College Houses & Academic Services (CHAS)

Twenty-five years ago, in 1998, Penn decided to extend the successful faculty-in-residence model it had created at Van Pelt College House and Du Bois College House across all of its undergraduate residences. Today, every Penn undergrad lives for at least two years in a College House alongside Penn faculty, a CHAS House Director, and a team of Residential Advisors, all of whom provide support and educational programming that creates:

-A sense of community and shared expectations
-Opportunities to develop real-world skills and leadership
-Space for personal development and self-discovery
-Memorable experiences and events
-Meaningful connections across the University

As a division of the Provost’s Office, CHAS’s mission is to bring the academic life of the classroom into its living spaces.