Open House Learning Community

Phillips Residence Hall | 29 residents (all double rooms with private baths; coed mixed floor)
Sponsored by the Gender and Women’s Studies Department | $200 learning community fee (exception request form)

Open House is an inclusive community where LGBTQIA+ and allied students can find and create an environment of awareness, respect, and advocacy for all sexual and gender identities. We’re a welcoming and supportive space focused on building community among our intersecting identities. Located in the Lakeshore neighborhood in Phillips Residence Hall, this is a perfect space for students to engage in gender and sexuality studies and to explore ways of being active agents of social change. Through events, leadership opportunities, and community building, you’ll engage with LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and faculty in a purposeful and frequent manner, along with getting connected with a variety of different resources across campus.

As part of Open House, you’ll also have the opportunity to take a one-credit seminar each semester that focuses on historical and contemporary issues within LGBTQIA+ communities. Seminar is an amazing opportunity to learn about and from LGBTQIA+ folks from first-person experiences in an intimate, supportive environment with our Faculty Director coming from the Department of Gender & Women’s Studies.

Community Guidelines:

Encourage each student to understand and explore their own identity formation
Create brave spaces where residents can be their real, authentic selves in all of their social identities
Examine power and privilege and the crucial role of allies in making social change
Play an active role in fostering an environment of awareness, respect, and advocacy for all sexual and gender identities

Open House is by and far the most accepting and friendly communities. Everyone is welcoming and it will honestly feel like you’ve gained a second family.
DARREN SCHOENIKE, Open House Resident

Seminar

Gender and Women’s Studies 100 | 1 Credit

Gender and Women’s Studies (GWS) 100 is a one-credit course led by Open House Faculty Director and Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies Dr. Sami Schalk. The course explores past and present topics in LGBTQIA+ communities. Readings and discussions in the seminar will be extended and enhanced by impromptu conversations and experiences between residents and the Faculty Director, with opportunities to bring in guest speakers. This fun class is exclusively available to Open House residents and is available every Fall and Spring semester.

Events & Resources

Events

Each semester, Open House hosts a variety of events that support and expand upon the ideals of the learning community. The events vary from movies to speakers to cookouts. No matter what the occasion, all events aim to build a stronger community and give anyone and everyone the chance to express themselves. Other notable events from Open House’s include attending local and national conferences, bringing prominent speakers to campus, and working with our campus partners to have a lot of fun!

Below are some of the events and activities from recent years that Open House residents have participated in.

Speakers
Field trips
Movie nights
Workshops
Conference trips
Karaoke nights
Crafts
Cookouts
Study jams
Game nights

Resources

Gender Inclusive Community in Merit

This new community will be available in Academic Year 2021-2022 on the 2nd floor of Merit Residence Hall in the Southeast Neighborhood of campus. Residents may choose:

Single room with an all-gender bathroom shared by a cluster of six rooms
Double room with a bathroom
- Roommate preferences can be of any gender (regardless of a student’s assigned sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation)
- If you do not indicate a roommate preference, a roommate of any gender may be assigned

New students who are interested will be able to list this community as a preference in My UW Housing under “Learning Community & Affinity Program Preferences” as Gender Inclusive Housing.