Theme Housing at Gettysburg

Theme Housing allows students to form self-directed and self-governing groups focused on a particular theme or mutual interest. Students establish clear goals for their group and, through a community agreement, plan how to be engaged participants in their community and the campus community. Theme Houses range in size from apartments of five students to houses of twenty or more. The Theme House Program at Gettysburg College provides:

• a unique living experience that offers independence
• a strong sense of community
• an opportunity to learn about and promote a common interest

Goals of Theme Housing at Gettysburg:

• Unite students around a common interest or discipline
• Create a community that fosters intellectual and social development
• Connect faculty and students through formal and informal interactions and gatherings
• Connect students' in-class learning with their out-of-class experience
• Enhance the intellectual climate through focused exploration, knowledge exchange, and respectful dialogue

Current Theme Houses

There are currently 25 theme houses (14 Established Houses and 11 One-Year Houses) for the 2012-2013 academic year. Learn more about the current theme houses, their missions, and leadership.

Established houses remain in the same property from year to year; are in larger buildings with open common spaces; are linked to academic departments, College programs, and/or student clubs and organizations; have a more institutional focus; and each group is responsible for facilitating their own process to select members for their house. One-year theme houses change from year to year and offer mainly sophomores the opportunity to live with existing groups of friends and pursue a shared interest.

To view the floor plans for a particular building, students should login to their CNAV account, select "MyHousing" from the first drop-down menu, and then select "Floor Plans" from the menu on the left side of the "MyHousing @Gettysburg College" page.

Theme Housing Leadership

Theme Housing is successful because of the teamwork between various parties. The roles in the partnership are detailed below.

Community Advisors
A Community Advisor (CA) is a student employed by the Office of Residence Life to act as a liaison and advocate for the Theme Houses. While the CA serves as liaison, mediator, administrator, and house advisor, he or she also meets with house leaders frequently, assists the formulation of a community agreement, aids program planning, and inspects the house on a periodic basis. The CA works closely with the House Leaders to assist the house in achieving its goals and meeting Theme House expectations. CAs are supervised by the Residential Life Coordinator for Sophomore Resources and Theme Housing. Meet the Community Advisor Staff.

House Leaders
House Leaders serve as the liaison between the house members, the Office of Residence Life, and the House Advisor. The House Leader is also responsible for completing periodic reports, attending semi-regular House Leader Meetings and trainings, receiving and posting information for the house, and helping with break and semester closings. Meet this year's House Leaders.

House Members
Members of the Theme House agree to actively participate in the Theme Housing Program. Members attend all mandatory house meetings, support Theme Housing Programs for their respective house, contribute to the formulation of the House Contract, and assist the House Leader with responsibilities. Failure to participate in the Theme Housing Program may result in the member's loss of privilege to live in the house. Relocation of group members and/or consolidation is the prerogative of the Office of Residence Life.

House Mentors
The House Mentor is a College faculty member or administrator who has particular knowledge or expertise about the house's theme and can provide guidance and support to house activities. Each Theme House must have a House Mentor. It is the responsibility of the house members to identify a mentor for their group. The role of the mentor is to assist members in developing their theme by making a connection with the house and the academic community. The mentor should have regular contact with house leaders and the Residential Life Coordinator for Sophomore Resources and Theme Housing to make sure things are going smoothly. Meet this year's House Mentors

Residential Life Coordinator
The Residential Life Coordinator works with the all the Theme House partners to ensure the outcomes of the program. The RLC directly supervises the Community Advisor staff and frequently meets with House Leaders to optimize their programmatic goals. The RLC also works with House Advisors to connect the residential experience with the academic or co-curricular component. Scott Wojciechowski is the Residential Life Coordinator for Sophomore Resources and Theme Housing.