Residence Learning Communities
A Residence Learning Community (RLC) is a themed residence community where students share a common interest, major or coursework. RLCs are designed to extend opportunities for learning and development beyond the classroom. This is achieved by offering you opportunities to network with peers, faculty and staff through programs held both in your residence and off campus.
Why Live in an RLC?
- "I absolutely cannot imagine what my university experience would have been if I hadn’t been part of an RLC."
- "It was a great experience living with a group of like-minded individuals whose aim was to have friends to go on this self-discovery journey with.”
- "From living in this community, I’ve learned the importance of communication, the value of respect, and what it means to be part of a family.”
- "I have so many things in common with my floormates. I learn from them, and the group activities benefit me personally and academically.”
- "I think the best part about being in an RLC is the sense of togetherness. It feels like we are a family, and we sincerely care about each other.”
- "Our community has gone on trips that have greatly contributed to my learning and enjoyment of my first year at Laurier."
Applying to an RLC
RLC residents need to be active members of the community who positively contribute to the growth and support of their peers. Each RLC has specific admission requirements and criteria.
If you are interested in applying for one of the RLCs, you will need to complete the Residence Learning Communities section within the online residence application, and answer the three questions. Your completed residence application must be submitted by the June 3 deadline.
Selections and placements will be completed in mid to late July. You will be notified by email if you are successful in receiving a space in an RLC.
Waterloo Campus RLCs
Business and Economics
The Business and Economics RLC provides a unique benefit for Laurier’s most engaged Business and Economics students. With a residence environment designed to develop, challenge and inspire highly dedicated individuals, a select group of students are motivated to take their knowledge to the next level. This community encourages you to collaborate, network and focus on not only understanding your course material, but also applying it to the ever-changing business world.
You will be immersed in a community of like-minded peers that will increase your opportunity for academic, personal and professional success. The learning environment will be enhanced by regular interactions with faculty, staff, distinguished alumni, and a well-rounded, high-achieving residence don who is an upper-year Business or Economics student.
Connected Partners
- Staff and faculty members of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics
- Transition and Learning Services, the Math Assistance Centre, the Study Skills and Supplemental Instruction Centre, and the Writing Centre
- Career & Co-op Centre
- Community Service Learning
Area of Focus
- Faculty and guest speakers in residence
- Department tours
- Stress-Buster sessions
- Off-campus trips to engage students in areas of interest both personally and academically
- Alumni networking events
- Workshops and development sessions (co-op information, volunteerism, new venture preparation)
Admission Criteria
- You must be in your first year of study, and registered as a full-time undergraduate student with a major in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.
- Registered in BU111 and BU121 courses.
- You need to be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers.
Cost
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
Entrepreneurship
The Entrepreneurship RLC gives first year students access to the Region of Waterloo’s rich startup ecosystem. Recently awarded "the most entrepreneurial campus in Canada," Laurier’s unique blend of robust academic programming, a focus on co-curricular development, and a strong link to innovative leaders in the Region. This community is designed to expose first year students from every discipline to the ever-changing world of entrepreneurship. This collaborative community is for students who wish to live, grow and learn with peers who are creative, innovative and passionate about entrepreneurship.
The Entrepreneurship RLC will provide students with the opportunity to enhance their social and intellectual growth through creative programming tailored to providing them with the diverse skills, knowledge, network and tools to be successful entrepreneurs. Students will have access to a network of alumni, one of the country’s leading start-up company hubs, the Laurier Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship, and much more.
Connected Partners
- The Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship
- Communitech
- Laurier LaunchPad
- The Career & Co-op Centre
Areas of Focus
- Trips to Communitech to learn about start-up companies
- Networking events with distinguished alumni
- Workshops with the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurial skills assessments and workshops
- Career Centre sessions and workshops
- Guest speakers
Admission Criteria
- You need to be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers.
Cost
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
Faculty of Science
The Faculty of Science residence learning community provides a home for Science majors to live, learn and support one another in their first year at Laurier. You will have unmatched opportunities to engage with senior students as well as prominent, talented faculty members. Exposure to world-leading research to foster career exploration and networking opportunities will often be present, and engaging programs and events will ensure a rich learning environment.
If you are a Laurier student that is entering first year in the Faculty of Science, this RLC should be strongly considered when applying to residence. This is a great opportunity to extend your engagement inside and outside the classroom.
