Housing communities: Off campus, on campus, and living learning communities

Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are an opportunity for students to live on a floor or in a building with other students who share a common interest or major. The  2020-2021 LLC application opens Thursday, December 12.

Why LLCs?  LLCs provide students an opportunity to develop friendships and community, discover, explore, and apply knowledge through multidisciplinary projects, programs, and coursework in a wide array of different themes. LLC students create connections to their academic work in new and creative ways, receive additional academic and social support, and engage in transformative experiences through:

  • On and off-campus projects and field trips with faculty and staff
  • Faculty mentorship
  • Networking opportunities with alumni and employers
  • Access to academic tutors in a wide-array of different subjects
  • Common courses and peer mentorship

Mason LLC students outperform their non-LLC peers in both retention and graduation rates. They report having a smoother transition to and through college both academically and socially.

All current residential students are encouraged to apply, even if they are not presently in an LLC. LLCs open to returning students include:

  • Business & Entrepreneurship
  • Environment & Sustainability
  • Gender & Social Justice
  • Honors College
  • Leadership through Community Engagement
  • LGBTQ+
  • The First – First Generation College Students
  • Volgenau School of Engineering
  • Well-Being

LLC applications are due Tuesday, February 4 via the housing application: https://gmu.starrezhousing.com/StarRezPortal. If you have questions, contact  LLC@gmu.edu or (703) 993-6674.

On-Campus Residence Hall Closures
Most freshmen residence halls will close at 12 p.m. on Thursday, December 19th. Students leaving for the winter break are encouraged to take valuables (passport, medication, jewelry, electronics, etc.) home with them. If your student plans to return to the same room after the break, they will not need to remove any belongings or check out with the residence hall staff. Students who currently have a vacancy in their room should anticipate having a roommate when they return in the spring. Residents should plan to leave 24 hours after their last exam or by 12 p.m. on Thursday, December 19th (whichever comes first).

The following buildings will remain open during winter break:

  • Blue Ridge
  • Eastern Shore
  • Hampton Roads
  • Jackson
  • Liberty Square
  • Mason Global Center
  • Northern Neck
  • Piedmont
  • Potomac Heights
  • Rogers
  • Roosevelt
  • Sandbridge
  • Taylor
  • Tidewater
  • Townhouses
  • Whitetop

Returning to Campus
All campus residences will reopen at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 17, 2020. There is no early arrival available for the spring semester.

Not Returning to Campus
Students seeking to cancel their housing assignments for any reason must follow the Housing Agreement Release Request process to terminate their spring assignments. Please visit  https://housing.gmu.edu/apply/cancellations  for more information about the cancellation process.

Off-Campus Housing Options
If your student is considering living off campus in 2020, encourage them to stop by the Off-Campus Housing Fair on Tuesday, December 10 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in Dewberry Lobby on the ground floor of the Johnson Center.

The Housing Fair brings together local apartment complexes so that students have a one-stop opportunity to learn about several off-campus living options, all in one place. There will also be Off-Campus Advisors and representatives from Contemporary Student Services to address concerns about budgeting, leases, and transitioning to off-campus housing. The fair provides the perfect opportunity for students and parents to explore off-campus living choices in a fun, stress-free environment.

Contemporary Student Services also provides students with a Mason-specific resource for their off-campus housing search. Encourage your students to make a profile at och.gmu.edu with their Mason credentials (their @gmu.edu email address). Then, students are able to search for properties, contact landlords, and even find other Mason students to live with as roommates! Family members can make a guest account as well. For all this and more, visit och.gmu.edu!

Contemporary Student Services provides a centralized resource center and comprehensive offering of academic and social engagement opportunities to specifically meet the needs of students living off-campus and those transitioning to off-campus living, contributing to a successful, holistic, and seamless collegiate experience.
For more information on the Off-Campus Housing Fair or Contemporary Student Services, you can contact Anthony Berardo, aberardo@gmu.edu, or Casey Smith, csmit34@gmu.edu. If your student is unable to attend the fair and would like to speak with a staff member from Contemporary Student Services, they can make an appointment at offcampus.gmu.edu or contact our Off-Campus Advisors at offcamp1@gmu.edu or 703-993-6563.

Aysha Puhl
Associate Director of Living Learning Communities
Housing and Residence Life

Casey Smith
Assistant Director for Off-Campus Student Services
Contemporary Student Services

*To receive more articles like this straight to your inbox, sign up for the Mason Family Association at masonfamily.gmu.edu/mason-family-association.