Upperclassmen granted new housing opportunities
Hannah Alexander
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: News
Next year upperclassmen will have the opportunity to create their own learning communities in North Hall, under the new residential program For Students, By Students (FSBS).
According to the Housing by Design web site, there are several benefits to living in a learning community including allocated funding and designated meeting space for each group.
"The upperclassmen experience is less of a policing system," Antwione Haywood, Assistant Director of Residential Living Organization said. "All guests still have to be signed in but this is for the level of security."
Although the idea of upperclassmen learning communities is new to Drexel, several other universities, including Northeastern University and University of Cincinnati, also allow their students to live in learning communities. According to the UC website, learning communities are designated not only by school but also by common interest. Northeastern also has a range of learning communities to choose from, but they are limited to sophomores and freshmen. According to the NU web site, learning communities help freshmen adjust to city life and help sophomores prepare for the co-op experience and acquire essential skills for living on their own.
The sign up for housing began this past Monday on Jan. 14 not only for North Hall's learning communities, but also for Caneris Hall, University Crossings and 34th Street Housing.
"Within the first eight hours, nine groups had already signed up," Jennifer Calvert, senior assistant director for Residential Living for Residence Education, said.
According to Calvert students formed all types of learning communities both closed and open, including a music group, a five star cooking group and a CoMAD students group.
According to both Calvert and Haywood, the idea for FSBS came from meeting with Calhoun Hall staff as well as meeting with sixty Drexel students. Currently the freshmen dorms Calhoun, Myers and Race all have learning communities within them.
According to the Housing by Design web site, there are several benefits to living in a learning community including allocated funding and designated meeting space for each group.
"The upperclassmen experience is less of a policing system," Antwione Haywood, Assistant Director of Residential Living Organization said. "All guests still have to be signed in but this is for the level of security."
Although the idea of upperclassmen learning communities is new to Drexel, several other universities, including Northeastern University and University of Cincinnati, also allow their students to live in learning communities. According to the UC website, learning communities are designated not only by school but also by common interest. Northeastern also has a range of learning communities to choose from, but they are limited to sophomores and freshmen. According to the NU web site, learning communities help freshmen adjust to city life and help sophomores prepare for the co-op experience and acquire essential skills for living on their own.
The sign up for housing began this past Monday on Jan. 14 not only for North Hall's learning communities, but also for Caneris Hall, University Crossings and 34th Street Housing.
"Within the first eight hours, nine groups had already signed up," Jennifer Calvert, senior assistant director for Residential Living for Residence Education, said.
According to Calvert students formed all types of learning communities both closed and open, including a music group, a five star cooking group and a CoMAD students group.
According to both Calvert and Haywood, the idea for FSBS came from meeting with Calhoun Hall staff as well as meeting with sixty Drexel students. Currently the freshmen dorms Calhoun, Myers and Race all have learning communities within them.
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