Living Learning Communities

Roger Williams University began offering Living Learning Communities (LLCs) more than fifteen years ago, when the University Honors Program chose to include a living component to accompany the overall honors experience. Since then, the University has hosted many types of living major-based to special interest, self-proposed and everything in between communities. We believe that Living Learning Communities are an integral piece of the RWU education, especially for our incoming students.

National research has shown that LLCs:

  • Improve self-confidence
  • Open students’ minds to new ideas and experiences
  • Increase student engagement in classes
  • Lead students to think more critically and gain deeper knowledge
  • Create a greater sense of connection to the university community

Our current LLC offerings include communities organized around our Honors program, Substance Free, Black and Latinx, and Queer & Trans. Each area will be comprised of a cohort of approximately 20-40 students (depending on the residential community).

At RWU, our Living Learning Communities:

  • Give students additional access to faculty and/or staff members.
  • Create a community within a community
  • Allow for greater interaction with Peers and Resident Assistants
  • Serve the specific needs and interests of the students residing in them

LLCs at RWU are designed to help students get the most out of their first-year by strengthening the connection between the classroom and the residence hall, and helping in the transition from high school to college.  As a member of one of these communities, students will have the support and encouragement they need to make the most of their college experience.

The application for all Living Learning Communities is available through your Housing Self-Service Portal. If you do not see the application under Forms & Applications, please email rwuhousing@rwu.edu. 

Living Learning Communities

Black and Latinx Living Learning Community

The Black and Latinx Living Learning Community is a group of people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and ethnicities who connect around the common experience of being racially Black or Latinx.  The Black and Latinx LLC aims to make meaningful connections with peers and Black/Latinx faculty and administrators, network in the RI community with Black/Latinx professionals, participate in community collaborations through service projects that empower Black/Latinx youth and engage with the campus community for institutional change.  This community is located in Building I of Stonewall Terrace and will be home to both first year and upperclassmen students.

Black and Latinx Living Learning Community
Coordinator:Michael Walsh
Web Page:Click here for more information about this community
Honors Living Learning Community

The Honors program is located in Building IV of Stonewall Terrace and is home to both first year and upperclassmen students.  Students entering the Honors Program will be automatically placed in this Living Learning Community, unless they are commuting from home or would prefer an affinity-based LLC (i.e. Black & Latinx or Queer/Trans). The Honors Program, in coordination with the LLC, focuses on achieving excellence through intellectual and creative scholarship, fostering citizenship and social responsibility through reflective engagement with local and global communities and leading and serving within the program, the community, and the world. 

Honors Living Learning Community 
Program Director:Dr. William Palm, Associate Professor of Engineering
Queer/Trans Living Learning Community

This community serves students who identify anywhere within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, trans, transgender, non-binary, and gender non-confirming communities. In partnership with the Queer and Trans Resource and Advocacy Center (QTRAC), this community allows for our queer and trans communities to build a strong network of support while they adjust to life at RWU. This community also creates a safe space for our queer and trans students to celebrate their shared identities.  The Queer/Trans LLC is located in Maple Hall for our first year students. Returning (upperclassmen) students have an additional community located within the suites of North Campus Residence Hall.

Queer/Trans Living Learning Community 
Coordinator:Michael Walsh
Web Page:Click here for more information about this community
Substance Free Living Learning Community


Despite the entirety of our South Campus being substance free, this community is designed for students seeking an opportunity to live in a space on campus that focuses on a holistic wellness without the use of alcohol, tobacco and other substances.  Students selecting this community are expected to meet this expectation while living in the space.  The Substance Free LLC is located in Willow Hall.

Substance Free Living Learning Community 
Coordinator:Erin Durigan
Sustainable Food Systems Living Learning Community

The Sustainable Food Systems community is for upperclassmen students interested in taking an active role in promoting sustainability on campus. Depending on their interests, students may help develop and maintain campus gardens, attend cooking demonstrations or classes, visit local food producers, or coordinate events centered on education the RWU community about sustainable food systems. Through these activities, students will gain a familiarity with both campus and regional sustainability initiatives. Students enrolled in FS101, Introduction to Food Science, will be given priority for placement in this LLC. The Sustainable Food Systems LLC is located in Bayside Courts.

Sustainable Food Systems Learning Community 
Coordinator:       Dr. Jennifer Kreft Pearce, Associate Professor of Physics

Q: What are the benefits of being involved in an LLC?

A: In addition to the information provided on this web page, some of the benefits include faculty mentors, special events and instant bonds with your classmates and faculty members.

 Q: I really want to be in an LLC; how do I make sure that I get in?

A: After students complete their housing application, they will be able to apply for the Living Learning Community through a separate application/selection process. Those application links along with the program coordinator contact information can be found on this page (above). Program coordinators will select students based on the student's LLC application and space availability. Placement into one of these communities is not guaranteed.

 Q: How much does it cost to be in an LLC?

A: Even with all of the added benefits, there is no additional cost to be part of any of our LLC. The cost is only associated with with the residential community the LLC resides in.

Q: Can I pick my roommate?

A: If you already know who you’d like to live with, you can indicate that on the Roommate Matching Characteristics Questionnaire.  It must be a mutual request to be considered and the roommate will have to either complete an LLC application as well or be accepted/approved by the LLC Program Coordinator.

 Q: What if I don’t like/get along with my roommate?

A: We always do our best to match you with a roommate who will complement your lifestyle. While we have enjoyed great success in our process, we acknowledge that the process is not foolproof. If things aren’t working between you and your roommate, we will try our best to help you work through it, or work with you to have you reassigned to a better living situation.