Theme House Application
for the 2017-2018 Academic Year
Thank you for your interest in applying to live in a Theme House! In the
following packet you will find:
1. Application Time Line
2. Theme House Yearly Requirements
3. Application Policies & Procedures
4. General Polices of the Theme Houses
5. Tentative Monthly Report Template
Also, please feel free to look over previous successful Theme House
applications found in the Office of Residence Life. If at any time you
have any questions, please contact the current Community Director of
the Theme Houses, Daisy Bourassa at [email protected]
Theme House Application Calendar
Interest Meeting #1 :
Wednesday 2/15 at 6:30pm, Lower Winship
Interest Meeting #2:
Thursday 2/16 at 6:30pm, Lower Winship
Applications Due:
Friday 3/3 no later than 4:00pm
One hard copy to the Residence Life Office
One electronic copy to Daisy Bourassa
Panel Interviews:
Monday 3/20 - Wednesday 3/22
Decision announced:
Friday 3/24 by midnight
*Note: Course registration for Fall 2017 is required for students to
participate in housing selection
Theme House Requirements 2017-2018
By accepting assignment to a theme house, you are making a commitment to participate in the
activities outlines in your group’s proposal. Participation includes, but is not limited to:
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Holding a minimum of one program per month (or 3 programs per semester) that are
open for the involvement of the entire Agnes Scott community
Holding at least one program each semester that is a “service-learning” event. This
program must be in collaboration with Center for Leadership and Service
Participating in the Theme House orientation session (date TBD)
Assisting with the preparation and dissemination of monthly reports documenting and
evaluating the house activities, programs and accomplishments (format TBD)
Involving the house’s faculty and or staff adviser in significant and continuous ways
Meeting with the faculty advisor monthly (minimum)
Participating in programs organized by resident life staff
Sharing what you have learned with others in the theme house programs and the Agnes
Scott community at events such as SpARC (poster or oral presentation)
Actively supporting community building activities, including engaging the efforts of the
theme house community
Meeting weekly as a house to plan house events, upcoming programs, ongoing
commitments, house issues etc.
Remaining inside of the Programming Budget set by the Office of Residence Life.
Additionally, all standard housing rules apply and students must adhere to rules set in place in
the Student Handbook and Housing Contract. This includes but is not limited to conduct and
behavior, party policy, guest policy, drug & alcohol policies etc.
What if the requirements are not met?
Individuals or groups who fail to meet program requirements will be formally warned by the
Assistant Director of Residential Education and/or Director of Residence Life and given an
opportunity to improve their performance during a specified probationary period.
Failure to meet this commitment may result in a monetary fine and/or the reassignment of
individuals or an entire group to available spaces on campus. Such fine or reassignment will
be made at the discretion of the Director of Residence Life in consultation with the selection
committee and residential staff members.
Monthly Reports
Currently, this report is due the 1st of each and should include details outlining the previous
month’s events as well as your preparation for the upcoming month’s events. The report
currently includes programming, adviser interaction, reflection and assessment. A template will
be provided. The house should decide if one resident will be responsible for these reports or if
the writer will rotate monthly. Updates to the format of these reports will be communicated.
Community Presentations
Theme house participants are required to share what they have learned in the theme house
community at SpARC (Tuesday, April 24, 2018). We encourage you to be creative in these
presentations and engage the audience. These presentations should be representative of the
entire year of work in the house; thus, it may be helpful to designate one person to archive
pictures, flyers, information and summaries of all events.
Agnes Scott College
Theme Policies and Procedures
Written proposals for Theme Houses will be accepted until ​4pm on Friday, March 3rd​.
Group interviews will take place between Monday 3/20 - Wednesday 3/22. ​Decisions will
be made by a committee composed of members of the Dean of the College and Dean of
Student administrative leadership. Announcements of the three selected theme houses
for 2017-2018 will be made by ​Friday, March 24th​.
One application providing all of the information below is required and should be reviewed
by the faculty/staff advisor working together with house leaders. Please submit one
printed ​and one electronic application to the Daisy Bourassa in the Office of Residence
Life, Lower Winship, [email protected].
All applications should include the following information:
Proposed Name of Theme House:
Faculty/Staff Advisers ​(names with contact information)
Student Leadership*​ (names with contact information) ​*​ Limit of two students
I.
Purpose and mission of the theme house. ​Favored proposals will enhance or
engage the curriculum or college mission in a substantive way. Sustainable living
themes are encouraged to apply.
II.
Specific expectations and rules for the house ​This should include procedures
for how conflict & issues between residents will be managed.
III.
A final list of House Residents and a short description of the process of
which members were recruited and selected​. Please also explain the
procedure for how openings that may develop over the year will be filled. ​The
office of residence life reserves the right to place students if openings are not filled
within a reasonable time.
IV.
Proposed activities for the house and for house residents. ​We are especially
looking for activities that engage the wider world as well as events that bring the
campus community to the houses. Please specify the events as:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
First semester events
Second semester events
Community service and/or volunteer activities
Specific house activities open to the campus community
Agnes Scott College
Theme Policies and Procedures
V.
A detailed budget proposal for each program. ​What supplies will each program
require? How much will it cost?
VI.
Specific role of faculty/staff/adviser(s) ​Each Theme House has a faculty/staff
adviser who supports the house and its educational objectives. The adviser
ensures a fair selection process and should have ​frequent interactions ​with the
house residents. Favored proposals will show significant student and faculty/staff
collaboration. The advisor selection plays an important role in the acceptance of
your application. Please do not neglect finding a good fit. Faculty advisors are
asked to complete the short survey of interest found ​here​.
