Residential learning communities allow the Office of Housing and Residence Life to collaborate with faculty and staff to provide a dynamic living and learning experience for residential students. They are developed with the goal of enhancing students’ academic and co-curricular experiences. Students residing and actively engaging in a residential learning community have shown higher retention rates and more timely progression toward a degree. They have higher GPAs and have been more challenged to improve basic skills.
In the 2019-2020 academic year:
- 88% of participants reported being satisfied with their residential learning community experience.
- 95% of participants reported having a better understanding and awareness of campus resources.
- 98% of participants reported that participation in a residential learning community helped them get to know students with similar interests.
- 95% of participants reported being able to better identify their personal strengths through participation in a residential community.
- 100% of participants reported being able to better interact with others and contribute to group discussions through participation in a residential learning community.
- 95% of participants reported that participation in a residential learning community helped develop the ability to interact with people from other cultures or ethnic groups.
Here’s what participants said was most satisfying about the experience:
Residential Learning Community Options
Westover Honors College Community for First-year Students
A community of first-year students engaged in the Westover Honors College. Programming focuses on transition to college, academic achievement, study hours, and personal wellness and development. Upperclass Westover students engage and serve as mentors to first-years in this community.
Features include weekly scheduled study time, peer-review workshops, student-selected programs with assorted faculty members, collaborative programs with outside departments, movie screenings, and current events discussions.
- Location: Montgomery Hall, 5th floor (coed)
- Community coordinator: Dr. Beth Savage, director of Westover Honors College
Dimensions of Diversity Community for First-year Students
Dimensions of Diversity creates an innovative environment that upholds and fosters values of acceptance, inclusion, and equity among people of various backgrounds, beliefs, and philosophies. In this atmosphere, they connect and share diverse academic and cultural experiences. Opportunities are incorporated into the framework of the community for shared dialogues, excursions, and educational explorations in order to solidify a multicultural experience for all residents.
Features include book clubs, monthly cultural dinners, special speakers and discussions, film screenings, and trips to museums and attractions off campus.
- Location: Montgomery Hall, 1st floor (gender-inclusive community)
- Community coordinator: Annette Stadtherr, coordinator of multicultural services
Keeping Our Faith Community for First-year Students
First-year students who identify as Christian will meet for Bible study, worship, and services in an intentionally Christian environment geared toward a faithful and successful first year. Attention is given to the theoretical and practical implications of hospitality, equity, inclusion, and diversity.
Features of the community include one-on-one coaching, common reading, regular Bible study meetings, collaborative programs with faculty and staff to share their leadership/vocation discernment journeys with students, visits to local community churches, and more.
- Location: Tate Hall, 3rd Floor (coed)
- Community coordinators: Stephanie McLemore, chaplain and director of church relations for Spiritual Life and Katrina Brooks, assistant chaplain for Spiritual Life
Academic and Career Exploration for Upperclass Students (ACE)
The Academic and Career Exploration (ACE) community helps provide second-year students with the opportunity to explore their academic and professional purposes. Students participate in activities, workshops, and events designed to help them clarify their academic/career goals, develop skills to be a successful student and professional, and explore opportunities in the community. Students are tasked with completing a group project, where they identify a problem on campus or in the community, develop a solution, and implement that solution. This experience provides students with experiential learning, while also cultivating their critical-thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership skills.
Features include, among other things, résumé and LinkedIn workshops; completing a project to address a community need; monthly community dinners; a speaker series with faculty, staff, and local community members; and site visits to local businesses.
- Location: Westover Hall, 1st floor (gender-inclusive community)
- Community coordinators: Jonathan Fries, director of second-year programs, and Brennan Gourley, programming and advising coordinator for second-year programs
Spiritual Wellness and Mindfulness Community for Upperclass Students
The Spiritual Wellness and Mindfulness Residential Learning Community allows second-year students the opportunity to explore personal and spiritual rhythms that can decrease stress and anxiety, increase the ability to have a well-balanced life, learn self-care and patterns of easeful living, develop healthy patterns of technology and social media use, and experience communal support and accountability by peers and staff. Targeted programming allows students to focus on areas of either meditation and yoga and/or contemplative spiritual practices. Open to all students with spiritual curiosity, open-mindedness, and desire to live with peace, regardless of religious tradition or experience.
Features include weekly opportunities for yoga and meditation, silent and spiritual retreats, special speakers and demonstrations, film screenings and discussions, and hiking and day trips off campus.
- Location: Westover Hall, 2nd floor (gender-inclusive community)
- Community coordinators: Dr. Steve Dawson, associate professor of religious studies, and Nathan Albert, associate chaplain for Spiritual Life
Westover Honors College Community for Upperclass Students
A community housing second-year students engaged in the Westover Honors College. Programming focuses on continued academic achievement, study hours, peer-reviewed workshops, student-selected faculty chats, and more. Students in this community serve as mentors to first-year students in the Westover Honors community.
Features include weekly scheduled study time, the Westover Mentor Program that pairs second-year fellows with first-year fellows, peer-review workshops, current events discussions, and organized movie, game, and sports nights.
- Location: Westover Hall, 3rd floor (gender-inclusive community)
- Community coordinator: Dr. Beth Savage, director of Westover Honors College
