About Special Interest Communities

Apply now to live in a Special Interest Community for 2024-25! The Application goes live Friday, October 6, 2023.

Thank you for your interest in the Special Interest Communities living option! Below you will find more details about the SIC options, qualifications and membership information and the application process for students interested in living as members of a Special Interest Community.

Questions about Special Interest Communities? Please first review information below before directing questions to Associate Director of Special Interest Communities Haley Carson.

Questions regarding the Intercultural House (ICH) should be directed to Multicultural Affairs by emailing ichresidents@columbia.edu or Xaelah Jarrett.

List of Special Interest Communities

Application Development Initiative 

Application Development Initiative aims to channel the creative potential of Columbia students into concrete technical projects by providing resources, guidance, and an opportunity to learn outside of both the classroom and standard curriculum. ADI's mission can be expressed in a two word imperative: "Build Things." The ADI will serve as a hub for technical innovation on campus and a support structure for the developer community.

Casa Latina

Casa Latina is a safe and accessible space for Latinx communities and allies. Casa Latina's programming is centered on the universal education and celebration of Latinx culture with an awareness for social justice. We are a space dedicated to exploring the intersections of Latinx culture and identities. 

Greenborough

Greenborough aims to establish a community of students who develop creative and practical ways to live sustainability. We serve as a hub of environmental activism for our campus and the broader community.

Indigehouse

Indigehouse acknowledges the Lenni Lenape and Wappinger peoples, who are the original stewards of Manhattan. We recognize the displacement, dispossession, and continued presence of these peoples in the Columbia community and all of New York. We strive to provide an inclusive space for all Indigenous students and allies that fosters pride in identity, understanding of Indigenous issues, and relationships with both the campus and our Indigenous communities.

Intercultural House (ICH)

The Intercultural House (ICH) is the residential component of the Intercultural Resource CenterThrough a series of educational programs, training and workshops aimed at enhancing resident’s knowledge about oppression issues, residents will gain the skills and competencies necessary to be agents of change in their lives and in their communities. Learn more here.

Muse House

Muse House is an SIC that focuses on sharing and learning about music in a fun community setting that provokes thought, discussion and inspiration! Their mission is to create an environment centered on diversity, self-expression, and collaboration.

Muslim Student House

Muslim Student House's mission is to provide a space for anyone to come and learn more about the Muslim community, as well as provide a safe space where the Muslim community can thrive on campus. 

Black Residential 

Black Residential is a safe space created by and for Black students and leaders to advance, advocate for, and support the Black community while fostering fellowship.

Potluck House 

Potluck House is a place to share. We come together to share art, music, space and ideas over food. We believe that food builds community. We need it. We want to share it. 

Q House

Q House is a unique residential community dedicated to providing a safe living environment for LGBTQ students and their allies at Columbia University. Q House residents strive to foster a safe campus environment and engage the Columbia University Community in meaningful dialogue. In addition, residents seek to foster a creative environment of collaboration which focuses on the intersections of identities. To this end, Q House will sponsor events for the larger Columbia University community focused on building safer social and educational environments in which all students feel welcome. 

upLIFT House

upLIFT House is a vector through which we support, organize, and highlight First-Generation, low income students and their allies on campus.

Writers House 

Writers House believes that writing tends to be a solitary activity. Writers House is a place where writers have both their own space to write, and a community of other writers to shelter and nurture them, like green tomatoes on your grandmother's porch.

Applicant Qualifications

  • Applicants must be enrolled at Columbia College or The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (or, in some cases, Barnard College) for full-time study and have guaranteed housing status
  • Applicants must be sophomores, juniors or seniors during their year(s) of residence and in good academic standing and disciplinary status
  • Applicants are expected to participate for a full academic year; plans to study abroad during the academic year may affect consideration of prospective residency, particularly if you intend on studying abroad in the fall semester
  • All residents are expected to participate as active members of the SIC House that they elect to live in
  • All residents are required to attend a Special Interest Community Welcome Session prior to move-in day; more details will be shared with all accepted students in the spring semester
  • All residents are also expected to move back onto campus early in August to participate in Special Interest Community Orientation programs; more details will be shared with all accepted students in the spring semester

House Member Expectations 

  • Move in early and attend SIC orientation in August
  • Attend a monthly house meeting with full participation by each house member
    • Please note that additional meetings may be required due to the nature/needs of a specific SIC as determined by house leadership
  • Assist in fulfilling programming requirements; participation in program planning will vary by community though it is suggested that each house member is required to serve on the planning committee of at least one house program
  • Exhibit strong involvement in the residential community and Columbia community at large
  • Assist with and/or provide support to house leadership to ensure that all administrative paperwork is turned in a timely manner and all administrative deadlines are met
  • Participate in SIC program assessment and evaluation processes
  • Actively engage and coordinate with the resident adviser (RA) of the floor and/or community
  • Participate in and support all SIC recruitment efforts
  • Have representation at all respective SIC House events/programs
  • Participate in creating a welcoming and vibrant community within the SIC
  • Follow-through with all expectations, as set by the associate director and house leadership
  • Take initiative to address concerns that may come up in the suite and ask for help when needed from house leadership and/or Residential Life staff, specifically respective RA(s), hall directors and/or the associate director
  • Be a positive role model of the community; house members are a reflection of their respective SIC as well as Residential Life, so it is an expectation that members treat all staff, faculty and peers with respect
  • Be welcoming to all members of the Columbia community, especially within the walls of the SIC community
  • ​Abide by all Guide to Living policies

Important Dates and Deadlines

Application Deadline

The completed application must be submitted no later than Friday, January 12, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Application information will be reviewed by the Associate Director of Special Interest Communities and will be distributed to the House leadership of the respective SIC Houses to which the applicant has applied. Applications that are incomplete in any way will not be reviewed. All candidates should expect to receive communication directly from the SIC House leadership for an individual interview if they are being considered by the SIC House that they selected as their preference.

Special Interest Communities Interviews

Interviews will be managed and coordinated through each individual SIC House to which the applicant applied in the month of January. Applicants should expect to receive communication from SIC House leadership directly.

Notification of Acceptance

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance and placement as early as Friday, February 2, 2024.

House Selection Deadline

The deadline for candidates to confirm their house selection is Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. EST. We will still continue to process applications into early February in case any vacancies remain. 

Residential Life

Visit

515 Alfred Lerner Hall
2920 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Call: 212-854-3612

Fax: 212-854-6815

Office Hours

Monday–Friday
9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

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