Course offerings are designed for both beginning and advanced music students. Students have a variety of opportunities to participate in musical performance ensembles. The RC also has faculty specializing in studio arts, drama, music, creative writing, and language study. RC faculty are distinguished not only by their scholarly and creative work but also by the fact that they have chosen to dedicate themselves to teaching and advising undergraduates. Many have won awards as teachers, scholars, and artists.
All classes are small, and teachers encourage intellectual dialogue.
Play productions by members of the RC Drama Program and vocal and instrumental recitals by students are common in the RC Auditorium. There are frequent showings of student art work. Social science students do field research in surrounding communities. These evaluations which include descriptions of course requirements and assessments of individual students' progress in meeting them, address several dimensions of student performance, e.g ., intellectual engagement, creative initiative, personal investment, and quality of work. As a part of a diverse yet close-knit group, students in the Residential College experience a sense of community both during their time in East Quad and beyond.