A New Chapter for the Residential Colleges

Earlier in the fall, residential college leaders often received updates at different times and with varying levels of clarity, which made it difficult to plan responsibly and communicate confidently with our communities. That environment contributed to the the formation of the Residential College Coalition as a way for student leaders to coordinate, compare notes, and advocate with a shared understanding rather than in isolation.

Against that backdrop, the meeting convened by Kenyon Bonner on Tuesday, November 25 felt notably different. For the first time, student leadership across all residential colleges was brought together in one setting, and the conversation focused on a series of forthcoming structural changes intended to strengthen the residential college system.

Several developments stood out. The Principals’ roles are expected to shift away from administrative responsibilities and toward academic and intellectual enrichment within their communities. In addition, new shared administrative support roles are anticipated across the residential colleges to help with finances, operations, and direct support for student governments. The meeting also reflected a clearer recognition that recent processes and communication breakdowns created real strain for residential college communities, and that moving forward, collaboration and consistency will need to be the standard.

While these developments are encouraging, they also raise practical questions. The restructuring involves fewer total administrative positions than before, and both faculty and student leaders have voiced concerns about whether that will create gaps in support as the changes roll out. Those concerns are worth holding, and I will be watching closely as the details become clearer.

Even so, the direction matters. Cross-college coordination, more consistent administrative engagement, and the promise of dedicated support for residential college student governments point toward a healthier foundation grounded in trust and student welfare. I am cautiously optimistic about what this could mean for our communities.

I’m grateful to Kenyon for taking the time to meet with student leaders and for engaging the residential colleges as a connected system. The work is not finished, but this moment felt like real progress.