Rotation
Below you will find general information about this fall's rotation process. For information on each of the undergraduate houses and residences, please visit the Undergraduate Residential Experience page. Additional information is available on the Rotation FAQ page and on the IHC Rotation Website.
Questions and concerns regarding rotation may be submitted via this form. Students are also welcome to contact any of the offices and groups listed below:
Interhouse Committee 2022ihc@googlegroups.com
Office of Residential Experience ore@caltech.edu
Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity diversity@caltech.edu
Equity and Title IX Reporting Options
At Caltech we are committed to making sure students are connected to their peers and have the opportunities to live on campus in a community that is social, safe and fun. All our residential communities offer opportunities for leadership and involvement and all have important support structures available to residents. Houses are an academic resource and a support structure -- each house has upperclass students who are Peer Advocates, Health Advocates, Equity & Title IX Advocates, ARC representatives, SURF ambassadors, teaching assistants, and generally amazing sources of advice for succeeding at Caltech. In addition to student supports, houses also include Resident Associates and Residential Life Coordinators.
Caltech students benefit from being part of Caltech's unique House System. Our system is made up of eight distinct houses (Avery, Blacker, Dabney, Fleming, Lloyd, Page, Ricketts, Venerable) that all are part of the important social and cultural fabric of the undergraduate experience. Students also enjoy getting to create their own experiences by choosing to build community in the Bechtel residence. Bechtel is a new residential model that offers students the chance to live on campus and meet students in the house system, but also allows the community to create friendships and community experiences beyond the house system.
First year students (including transfer students, those who were on leave for rotation last year, and exchange students) are given the opportunity to participate in Rotation. This is the formal process for initial house affiliation. This year, Rotation will take place between September 21 - 29, 2022. House assignments will be announced on October 1, 2022, and students are projected to move into their permanent rooms on October 2, 2022.
During rotation, first year students get to meet members of each house, participate in house activities that showcase their unique cultures, and then rank the houses according to their preferences in the End-of-Rotation Form. If students do not wish to affiliate with a house, they are also able to opt out of the House System in the End-of-Rotation Form. After rotation, students may also affiliate with a house by getting to know the members and individually seeking membership through that house's membership process. Rotation is available only during the first year and cannot be deferred, whereas the individual house membership process is available throughout a student's career. Students who opt for membership in one of the houses may live in the house or may live in the Bechtel residence. If you choose not to be a member of a house, Caltech will ensure that you have housing in one of our unaffiliated housing options, most often Bechtel.
Rotation Flow Chart
We have tried to anticipate your questions in the Rotation FAQ. Please also feel free to contact the IHC directly at 2022ihc@googlegroups.com and ORE directly at ore@caltech.edu with any other questions you may have. We are here to help!
Interhouse Committee (IHC)
Office of Residential Experience (ORE)
Overview
- September 21-28 – Rotation Events
- September 29 – Rotation Events; Students will receive an email where they can indicate their preferences, which are due 11pm on Sept 29.
Daily Schedule
You can find the detailed rotation schedule on the IHC Rotation website here. Additionally, the dinner and event assignments will also be posted and available on the Olive Walk.
Please visit the IHC Website for additional details on Rotation Rules.
Brief Introduction the Rotation Rules
Rotation is an opt-in process where incoming students choose which residences they like best. The IHC asks those who participate in Rotation to follow these guidelines to ensure adherence to the law, the honor code, the code of conduct, and the spirit of Rotation. Rotation is a substance free event!
Guidelines
First Year Students:
- First year students may speak freely about their experiences in the residences with others. We recommend prefrosh do not share their rankings with each other and upperclassmen, as the decision on where they feel they fit in best is a personal one.
- As per institute policy, first year students may not drink alcohol or take illicit drugs during Rotation.
- Prefrosh should not feel pressure to rank any Residence a certain way, remain in a given environment, or interact with other people who make them uncomfortable. If this occurs, they are encouraged to reach out to a member of the IHC, the ORE, an RA, an RLC, or the Deans.
Upperclassmen:
- Upperclassmen may speak freely about direct, personal experiences within the residential system at Caltech. To encourage fairness and accuracy, we ask students to focus on their own experiences in the residences rather than rely on rumors or other potentially false information. Discussing specific experiences you have had in Houses other than your own is allowed.
- Upperclassmen should not tell prefrosh how to rank houses but rather give prefrosh useful information to help them get a clear and accurate picture of campus. Prefrosh should be encouraged to make their own decisions.
- Upperclassmen may not share the House List data with prefrosh, give prefrosh alcohol or other psychoactive substances, or give prefrosh extraordinary gifts to encourage them to join a specific house (i.e. taking them off campus for >4 hours, excluding preseason athletes on trips with their sports team). Each of these activities constitutes an honor code or policy violation.
- Along with the normal event registration process, IHC must approve any large events, prop sheets, videos, and advertisements.
All Rotation Rules are guidelines to follow that will facilitate the Rotation process. If a serious violation of the Code of Conduct or the Honor Code occurs during Rotation, you may be asked to meet with the Deans, RAs, or RLCs.
Violations of Rotation Rules should be reported via this form or to one of the contacts listed below:
Interhouse Committee 2022ihc@googlegroups.com
Office of Residential Experience ore@caltech.edu
Caltech Center for Inclusion and Diversity diversity@caltech.edu
Equity and Title IX Reporting Options
The Interhouse Committee (IHC)
Don't hesitate to contact us if you need anything or have questions! To contact the entire IHC, email 2022ihc@googlegroups.com.
In addition, make sure to read through the IHC Rotation Handbook. The Handbook contains a number of other useful Student and Institute resources to reference, as well as additional information on the Rotation process. You can find the handbook on the IHC Website.