Community Expectations and Housing

Vassar College Community Expectations System

The primary goal of the community expectations (CE) system at Vassar College is to serve as a facet of the Vassar education through the use of dialogue, accountability, clear communication and logical consequences. In these efforts, CE operates under the premise that if beneficial behavior change or education is to be long-lasting and meaningful it must be intrinsically motivated. Students are encouraged to apply their critical thought process to determine how to navigate the world of expectations outside of the classroom. Of course, the CE system also addresses student behavior that may not meet Vassar’s expectations—outlined in the Office of Residential Life’s Policies and Procedures as well as the Vassar College Regulations—in order to foster a safe, secure, and respectful environment that allows students to get the most of the many educational opportunities that Vassar offers within its residential learning community.

Vassar College Housing

At a residential college like Vassar, at which 96% of all students live on campus, housing efforts serve a particularly influential role. Encompassing nine houses, two cooperative living areas, and three apartment areas, the office of housing is responsible for managing Vassar’s house-specific residential experience. The house-specific focus supports the cultivation of a deeper connection with a particular house, its community, the house advisor and house fellows over the course of students’ time at Vassar. Aspiring to maximize the amount of control students have over their living experience, Vassar housing offers a variety of opportunities for students to tailor their housing experience to best seek out what it is they hope to experience.