Welcome from the Dean

On behalf of the Office of Residential Life, I am happy to welcome you to your home here at Dartmouth College. The Office of Residential Life is a team of 120 student and 75 professional staff members who work diligently each day to ensure that our on-campus residences are clean, safe and educationally stimulating for the students who live in them.

Whether you are a new student or a returning student, we are delighted to have you with us.

Dartmouth is a residential learning community; as such, an essential feature of the Dartmouth undergraduate experience is living on campus. We believe that the residence hall experience is an integral part of the total educational program of the College. Our varied residential communities bring together faculty, students, professional staff and student paraprofessionals who collaboratively create environments, programs, services and interactions intended to emphasize greater understanding of one’s self and others, and provide opportunities for reflection and learning.

Dartmouth’s residential program is at an exciting stage of growth! The Office of Residential Life is making significant improvements in its programs, services and facilities. Current activities include:

• Two new residential clusters will open for the fall 2006 term.  These impressive facilities will accommodate 500 students and will broaden the variety of campus housing available to undergraduates.  The excellent living environments will foster residents' academic success and provide spaces in which they can simply hang-out with friends.
• The First Year Residential Experience program, which until now involved just half of the first-year class, is being expanded to include all new students. This program is designed to support and transition first-year students from high school through the first year of college.
• A Sophomore Year Program is being initiated to assist students in the selection of majors and off campus study opportunities. It will also facilitate exploration of other areas that are of particular interest to those in the second year of college.
• A new national sorority will join the six existing sororities and participate in its first fall term new member recruitment activities.
• All college owned residential facilities are now smoke-free.
• Major renovations to existing residential facilities will continue with the renovation of Hitchcock Hall during the 2006-07 academic year, to be followed by Wheeler and New Hampshire Halls the following year.

The enthusiasm, involvement and experiences of students immeasurably enhance the residential community at Dartmouth. On behalf of my colleagues, I encourage you to join in partnership with us to create an outstanding living environment for all Dartmouth undergraduates.

Martin Redman
Dean of Residential Life