Our Mission is to provide a high quality living experience by which students and staff will create an inclusive and intellectual environment that promotes personal development, academic success, community development and citizenship.

To successfully achieve our mission, we are dedicated to selecting the very best of our student leaders to serve as our resident advisors (RA).  Supported by our professional staff, we are committed to providing each of our students with a safe, respectful, and educational living environment. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the countless opportunities we offer in the halls to learn more about themselves, others, and the world in which they live.

Please take some time to explore our website with your family as it provides helpful information about our staff and programs.

Please contact us at residencelife@wells.edu if you have questions or need additional information.

Best,
 

Joel A. McCarthy  Associate Dean of Students

Our Mission: 

The mission of the Office of Residence Life at Wells College is to provide a high quality living experience by which students and staff will create an inclusive and intellectual environment that promotes personal development, academic success, community development and citizenship.
 

Our Educational Goals: 

Students living in the residence halls at Wells College will participate in activities to achieve the following educational goals:

Personal Development—the examination and clarification of one’s own beliefs, values and identities.

Academic Success—the utilization of resources and development of skills to achieve one’s scholarly goals.

Community Development—the participation in an environment in which all members are mutually valued and supported, and members recognize the impact their decisions have on others.

Citizenship-- the act of becoming an informed and active member of local and global communities in pursuit of a healthy economy, environment and society.

Residential students at Wells are part of a community formed in the educational tradition of the liberal arts college; the connection between social and academic development is paramount in educating the whole student—as a scholar and as a member of society. Residence Life staff, including 18 resident advisors (RA) implement a variety of initiatives designed to help students reach the educational goals of the department, in conjunction with the mission of the college, including community standards, floor meetings, intellectual discussions, social events and service opportunities.

Wells students call one of five residence halls or “houses” their “home away from home” and there is variety of architectural styles and room types to satisfy almost every taste from the newly refurbished and fully computer-networked Weld House to 19th century Glen Park Mansion, the former home of college founder Henry Wells. People, not the buildings, however create the real ambience of our residence halls. The character of each hall changes every year though traditions and ghost stories remain the same. 

Each residence hall has a laundry area with coin-operated washing machines and dryers as well as ironing boards and folding tables. Other public spaces in the halls include kitchenettes, each with a refrigerator, stove and sink, and large lounges with vending machines, and cable television. Students participate in the development of community standards to negotiate how they will maintain these shared spaces. More information about the community standards process is included below. 

Students eat their meals together in the majestic Tudor-style dining hall in Main Building. Special dinners are presented throughout the year, including weekend brunches, exam treats, picnics, and holiday dinners. Java Joe’s cafe located in the Sommer Center also serves a variety of fast food items. 

NEW for the 2008-2009 Academic Year: Students can apply to live in The Green House (Sustainability Learning Community) and the Fairlane Apartments.  Scroll down for more information!

Want to see more? Take the  Virtual Campus Tour.

Residence Hall Floor Plans: Main Building, Dodge House, Leach House, Weld House, Glen Park  (PDFS)
 

Apply to Be a Resident Advisor 

For information about becoming an RA, visit the Globe website at global.wells.edu and click on “Residence Life” under the Students tab.  For additional information, please e-mail  residencelife@wells.edu.
 

Housing Selection Process 

Current students studying abroad and new Wells students will be able to submit their Spring 2009 Semester Housing Application beginning November 24th.  Housing Applications will be available on the Globe website at global.wells.edu.  Click on the “Students” tab, then click on “Residence Life” to access the application.  If you have any questions, please e-mail residencelife@wells.edu.

First year and transfer students who submit a request for housing are assigned a room, and roommate(s) at the discretion of the Office of Residence Life and the Housing Committee. Returning students participate in a room selection process during spring semester.  For additional information about our Housing Selection Process, read the 2008 Housing Memo (PDF). You can also find us on thefacebook.com!  Search for the ‘Residence Life at Wells’ group.  You can write on our ‘wall,’ read up-to-date information and view pictures of our new housing options!

Apply to live in the Sustainability Learning Community  (PDFs)

Apply to live in the Fairlane Apartments

Apply to live on a Healthy Lifestyles Floor

Applyto live in a Triple, Quad or Suite

Apply for a Medical Single: Any student who has a medical reason for seeking a single room may make a request to the Dean of Students Office and is required to submit the Disabilities Disclosure Form.  This Form is located in the Enrollment Handbook on pages 51 and 52.  
 

Off-Campus Housing and Mandel House 

Students who are interested in living off-campus or in Mandel House must submit their request by filling out the Housing Exemption Form. This Form is located in the Enrollment Handbook on pages 53 and 54. Approval to live off campus or in Mandel House is granted by the Office of Residence Life.
 

Community Standards

Community Standards are the agreements made by the residents in a given community concerning how they will relate to and treat each other.  While Community Standards can be seen as a product—a list of agreements and expectations—they are a process by which individuals begin forming a socially responsible environment and community through dialogue, compromise, and commitment.  Community Standards are constantly evolving and therefore the process is never finished.  Because Community Standards evolve, they should not be thought of as a task to be completed, rather as a means by which interactions occur. 

The resident advisor in each community facilitates the community standards process by encouraging students to think critically about their own living needs, as well as the lifestyles of others. RAs then facilitate conversations designed to help each community create a set of standards for the floor. Topics covered in the standards discussions may include cleanliness of public spaces, noise, communication, and the celebration of floor events. The community standards are posted in prominent areas on the floor, and residents communicate with one another to uphold the guidelines they set for themselves. 

Community Standards are on going processes that define mutual expectations for how the community will function on an interpersonal level. Community Standards further provide a mechanism for the residents of a community to respond to behaviors that violate the agreements of the community. 

For more information, see the Community Standards Manual  (PDF - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
 

2008 – 2009 Resident Advisors

Dodge House:
Brandon Doughty
Jessica Root
Junior Gomez
Brianna Taylor
Victoria Carreon

Glen Park Mansion:
Kyra Schugt (Head RA)
Lauren Eggleston

Leach House:
Raquele Laury
John Norris (Head RA)
Abagail Williams

Main Building:
Travis Niles (Head RA)
Kayleigh Punch
Nicole Fambo
Lisah St. John
Stacey Rosenberg
Ashley Marcinkiewicz

Weld House:
Ryan Henry Wilkinson
Henry McLauren
 

Residence Life Resource Information

• Living Agreement   (PDF)