Residential Living Communities

Specialized Living Environments

Residential living communities allow students to live on campus with other students who share their same interests and goals. Interest areas include Creative Arts, Mindfulness and Well-Being, and Campus Recreation.

Benefits

Residential Living Communities benefit students in a variety of ways that will help position them for a successful college career. They can expect to:

  • Have a higher level of academic success
  • Achieve higher GPAs
  • Find a greater sense of belonging to the university
  • Have an increased satisfaction with on-campus housing
  • Create stronger interpersonal connections with peers
  • Have an easier transition to college life

Jump to:

Creative Arts Living Community

The Creative Arts Living Community encourages students to deepen their creative abilities while developing connections to the university and members of their community. Members do not need to be an artist or a performer to join; they just need a curiosity for artistic expression in general. Creative energy brings residents together through fun, hands-on programming.

The Creative Arts Living Community consists of first year students from any course of study. Residents must have an interest in creating any form of art.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

  • Participate in artistic interaction, development and promotion
  • Form a community focused on a passion for creativity and art
  • Support the creative growth of members through programming

Activities

Experiences in this community may include the following:

  • Attending a musical, theatre, or symphony performance
  • Opportunities to network with local artists/performers
  • Hands-on learning and exploration of different forms of arts

*Participation in events and activities outside of the scope of the housing costs may be possible for a nominal fee covered by the resident.

Mindfulness and Well-Being Living Community

The Mindfulness and Well-Being Living Community will support students in building their social and emotional well-being. Students in this community will learn, develop and practice well-being skills such as mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, empathy, forgiveness, altruism and the use of their charter strengths.  These evidenced based behaviors have been shown to support mental and physical health, happiness and foster positive connections with other people.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

  • Form a committed community with other students that are interested in building and enhancing their social and emotional well-being.
  • Participants will learn about the different dimensions of well-being and ways of embedding them into their daily lives to enhance their personal and academic success.
  • Actively engage in well-being interventions in and outside the residence halls that have been shown to positively impact student’s well-being at the individual, group and community level.

Activities

Experiences in this community may include being involved in the following:

  • Learn and commit to a consistent mindfulness practice.
  • Engage in the practice of gratitude through the means of a gratitude journal, gratitude letters, or three good things intervention.
  • Participant in floor or campus random acts of kindness to positively impact floor and campus climate.
  • Complete the VIA assessment to identify charter strengths and commit to using signature strength in unique way.
  • Cultivate the skill of self-compassion and compassion for others as a way of spreading kindness and building resiliency.
  • Enhance social connectedness by hosting and engaging in social activities that help build a sense of belonging, connection and meaning.

*Workshops, presentations, videos, shared reading and experiential exercise will be part of monthly floor programs. 

Campus Recreation Living Community

The Campus Recreation Living Community supports students in developing lifelong leadership, personal wellness, and outdoor skills through Intramurals and Superior Adventures. Residents will have the option to play competitively or for fun in a variety of intramural activities or participate in unique outdoor and social experiences. Residents must be interested in and value outdoor pursuits or being active.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

  • Form a community with others interested in exploring the outdoors and/or participation in team and individual intramural experiences
  • Use the environment as a way to foster the development of personal skills and abilities
  • Develop an awareness of how to lead an active lifestyle

Activities

The members of the Campus Recreation Living Community may participate in the following:

  • Snowshoeing/skiing trips
  • Hiking trips
  • Kayaking/canoeing trips
  • Team sports: soccer, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, softball, kickball, basketball, dodgeball, broomball, floor hockey
  • Individual sports: tennis, ping pong, bag toss, badminton, shooting sports, futsal 

*Participation in intramural activities and additional trips outside of the scope of the housing costs may be possible for a nominal fee covered by the resident.

How to Apply

Applying is easy. Just select your Residential Living Community option when completing your Live@UWS contract. For more information, please contact Residence Life.