counselors to new students. These student advisors, selected from the upper three classes, are assigned 8–12 freshmen who live near them in the residence hall. There are also student fellows for new transfer, visiting, and exchange students. Student fellows can assist you with registration procedures, academic regulations, and the various campus resources. They are trained to assist you with any personal problems you may encounter during your first year at college. Student fellows are carefully selected for their ability to relate to others, their sense of responsibility, judgment, discretion, and maturity. They are an invaluable campus resource.
You will first meet your student fellow on Tuesday afternoon, August 25, for a brief orientation to the campus and information about the opening days. Student fellows are expected to be in regular contact with you throughout the year.
Student Advisors. In each house, a junior student serves as the student advisor. With the house advisors, the student advisors are involved in the selection, training, and supervision of the student fellows in their building. They work closely with the house officers to provide student leadership.
House Officers. Each residence hall is governed by four elected student officers and one elected freshman representative. They work closely with the Residential Life staff to ensure the general welfare of the individual student and to promote a sense of community.
House Advisors are full-time student affairs professionals who work and live in the houses. They serve several functions in the support of residential life within the residence clusters. Acting as liaisons between the Office of Residential Life and the residence halls, house advisors also serve as an ongoing resource to house fellows, house student advisors, student fellows, and house officers. They provide valuable personal support for all residential students.
House advisors also handle a range of administrative duties in the residence halls. They monitor house improvement needs and serve as “administrator on call” to respond to emergency situations.