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Language and Specialty Houses

Language Houses

The Macalester College Language Houses are located on Vernon and Princeton Streets at the Southwest corner of campus. Residents in the Russian, Japan, Chinese, French, German, and Spanish houses immerse themselves in the language and culture of the given house. Room cost for Language Houses and the Eco House is listed on the housing and dining agreement. A dining plan is not required, but language house residents have to option to purchase dining plans A, B,C, or the Commuter Meal Plan each semester.

Language Houses Locations and Application Deadlines

List of house language type, location, capacity, and application deadline

  • Arabic House Webpage
    176 Vernon Street
    Capacity: 4
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • Chinese House Webpage
    216 Vernon Street
    Capacity: 6
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • German House Webpage
    190 Vernon Street
    Capacity: 8
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • French House Webpage
    182 Vernon Street
    Capacity: 6
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • Japan House Webpage
    1661 and 1663 Princeton Court
    Capacity: 6
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • Russian House Webpage
    1668 Princeton Street
    Capacity: 4
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • Spanish House Webpage
    196 Vernon Street
    Capacity: 12
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!
  • Portuguese House Webpage
    204 Vernon Street
    Capacity: 4
    • Please reach out to coordinators for more information!

Accommodations

  • Bathrooms: Each house has 1 to 3 single-use bathrooms.
  • Laundry Facilities: Laundry facilities are located in all Houses
  • Kitchen: Full kitchens with a cooktop, oven, full-sized refrigerator, and a sink. Residents are exempt from the residence hall meal plan requirement, but they may request a full or commuter meal plan each semester.
  • Computer Labs/Internet Access: Ethernet and WiFi.
  • Common space: Intentional large gathering spaces. Houses are located on a quiet residential street with porches and front and back yards.  Residents are responsible for cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, and common area. Also, residents of each house are responsible for shoveling snow from the front door to the public sidewalk and for taking out their own trash and recycling for pickup.
  • Room types: The number of bedrooms in each house varies. Rooms are singles and doubles.

Application Process

The language houses are an opportunity for students to expand their language skills and cultural knowledge outside of the classroom. Living in a language house is a great option for students planning to study abroad in a country associated with the language they are studying.  Each department that supervises a language house has an application process and requirements that students must meet to be accepted to the house. Room and roommate placement within the house is determined by the department.

Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors can apply to live in the language houses.  The housing contract is for the entire year unless the resident studies abroad for the spring or fall semester.

Contact the department associated with language house to apply.

Special Interest Communities

Special Interest Communities provide a learning experience and opportunity to connect in small communities beyond the classroom.  Rising sophomores, rising juniors, and rising seniors may apply to various departments and are selected before the campus-wide Room Draw season.  Rosters for the 2024-2025 academic year will be completed and submitted to Residential Life prior to Housing Selection.  The room cost for specialty houses and areas is available on the housing and dining agreement. The residence hall dining plan is not required for all language houses, Cultural House, Eco House, Summit House, and Veggie Co-op. Students living in the Veggie Co-op contribute money each semester to pay for bulk food purchases for the Co-op.

Special Interest Community Locations and 2024 Application Due By Dates

List of house interest type, location, capacity, and application deadline

Accommodations

  • Bathrooms: Each specialty space varies in its bathroom style from community to single-use bathrooms.
  • Laundry Facilities: Laundry facilities are located in all Hall Areas and Houses in which the speciality spaces reside in
  • Kitchen: Kitchen spaces vary from specialty area to speciality area ranging from full kitchens with a cooktop, oven, full-sized refrigerator, and a sink to community kitchens. Residents in Speciality spaces with full kitchens are exempt from the residence hall meal plan requirement, but they may request a full or commuter meal plan each semester.
  • Computer Labs/Internet Access: Ethernet and WiFi.
  • Common space: Intentional large gathering spaces in House or in Housing Areas. Houses are located on a quiet residential street with porches and front and back yards.  Residents in Houses are responsible for cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, and common area. Also, residents in houses are responsible for shoveling snow from the front door to the public sidewalk and for taking out their own trash and recycling for pickup.
  • Room types: The number of bedrooms in each space varies. Rooms are singles and doubles.