College Houses is a registered 501c3 nonprofit that is cooperatively managed by our student members. Each of our seven west campus co-ops is maintained by its members – we do everything from maintenance to cooking meals (17/week included). Every week, houses hold meetings to discuss policies and plan for the future.
Self-governance means we elect officers to coordinate and manage most day-to-day operations. Not only does this provide excellent opportunities for education and personal growth, it also keeps our costs down tremendously. And, because we’re a non-profit, those savings are passed directly to you.
The original College House was formed in 1964 as a student government project with help from a sustaining grant by the Hogg Foundation. The purpose was to create a housing facility for University students with many of the features of a residential college. College Houses was to have the convenience of a dormitory with a rich program of intellectual activities.
In many ways, the College House organization worked well for a number of years. College House was known as a place where discussions were held between students, faculty, and community people. We had a resident faculty professor and his family lived with us from the years 1964 to 1972. During the 60’s, we had a very diverse community and it became known as a gathering place for radicals even though we had people on both sides of the radical/conservative fence.
Until 1969, we continued the original system of having an outside business provide the housing and food services. Costs for housing and food were climbing and we needed a cheaper alternative. As we gradually increased our own work load to run the house, the academic orientation lost some of its focus. In 1973, with a HUD loan, we purchased our first two buildings and built the 21st St. facility. In 1983 we added the last two.
Since 1964, College Houses membership has grown tremendously. What began as an experiment for a small number of student scholars to interact with faculty and staff has evolved into a housing cooperative that seeks to provide a unique living experience for its 500 plus members’ at the most affordable price. We have survived the Austin real estate ups and downs and now have a strong cooperative community providing every necessity for the college student in an environment that the members contribute to and enjoy.
On staff, the Membership Director will train the intern. The Hosteling Coordinator will work with house officers from each co-op that will be participating in the hosteling program to gain a greater knowledge of the house culture, rules and desires for their hosteling program.
The Hosteling Coordinator will develop their ability to work independently to promote a hospitable environment for hostelers. They will maintain administrative and financial records while communicating with a variety of stakeholders (staff, members, officers, and hostelers). The Hosteling Coordinator will also manage marketing/outreach efforts to attract hostelers.