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The Harriet E. Richards Cooperative house is a home for 24 diverse and extraordinary women. For them, the H.E.R. House is more than just a house, it is a home. Read information below to learn more about what are the benefits and responsibilities that come with living at the H.E.R. House.:
The H.E.R. House is more than a place to live, eat, and study. It is a close-knit community of women who care about each other and the House. The girls often gather to watch TV, go to see a movie, go out to dinner, or to clubs. Generations of women have left the H.E.R. House not only with a degree, but with life-long friends and a unique living experience that cannot be duplicated.
Location & Relationship with Boston University
The House has a special relationship with Boston University. The physical house is owned by BU, and all maintenance is handled by BU's Building and Grounds Department (B&G). On-campus rules regarding drugs and alcohol are enforced. However, occupants do not swipe ID cards to get into the house, or have to sign in guests. In this way, the House can also be considered off-campus, because all internal affairs are run by the House members. House members do not receive meal plans, but have access to The Towers at 140 Bay State Road for the computer labs and study rooms. The House is overseen by the Office of Residence Life and is officially designated by the University as Specialty Housing. Rent is $240/month, payable to the Harriet E. Richards House. For a full academic year, rent totals to approximately $2,160. This amount is drastically lower than the standard BU room and board, which is currently $9,680. (During the summer, rent is reduced even further as no dinners are provided.) The rent includes accommodations, dinners 5 days a week, and cooking staples (see below for more information).
Bedrooms: The H.E.R. House contains 12 bedrooms, scattered on 5 levels, including the basement. Three are singles, two are triples, and the rest are doubles. The bedrooms are located in clusters of two bedroom or three bedroom suites, meaning that approximately 4 women share one bathroom. All bedrooms have a phone line and access to BU's Ethernet Network (high speed internet). Each bedroom is unique in respect to size, shape, color, and architecture. Roommates are determined by the President and other House members. Occasionally, situations have arisen where exceptions are made to accommodate an individual's special needs. Common Areas: The common areas of the house are very big and open. Unless there is a function that requires the presence of all 24 women, you don't feel overwhelmed by the idea of 23 other people living with you. The kitchen is the center of social interactions in the house. It was remodeled in the summer of 2004. It contains two fridges, two freezers, a long table, dishwasher, laundry (washer and dryer), commercial stove unit, and countertop appliances. The other common areas include the Foyer, Dining room, French room (named for its décor) and Alumnae room. All of these rooms get used to one degree or the other for studying and social events. It is important to note that all areas of the house are preserved in the original style of when it was built. The colors of the bedrooms, the frescoes in the foyer, most of the furniture, the paneling in the dining room, and other accents are antique. It is the part of the mission of the H.E.R. House and its Alumni Association to continue preserving these items to the best of the ability. Care on the part of the House members to respect this wonderful residence is required. Meals: The H.E.R. House provides a dinner meal at 6pm from Sunday to Thursday, cooked by a House member (see House Duties below for more information). Special dietary needs are met when possible, including having vegetarian options and being aware of allergies. Additionally, staple foods are provided weekly. All House members are expected to supplement these staples with their own resources, as the House cannot meet everyone's particular needs.
The House in its own right is a living organism, with its House members all functioning together to make life run smoothly. Each House member is responsible for completing her share of cooking and cleaning. A House member typically spends 2.5 hours weekly performing her household duties. The Clerk (see House Governance) assigns all of these chores and is responsible for making sure they are completed. Chores are broken down into the following areas: Weekly chores: Each House member must complete two chores a week. These chores are designed to take approximately 30 minutes and cover the day-to-day maintenance of the house. Some examples include washing dinner's pots and pans, mopping the kitchen floor, assisting the cook at dinner, and light kitchen clean-up in afternoon or night. Weekend Specials: These chores must be completed on the weekend and usually take longer than the weekly chores. Some examples include vacuuming the front stairs, cleaning the French Room, and cleaning the Foyer. Bathrooms: Each suite of bedrooms has a bathroom to maintain. They are cleaned weekly in a rotation by the women who live in that suite. Since the ratio of bathroom to House members is approximately 1:4, you generally only have to clean the bathroom once a month. Cooking: Each House member is responsible for cooking the dinner meal for the entire house 3 days out of each semester. The meals must be approved by the Stewardess for budget and dietary guidelines (including allergies, vegetarian options, and variety). Committee participation: Each House member is required to participate in a committee for one semester (during her stay at the House) unless she is already on the E-Board. Events: All House members are expected to attend House events. ***Penalties for not complying with House rules or not doing the chores include larger chores, monetary fines, and, in extreme cases, expulsion from the House.
The Executive Board and Committee Chairs are elected by the House each semester and are designed to keep the House running as smoothly as possible. The President and Vice-President are yearlong positions, while the others are semester long. The benefits of serving on the Elected Board include not having to do weekend specials (see Duties) and one month's free rent. Each House member is required to participate in a committee for one semester unless she is already on the E-Board or if she is a committee head.
The E-Board positions include:
Committee Chair positions include:
The H.E.R. House has annual events that all House members are required to attend.
The Fall and Spring House Retreats are held to introduce new House members to the house, welcome returning House members from study abroad, and bring everyone together to strengthen the H.E.R. community. The Fall Faculty Welcome is held each year as a way of bringing the H.E.R. House community and BU professors together. Each House member can invite her favorite professors to the house for an evening of food, light refreshment, and lively conversation. The Holiday Party is held in December to celebrate the different holidays with food and gift giving. Undoubtedly the largest event of the year, the Alumnae Tea, is held on the first weekend in April. All alumnae are invited to attend an afternoon of food, refreshment, and entertainment. During the event, graduating seniors are inducted into the alumnae association, and the H.E.R.A.A. E-board holds its annual meeting and E-Board elections. The Senior Supper is held in May to honor the graduating class. The all-day event is a planned surprise that ends with a special dinner. |
The H.E.R. House is located
at 191 Bay State Road, 5 minute walks away from the College of Arts and Science,
School of Management, The Towers Dormitory, Warren Towers Dormitory, Hillel House, and more. It has beautiful views of the Charles River and
is easily identified by the large black iron gates at the entrance.