Dialogue Housing

A Call for Dialogue Housing Proposals:

General Overview

The purpose of Dialogue Housing is to link more directly the academic and residential experience in a learning community.

Dialogue Housing provides an opportunity for students sharing broad intellectual interests to live together and, with the assistance of a faculty resident or associate, to pursue sustained dialogue about matters of common intellectual interest.  The concept of sustained dialogue in a residential setting addresses directly an important goal in the Student Life section of the Strategic Plan, “To integrate more effectively student academic, residential and social experiences.”

The student residential experience is an integral component of a Colby education.  The objective of residential life at Colby is to afford students a range of opportunities that, over the course of your four years, will help you develop skills in self-governance and community building, encourage you to encounter and engage difference in a variety of forms and settings, extend and enhance intellectual life beyond the classroom, and help you shape a varied, rich and rewarding social life.

Diversity of choice is one of the great strengths of Colby’s residential life program.  To enhance those choices, students have the opportunity to have a stronger hand in creating their residential atmosphere by implementing a Dialogue House.  Through Dialogue Housing, students pursue sustained dialogue, civic engagement, and a rigorous examination of a topic of interest through both formal and informal means.  Informal activities may include impromptu discussion of the particular theme from either a local, national or global perspective.  Formal programs may involve debates, lectures, performances, and projects.

Proposals will be considered if they include the following:

1. Specified areas of academic and civic engagement (ex. Environmental Issues, Language Emersion, etc.) and how the group plans to meet the requirements
2. Intent to promote topic within the area of living with an outline of proposed projects and activities
3. Intent to promote topic outside of area of living to the greater Colby community (campus-wide and other residential living areas) with an outline of proposed projects and undertakings
4. Understanding that representatives must provide written reviews to the Office of Campus Life at the end of each semester
5. One or more representatives of the teaching faculty to serve as advisors for the units.  Faculty leaders must be designated at the time the proposal is submitted.  Signatures required.
6. No structures which make group identity (such as gender, sexual orientation, major, or religion) a prerequisite for participation in the unit. Nor can group identity serve as an organizing theme for a unit. Units must be inclusive as delineated in Colby’s statement on diversity and non-discrimination found within the Student Handbook.  Dialogue Housing units at Colby College are by definition coeducational residences or sections of residence halls open to all students except first-years.  [Note:  First-year students may request permission to join a Dialogue House following the completion of the fall term.  Approval of such request shall be the purview of the Office of Campus Life.]
7. Names, signatures and ID numbers of 20 people who would like to live in this unit

Proposals are due (hardcopy) to the Office of Campus Life by 12:00pm on Friday, February 11, 2011.  The Office of Campus Life is located on the second floor of Cotter Union.

Students interested in learning more about Dialogue Housing and/or in submitting a proposal for a Dialogue Housing unit should contact Kim Kenniston at ext. 4280 or via email at kakennis@colby.edu.

Resources

Programming:  Each Dialogue Housing unit will be granted a programming budget of $1,000.00.

Review & Renewal

Dialogue Housing at Colby College will undergo a comprehensive review by CAC and AAC every three years, with the first such review coming in the 2010 – 2011 academic year.

The recognition of Dialogue Housing as a possible residential option for Colby students does not guarantee the existence of approved Dialogue Housing units at any or all times.  If no Dialogue Housing proposals meet the criteria set forth in this document and consequently fail to gain CAC and AAC approval, then there will be no active Dialogue Housing units in the ensuing academic year.