On-campus housing is no longer synonymous with no terms like “cramped” or “crowded,” the new residence halls and, more specifically, learning and living communities, offer college freshmen a totally unique college experience (and a chance to fill a resume)! My College Guide talked to Cynthia Jenkins, the assistant vice president for human affairs, at the University of Texas Dallas, about their fantastic college housing.
Courtesy of the University of Texas Dallas
So, at the University of Texas Dallas, all students live in the residence halls, but a select group of Freshmen have the option of also participating in a living and learning community?
This has been the model to this point. Beginning Fall 2011, all Freshmen who live on campus will be part of a living learning community. The freshman housing application has students select their top 3 choices for the communities they would like to join.
What is the living and learning community like at the University of Texas Dallas?
Living learning communities (LLC) at UT Dallas enable students with similar academic majors or personal interests to share the same living space (they occupy suites that are adjacent on the same floor of the residence hall), and they provide them with numerous opportunities to connect based on the community theme, such as:
They enroll in the same First Year Experience course in the Fall semester, taught by an LLC faculty or staff partner (for example, students with a major in the School of Management share the class and are taught by an Assistant Dean in the school.) Some communities have special courses created for them for the Spring semester.
Residential Life programming developed by the students’ Peer Advisors (our equivalent of Resident Assistants) often focuses on the theme of the community: upperclassman- led study sessions, pizza party for planning out course schedules before registration & discussing course content/format/professors in their areas of study, faculty members invited to speak on their research, etc.
Living Learning Community staff develop programs that further the learning experiences outside the classroom: movie nights showing documentaries reflecting the community theme followed by a panel discussion, faculty dinners where faculty dine with student in the campus Dining Hall, field trips to local industries (the Art & Technology community visited the Janimation Studios in Dallas), guest speakers (such as a panel of medical students from UT Southwestern who spoke to members of the Pre-Health LLC.)
Courtesy of the University of Texas Dallas
What communities are available to Freshmen?
For Fall 2011 we will offer the following communities:
Academic: Engineering and Computer Science, Art & Technology, School of Management, Pre-Health
Special Interest Theme – Music, Global Awareness, Wellness, Sustainability, Pathways to the Future
So, the residence halls are a little different from the 8 x 8 boxes for a room, aren’t they?
Our residence hall consists of 3-room suites. There is a common living area, common sink area with 3 sinks and storage space for each student, single shower and toilet, and 3 individual lockable rooms.
What activities are living and learning students involved in outside of the classroom?
Some are listed above. Others include: special projects for Engineering students (creating a ‘machine’ of some sort, displaying in the lobby of the residence hall and judged), Art & Technology students produced a video on living in the ATEC LLC and worked with faculty and grad students to learn techniques, Management students had a residence hall room cooking contest which was judged by the Dean of the School of Management, Music students went back stage with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Students in the communities also engage in service projects and in Spring 2010 there was an Alternative Spring Break trip to Heifer International Headquarters for just LLC students. There are lots of study sessions and socializing with community members and their Peer Advisors as well.
Why should a student consider a living and learning community?
Living learning communities enable students to connect with peers who share their interests and meet faculty who can help them develop their college path. The special opportunities afforded students in living learning communities can enhance their experience of the university and put them on the fast track to getting involved in meaningful ways. Events and programming are designed specifically to engage students relative to their community interest, offering both academic, career-focused, and social events that are more meaningful.
Courtesy of the University of Texas Dallas
What makes a living and learning community a good choice for some students?
Students can gain from being in an LLC in different ways, which makes the experience beneficial to all students. Those who come to the university not knowing anyone will have an instant connection with students who share their academic goals or other personal interests. Students who hope to be campus leaders and build strong college resumes for graduate /med/law school have opportunities to get to know faculty outside of the classroom setting and discover very quickly how they can make an impact. Students who want to learn how to connect their passions (for environmental issues, global causes, physical/spiritual/mental wellness) to a major and career have university faculty and staff who can help them do so. Living learning communities enable students to engage with their academic and personal interests beyond what their individual classes offer.
If a high school student likes the thought of the living and learning communities at UT Dallas, what can they do to boost their chances for getting chosen?
Beginning in Fall 2011, all students who wish to live on campus will now have the opportunity to experience being part of a Living Learning Community.
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