Residence Life

Living-Learning Communities

Living-Learning Communities

Where each facet of your college experience enriches the other.

Students who take several classes together make friends more quickly, form study groups, and generally have an easier time adjusting to college life.

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But some students want more. They'd like a stronger connection between their academic goals and their extracurricular activities. They hope college will introduce them to other students who share their passion for a subject and will challenge them in new and exciting ways.

Borrowing from the thematic learning and close-knit classroom settings that are hallmarks of the First-Year Connections program, Hofstra has also created special opportunities for a first-year residence experience.

Eight thematic "living-learning communities" are associated with several first-year clusters and seminars, giving students the opportunity to live with many of the same students they are in class with, as well as students who share the same passion for leadership, business, communications, math, and the sciences as well as health science and the arts. Additionally, two of our communities are identity based: One for students who are the first in their family to go to college, and another for international students and those domestic students who would like the experience of being in a community with them.

Students who choose a living-learning community reside together either in the Netherlands Complex, in a house with 55 other first-year residential students or on a floor together in Stuyvesant Hall. Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College students reside in Vander Poel Hall. All these students enjoy class-based activities and events as well as interaction with faculty outside the classroom within their living-learning community.

Commuting students who register for the First-Year Connections clusters and seminars may also participate in the activities associated with these living-learning communities. 

The learning experience is not limited to the four walls of the classroom or even to the borders of the campus. Through these energetic living-learning communities, Hofstra students are exposed to environments that are intellectually stimulating, supportive, and conducive to building lasting friendships and a memorable first-year college experience. If you are interested in registering for a cluster or seminar associated with an LLC or would like more information about this program, visit the First-Year Connections website.

Our Living-Learning Communities

This LLC matches international students from a variety of countries with domestic students as roommates. Specifically, this LLC is for students who are looking for an intercultural exchange experience. This is perfect for students who wish to or have already studied abroad. These pairings create opportunities for cultural exchange, practice of language skills, and an expanded world view.

The First-Generation LLC provides an opportunity for additional focused support for students who are first in their family to go to college, meaning that their parents did not earn a bachelor's degree from a college in the United States. Students in this community will learn how to navigate the University together and with the assistance and guidance of Resident Assistants and other residence hall staff who were also the first in their families to go to college. Specific emphasis will be placed on campus resources, financial literacy, and student involvement.

The L.I.V.E House is a community for students who want to experience firsthand the history and culture of New York City, home to many of the world's greatest writers and artists past and present. Students will regularly travel to NYC for theatrical and musical events, neighborhood tours, gallery visits, poetry readings, and more. Some trips will be connected to English Department courses or topics. All will allow students to get acquainted with the endless opportunities for learning through living in one of today's most diverse and dynamic cities.

The MSE House is home to students who are studying and have an interest in an array of STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering, and math. If you like to take things apart, put them back together – or to design something from the ground up – this LLC is for you. One year it was an air hockey table. There’s no telling what this year will bring. In addition, since students will be taking similar courses, students in this house find it easy to form supportive study groups.

The PreP House is designed for students considering medical, veterinary, or dental studies; physician assistant studies; community health studies; or clinical psychology studies. This house is closely connected to the first-year course sequences in biology and chemistry. Faculty make regular appearances to lead study sessions, go over problem sets, discuss lab reports – and sometimes they stay for dinner. Students will get to know the health-science community in NYC by taking trips around town.

The S.T.A.G.E. House (Students Aspiring to Greatness in Entertainment) is home to students who are studying and share an interest in performing arts, including dance, vocal, instrumental, theatrical, and comedic performances. A house full of students who like to perform leads, quite naturally, to all sorts of in-house programs like open mic-nights, readings, and more than a few impromptu surprises. House members typically support fellow students by going as a group to campus performances, and several times a year there are trips to NYC to soak up what they can from professionals in the field.

The STUDIO House is for students who are studying film and television as well as graphic design. Students who share an interest in the visual arts, including photography, painting, drawing, and pottery may also find their home here. This LLC is linked to the "Film and Philosophy" first-year cluster, so students can often be found discussing current cinema – and old favorites as well. Resident Assistants and faculty mentors lead film screenings in the house and organize trips to indie movie screenings in NYC.

The Zarb House is designed to enable first-year students enrolled in the Frank G. Zarb School of Business to live and study with other students pursuing careers in business. Residents attend guest lectures; interact with deans, faculty, and alumni; use exclusive tutorial services; and attend field trips. Supplementary house programs include an annual entrepreneurial challenge, discussions about ethics in business, and information sessions with the Center for Career Design and Development targeting professional opportunities in the field.

The Communications House is for students who are interested in studying Mass Media, Public Relations, and Journalism in The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. Students with career goals in print, broadcast and multimedia journalism, information graphics, media analysis, scholarly research, and public relations will find a connection here. This LLC is linked to the Journalism, Media, and Society first-year cluster, though others with media interests are welcome as well.

The L.E.A.D House is a community that promotes social, academic, and professional growth as well as meaningful involvement in the campus community. Participation in this community provides students with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills through campus involvement in programs like the Blue Leadership Program and the Discovery Program. Students will also be able to actively engage with their peers through programming at the house that promotes an in-depth exploration of topics such as decision-making, ethics, team building, goal setting, and communication.

Honors housing is a residential community for the Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College first-year and returning students whose diverse interests and commitment to excellence make this a place where animated conversations about books, art, music, and politics happen alongside foosball tournaments, game nights, and late-night snacking. First-year students, who make up about half of the population, are all taking Rabinowitz Honors College flagship course sequence Culture & Expression. As a result, they find Honors Housing an especially helpful place for discussing big ideas, forming supportive study groups, and getting advice from the returning students who have gone before them.

The Office of Residence Life, in collaboration with Black Leaders Advocating Change (BLAC) of Hofstra University, is proud to announce a new living-learning community launching in fall 2021. The Umoja LLC will be centered on the maintenance of unity in family, community, and race, exploring different cultures, identities, and experiences. Students will also get the chance to interact with faculty from several academic departments including Africana Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, anthropology, and more!

For more information, email ResLife@hofstra.edu with the subject line of “Umoja Scholars LLC.”