New Living-Learning Communities Initiative in Student Life

Students mingle during the Mardi Gras celebration.

Wyoming Hall, a Living-Learning Community (LLC) on campus, recently held a Mardis Gras celebration. The communities provide housing opportunities for students with similar interests in a variety of areas. /PHOTO BY ANNALEE BAINNSON '19

The Department of Student Life has redesigned the housing options on campus to more closely align with its educational priorities, which is to help ensure that Geneseo students are best prepared to build positive relationships and become socially responsible citizens and engaged learners.

As part of this initiative, students will have the option of selecting one of the 13 Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) that have been established in our residence halls.

Each Living-Learning Community is unique, but all are centered on a distinctive theme or academic interest area, allowing students to deepen their understanding of an area of study and learn how to set aside time for self-reflection and personal growth, while taking advantage of opportunities that enhance and enrich in-class instruction with focused out-of-class learning experiences.

The current line-up of LLC’s and their respective areas of focus includes:

  • Arts Community: the arts — visual, performing
  • Dante House: global citizenship and service
  • Eco House: sustainability: environmental, economic, social
  • First-Year Experience: academic and social support
  • Global House: cultural experiences: anthropology, languages, political science, international students, study abroad
  • Medical Interest Group: medical and health fields
  • Tesla House: for first-year students interested in science, education and integrative learning
  • Transfer Student Experience: academic and social support; career/future goals
  • Upperclassmen Experience: academic and career support
  • Wellness Communities: Physical well-being
  • Writers House: creative and academic writing (eg: literary, science, music, teaching)

Two new LLCs will open in the fall: Leadership, Management, and Entrepreneurship House (LME), located in Putnam Hall, and Food Culture House, located in Wyoming Hall as a part of Global House.  

The establishment of LME House is the result of a partnership between Student Life, Campus Auxiliary Services, the School of Business, and the office of Leadership and Service in the Center for Community. Field trips to local businesses, innovation centers, maker spaces, community agencies, and organizations are just some of the experiences planned for this community. In addition to experiential learning opportunities, the LME community will be offered a one-credit course that will integrate the skills and knowledge from classes and field trips into a meaningful experience.

Food Culture House is a partnership between Student Life, Campus Auxiliary Services, the Department of Anthropology and the Office of Sustainability. Students in this community will have the opportunity to develop an appreciation for the diversity of food production systems, visit local food-oriented businesses, such as manufacturing plants, markets, and food pantries, and explore the role that food culture plays in this region and around the world. Food Culture House also has a one-credit course attached to the experience that will delve into the range of cultivation, production, preparation, consumption and sustainability issues of the world. The course will also investigate how modern culinary traditions have been shaped by religion, geography, location and conflict.

Barbara Welker, associate professor of anthropology, is excited about the way Living-Learning Communities offer her a new way of working with students. 
 
"A living-learning community provides an easy access point for faculty to engage with students in non-traditional ways," said Welker. "I am particularly delighted about the formation of Food Culture House because it touches upon my academic interest of human nutrition, but I also love to cook and have a professional background in cooking.  It's great to have a place where I can share the intersection of my passions with students." 
 

Learn more about each of the LLCs by visiting the Living-Learning Communities website. Faculty or staff members looking to get involved should fill out this General Interest Form or reach out to Meg Reitz, assistant director of student life for educational initiatives, via email or at (585) 245-6363.