Rotation
Announcements
WELCOME TO CALTECH!
Rotation 2023 is on! The IHC hopes that everyone is having a fantastic time. We would love your feedback in the form of our Mid-Rotation Survey. Otherwise, if you have questions, we invite you to reach out to Sophie, the IHC chair at selam@caltech.edu.
As a reminder, Rotation rules are important to ensuring Rotation runs successfully. To report a rotation rule violation, click here.
If you have any concerns about Rotation, feel free to submit them in this form to the Rotation Concerns Committee. You can find other Resources to support you during Rotation here.
Caltech Dining Services (CDS) is very accommodating when it comes to dietary restrictions. If you have any dietary restrictions, please email SpecialMeals@caltech.edu to request special meals.
The IHC will have Office Hours on the Olive Walk during the following days/times (with snacks!):
Wednesday (9/20) at 12pm, Friday (9/22) at 12pm and Tuesday (9/26) at 12pm.
Come drop by to meet the IHC, ask questions, or just hang out!
Overview
At Caltech we are committed to making sure students are connected to their peers and have the opportunities to live on campus in a community that is social, safe and fun. All our residential communities offer opportunities for leadership and involvement and all have important support structures available to residents. Houses are an academic resource and a support structure -- each house has upperclass students who are Peer Advocates, Health Advocates, Equity & Title IX Advocates, ARC representatives, SURF ambassadors, teaching assistants, and generally amazing sources of advice for succeeding at Caltech. In addition to student supports, houses also include Resident Associates and Residential Life Coordinators.
Caltech students benefit from being part of Caltech's unique House System. Our system is made up of eight distinct houses (Avery, Blacker, Dabney, Fleming, Lloyd, Page, Ricketts, Venerable) that all are part of the important social and cultural fabric of the undergraduate experience. Students also enjoy getting to create their own experiences by choosing to build community in the Bechtel residence. Bechtel is a new residential model that offers students the chance to live on campus and meet students in the house system, but also allows the community to create friendships and community experiences beyond the house system.
First year students (including transfer students and exchange students) are given the opportunity to participate in Rotation. This is the formal process for initial house affiliation. This year, Rotation will take place between September 20 - 27th, 2023. House assignments will be announced on September 30th, 2023, and students are projected to move into their permanent rooms on October 1st, 2023.
During rotation, first year students get to meet members of each house, participate in house activities that showcase their unique cultures (dinners, desserts, and big events), and then rank the houses according to their preferences in the End-of-Rotation Form. If students do not wish to affiliate with a house, they are also able to opt out of the House System in the End-of-Rotation Form. After rotation, students may also affiliate with a house by getting to know the members and individually seeking membership through that house's membership process. Rotation is available only during the first year and cannot be deferred, whereas the individual house membership process is available throughout a student's career. Students who opt for membership in one of the houses may live in the house or may live in the Bechtel residence. If you choose not to be a member of a house, Caltech will ensure that you have housing in one of our unaffiliated housing options, most often Bechtel.
In order to ensure first year students have the best experience during Rotation, students are asked to follow Rotation Rules. Note that Rotation is a substance-free event. Additionally, there are a variety of resources available (RCC, peer, and institute) to support you during Rotation.
Rotation Flow Chart
