Living on campus offers a variety of benefits. As you can imagine some of these benefits include easier access to campus facilities like the recreation center and the dining hall. But living on campus is also a great way to meet new friends and create lasting relationships. Furthermore, students who live on campus have higher GPAs and are more engaged in their college experience.
One way that we help students create friends and engage the college experience is through our themed community areas. Originally created in the Fall of 2013 as affinity housing, these communities were designed as a way for students of similar interests or backgrounds to integrate their social and academic lives. We offer three communities currently Below you can find more information on each of the available programs.
**You are not required to choose an specific community. Students who are not interested will be placed on another floor.**
The University's Pontchartrain Hall North and Pontchartrain South will have three specialized wings.
The STEM themed Living Learning Community floor brings together students who want to understand current science, technology, engineering and mathematics trends, develop stronger connections to their classmates and faculty and participate in daily life of the STEM community. Through the partnership with the Department of Biological Sciences, you’ll meet local scientists, engineers, and policy professionals and have the opportunity to participate in programs which expand the in-class learning. Incoming freshmen interested in this community are encouraged to enroll in UNIV 1001 Section 53 (This section is hosted in Pontchartrain Halls exclusively for students in the STEM community)
New Orleans has long been associated with arts. For example, The National Park Service writes, “Even before jazz, for most New Orleanians, music was not a luxury as it often is elsewhere–it was a necessity.”1 With this community, the Office of Residence Life continues and expands on that tradition. Students in this community are passionate about the many disciplines of emotional and cultural expression including but not limited to dance, theatre, music, digital design, film, painting, and sculpting.
Students in this community are creative individuals looking to hone their skills and spread the joy of the arts to others. Exploring the philosophies behind art as well as strategies and skills will assist these students turning their passions into successful careers. The Visual and Performing Arts Community is open to Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors of all artistic skill levels and majors.
1"A New Orleans Jazz History, 1895-1927." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017. <https://www.nps.gov/jazz/learn/historyculture/jazz_history.htm>.
Located in North Hall, this wing is reserved for Honors students. The Honors Program is designed not only to challenge academically astute students, but also to provide a platform to network and create social connections. This environment for like-minded people assists students with socializing and creating lasting bonds of friendship during their college experience and beyond.
Meet lifelong friends, form study groups and get involved, all while enjoying the benefit and prestige of living in an Honors Community. In order to qualify to live in the Honors Community, one must actively petition the Honors Program for membership. The criteria for petitioning membership in the Honors Program are as follows:
All recipients of the Homer L. Hitt scholarship award will be admitted into the Honors Program in recognition of their strong academic record.
We look forward to having you on campus this fall! This is going to be a wonderful opportunity for you to experience the University of New Orleans as an on campus resident.
