Living and Learning Communities

Integrating academic achievement with co-curricular programs in a collaborative environment allows students to connect their learning.  One program connecting academics to student life is the Living and Learning Communities.  The Living and Learning Communities serve to

• bring faculty, staff, and students together around common themes,
• develop students academically and personally,
• develop a stronger residential community, and
• enhance an institutional culture that values engagement and integrative learning. 

Over the years, Residence Life has worked with a number of departments and students to create alternative residential experiences.  Whatever your interests or major may be, participating in one of these programs can be a rewarding campus experience.

Please click on the links below to learn more about each existing Living & Learning Community.

Arabic Living and Learning Community--New for 2008-2009!

Culture and Performance

Global Living Community

Justice and Diversity in Action

Living Well

Muslim Interest Living Community

Georgetown University’s Center for New Design in Learning and Scholarship conducted a survey in Spring 2006.  Results show students living on Living & Learning Community floors responded significantly higher (p<.001) than students living on regular floors with regards to knowing students on the floor, meeting people from various backgrounds and cultures, and feeling responsibility for the floor.  Additionally, students living on Living and Learning Community floors responded significantly higher (p<.005) than students living on regular floors with regards to feeling included by other students, providing and receiving support to and from other students, to a sense of ownership over the floor, strengthening the student’s ability to communicate within a group and the student’s ability to resolve group conflict, and contributing to a student’s overall academic success. 

The timeline to join the existing Living & Learning Communities is as follows:

If you are class of '09 or '10 

You must sign up and receive eligibility in order for the LLC advisor and/or committee to consider your application.  Eligibility sign up 

begins on October 9th and concludes October 15th at noon.  If you are interested in living on campus and/or participating in an LLC, 

you are required to sign up for eligibility. 

Class of '09 or '10:  If you receive eligibility.

You are required to follow all Housing deadlines.  If you fail to use your eligibility to select a space on campus, you will lose your 

eligibility.  Our LLC process does not always follow the normal Housing deadlines.  Once you've selected a space on campus, we can 

move you into an LLC at no penalty.  LLC applications are available on line Friday, October 26th through Friday, November 9th. 

Class of '09 or '10: If you do not receive eligibility.

Ask to be placed on the Housing waiting list.  Once you have been removed from the waitlist, please contact the LLC advisor and 

Housing Services about placement opportunities.  We will do our best to honor your request, but we cannot hold a space for you. 

If you are Class of '11 

You automatically have eligibility, so you do not need to apply.  Applications for Class '11 will be due January 29th.  You will be 

notified in mid-February regarding your status and placement.  Our LLC process does not always follow the normal Housing deadlines.  

If you select a space on campus prior to the completion of the LLC process, we can move you into an LLC at no penalty. 

For incoming first year students (Class of ’12), visit our online application to apply.  Applications will be due Wednesday, June 4, 2008.  After that date, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all spots have been filled. 

 For incoming sophomore transfers, visit our online application to apply.  Applications will be due Monday, June 16, 2008.  After that date, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until all spots have been filled. 

For all other incoming students, applications will be due Monday, June 16, 2008.  Acceptance into a Living and Learning Community will be due in part to housing space availability.  You may apply online.

Arabic Living and Learning Community

 The Arabic Living and Learning Community is a community of people who are interested in increasing their knowledge and skill in the Arabic language.  Programs and activities work to expose students not only to the Arabic language but to the Arab culture.

 The goals of this program include increase learning by exposing students to an environment for students to utilize what they learned in class and to create a very close community to help and assist each other in pursuit of greater understanding of both the Arabic language and culture.  The Arabic LLC would be speaking Arabic the majority of the time, thus the student is both exposed to Arabic speaking, enhancing listening proficiency, and accelerate speaking ability.

 The criteria for this LLC is enrollment of at least one Arabic class a semester, interest and sincere dedication to speaking Arabic on the floor at most times.  Native speakers who are not taking an Arabic class can still apply and will be considered for the floor. 

 If you are interested, please contact either Valerie Novak at vln3@georgetown.edu or Katherine Angstadt at ka95@georgetown.edu.  You may also apply online.

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Living Well

Living Well community members make up a diverse group of students who desire to live a well-balanced and fun lifestyle and are looking to share these values with other like-minded individuals. In this setting, all students pledge to live their lives free of alcohol, tobacco, and other mind-altering substances both on and off campus.  Students are also interested in learning how to live a complemented life in mind, body, and soul.  The program will be located in Village C West for first year students and in Kennedy Hall for upper-class students. Campus resources made readily available to the Living Well community include staff from Health Education, Residence Life, Outdoor Education, and Campus Ministry.

Living Well is a program that highlights and encourages living well in one's entire being, body, mind and spirit. Yes, Living Well is about substance free living; however, that is only a small part of Living Well. Living Well encourages students to maintain an active lifestyle including healthy eating and exercise, stress and time management, and spirituality and reflection.  Programs include a wiffle ball tournament, kayaking on the Potomac, a trip to New York City, and dinner with the two floors.

Please contact Heather Cruz for more information or apply online.

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Global Living Community

The Global Living Community (GLC) is a residence hall program, which provides a living/learning environment for Georgetown undergraduate students, both international and US. Residents participating in the program develop, design, and implement various activities through which international/intercultural issues are explored.