Connected Partners
- Faculty and senior students in the Faculty of Science
- Career & Co-op Centre
- Transition and Learning Services, Academic Advising, the Math Assistance Centre, the Study Skills and Supplemental Instruction Centre, and the Writing Centre
Area of Focus
- Learning from faculty members and senior students in the Faculty of Science through interactive workshops in residence, field trips to research facilities in the Kitchener-Waterloo community.
- Having fun with others in the community through social programming throughout the year.
- Getting support from faculty members and learning specialists to enhance your academic performance.
- Exploring future academic, career, and research paths.
Admission Criteria
- You are required to have a Faculty of Science major (Chemistry, Psychology, Biology, Health Sciences, Math, Computer Science).
- You need to be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers.
Cost
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
Film and Media
The Film and Media RLC is dedicated to learning about film, media, and the ways in which these areas intersect and play a role in academics, culture, and society. A new partnership between Laurier and the Vancouver Film School will add a dynamic opportunity for students to learn both the technical elements of film production and analyze of current media. Through active engagement, unique and original programming, and fostering an inclusive community, the learning community has reached new heights in an immersive living and learning experience.
The Film and Media RLC provides students with opportunities to work with faculty members who will provide students with ample opportunities to collaborate with each other and engage in material in a way that is meaningful and hands on. If you are a student who is planning to pursue academic work in Film Studies, or you simply have an interest in the subject matter, this community is for you.
Connected Partners
- Department of English and Film Studies
- Laurier Student Publications
- Laurier Communications, Public Affairs and Marketing
- Organizations in the Kitchener-Waterloo community
- Alumni at world-leading media companies
Area of Focus
- Film screenings
- ‘Laurier Free Film Series’ and documentary nights
- Grand River Film Festival
- Filmmaking competition
- Meet the profs event
- Site visits and alumni networking events at media companies located in the Region of Waterloo and Toronto
Admission Criteria
- You need to be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers. If you are planning on majoring in either English or Film Studies, or you have an interest in the subject matter, this community is for you.
Cost
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
Outdoor Adventures
Living in the Outdoor Adventures RLC empowers you to discover the wonders and challenges of the natural world! Students will be exposed to outdoor adventure such as snowshoeing, hiking, and geocaching to name a few. Field trips are common, including trips to local Conservation Areas and Provincial Parks in Ontario. With adventures occurring in both semesters, you will experience all that the winter season has to offer and how invigorating being outside can be. This is a unique community for those with the urge for an outdoor adventure at every opportunity and develop leadership skills along the way.
Connected Partners
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
- Laurier Naturalists
- Transition and Learning Services
- Career & Co-op Centre
Area of Focus
- Guided adventures
- Outdoor education (speaker series, passion projects, etc.)
- Snowshoeing
- Outdoor cooking
- Hiking
- Geocaching
- Visits to Conservation Areas and Provincial Parks
Admission Criteria
- You must be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers.
- You must have a passion for the outdoors and a keenness to collaborate with your peers.
Cost
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
Singer and Songwriter
Designed to bring first-year students with a common interest in music together in one community, the Singer and Songwriter RLC provides those with budding talent with a rich living-learning environment. You will have numerous opportunities to creatively collaborate to develop singing and song writing skills. In partnership with student groups and esteemed professionals in the Faculty of Music, you will have the opportunity to create and perform individually as well as with your peers.
You do not have to be a music major. In fact, we expect this community to bring students from all disciplines together. A don with a passion for musical growth and support oversees this community. You will be given the opportunity to participate in programming that will lead to personal and skill development.
Connected Partners
- Students and faculty members from the Faculty of Music
- Numerous organizations providing opportunities for performance and instruction within Kitchener Waterloo
- Local venues who will provide event space
Area of Focus
- In-Residence jam sessions
- Coordinated performances on-campus and in the Kitchener-Waterloo community
- Community outreach to encourage youth to engage in music
- Experiences recording music
Admission Criteria
- You need to be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers.
- You are required to have a passion for music and a keenness to collaborate with peers.
- An eclectic mix of budding talent will be present in this RLC, but the success of the community will be defined by each resident’s interest in working with others.
