Both options have students living together and participating in events and activities. The difference is that living learning communities are organized around academics, with intentional faculty support and academic engagement on and off campus. Theme housing doesn’t have an academic connection, faculty support, or academic engagement.
No. Living learning communities are optional for all students unless you are in The Renée Crown University Honors Program. First-year Honors students are required by the Honors Program to choose a living learning community.
Yes! However, there are some that are only open to students in certain academic programs. For example, the Sport Management Living Learning Community is not open to students in The College of Arts and Sciences. Please contact our office if you have questions about whether you are eligible to participate in a particular living learning community. Consult an academic advisor in your home school or college if you have questions about how your academic requirements fit within a particular living learning community.
No. It is free for students to join and participate in a living learning community.
You sign up via the on-line Housing application. After paying your housing deposit and activating your NetID, you should receive an email from Housing (to your @syr.edu email address) with a link to the Housing Portal.
In the application, you will indicate your preferences regarding Living Learning Communities. Step by Step instructions are available on our Incoming Student Application page.
Students are placed into LLCs on a first-come first-served basis, so if there is an LLC you know you really want to participate in, make sure you rank it #1 on your housing application in the LLC section and that you meet all the requirements.
Yes. The easiest way to ensure you and your roommate are placed together in the LLC is to make sure you both ranked the LLCs in the same way on the on-line Housing application. If you want to join a LLC that is restricted by major, then you should pick a roommate with that same major – so you both can get into the LLC.
Yes, Honors students living in the Honors Living Learning Community can have a roommate who is not an Honors student.
No. Living learning communities are a one year commitment. You could decide to join an LLC for only your first year at SU or you could decide to join an LLC past your first year.
Absolutely not. Living learning communities are the best of both worlds. You get to live with people that you have something in common with AND all of our LLCs are housed in the same residence halls as all the other students at SU – so you are not isolated or separated from the rest of the students.
Individual LLCs can range in size, from smaller LLCs with 10 students to larger LLCs with 230 students. Add them all together and we have ~1,000 first-year students and ~250 upperclass students in our LLCs.
The LLC arrangement varies – from spanning multiple floors, to filling one floor, to being clustered together on part of a floor. With all these options, it’s important to know your LLC floor could be all LLC students or a mixture of LLC and non-LLC students.
Living learning communities are for everyone! The students in living learning communities want to succeed academically and socially. This means that the students who live in living learning communities are bright, want to get the most out of college, and also want to have fun. Check out the LLC Experience section for pictures, videos, and quotes that demonstrate the LLC student experience.
Unfortunately, yes. Low or no student interest can be the main reason why an LLC would not happen for the upcoming academic year. If this happens, we reach out and notify students over the summer.
Many of the classes connected to a living learning community will fit your degree requirements, but not all of them. Please consult an academic advisor in your home school/college.
By knowing yourself and knowing your options. There is no right answer, it is up to you! Consider these questions: What do you like to do? What interests you? What academic program or major are you in? Then, review the list of LLC options and their descriptions to get a better idea of what the LLC experience could be like.
It is possible that LLCs may need to change locations (e.g. in 2023-24, Education HIVE LLC is located in Day Hall, for 2024-25 it will move to Lawrinson Hall) for a variety of reasons. So, it is important that you choose an LLC that you are interested in for its topic and experience, not for its location.
Please let us know. For living learning communities, we won’t be able to change your housing assignment, but we won’t require you to participate in the living learning community classes, events, or programs.
If it turns out that your living learning community experience is not what you were expecting or hoped for, we are happy to discuss your options. For living learning communities, we won’t be able to change your housing assignment, but we won’t require you to participate in the living learning community classes, events, or programs. However, because of course registration deadlines you may not be able to change your living learning community course.
This depends on the living learning community, the LLC classes, and additional activities and events (usually 3-4 activities per semester).
To get the benefits from a living learning community, your active participation is essential. Attending the LLC class, participating in the LLC retreat, and other LLC activities are highly encouraged.
Sure! Please email our office at llc@syr.edu, or call us at 315-443-2079, and we will put you in touch with one of our LLC students.
Yes! We welcome ideas for new living learning communities from students, faculty, and staff. Please contact our office to explore the possibilities.
The faculty and staff who work with living learning communities are committed to enhancing your experience by teaching LLC courses, attending programs and events, arranging guest speakers and developing supportive relationships with students in the LLCs. Frequently, these LLC faculty and staff become mentors and key members of your college network; who can help you succeed in your college career and beyond.
The current living learning community program began in 1998 with 2 living learning communities: the Whitman School of Management LLC and the Honors LLC.”