Middlebury’s unique residential system exemplifies the College’s conviction that an excellent liberal arts education takes place around the clock—as easily over dinner as in the classroom. The residence halls are grouped into “living-learning communities,” called commons. The commons combine the academic, social, and residential components of college and foster close and abiding relationships, not only among the student residents, but also among the faculty and staff who are part of their commons. Students are part of the same commons for all four years, and live in dorms associated with their commons for their first two years at Middlebury.

There are five commons on campus. Each develops its own system of self-governance, and each is staffed by an administrative team that is on site to provide support to student residents. The Commons faculty head is responsible for setting the academic and social tone of the Commons and for programming activities (lectures, field trips, parties, and other events) that involve students, faculty, and staff. The commons dean administers the daily operations of the commons and handles all residential issues, as well as academic and personal advising. A substantial proportion of the first-year seminars offered are commons-based, which means that the students enrolled in a particular seminar are assigned to live in the same commons, with supplementary programming for the course also sponsored by the commons.

Middlebury College practices an environmental ethic in all of its undertakings. The College’s commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable practices is apparent at every turn—from the College’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2016; to the natural landscape design of the campus and the College’s recycling center, powered by a wind turbine; to the newly refurbished Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest; to the full bike racks outside every building; to the dining-hall waste that is composted and then reinvested in the College’s landscape and greenhouse.

Middlebury’s institutional commitment to environmental quality and sustainable practices does not stop at the College gateways, but provides leadership and influences the world well beyond the campus-parents, friends, alumni, peer institutions, and the greater community. Read more at the Environmental Affairs site.