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Co-Ops

Cooperative Houses (Co-ops)

This website represents information for the 2023-24 academic year. Updated Neighborhood information will be available in early April.

 

General Information          Pictures and Floor Plans          Cooperative Housing Types          Rates Chart

 

Cooperative houses, or co-ops, are student-managed residences in which house members cooperate in the operation and governance of the house. While each co-op has a unique identity and ranges in size from 30 to 65 residents, the common conviction is that by sharing in the full spectrum of house activities, the members of the house develop a greater sense of community and commitment to each other.

Living in a co-op is very different from living in a residence hall or other University-operated residence. Co-op members, who live in various-sized bedrooms from singles to quints, jointly plan the purchasing of food and supplies, budgeting of finances, and coordination of jobs. Residents usually spend from 2 to 6 hours per week doing house jobs, including cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning bathrooms and other common areas. By sharing in house activities, residents often feel that a co-op is more like a home than other traditional student residences.

Co-op Housing Assignments

Students are assigned to co-ops through the pre-assignment process, although vacancies after the pre-assignment process may be filled by Housing Assignments. All students who live in a co-op must agree to the terms and conditions of living in the house when they apply for pre-assignment. Co-ops are self-governing houses and many determine their own independent room assignment process. Some of the co-op houses may operate by consensus and determine their room assignments accordingly.  Because these room assignments are made under the governance of the house, these houses often have some mixed gender living arrangements that may or may not adhere to the gender-neutral housing policies.  The University does not forbid mixed gender assignments in co-ops, but no student will be assigned to a mixed gender room against his or her wishes.  For more information on co-ops or on consensus room assignments, contact the House.

General Information

Residence Name576 Alvarado, Columbae, Enchanted Broccoli Forest (EBF), Hammarskjöld, Kairos, Synergy, Terra 
Area of CampusCentral 
Street AddressVarious - see House Facts 
Housing Service CenterVarious - Please visit your local Housing Service Center 
Custodial ServiceUniversity managed, but regular cleaning is done by the house residents. 
Dining ServiceStudents living in the co-ops have a co-op neighborhood board plan. The plan includes five dinners per week (Monday through Friday) prepared by the students, five meal swipes per week to use in any dining hall, and an open kitchen seven days a week for the other meals. It also includes five guest meals per quarter to use in the dining halls. 
Co-ed TypeMixed gender on each floor
Common AreasEach house has a kitchen, dining room, lounge, computer cluster, and study area
FurnishingsEach house is unique, but general furnishings in a typical student room include a bed, desk, chair, dresser or drawers, bookcase or shelves, closet or wardrobe, wastebasket and recycle bin. Bathrooms are communal; single-gender or mixed gender.

Cooperative Houses (Co-ops)

Houses

Address

Year Built

Neighborhood

House Interest

576 Alvarado576 Alvarado Row1896OliveCo-op living with a deep culture of community and tradition. Learn more.
Columbae549 Lasuen Mall1900AspenHouse programs center on the theme of social change through nonviolence. Learn more.
Enchanted Broccoli Forest (EBF)1115 Campus Drive1963HyperionHouse fosters artistic creativity and is a very social house. Learn more.
 Hammarskjöld 553 Mayfield Avenue1896GinkgoHouse has traditionally had an international theme. Learn more.
Kairos586 Mayfield Avenue1911WisteriaHouse offers spaces to students interested in gender-inclusive housing, although it is not officially part of the program. Learn more.
Synergy550 San Juan1901MagnoliaResidents strongly support an awareness of the environment. Learn more.
 Terra 539 Cowell Lane1967SequoiaHouse offers spaces to students interested in gender-inclusive housing, although it is not officially part of the program. Learn more.

 

Important Assignment Information

Residential Education offers a pre-assignment system for University Theme Houses for academic year assignments. This process allows for pre-assignment, before the annual housing assignment process, of all spaces in the house to students who complete a pre-assignment application and meet specific requirements.  Any vacancies may be filled by Housing Assignments.