Living-Learning Communities
Housing That's More Than Just Housing
A Living-Learning Community (LLC) is a hall or community specifically reserved for students with common academic interests (e.g. an Academic LLC dedicated to residents in the same major or college) and/or students who have similar interests in shared lived experiences (e.g. an Experiential LLC where personal lived experiences are celebrated and supported). Students that live in LLCs participate in specific activities that aim to benefit their personal, social, academic, and career goals.
The LLC experience offers many opportunities and benefits, including...
- A community of peers with a shared experience or interest
- Connecting with the LLC participants
- Study groups across LLCs
- Unique LLC resources, such as tutoring, mentorship, etc.
- Annual LLC Field Trips
- Awards for engagement and participation
- And much more!
Check out each LLC page for more in-depth information!
Academic Living-Learning Communities
Spend the year with students with similar academic majors, and share academic experiences with peers and faculty. Available programs help residents develop academically, professionally, and personally. They can also connect residents to campus partners and student organizations. Additionally, the programs can help guide future academic and employment options.
Experiential Living-Learning Communities
Students who have similar interests in shared college or lived experiences can choose to live together in these student-driven communities. They can also be involved with the respective campus offices to celebrate and encourage their development. Events and programs increase residents' knowledge of history and contemporary issues. They help develop residents academically, professionally, and personally.
PATH, Stonewall, Markaz, Mundo, and Global Scholars are open to any and all students.
Request a Living-Learning Community
To request an LLC, be sure to select the community you're interested in when you submit your Residence Hall Contract in the MyHousing portal.
Space is limited in the LLCs and cannot be guaranteed. We recommend filling out your Housing Contract as early as possible to secure your space. Start off right by adding the LLC’s that you are interested in and prioritizing them first in your order preference on your Housing Contract in the Living-Learning Communities section. After you’ve ranked your preferences, you will be prompted to answer a few short questions regarding your interest in your top choice LLC.
As you work to identify roommate(s), don’t forget that they must preference the same LLC as their top choice or your preferences could be in opposition to one another. When you are notified of your Room Selection time period, plan to go online to choose your room and roommate as soon as possible.
LLC FAQ's
Check out answers to frequently asked questions!
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What is a Living-Learning Community?
A Living-Learning Community (LLC) is a hall or community specifically reserved for students with common academic interests and/or students who have similar interests in shared lived experiences. Students that live in LLCs participate in specific activities that aim to benefit their personal, social, academic, and career goals.
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Why should I live in an LLC?
All LLCs provide an experience for students to develop skills that can support their broader success at the university. You should anticipate being active in your LLC through different events and discussions offered throughout your time residing with us. They focus on the specific outcomes of each LLC, the intersecting themes and identities between them, as well as our overall residential experience.
A few engagement opportunities you can look forward to:
- Connecting with a community of peers that can benefit your network in college and beyond, through community meetings and discussions.
- Participating in discussions with students, staff, and faculty on critical topics to the LLCs theme, such as current events, career trends, and societal norms.
- Reflecting on experiences on campus and learning skills to navigate transitions within the college, by facilitating a direct connection to campus resources and opportunities.
- Enjoy fun and engaging events planned with the community in mind, ranging from field trips, guest speakers, academic workshops, social functions, and so much more.
- Providing feedback on your experience in the LLC to assist in its development.
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How do I live in an LLC?
Space is limited in the LLCs and cannot be guaranteed. We recommend filling out your Housing Contract as early as possible to secure your space. Start off right by adding the LLC’s that you are interested in and prioritizing them first in your order preference on your Housing Contract in the Living-Learning Communities section. After you’ve ranked your preferences, you will be prompted to answer a few short questions regarding your interest in your top choice LLC.
As you work to identify roommate(s), don’t forget that they must preference the same LLC as their top choice or your preferences could be in opposition to one another. When you are notified of your Room Selection time period, plan to go online to choose your room and roommate as soon as possible.
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I already submitted my contract, is it too late to join an LLC?
If you’ve already submitted your contract, you can still make edits. It is as simple as re-opening the contract and updating the information provided.
These changes can occur up until the start of the roommate self-selection process, which typically begins around the fourth week of June. The Housing Portal will indicate when you are no longer able to make changes to your housing preferences.
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My roommate preferenced a different LLC, or did not preference one. Will the LLC still be an option if I am in the roommate group with them?
If you indicate in your application that you prefer to live with specific roommates, and those roommates do not preference the same LLC(s) as you, you will not be able to live in the LLC(s) you preferenced because of your competing interests. In order to have your best chance of living in the LLC(s) you prefer, and roommates you prefer, those roommates also have to preference that LLC. If you want to preference an Academic LLC, and you and your preferred roommates are not in the same college, you will only have access to preference the LLC of the college you are affiliated with, or you will have to choose to live with your roommates not in an LLC. We highly encourage students to prioritize living in an LLC over living with friends. The LLC experience is a very unique and beneficial opportunity for our residents, and you and your friends can always visit each other!
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If I’m in the Honors Program, and I plan to live on campus, will I live in the Honors LLC?
Yes! If you plan to live on campus and you are in Honors, it is a requirement by the Honors Program that you live in the Honors LLC. You do not have to indicate this in your Housing application. You will automatically be accepted to the Honors LLC. This also means you will not be able to live in any other LLC. If you have been formally accepted into Honors, please do not complete the LLC page of the Housing application.
Living-Learning Community Housing Application Process
For incoming students and continuing students
Interested in residing within a Living-Learning Community (LLC) next year and don’t know where to start? The process of expressing interest in, and ultimately residing within an LLC, is one that spans the entirety of the Housing selection process, from application to placement.
It is crucial during the Housing Application process you are attentive to your UCR email and MyHousing Portal for notifications to quickly take action.
Here is an overview of the key elements of the LLC placement process:
Admitted students must submit their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) prior to gaining access to the Housing Contract. The Housing Contract and Application are where you can indicate which LLC(s) you are interested in and rank them based off of preference.*
Please note that it may take up to 72 hours before your SIR processes and you get access to the Housing Contract.
*For incoming first years and transfer students
When submitting your Housing Contract, you will be prompted to input information about yourself, living preferences, emergency contact information, and much more!
After you have provided this information you will be brought to the LLC section of the process, where you will be shown the LLCs available to you.
Please note that the Academic LLC offering shown to you is dependent upon which College you are affiliated with.
At the bottom of the LLC section is where you will input and rank the LLCs you are interested in. You can rank up to three LLCs. In addition to ranking your preferences, you will be asked to answer a question for each LLC you prefer.
Please note, these answers are used to evaluate if the LLC’s theme and purpose align with your interest, and are used inform the LLCs events and discussions.
When you submit your Housing Contract you will be prompted to pay the required non-refundable fees. Your interest in LLCs will be reviewed, and before the roommate selection process, you will be emailed if you were accepted into an LLC.
After your contract has been processed by Housing Services, you will receive information regarding roommate selection. You will be able to create a roommate group with other residents who have been accepted into your LLC.
After you have formed your roommate group and received your time slots, one person must be designated by your group to make the room selection. The person with the earliest time slot is the best person to be designated group leader. This process works similar to selecting a seat on a plane and the system will only show you rooms that are available to your full roommate group.
After you have selected your space, you should keep an eye on your MyHousing Portal and your UCR email for any adjustments that are made to your housing assignment.