Housing about 475 student members across five interconnected halls, Ross benefits from being one of two Commons with finished completed infrastructure integrating academic and social life. Cutting across all classes, interests, talents, and demographics, Ross students seem to be involved in a bit of everything and play prominent roles in the leadership of the commons and the college as a whole. Approximately one fifth of the faculty is associated with the Commons and can often be seen (frequently with their kids...and dogs!) at Ross events. The Ross support staff includes the Ross members of the Dining Services and a dedicated custodial team who helps us keep the Commons in top shape. Rocky (the Rhino) exemplifies all that is Ross in his role as a Commons' mascot and often makes the appearance at celebratory Ross events.
History of Ross Commons
Ross Commons traces its roots to the early 1990s, when it was created to further student-faculty relationships. It took its current form as one of the five Commons at Middlebury in 1998, under the vision of President John M. McCardell, Jr. The Enchanced Residential Life Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees, centered on three tenets for the future of residential life at Middlebury: decentralized dining, proximate housing for faculty heads, and continuing residence in a Commons. Completed in the fall of 2002, Ross Commons became the first fully articulated Commons with newly built dining, social and dormitory facilities.
The namesake of Ross Commons, Eleanor Sybil Ross, Middlebury Class of 1895, served the college as dean of women for nearly 30 years (29, to be exact). She was legendary on campus for her irreplaceable role in doubling the size of the Women's College of Middlebury and for the strict discipline that she insisted upon. Dean Ross set for the College and for her role in it an ideal of Victorian gentility, standards of the highest morality, of proper and exemplary conduct, but above all, high academic achievement. Retiring in 1944, Dean Ross continued to live in Middlebury until her marriage to former President John Thomas. She died in 1953.
The Ross Team
The integration of academics and social life at Middlebury has led to a team approach to supervise the Commons, with the dean as a Commons' student affairs professional (Janine Clookey) and the commons heads overseeing the Commons' academic and social programming (Pavlos Sfyroeras and Maria Hatjigeorgiou). One commons residential advisor (CRA) is a recently graduated student who has moved into a staff position to advise and administer many day-to-day aspects of student life and is generally a fun person to hang out with (2008-09: Maegan Olivos '07). The Commons coordinator is the amazing staff member who morphs everyone else's madness into method (Sue Harris).
Life in Ross
Fireplace Cafe, Pizza and Politics, SIM a capella, 3-on-3 basketball, faculty lectures, VIVA ROSS VEGAS, family-style dinners, Iron Chef vs. Cook Commons, holiday cookie making- things are always happening in Ross Commons. The Commons Council is open to all Ross students and is primed to help Ross-ers transform ideas into reality.
Ross Commons events vary in size and scope, from the fabulously successful Viva Ross Vegas Casino to Orange Crush 80s Dance Party, among many other events.
LaForce Hall (left) and Ross Dining Hall were finished in 2002, completing the Commons' physical infrastructure.
Photo courtesy of Tai Soo Kim Partners, Architects