Our Mission & Values
The College Houses are residential communities for Penn undergraduates that:
- Connect the academic life of the University with the residential experience.
- Develop smaller, intimate communities that students call home and from which they can more comfortably navigate the complexities of a large university.
- Provide academic and personal support to residents.
- Promote social interaction, engagement, accountability and leadership within a setting that honors the diverse needs and backgrounds of the population.
Our Commitment to Respectful and Welcoming Communities
The College Houses are committed to uplifting individuals and communities and challenging one another to understand and value what both binds and distinguishes us. We believe that our residential communities thrive when we consider, acknowledge, and honor all residents. We ask that each community member (resident, staff, or visitor) commit to doing this through the following steps:
- Actively listen to experiences different from your own
- Seek educational opportunities about issues and current events while embracing all intellectual perspectives
- Speak up when you witness or hear something disrespectful even when it is not convenient
- Engage with your community through joining organizations, attending programs, and participating in service and/or advocacy
What Our Houses Offer
Here's all our Houses with a little information about each. Click on any of the arrows to take a deeper dive!
Our Team
The College Houses are each staffed by a hard-working team of professionals who care deeply about their community and how the CHAS mission can help Penn students thrive. They collaborate with the members of Penn's faculty who live alongside undergraduates in the College Houses to create communities that support residents throughout their University experience.
The History of CHAS
Penn has been fostering a vigorous on-campus community since it was first founded more than two centuries ago. In 1998, Penn decided to extend the successful faculty-in-residence model it had created at Van Pelt College House and Du Bois College House across all of its undergraduate residences. Today, with its newest College Houses less than a decade old, Penn's College House system is meeting the challenges of today with adaptable, dynamic communities that bring the University home to almost 6000 undergradutes every year.
Upcoming events in the College Houses
Africana Studies Screening of 4 Little Girls
RA Marc is taking residents to see a free screening of 4 Little Girls, hosted by The Center for Africana Studies at Penn presents. 4 Little Girls is an important film by Spike Lee that documents the 1963 racial terrorist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement, which took the lives of four young African-American girls. The film provides a deep and impactful exploration of all the people and events surrounding the tragedy. This event will feature a panel discussion featuring Africana Studies professors Vaughn A. Booker and Marcia Chatelain, moderated by Brian Peterson, director of the Makuu Black Cultural Center. Marc will take residents to grab free boba tea before the screening.
Financial Wellness - Intro to Investing
Residents will participate in a workshop held by Financial Wellness on investing options. This is great for those who are interested in investing but would like to hear about where to start.
Penn opera concert
Join faculty fellow Arnold Mathijssen for an evening of opera. On the program are works from Handel's operas Acis and Galatea, both in Italian and English. Details can be found here: https://music.sas.upenn.edu/events/2026/04/08/opera-and-musical-theater-workshop
Release & Reset featuring National Empanada Day
Come "reset" by reflecting on what you're proud of, what you'd like to leave behind, and what you'd like to practice more. Also, featuring empanadas for National Empanada Day!
News & Announcements
Stouffer Fellow named William T. Grant Scholar
Finding Common Ground in KCECH
Benjamin Franklin Scholars receives $8M endowment
