About

The seven Minerva Houses broaden students' out-of-class experience both academically and socially. Every Minerva has its own student-run governing council, elected annually by fellow classmates and chaired by a faculty and student representative. Each also receives a generous budget to host special events that blend social, intellectual and extracurricular spaces. The Minerva Houses are run by and for the Union community, receiving only supportive guidance from administration.

Mission

As part of the Residential Education & Housing, the Minerva Program delivers an intentional and comprehensive residential experience in which students are challenged, holistically developed, and given equitable access to resources, support, and safety.

Vision

The vision of the Office of Residential Education & Housing is based on the belief that where a student lives while at Union can and should be more than just a place to sleep. The focus of Res Ed & Housing at Union is to inspire students with opportunities to engage with the community, allowing the discovery of their sense of belonging and the development of life skills in preparation for the future.

The Minerva House system is the cornerstone of Union College’s residential experience. The seven Minerva Houses are distinct, vibrant, intellectual and social communities where students, faculty and staff gather and engage in meaningful ways.

Priorities

The Minerva Program seeks to:

• Develop a sense of identity and belonging to one’s house.
• Foster connections between people, places and ideas. Especially important is connecting people who would not ordinarily interact and connecting students with faculty.
• Create comfortable, inclusive, and welcoming spaces and communities.
• Blur the line between intellectual life and social life outside of the classroom.
• Provide students opportunities for hands-on, experiential, and/or interdisciplinary engagement outside the classroom.
• Expand students’ repertoire of meaningful, practical, and essential life and leadership skills.