Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours are spent on house duties?
On average, each woman spends about seven hours per week on their house duties and organized house events. Everyone has the opportunity to select the type of work that they prefer to do to when it comes to cooperative duties within the home such as cook crews, dish crews, and cleaning duties.
Do social events interfere with studies?
Social events exist to give girls the opportunity to take time to relax and enjoy campus life. However, this is certainly not at the expense of their grades. Women who have tests or papers that they need to concentrate on are encouraged to do so, instead of attending a social event. Furthermore, new members have mandatory study hours Sunday through Thursday evenings and are assigned an active member who serves as their academic advisor to assist with the transition to collegiate studies.
What is the graduation rate of 4-H House women?
4-H House has an exceptionally high graduation rate. It is not uncommon to see 4-H House women graduating with Honors or receiving special Senior recognitions. There have been several women in recent years who have continued directly to graduate school, including veterinary medicine and medical doctorate programs.
Are women encouraged to participate in university activities?
Certainly! 4-H House women are active in numerous ways on campus, from judging teams and livestock clubs, to intramural sports, professional organizations, and volunteer work.
What does 4-H House offer besides financial benefits?
Women benefit significantly from living at the house beyond financial savings. They gain experience that will be vital in life and in their careers: time management, leadership, responsibilities (e.g. coordinating an event, managing a portion of the house). They also gain social and relational benefits (living and working with many individuals; lifelong friendships and support and encouragement from current members as well as alumnae).
How does 4-H House help women transition between high school and college life?
There are many ways that women are supported, especially through their first semester, to make the transition to campus life. First, women live with older members of the house their first semester so they can learn from an initiated member's experience and to receive their encouragement and support. Also, two active members, serving as the New Member Educator and the Assistant New Member Educator, provide guidance to the new members by meeting with them at least once per week to help them transition to life at the house and on campus. Additionally, academic Advisors are paired up with each New Member to assist with transitioning to collegiate studies. Finally, New Members are also paired with big sisters who become special friends and part of a great support network.
Does 4-H House tolerate alcohol or smoking on the premises?
No smoking or alcohol is allowed on 4-H House property.
Since the girls govern and run the house, how does the organization of the house run? Is safety a priority?
4-H House day-to-day activities are designed to be very efficient. One member, an officer, manages cleaning duties and another officer manages cooking duties. These women schedule and organize the rest of the members to make sure that all of the cooking and cleaning is accomplished. Everyone in the house contributes to the house running smoothly and efficiently, with responsibilities ranging from vacuuming, cleaning the showers, to answering phones, or cooking lunch.
Safety is top priority in 4-H House. There are many rules in the house to facilitate safety. For example, male guests are only allowed in the house at certain times and then must be "tagged in." Blinds are drawn at specific times of the evening. There are specific women assigned every night to "close the house" (shutting and locking windows, turning off lights, and generally checking the property to make sure that the house is safe and secure at night).
Finally, women have access to adults if they feel an issue is too overwhelming to handle on their own or even for advice. The House Director lives in the house and is accessible at all times. The Association Board is also an active presence in the house and these women can always be contacted if needed.
How is the rent, or house bill, determined for each woman?
The 4-H House property is owned by the Illinois 4-H House Association (referred to as the "Association") which is the membership group of 4-H House alumnae. The cooperative unit, 4-H House, leases the property from the Association. A portion of each member's house bill is paid to the Association for rent. The remaining portion of the house bill is based on budgets for meals, supplies, small repairs, and programming. 4-H House runs on a break-even basis, which allows 4-H House to operate at a substantially reduced cost in comparison with other campus units, including dormitory and other Greek units.
What is the function of the Association Board of Directors and how do they interact with the women of 4-H House?
A major aspect of the relationship between the Association and 4-H House is that the Association acts as the landlord/tenant. The Association is responsible for managing and controlling major physical changes to the house and property. The rent received from 4-H House is managed by the Association's Board of Directors and used for expenditures such as major repairs, capital renovations, property taxes, and, property insurance. (This excludes house members' personal contents.) The Association also employs the House Director (House Mom). The Association relies on alumnae contributions to build any reserves necessary for future projects and unexpected repairs.
The other major aspect of the relationship between the Association and 4-H House is advisory and governance. The Board of Directors participates in house operations to facilitate a good working relationship and effective communication between the two organizations. In short, 4-H House is self-governing and the Board of Directors provides guidance to ensure the system is running smoothly.