Carl L. Becker House
Active Citizen Application
Continued Occupancy Process
APPLICATIONS DUE by 11:59pm on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is an Active Citizen of Becker House?
An Active Citizen is a Becker House resident invested in having Becker House be the Best on West. Active Citizens are involved in helping build community among residents and are interested in resident-led governance. As a gesture of appreciation for your work in building a thriving community at Becker, we offer Active Citizens housing at Becker for 2022-23. We want all our residents to thrive at Becker House, but we are particularly interested in retaining residents who are currently involved in various activities in the House.
What is my commitment as an Active Citizen of Becker?
- COMPLETE THE APPLICATION
- PARTICIPATE IN A HOUSE INITIATIVE You have to register and participate fully in one of the House initiatives for the next two semesters (Spring 2022, Fall 2022). You may choose the same initiative for both semesters or you may register for different initiatives each semester. House Initiatives will be announced at the start of each semester and you will be asked to register at that time. Below you’ll see the House Initiatives offered during Fall 2021.
- Cornell University Becker in Service (CUBS) – Volunteer for Service Projects. Requirements include leading and participating in various service projects at Becker, Cornell or in the local community. Can be taken as a one credit p/f course.
- Becker House Café – Conversations and Comradery. Requirements include attending and participating in a weekly discussion with visiting speakers. Offered every Wednesday evening. Can be taken as a one credit p/f course.
- Doc Watchers+ – This initiative meets weekly on Thursday evenings and involves watching and discussing documentary films, and making short films related to life in Becker House. Participants may also lead post-film discussions.
- House Council – Lead and advocate for the Becker community. House Council provides an opportunity for engagement, shared governance and planning and organizing social programs in Becker House. House Council meet weekly on Sunday evenings.
3. ORGANIZE AND LEAD A PROGRAM You must organize and lead at least one social activity that will help
build community on your floor or in the House each semester (individually or with another Active Citizen).
Your floor GRF/URF will work with you on budget and logistics.
What information will I need in order to complete the Active Citizen application?
- The usual demographic information (e.g., name, net ID, etc.)
- A clear jpg photo of yourself, in Becker House, that is meaningful to you. The photo needs to...
- clearly show your face so we can recognize you (100mb max).
- If other people are in the photo be sure to identify who you are in the photo.
- be taken in Becker House and be meaningful to you in some way.
- Feel free to borrow “Carl” (our cardboard cutout of Carl Becker) and take your photo with Carl! Stop by the House Office to sign out Carl.
NOTE: You will need to explain why the photo is meaningful to you.
3. 250 word maximum answers to the following questions:
- In what ways have you been active in Becker House?
- Why is being an Active Citizen at Becker House important to you?
- What do you plan to do to live up to your Active Citizen status?
4. If you are blocking, you will need the first and last names and net IDs of the people with whom you
are blocking. Also, if you have a 5-person block, you will need to identify which two people in your
block will be living in the double occupancy room.
NOTE: You may block only with current Becker House residents.
How many residents will be chosen to be Becker House Active Citizens?
We accept up to 75 continuing residents through the Active Citizen/continued occupancy process. We plan to fill all 75 beds through our Active Citizen process. On the off chance we don’t fill all 75 beds through our Active Citizen process, we will host a mini-lottery in spring semester for the remaining beds giving preference to Becker residents, including new January transfers, who did not have a chance to participate in the Active Citizen process in the Fall semester.
IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN BECKER NEXT YEAR, APPLY TO BE AN ACTIVE CITIZEN.
Who is eligible to apply to be an Active Citizen in Becker House? Who is eligible to be a blockmate?
ONLY current Becker House residents are eligible to apply for Active Citizen status or to be listed as a blockmate on another student’s Active Citizen application. Students assigned to, or living in, other West Campus Houses or other Cornell residential areas are NOT eligible to apply to be an Active Citizen or a blockmate of an Active Citizen in Becker House.
Who selects the Active Citizens? When will I find out whether I’ve been selected?
The application is available on the Becker House website (carlbeckerhouse.cornell.edu). Applications are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. All applications are reviewed and final decisions made by a selection committee chaired by House Professor, Neema Kudva. The Committee includes Assistant Dean, Amanda Carreiro, members of the Becker House staff (GRFs, URFs), and up to three non-returning Becker House residents. Applicants will be notified of the results of their application by December 24, 2021.
Is there an advantage for second year Becker House members?
There is no advantage - selection is based on how active you are, how active you have been, and your application.
Does being selected limit what rooms/suites in Becker House I can choose to live in for 2022-23?
YES. We strive to distribute Active Citizens evenly throughout the House. We will cap the number of Active Citizens (and blockmates) per floor. If the cap on a floor has been reached, you’ll need to choose a room on another floor possibly in the other wing of the building. If accepted as an Active Citizen, you are guaranteed housing in Becker for 2022-23, but you are NOT guaranteed a particular room, floor or wing. Room selection will occur in the spring semester. We reserve the right to assign you to a specific room (you will have the option of a single or a double occupancy room).
What are the rules about blocking (pulling roommates in)?
You and up to four other CURRENT Becker House residents are allowed to block adjacent rooms on a corridor or block rooms in a suite. You're blockmates do NOT have to be Active Citizens but they DO have to be current Becker residents.
BLOCKING ADJACENT ROOMS ON A CORRIDOR
- Up to 5 students total may block adjacent rooms on a corridor.
- If 5 students block together on a corridor, they MUST fill at least one double occupancy room.
- If you have a 5-person block, you must indicate on your application who in your block will be living in the double-occupancy room.
- Your block may include different genders.
BLOCKING A SUITE
- If you are blocking a suite, you must FILL the entire suite.
- You must indicate on your application who in your block will be living in the double-occupancy room.
- Suites in Becker are comprised of 3 single-occupancy rooms and 1 double-occupancy room.
- Your block may include different genders.
- You MUST identify who is in your block when you apply to be an Active Citizen.
NOTE: If you have a 5-person block and are assigned a suite, and one of your blockmates changes his/her mind and doesn’t sign the housing contract, we reserve the right to re-assign your entire block to corridor rooms. You may NOT change your block after your application is submitted.
When is the application due?
Active Citizen Applications are due by 11:59pm on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. Active Citizen applicants will be notified by December 24, 2021 regarding the status of their application.
FYI – Undergraduate Resident Fellow (URF) applications are due by 11:59pm on November 7, 2021. The URF application and selection process is completely separate from the Active Citizen/continued occupancy process. We just want you to be aware of these dates in the event you choose to apply for both Active Citizen status and a URF position for 2022-23.