Hereford College Informations

Hereford College is a self-governed residential college at the University of Virginia. Hereford focuses on promoting students' well-being so that they may thrive during their college experience and beyond. Through a rich array of academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular programming, interactions with faculty, fellows, and student self-governance, we strive to enhance well-being through three interrelated and integrated foci: mindfulness, social awareness, and sustainability. Located on the beautiful Observatory Hill, Hereford is close to central Grounds, located near Runk Dining Hall, and has some of the most stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains available at the University.

Originally consisting of five dorms within one complex, the residential college has since been reduced to two dorms: Norris House and Whyburn House. Thus, only about 200 students reside in Hereford Residential College.

Named after physicist Frank Hereford, who was president of the university between 1974 and 1985, the college opened in 1992 as New College, UVA's second residential college. It consists of five strikingly thin dorm buildings, Vaughan House, and its own dining hall. Hereford was designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, which also designed the American Folk Art Museum in New York, the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, and the Student Art Building of Johns Hopkins University.

The College is staffed by a Faculty Principal, Director of Studies, Program Coordinator, and Graduate Intern.

The college is unique among UVA housing in that most of the rooms are single-occupancy, meaning that most Herefordians (within the Residential College and without) do not share a room with a roommate or suitemate. First years are typically assigned to double-occupancy rooms, while Third and Fourth Year students are typically assigned to single-occupancy rooms.

Hereford residents grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs in their very own community garden. Students enrolled in our annual Garden Party short course have the opportunity to use the crops they harvest to host a farm-to-table dinner for the community.

Student self-governance and faculty interaction are key components of life at Hereford. The Hereford Student Senate (HSS) governs the College its leaders respond to community needs and preside over a significant budget to develop programs and events. Paid for by student activities fees, the Hereford Student Senate organizes a rich array of co-curricular and extracurricular events.

Hereford students are given first priority to participate in a 3 credit Global Studies course which includes a week-long excursion to Shanghai, China over spring break.

Each month, Hereford residents dine together at a scheduled time in the Runk Green Room. The dinners are catered and (usually) themed. In the past, we have had Halloween, Masquerade, and Lunar New Year banquets.

Before Virginia football home game, there is typically a BBQ cookout open to all Hereford students.

The modernist architecture of Hereford College won great acclaim when the residential college was unveiled. The New York Times said glowingly "it is more different from Jefferson than anything that has been built at the University in generations, but it rises to challenge him" and in a later article the New York paper seemed to imply that all of New York City was jealous of the new dorm complex, stating "but for an international city, New York is sadly lacking in contemporary world-class buildings. And the lack is especially glaring considering how many world-class talents live here. Where are the buildings that can compare in formal intelligence to... Williams and Tsien's New College at the University of Virginia?"

The original five dorms are arranged in rows of two, two, and one, ascending a hillside. Left to right, from the bottom to the top, they are Weedon, Whyburn, Malone, Norris, and Johnson. Unfortunately, Hereford Residential College, which was originally composed of these five dorms, has now been reduced to Norris and Whyburn alone. The Senior Resident of Hereford lives in the basement floor of Whyburn. Vaughan House is where the principal of Hereford College lives. The basement of the building is known as the Hereford Hub and has space available for student activities. Runk Hall is the dining facility.

The buildings were named after the following faculty members at the university.

Since 1992, there have been six Principals of Hereford College. They and their families have lived in Vaughan House at the top of the hill.

Hereford College nearly closed when in November of its 17th year of operation, University housing officials declared that Hereford would begin to house only first-year students and they would not be part of any residential college arrangement. This was due to the razing of the Alderman Road "New Dorms" first-year housing area and a need to relocate students during the disruption.

The members of Hereford fought back against the administration, and won back their college in a stunning reversal. The Cavalier Daily praised Hereford students for being "role-models of student activism" and the "epitome of grassroots action rarely seen at this institution" after Hereford students wore I AM HEREFORD T-shirts for days and flooded administrative offices with phone calls and emails about the subject.

Many of the displaced first-years were instead housed at Dillard House, a former upper-class housing area located just down the hill. Hereford College itself, however, was reduced to 2 dorms, with only Norris and Whyburn allocated for Hereford College. Johnson, Malone, and Weedon are now only open to first year students.

Complete article available at this page.