The Global Living Community is a student driven program with structure provided by the Office of International Programs.. GLC members meet together two times per month in a formal floor meet to discuss and organize floor programs and events. GLC has organized or participated in a Fall Retreat, SAC Fair, International Review, Fall International Film Festival, assessments, and weekly social events.

GLC's starts the year with their traditional fall retreat. Team-building games, cross-cultural awareness and communications exercises were just a few of the events at the retreat.

Students have learned through the retreat, international reviews, daily living in the community, and the running of programs within the community. Activities include culture nights, social outings, and an International Food night.  Over the past years, several university faculty members and visiting scholars have met with the GLC.

Members of the GLC carving pumpkins right before Halloween.  For many of the international students it was their first time participating in this American tradition.  We also had pumpkin pie and roasted the pumpkin seeds as snacks.	Members of the GLC at a meeting during our retreat in the fall.  We go to a lodge in VA about three hours away from Georgetown for the weekend and do team building activities and plan events for the year.

Please contact Stephanie Hertz in The Office of International Programs for more information or to apply.

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Muslim Interest Living Community

The Muslim Interest Living Community (MILC) is designed to create a strong support group for Muslims and non-Muslims who want to be steadfast in prayer and in their commitment to campus building and cooperation.

The goal in MILC is to strive to create a strongly supportive living environment for Muslims and non-Muslims. We aim to build a cohesive family that gets to build understanding between one another and be of service to the greater campus community. MILC selects students that have shown an inclination for activism and community improvement.

The specific goals of MILC are as follows:

To establish an Islamic living environment for those who wish to increase and strengthen their faith.

To give Muslims the opportunity to be surrounded by others who will encourage and support them throughout the learning process.

To give Muslims a chance to meet other Muslims in the local area.

To increase awareness about Islam on campus and promote understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.

MILC has spearheaded morning meals and dinners during Ramadan, and general support of each other in beliefs and practices. Our major area of strength is the common bond we share in our passion for a way of life conducive to Islam. Because of this existential tie, it has lead to different people getting to know one another and encourage each other in their faith.

MILC is located in Alumni Square. Apply online.   You may also contact Sana Haq at sh386@georgetown.edu or Aakib Ahmed Khaled at aak49@georgetown.edu

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Justice & Diversity in Action Living-Learning Community

Living together on the third floor of McCarthy, members of JDA strive to create and sustain an environment that supports each one’s work for social change, as well as each one’s commitment to grow in knowledge of human diversity in all its aspects.  Together, we seek to be open, honest, and sensitive in examining attitudes, prejudices, and actions that undermine respect for diversity and perpetuate injustice, as these arise both within and beyond the Georgetown Community.

The members of Justice and Diversity in Action—called “JDA”—seek to advocate for justice, as individuals and as a group.  Our members come from all schools in the University and include First-Years to Seniors; often there is good mix of international students as well as those who hail from the United States.  Our focus includes the local, the national, and the international.  There is no one prescribed issue or point of view—but rather a shared belief that problems of justice and diversity can be humbling in their complexity and call for all of us to be as open-minded and creative as possible. 

Specific topics or issues vary, depending on the particular experience, concern, expertise, or passion each new member brings to the group.  For example, individual members have been committed to:

• highlighting human rights abuses in Burma;
• remedying deficiencies in public education here in Washington, DC;
• hosting a holiday book gala and dinner which raises money and books to support the University’s Angel Tree Book Drive
• supporting the “One” Campaign to end absolute poverty in our lifetimes;
• drawing attention to flaws in the imposition of the Death Penalty; investigating the persistence and effects of racism and other forms of discrimination;
• abolishing the use of anti-personnel landmines;
• and working to counteract damage to the environment;
• supporting GU students who have family members in the military, serving in harm’s way;
• calling attention to the plight of undocumented Migrants in the US;
• supporting Women of Color;
• supporting GU’s Chapter of STAND;
• Rally and Candlelight Vigil for Jena 6
• Dance and Birthday parties
• Nationals Baseball game
• Ramadan Iftar
• Floor retreat
• Disability awareness
• and the list continues!

 Best of all, members of JDA are filled with energy and creativity, have a wonderful sense of fun and humor and certainly know how to have a good time! 

So come join us!

Please contact Professor McMorrow for more information or apply online.

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Culture and Performance Living and  Learning Community

Education in culture and the arts is crucial component in the education of the whole person. Georgetown 's humanistic education attracts a number of students deeply concerned with culture and the arts. CPLLC provides a vibrant community that supports student interest in the culture and the arts, and acts as a leaven for the rest of the campus in this regard.

Students have expanded their appreciation and knowledge of different aspects of culture and performance through informal interaction with students passionate about different things as well as through common attendance at more formal events.

Students have organized an international dinner, a crepe breakfast, and initiated visits to a number of culture events. The faculty in residence has organized a weekly film series and also coordinates several visits to cultural events.

Many group visits, with subsidized or free tickets, to cultural events on and off campus weekly films, ethnic cooking nights, and informal conversations at all times in the lounge, performing at Midnight Mug, creating music together, going to a lecture on what art is, and a trip to the US Naval Observatory. There is something for everyone!

Students can be from all Georgetown University schools and majors. Student interests have included theater, music, dance, film, painting, writing, languages, food, Lebanese night, magic and many other things. You don't have to be a performer or an artist to join! You do need to be open to new experiences.

Contact Tatiana Obrecht for more information at tao5@georgetown.edu or Apply online.

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