West Campus House System
The West Campus House System offers upper-level students an actively engaged community of their own – one that fosters personal discovery and growth, and nurtures scholarship, creativity, and responsible stewardship.
A natural extension of the first-year experience on north campus, the West Campus House System emphasizes informal interaction with faculty members, self-governance, social and cultural programming, privacy, and independence.
Each of the five Houses is led by a distinguished Cornell professor, who serves as House Professor-Dean and lives in the House with their family. An Assistant Dean, live-in Graduate Resident Fellows, and Undergraduate Resident Fellows support each community, as do affiliated House Fellows, primarily faculty members, who interact with residents during meals and events. Active Citizens, House Councils, and other resident student leaders help to govern the House and develop programs and activities. The intended learning outcomes for residents in the community are:
- Active Citizenship
- Health and Well-being
- Intellectual Inquiry
- Cultural Learning
West Campus House System Highlights include:
- FIVE Dining rooms, one in each House, each led by a House Chef.
- Opportunity to participate in continued occupancy to live on West from Sophomore to Junior and Senior year.
- Graduate Resident Fellows and Undergraduate Resident Fellows providing guidance and mentorship.
- Faculty-led, with opportunities to engage with many faculty and other House Fellows in informal settings.
- Conveniently located close to Central Campus and Collegetown.
- Engagement with distinguished guests hosted in the Houses.
- 1-credit Learning Where You Live courses offered, with priority given to West Campus residents, on a wide range of topics in a relaxed environment, to further facilitate a living learning residential space.
- Community building focused on providing a small school, tight-knit neighborhood feel at a large research university.
- Each House hosts a House Office (service center) for mail and key support, as well as a large Common Room, lounge spaces, study rooms, a library, laundry facilities, and conference/seminar rooms with smart equipment.
Facilities Overview:
The Houses are made up of both new buildings and historic Gothic buildings. Most students live in single or double rooms along a corridor, with shared bathrooms. A limited number of suites – the majority of which accommodate five people – are also available. Historically, the West Campus Houses have been made up of approximately 65% sophomores, 25% juniors, and 10% seniors, with about 15% of the total population being transfer students. Our housing options vary in physical location and environmental design. Please note that not every building has elevator access, air conditioning, wheelchair accessible rooms, and/or private bathrooms. Please see individual housing pages for more information, or contact the Housing Office at housing@cornell.edu or 607-255-5368.
Continued Occupancy:
Continued Occupancy (CO) is the process by which a select number of current West Campus residents can return to their House the following year. The process looks slightly different in each community. Additionally, each House hosts Active Citizens (Rose Scholars in Rose House) who apply to be engaged returning citizens of the community and are guaranteed housing in their community for the following year. Except for Rose House, after Active Citizens have been assigned, the remaining beds are available for residents to select through an in-house lottery process.
For more information, visit the West Campus House System's website.