Douglass Residential College environment: Good? Bad? In between?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rutgers University
21

<p>Timecrucher:
My daughter is in the Douglass Scholars Program. She did not change to the newly restructed SAS program but stayed under the Douglass requirements that were in place when she entered in 2005. At that time, as part of the honors program, she was required to take three honors seminars (all girls). I believe they all had less than 15 students and she enjoyed them. All of her other classes have been co-ed and she travels usually between Cook-Douglass and College Ave to take classes. Next semester she will travel to the Livingston campus. </p>

<p>To be in the Douglass Honors Program, she would have been required to live in Douglass housing. By the way, the girls dorms do allow boys in just as any other dorm. Sometimes students do not relaize this. My d chose to live off campus, across the bridge (walking distance to College Ave) in Highland Park. She wanted to be able to cook her own food and share a bathroom with one other person versus an entire floor. </p>

<p>Many students in Highland Park (nicer housing in general than some of the ones in NB) and the Rutgers bus passes through. In addition, Highland Park has a nice main street (food, coffee house, shops,etc) and can be a break from college life). It can be less expensive than campus life but entails signing a lease so that can be a negative in roommates don't get along or one doesn't pay the rent. Dorms can offer convenience and more freetime because the students do not have to shop for food or prepare meals). She however, has always found a job at Rutgers or nearby to cover summer costs. Off campus students can purchase a parking pass (mine did not have acar until junior year) but students can only park at the college they are enrolled in, Cook Douglass. Mostly, she takes the bus or walks. It can also be a social time to meet other students.</p>

<p>Back to Douglass, in addition to an academic scholarship, she also received a Douglass scholarship (higher GPA and senior project required). She is thankful for the Douglass support both in money and advising. Douglass sends her regular emails and has alwasy been available for support. Georgia Fowler was the freshman advisor when she entered and she is very helpful. She even contacted her for senior classes to be sure she was in check.</p>

<p>I hope this helps, please email me and I'll give you my number if you prefer talking one on one.</p>

22

<p>To DglsGirl10: Thank you for your post #20. Douglassinfo provided me with a number of names and email addresses during our April 7th conversation; my daughter and I do not yet know which of those names/email addresses belongs to you. She and I will do Web-based research (something we are both exceptionally skilled at) and we will figure that out. Please understand that, like you, I am new to public forums in general, to CC in particular, and to CC's PM process. I am mindful that you are busy with end-of-semester term papers and projects, and that you are also preparing for semester finals. If and when my daughter decides to contact you by email, or if I decide to contact you by CC PM, she and/or I will do so for the purpose of having specific questions (if any) answered. Thank you for your availability. </p>

<p>To Findmepete: Thank you for your post, and congratulations to you and your daughter on her 2005 acceptance to Rutgers/Douglass and to the Douglass Scholars Program. I am glad to hear that your daughter's Douglass affiliation is continuing to be a positive experience for her. </p>

<p>To clarify possible misinterpretation of my concerns about Douglass, gender-segregated housing is not the issue. When I was an undergraduate student during the early to mid-1970s, I lived in gender-segregated housing for my freshman, sophomore, and junior years. During my senior year, my dorm floor was gender-integrated (on an experimental and voluntary basis), and I saw no change in my dorm floor's social dynamic. I have described my dorm experience to my daughter. </p>

<p>My Douglass-related concerns are strictly academic and social/personal values-based. My daughter has been reared to reject discrimination and segregation as socially and personally odious. Her academic and residential environments have always been exceptionally and intentionally well-integrated (by age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic background). My daughter applied to Rutgers as a student, not as a female student, and she refuses to embrace gender-based (or any other form of) segregation/discrimination as an acceptable way of life. </p>

<p>Financial need is a compelling factor for our family, but if my daughter must choose between affiliating with Douglass for financial benefits or relinquishing Rutgers due to otherwise insurmountable financial need, she will relinquish Rutgers rather than "sell out" to Douglass. </p>

<p>Douglass is not appropriate for every female Rutgers student. My daughter has told me that Douglass is definitely not appropriate for her. I agree.</p>