Residents live in communities called houses consisting of approximately 90 to 150 students. There are a total of eleven houses at Muir. Each house has two house advisors (HAs) who are upperclass students and are committed to develop each house into a fun and productive community. We encourage each resident to be an integral part of their community and offer a wide variety of ways to become involved in both residential life and college programs, activities and organizations.

Theme Houses

Three of our houses are theme houses - Cultural, Wellness and Wilderness. While residents in these houses participate in the same activities as residents of the other houses, each one of these houses attracts students specifically interested in their particular theme. First year students apply to live in these specific houses during June orientation.

Members of Cultural House can expect to learn about people from different backgrounds living in their same environment through house activities such as dining at foreign restaurants, camping trips, attending foreign films, the theatre, trips to museums in southern California and anything else that house residents want to do.

Wellness House is geared toward active people who are interested in exploring the areas of physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Activities may include attending sporting events, learning time management, relaxation and meditation techniques, participating in intramurals and spiritual exploration.

Residents in Wilderness House find it to be an excellent opportunity to express their relationship with and concern for the environment. You will embark on new adventures such as backpacking day hikes, car/beach camping, tidepooling and rock climbing. Don't worry, experience is not necessary - however, enthusiasm and a desire to be involved are mandatory requirements!

In addition to your basic furniture, each room is equipped with one telephone outlet and an outlet box for cable TV. Each resident is also provided with a computer cable data modem box for direct connection to the university's computer network.

Some Basic Policies

While you are afforded the greatest amount of individual freedom possible, each resident is expected to be a conscientious member of the Muir community and to respect all the other residents. This is accomplished by following some simple university and residential life policies. Most policies either provide a safe, secure and comfortable environment for residents or follow California state law. Essentially, it is these policies which maintain a sense of order in an extremely busy and densely populated housing area in which nearly 1,100 residents live.

The following is a summary of some of the most frequently misunderstood, but strictly enforced, policies and regulations. The entire list of all residential life policies can be found in the unabridged version of the Muir Residential Life Handbook.

A. is for Alcohol Policy. California state laws states you must be 21 to possess or consume any alcoholic beverage - that's it in a nutshell. Residents over 21 are permitted to possess or consume alcohol in their own private space. Kegs and other large alcohol containers are never permitted.

B. Every resident is entitled to quiet time to study or sleep. At any time, any resident may request that any other resident cease anything which interferes with these activities. Not complying with such a request is a violation of the 24-hours-a-day courtesy hours policy.

C. More specifically, quiet hours begin at 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday nights and at 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. All activity must be consistent with sleep or late-night quiet study. Taking into consideration your own personal lifestyle, you may need to adjust your living habits to comply with this policy. It may be time to purchase a good set of headphones!

D. is for the illegal drugs which are against the law. The possession, use, sale and the cultivation of marijuana are all strictly prohibited. The possession of any type of drug paraphernalia, such as a bong or a pipe, is also prohibited.

E. Pets which live their entire lives under water each and every minute of their day are the only pets permitted in the residential facilities!

F. Open flames, such as candles, and incense are prohibited. Exceptions to celebrate birthdays and religious holidays can be obtained from your house advisor.

G. Muir has a unique "windows" policy. With the tallest residence halls on campus (8 and 11 stories), nothing is permitted to be thrown or accidentally dropped from any window, balcony or rooftop for safety's sake. We'll bet you didn't know that an item tossed out of a tenth floor window will impact with a velocity of 55 miles per hour, and an apple thrown from the fifth floor hits the ground with a force of 188 pounds! The one and only exception to this policy? Bubbles!

H. In both the residence halls, Tenaya & Tioga and the Muir College Tuolumne Apartments ( S & T-Houses), smoking is not permitted in any indoor area or on the balconies nor is it permitted within twenty feet of any door entrance or window.

I. Each resident agrees to respect the rights of the other residents and conduct him/herself in a manner conducive to a harmonious living environment as determined by the Resident Dean. A detailed explanation of this policy can be found under the sections called "Harassment" and "Violation of personal/individual rights" in your handbook and is also specifically stated in your housing contract.

We hope you've learned a little about what living at Muir College is like! If you are interested in more detailed information about Muir College in general, please feel free to browse the rest of the Muir College website.