Cost
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
World War II in Eastern Europe
This RLC will give students who are interested in European history, and more specifically, the wartime, the opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom. While being registered in HI109, students will focus on part of the material covered in the course to engage outside of the classroom through a range of activities such as film nights, guest lectures, and student success sessions. Topics included in the HI109 course include: the Versailles postwar settlement; the rise of fascist politics; WWII; the Holocaust; the Cold War; 1960s political radicalism; Communism and anti-Communism; the fall of the Berlin Wall; and the wars of Yugoslav disintegration in the 1990s. The World War II in Eastern Europe RLC will create a community of passionate learners who will support each other during their first year at Laurier.
Once completed, students will participate in a one-credit course HI288: Into that Darkness: Poland, World War Two, and the Holocaust (in class in Waterloo during the last two weeks of May). After completing the in-class component, the centerpiece of the RLC will be a field course that will take students to Poland for approximately 14 days in May 2021. Students will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, Oskar Schindler’s factory, Krakow’s Old Jewish quarter, the memorial and museum at the Treblinka death camp, and the site of the former Warsaw ghetto.
Connected Coursework and Partners
- Department of History: HI109: Age of Extremes: Europe in the 20th Century in Fall 2020 and HI288 in Spring 2021
- Transition and Learning Services, Academic Advising, Math Assistance Centre, the Study Skills and Supplemental Instruction Centre, and the Writing Centre
- Laurier International
Area of Focus
- Local historical exploration in the Kitchener-Waterloo community
- Faculty and guest speakers in residence
- Field trips
- Academic support sessions, including academic advising
- Field course (May 2021)
Admission Criteria
- All Faculty of Arts students are welcome to apply to the RLC. The travel course is being sponsored by the Faculty of Arts. If you have questions about the course, please contact Dr. Eva Plach at eplach@wlu.ca. If you have questions about the RLC generally, please contact the Department of Residence at housing@wlu.ca.
- All students who live in the World War II in Eastern Europe RLC will be automatically enrolled in HI109: Age of Extremes: Europe’s Twentieth Century. Students are required to successfully complete all required course work and achieve a B- in the course as well as an overall GPA of 6.0 or better after the Fall 2020 term to be eligible to participate in the field course in Poland in Spring 2021.
- Students participating in the field course in Poland in 2021 will be required to register for HI288 in the spring 2021 term.
- You need to be an active member of the community who positively contributes to the growth and support of your peers. You are expected to participate in ongoing programming throughout the fall and winter term that focuses on relationship-building throughout the academic year in an effort to enhance the experience that the field course will provide. Failure to do so will result in a review of eligibility for the field course in Poland in May 2021.
Cost
- You will be required to pay a deposit in Fall 2020 to participate in the field course, which will cover airfare, accommodation, in-country transportation, tours, and some meals. There will also be incidental costs associated with the trip for which you will be responsible, such as spending money, tips to guides and drivers, and some meals. The deposit amount will be determined in the Fall semester and communicated as soon as possible.
- Funding support can be made available to students who meet certain financial need criteria.
- You are responsible for costs associated with taking HI109 and the HI288 course connected to the field course in 2021 (tuition for a full-credit course, course materials, etc.).
- $60 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
Brantford Campus RLCS
LEAD (Learn, Engage, Act, Develop)
The LEAD Residence Learning Community (RLC) is an interest-based community offered to students who are seeking opportunities to develop their leadership skills through community and service-based programming. This RLC works to provide an understanding of your importance within your community, your ability to affect social change, and provide you with the opportunities to get involved in the Laurier and Brantford communities. The LEAD RLC provides learning experiences throughout the year that encourage students to learn more about themselves and others, engage in their communities, have a positive and lasting social impact, and continue to develop leadership skills in collaboration with faculty and campus partners. With the help of the Don of the RLC (an upper year student), students will work together throughout the year, forming lasting relationships while taking part in programming that focuses on community outreach and service learning.
Connected Partners
- Coldest Night of the Year (Youth Homelessness)
- Laurier's Centre for Student Life and Engagement
- Brantford Food Bank
- City of Brantford
- Brantford Special Events
- Dean of Students Office
- Ray of Hope
- Launch Pad
- Laurier Sustainability Office
Areas of Focus
- Social Justice
- Service Learning Initiatives
- Fundraising
- Personal volunteering opportunities
- Environmentalism
Admission Criteria
- Must have an interest in being an active member of the RLC who positively contributes to the development of the Laurier and Brantford communities
- Interest in volunteering, leadership development, and social change
Cost
- $50 payable to the don on move-in day to cover the cost of learning experiences throughout the year.
