Residential Education
A great part of your time at GW will be spent outside the classroom - in your room and residence hall community. Our residential experience is designed to help you explore multiple aspects of college life in a safe, inclusive environment. We encourage you to take full advantage of all of the programs and opportunities available to you in your residential community.
Living-Learning & Themed Communities
GW is a community of scholars, and our Living-Learning and Themed communities allow students to have shared experiences that bring critical thinking and reflection beyond the classroom and into the residential experience. Living Learning Communities (LLCs) feature an intentionally built curriculum that allows students to engage in robust conversation and shared learning through common coursework and experiences. Participants often have the opportunity to chart their own path with individual research projects and engage in signature experiences across the greater DC area. Themed communities, while not tied to specific coursework, give students the opportunity to connect with a smaller community. Working alongside faculty, staff, and their peers as active partners, these communities marry passion areas with living, resulting in an even greater sense of purpose for our students. As our campus progresses, our LLCs and Themed communities evolve to meet the interests and needs of our community. Communities currently include the Corcoran Arts + Design Scholars, the Elizabeth Somers Women's Leadership Program (WLP), the Politics and Values Community (P&V), the First-Year University Honors Program, and Civic House which are housed on our Mount Vernon Campus. Our Themed communities include our First-Generation College Students community.
Affinity Living
Affinity Living at GW, as opposed to the Living Learning Communities, provides upper-class students the opportunity to create their own smaller residential communities. As a student-initiated program, Affinity living utilizes intentionally designed physical space and allows students to create communities based on shared identities, organizational involvement, or interests. While providing an opportunity to create a smaller “home base” for groups of students, these communities are also charged with engaging their larger residential community through programming and opportunities for connection. Communities can change year to year based on student interest. Past communities have included: Casa Blanca, Bandfinity, Muslim Women Affinity, Ultimate Frisby, Allied in Pride, Business Professionals, Artsfinity, and Women of Color. Although each Affinity has a different focus and structure determined by the group, the goals of these communities are to:
- Encourage active engagement in community creation
- Enhance student’s overall educational experiences and sense of community
- Foster learning through group discussion, activities, and communal living
- Encourage support and respect of self, community, and society.
Learn More about Affinities at GW
Residence Hall Resources
