A new living learning community (LLC) option will be available for second-year students beginning fall 2009.
The "Student Created Communities" option will allow students to initiate community housing options around a specific theme of their choice with people who share a common interest.
According to Lucinda Coveney, director of housing contracts and meal plans, the new LLC is not to be confused with the current "Student Created Programming," now renamed "Explore Miami," which targets first-year students.
Coveney said "Student Created Communities" was created because of lack of success with previous student created LLCs. "Student Created Communities" is more structured than the old "Student Created Programming."
Students must complete an application and present their residence hall theme idea to residence life staff.
Once approved, students are then placed in their choice of residence hall, Coveney said.
"The students are coming together with people who share common interests and are working toward a common goal, which should really strengthen the community as a whole," Coveney said.
There are two benefits inherent in this new LLC, according to Vicka Bell-Robinson, coordinator of living learning communities.
First, it gives students the chance to identify their desired location on campus to fulfill their purpose. For instance, a group focused on fitness and sports might request accommodations close to North Quad or the Recreational Sports Center, Bell-Robinson said.
She added each group is permitted to submit a budget to the residence life staff, outlining their educational goals and corresponding funding needs.
In order to submit a community proposal to residence life, each group must contain 10 to 16 students who agree upon a common theme.
The community can either be same-sex or coed. Additionally, each group is required to have a community coordinator, treasurer and a self-selected faculty adviser, according to Bell-Robinson.
There were seven student created communities approved and created for the 2009-10 academic year with themes ranging from sports to health and safety to digital media technologies.
"Students are given the opportunity to create everything related to their living learning community experience from its size and location to their budget and activities," Bell-Robinson said. "While there is some oversight, there is a lot of flexibility. Students are given the chance to use their student fees in a really intentional way to enhance themselves, their friends and their experience at Miami."
Each student created community is required to complete four educational events per semester.
For example, Bell-Robinson said the sports-related community requested funds to visit the Great American Ball Park and take a "behind the scenes" tour to further the community's stated purpose.
