Requirements & Expectations
Special Interest House expectations and requirements include:
SPRING SEMESTER [prior to living in SIH]
- Submit a house roster of eligible students that fills all spaces in the house and includes alternates, as specified by Residence Life.
- Encourage qualified group members to apply for the House RA position.
- As a group, and in consultation with faculty/staff advisor, establish operational plan to meet house goals.
- House president holds introductory meeting with Residence Life staff member to review operational plan and general SIH expectations.
FALL/SPRING SEMESTERS [while living in SIH]
- House must sponsor at least one event per month in support of group’s theme or mission.
- Hold at least one meeting per month of the membership.
- House President meets at least once per month with the Residence Life staff member who oversees the Special Interest House program.
- House submits two self-evaluations per year: one at mid-year and one at the end of the year.
Application Information for 2022-23
For 2022-2023, Special Interest Houses may be assigned in the following locations: 2 West Campus, 225 Reeder Street, Farber Hall, Keefe Hall, Ramer Hall, Rubin Hall.
Special Interest Houses may be single-gender, mixed gender, or gender-inclusive. The standard occupancy and room configurations vary between Special Interest Houses. Groups must fill all spaces and may not alter the occupancy of any student rooms. The minimum group size for a Special interest House is 11. The maximum group size is 25.
If approved, the Special Interest House group will be offered a specific location that corresponds to the type of housing specified in the application. There are many options for placement within the residence hall inventory and the intent of the SIH application process is to offer every qualified group the opportunity to become a Special Interest House. Groups that list multiple facility types and a wider group occupancy range are more likely to be approved based on the total number of qualified applications received.
The application for NEW Special Interest Houses is in the Residence Life OurCampus portal (to see the application, you must first JOIN the portal). The application opens on Monday, October 25 and is due by 5pm on Friday, November 19, 2021. The house leader submits one application on behalf of the group. Notification will occur by Friday, December 10, 2021.
Current Special Interest Houses 2021-2022
Music Appreciation Floor
On the third floor of Ramer Hall, the MAFia advocates for the performance and appreciation of music in a substance-free environment. Opportunities are created for students to perform, either solo or as small groups, and to support campus musical groups through involvement in or attendance at performances. This group has been honored multiple times as the Outstanding Living Group at the Hoff Awards.
Read an article about MAFia.
TRAP (Tabletop and Roleplaying Appreciation Programs)
Located in Keefe Hall, this house provides a supportive environment for students to learn new games and play old ones, taking advantage of all of the benefits that tabletop games provide. House goals include helping members to become more innovative thinkers and problem solvers who are more confident, creative, and social. The TRAP Floor is a substance-free floor.
Past Special Interest Houses
America Through the Decades
Brothers of Lafayette
Cinema in Society
Cooking Enthusiasts (Café)
Creating Harmony and Necessary Cultural Equality CHANCE)
Dry Surfers
El Mundo
French House
From our Neighborhood to Yours
German House
Haven
Heritage of Latin America (HOLA)
Japanese Interest Floor (JIF)
Justice, Equality, Ecology
Koinonia
Lafayette Communications Union
Lafayette Organization of Science and Technology (LOST)
M.E.S.H. (Mathematics, Engineering, and Sciences House)
Mind, Body, Spirit
Students for Social Justice
Technology
TREEhouse
The Village
Volunteer Floor