Hancock Commons

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Established in 2016, the Hancock Commons community’s values of community, legacy, social justice, personal development, inclusivity, and curiosity are embodied in their mascot, the black bear.

Explore our Community

Students from all commons are welcome to join Hancock Commons events and follow us on social media:

Hancock Commons on Instagram

About Hancock Commons

Shield with equals sign and zig zags

Mascot: Black bear

Residential Spaces

Bryan Complex

The Bryan Complex comprises Cobb, Crawshaw, Parke, and Russell houses. Crawshaw House is home to the Harlem Renaissance Center. The complex features single- and double-occupancy rooms within suites. Each floor in the building has a lounge. There is a larger, shared kitchen with scheduled open hours in the Edge — a multi-purpose space at the center of the complex where events, seminars, and small gatherings for the commons take place.

113 Broad Street

The 113 Broad Street Complex features single- and double-occupancy rooms within suites. Bedrooms in a suite share a bathroom. The complex comprises Brigham, Read, Shepardson, and Whitnall houses, and each floor has a small common lounge.

Creating Connections

The following faculty and staff direct the commons and support its living and learning goals. Feel free to contact them with any questions.

Co-Director

agorshkov
Lyosha Gorshkov
Director of LGBTQ+ Initiatives
108B East Hall

Co-Director

meparks
Beth Parks
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
315 Ho Science Center
  • M 10:00am - 12:00pm (211 Bryan Hall)
  • W 12:15pm - 1:15pm (Lili Frank Room, Frank Dining Hall)
  • W 4:00pm - 5:00pm (211 Bryan Hall)

Area Director, Residential Life

Administrative Dean

shjones
Sarah (Sarah H.) Jones
Associate Dean for Administrative Advising
116 McGregory Hall
jshumaker
Jason Shumaker
Assistant Dean of Administrative Advising

Residential Fellow

afaisal
Aizaz Faisal
Residential Fellow
Bryan Complex

Commons Program Director

apalko
Abby Palko
Director of the Residential Commons Program

About the Namesake

Portrait of Gordon Blaine Hancock

Gordon Blaine Hancock was a graduate of the Class of 1919, Colgate seminary 1920, and received a Colgate honorary degree in 1969. He also received an AM in Sociology from Harvard.

Hancock went on to be a sociology professor at Virginia Union University, where he is credited with teaching the first-ever academic course on race relations in 1922, and where he organized VUU’s School of Race Relations in 1931. He was also pastor of Moore Street Baptist Church in Richmond, and a leading spokesman for African-American equality in the generation before the civil rights movement.

In other endeavors, Hancock authored a long-running syndicated newspaper column, “Between the Lines,” which appeared in 114 newspapers, and was co-founder of the Southern Regional Council, a lauded 1940's civil rights organization.

As an alumnus, Hancock vocally pushed Colgate to return to accepting African-American students during the years when President Cutten did not accept any.

The Hancock Commons Crest

Shield with equals sign and zig zags

Large parallel bars, centered in the crest, symbolize Gordon Blaine Hancock’s lifelong commitment to equality and civil rights. Steps that ascend to the top of the crest represent his unrelenting climb to educate himself and to improve humanity.