VII.
Specific role of student leaders ​Each proposed house should designate one or
two student leaders to arrange house activities, monitor resident involvement and
to liaise with the area Resident Assistant (s) regarding house needs. The Theme
House community will have two Resident Assistants appointed by the Residence
Life Office who serve in a capacity that is separate from, but supportive of the
theme house program.
VIII.
Acceptable Houses for your program​. Please rank the two houses in the order
of what would be appropriate for your programs and preferences.
● The First House (House #124) can accommodate 8-10 students divided into
4-5 double rooms. There are no singles.
● The Second House (House #132) can accommodate 6-8 students divided into
3-4 double rooms. There are no singles.
● The Third House (House #138) can accommodate 7-9 students arranged in 2-3
double rooms and 3 single rooms.
Selected Theme House Proposals must fill all beds and rooms completely and work
with the residence life office to keep the rooms ​filled throughout the academic year​.
All double rooms must be filled by two residents and single rooms are to be assigned
to residents who are willing to pay the single room fee. Residence life reserves the
right to fill any beds left open by the program during the academic year. ​Failure to fill
a house may result in the reassignment of the house to a selected alternate program​.
Agnes Scott College
Theme Policies and Procedures
General Rules and Policies
Theme House residents must follow the same general policies that pertain to students
living in traditional residence halls and which are presented in the Residence Life
Housing Agreement, as well as the ​Student Handbook*. Note especially the following:
1. The Honor Code is still respected in the Theme Houses. The Office of Residence
Life and Judicial Board will be enforcing these policies; however it is expected that
residents take the initiative to follow the honor system as it is on campus.
2. The Alcohol Policy in the Theme Houses is as stated in the ​Student Handbook:
a. Alcohol is restricted to campus-wide social functions held in designated
areas as coordinated, evaluated and approved by the Dean of Students,
and to designated areas of the house. Designated Theme House areas for
alcohol consumption by students of legal drinking age are:
i. individual rooms: consumption, preparation and storage
ii. kitchen: preparation and storage (concealed in a clearly labeled bag)
b. When transporting alcoholic beverages, students must carry them in a bag
or similar covering, unless transporting them between rooms or from the
kitchen to a room. Alcohol and alcoholic beverages must be covered when
they are transported outside of houses. Parties involving the consumption
of alcoholic beverages are not permitted unless approved by the Office of
Residence Life.
3. All residents living in the Theme Houses have the privilege of the upper-class
guest policy. The policy with regards to the maximum number of days a visitor
may stay overnight is the same as for other residence halls – three.
In addition, because a Theme House is a community environment, students in
Theme Houses should also follow the Party Policy as stated in the ​Student
Handbook.
i. Parties are defined as gatherings of 13 or more individuals were
alcohol is served. These events must be approved by the Office of
Residence Life. Party requests should be received two weeks prior
to the event for maximum consideration. If serving alcohol, all
attendants must be of legal drinking age, 21 or older.
4. Students are expected to show consideration at all times for those studying or
sleeping in the house. Quiet Hours are to be observed by all students as posted.
Agnes Scott College
Theme Policies and Procedures
5. The following are involved with the managing of Theme Houses:
a. Resident Assistants (RA) serve as the live-in student staff primarily
responsible for operations of the three theme houses. Each RA is required
to make rounds within the houses when serving as the RA “on-call” for the
area, provide programming opportunities for their house’s residents outside
of theme related events and mediate roommate conflicts as needed.
b. A Graduate Assistant will work closely with the RAs and oversees the
management of all the Theme Houses and assists with general
programming and resolution of residential issues.
c. Each Theme House designates one or two Student Leaders who are
responsible for communicating house needs to the Residence Life Office in
addition to programming and planning in the house. Student leaders also
oversee resident participation and contribution to house activities. House
leaders must update Residence Life representatives on a consistent basis
regarding the programming and community in the house.
d. Each Theme House has a faculty/staff adviser who supports the house and
its educational objectives.
6. Each Theme House has a house budget for the academic year to assist in
campus-wide programming. The Director of Residence Life determines the
budget each year (estimated at $200 per house, per year).
7. All students with a car on campus must register the car with Public Safety. Theme
House residents may only park in the West Parking Deck located behind the
Theme Houses. Refer to the Student Handbook for additional parking information.
8. Each Theme House may be opened by a resident’s Student ID card. Card access
issues should be reported to Information Technology Services.
9. Theme House residents should contact the Department of Public Safety for all
police, fire (including fire alarm issues) or medical emergencies.
10. This is not an exhaustive list of expectations or amenities. Additional policies or
procedural revisions may be implemented as needed. Applicants will be informed
in advance of changes (if applicable).
* Subject to revisions
Previously used template for writing monthly reports. The format may change slightly for
the 2017 – 2018 academic year.
Theme House:
Prepared by:
Email:
Date:
Summary:
What programs did you put on this month? How did the preparation and advertisement
go for the programs? What was the attendance like at the programs? As a house, did
you attend any programs from other organizations? How are the long term projects
going? How about service learning?
Faculty Advisor:
What kind of interaction have you had with your advisor this month? Have you invited
your advisor to your programs? Does your advisor seem responsive to your
communication?
Assessment:
How was this month overall? Highs? Lows? Anything else you would like to share?
Upcoming Programming:
How is the planning coming along for the next month’s programming? Do you have a
basic idea of who is advertising? Who is contacting the needed guests for the program?
Buying supplies or cooking?
**Please save document as “House Theme, Month and year” for example: “Culinary House,
October 2011” and share it with the Theme House GHD in the designated Google Doc folder
provided to you