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

To provide an outside the classroom space for students to find connection, community, and opportunities for personal and intellectual growth with fellow students and members of the faculty.

Vision

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.