Academic Excellence | Residential Colleges

Residential Colleges Combine Benefits of Liberal Arts Colleges with Resources of Large Universities

Last updated January 2003
F or up-to-date information about Resiential Colleges please visit the Residential Life Web site.

Professor with students For the past three years, LSU has been welcoming first-year students to the campus community through residential colleges. These new programs are designed to aid the students’ transitions from high school to college while maximizing the excitement of their first year. Residential colleges group participating students by interests and academic achievements and offer housing and classroom experiences in specific residence halls.

LSU currently offers three residential colleges.

Herget Residential College
Graham Information Technology Residential College
Laville Honors House (for students in the Honors College)

A fourth program, with an academic curriculum focusing on economic and community development in Louisiana, will open in Fall 2004.

In addition to these programs, students studying French or pursuing a degree in French studies may choose to participate in the living-learning community of Highland Hall. While not a true residential college, residents participating in the French Learning Community at Highland Hall will develop their French communication skills and their knowledge of French culture through this immersion program.

What is a residential college?
Students who participate in one of the University’s residential colleges join small living-and-learning communities to meet their goals and develop their individual interests. They live together in the same residence hall and attend several core classes together. This arrangement has proven to strengthen the bonds of friendship, to increase the availability of study resources, and to facilitate the formation of study groups, as classmates are also hall mates. Students in residential colleges also have access to more faculty support. Some faculty members hold office hours and course review sessions in the residence halls. Residential college students also find class scheduling to be easier, because some courses or course sections are designated specifically for them.

Residential college activities extend beyond the classroom through study groups, social gatherings, service projects, entertainment, and extracurricular programs. Residential college faculty are involved in many of these activities, which provide students and faculty opportunities for increased interaction. Academic and peer counselors are also available to students in need of scheduling tips, study advice, or a friendly ear.

“It’s a good balance of independence and community for your freshman year. [As a student], you choose your level of participation,” said Angela Koch, the communication and conference coordinator for LSU’s Department of Residential Life.

Currently, about 1,000 LSU students are participating in residential colleges, and the programs continue to grow. The Graham Information Technology Residential College opened last fall, and the new Economic and Community Development Residential College will open in fall 2004.

Herget Residential College
Herget Herget Residential College is LSU’s oldest residential college program. The program is designed to ease the transition from high school to college. Participants are enrolled in several core courses, such as English, sciences, and math, as required by students’ intended majors. All of these courses meet general education requirements. This program is open to all first-year students regardless of major. Students are housed in Herget Hall.

Graham I.T. Residential College
Open to first-year students of all majors and interests, Graham I.T. Residential College is the ideal choice for students interested in computer applications in all fields. Participants are required to supply their own laptop computers with specified capacity, configuration, and software. Students in this program also have access to the high-tech resources available in the recently updated Graham Hall, which includes a wireless environment. Students take their required I.T. courses and their English writing courses in multimedia classrooms in Graham Hall. The curriculum has been designed to enhance the subject matter through technology and to provide students training and practice in various software applications. The residential college also allows students to work and study together easily, increasing the opportunity to learn many I.T. applications from each other.

Laville Honors House
Laville Honors House, located in East and West Laville Halls, offers participants in the Honors College a chance to extend their learning environment beyond the classroom. Adjacent to the French House, home of the Honors College, East and West Laville Halls are conveniently located near the center of campus.

Economic and Community Development Residential College
students in lobby Opening in fall 2004, the Economic and Community Development Residential College’s academic program will focus on Louisiana. A four-year program open to students in all majors, it will offer students contact with state and community leaders. Students will apply the material in their courses to issues affecting the economic and community wellbeing of Louisiana citizens. Participants will take several core courses and form themselves into groups to complete a long-term project having to do with economic and community development in Louisiana. In the process, they will likely meet with political, civic, and business leaders to do their research and to discuss ideas and plans. This program will offer students invaluable real-world experience and networking opportunities.

Written by Teresa Devlin | University Relations
Last updated January 2003
F or up-to-date information about Resiential Colleges please visit the Residential Life Web site.