Academic Theme

Cloyne is the BSC’s academic-theme house. Many of the co-ops have study spaces, but Cloyne has the most rooms (both silent and group spaces), as well as extended quiet hours. We are also unique in having an Academic Theme Manager who hosts study parties, organizes talks and workshops, buys school supplies, and otherwise promotes members’ academic success. Many members cite Cloyne’s academic amenities as one of the main reasons for choosing to live here.

Study Rooms

In addition to the general common spaces, Cloyne has three dedicated study rooms! There is one on each floor of the east wing, with E1 and E3 providing space for silent study, and E2 serving as a group study room (though quiet hours are still observed). E1 is the only wheelchair-accessible study room, but members who use wheelchairs and want to do group study in a common space are encouraged to talk with the users of E1 to work something out cooperatively. Food and drinks are allowed, but remember to be cooperative and don’t leave a mess behind.

[Photo w/ caption: E1 ADA Silent Study Room]

[Photo w/ caption: E2 Group Study room]

[Photo w/ caption: E3 Silent Study room]

Study Together!

Part of the ATM’s duty is organizing study parties to promote the academic environment at Cloyne. We usually get snacks/pizza, and we can take breaks together for Pomodoros! If you are interested in attending or hosting a study party, contact the Academic Theme Manager at cloatm@bsc.coop. Also, here is an excel spreadsheet we use to share our classes with one another and form study groups. Remember: Clones who study together succeed together!

Extended Quiet Hours

Sleep is vital for memory formation and retention! To help members get plenty of sleep, Cloyne has extended quiet hours, from  10 pm to 8 am on weekdays, and 1 AM to 10 AM Saturday & Sunday.

Academic Supplies

As a theme house, Cloyne receives a small budget for academic supplies. This budget goes toward blue and green books, scantrons, earplugs, iClickers, whiteboard markers, and more. Members can email the Academic Theme Manager (ATM) at cloatm@bsc.coop with requests for different supplies. You can also find info about setting up our printer on your computer: Windows Printer Setup + Macintosh Printer Setup)

Big (and Small) Academic Talks

Every Spring semester, Cloyne organizes an out-of-house academic talk. This event is open to members of other houses, students, and other interested parties, so it is an opportunity to share the house culture with the larger community. The event generally takes the form of a special dinner (funded by a yearly budget that was created by an alum), followed by a talk from a volunteer speaker. This speaker has generally been UCB professors or BSC alumni, but the selection each year falls to the members of Cloyne and the current ATM. In Spring 2018, we hosted David Peterson, a linguist and creator of various con-langs, including Dothraki in Game of Thrones. Other speakers have included Physics professor Hitoshia Nomura on the Big Bang (2016) and Computer Science professor John Denero on making computer and data science education more accessible to all (2015 and 2017).

Cloyne has also always been open to hosting talks and workshops from members, alumni, other students, interested third parties, etc. Don’t worry if it isn’t super elaborate or formal—some of the best events have been skill shares and informal presentations about something a member learned from a class or personal research! 

Campus Resources

Cloyne has a lot to offer, but here are some additional academic resources that you can find on campus:

  • The Student Learning Center provides a place to study and collaborate, and you can also get free tutoring.
  • The Open Computing Facility is a volunteer student organization that provides free printing as well as other electronic services.
  • Bears for Financial Success aims to improve financial education for all Cal students. They have also led special workshops at Cloyne.

Written by Jacob Szymkowski, Academic Theme Manager, in Fall ’18