Inquiry House
Inquiry House is Columbia University’s newest student special interest community. The Office of Residential Programs (part of the Division of Student Affairs) runs several special interest communities – groups of sophomores, juniors, and seniors with common interests who live together to explore a topic or theme. Through tailored programming, this living arrangement creates opportunities for students to interact with each other and connect with faculty, administrators, alumni, and community leaders.
In conjunction with the Office of Special Programs, CTICE helps sponsor Inquiry House, which is organized around the theme of civic engagement. By choosing to live in Inquiry House, students commit themselves to working on projects that engage them in dialogue with the community outside of Columbia’s gates. The goal is two-fold: to help students develop new skills and knowledge through activity outside the classroom and to improve the quality of life of local residents. SEAS Associate Dean Jack McGourty, who is CTICE’s executive director, is faculty advisor for Inquiry House.
During 2007-08, all Inquiry House students are working on projects relating to the General Ulysses S. Grant Houses, a New York City Housing Authority complex on 125th Street that is home to some of the poorest residents in Manhattan. During the fall, the students conducted basic research, learning about conditions in city housing complexes and understanding the populations they serve. During the spring, students are developing youth programming for Grant Houses residents and taking turns working in the General Grant Residents Association office each week.
Inquiry House is open to undergraduates from SEAS and Columbia College. To join, students must apply the previous spring, supply resumes and transcripts, be interviewed, and attend an August workshop. Once accepted, Inquiry House residents are expected to maintain journals where they reflect on the links between their civic engagement projects and their academic studies; participate in regular group forums; present work to the community during each semester and at a formal symposium; and write a report about their projects.
For more information about Inquiry House, please contact Ellen Godena in the Office of Residential Programs at eg2356@columbia.edu.