October 2005

Undergrads Living and Learning on Their Own Terms

BY THOMAS KOHOUT

GW undergraduates have a chance to get a leg up on the competition, improve their GPA, and spend their free time exploring the academic or intramural interests of their choice by joining some 1,400 colleagues enrolled in one of the University’s 56 Living and Learning Communities (LLCs)on GW’s Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses.

“Statistics have shown that students in GW’s LLCs generally have higher GPAs, fewer judicial incidents, greater retention, and a better overall experience at the University,” said James Kohl, GW director of Residential Life and Education. “So while it is amazing to see the growth in popularity in Living and Learning Communities over the past several years, you can understand why students want to be part of an LLC.”

The University created the LLC program as a unique out-of-the-classroom educational experience in fall 1999, shortly after transforming the Premier Hotel into the Hall on Virginia Avenue (HOVA). The former hotel, specifically room 723, served as the lookout point during the Watergate break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters in 1974. The building afforded GW the chance to establish the Watergate 723 community, a crown jewel of the interdisciplinary living and learning program.

“The Watergate LLC is always special, not everyone can have that. Not every school can be here in DC, not everyone is fortunate enough to own that piece of history,” said Matthew Trainum, associate director, residential life and education, in the Community Living and Learning Center. He added that as a result of the Watergate coverage this spring, enrollment in the community has doubled.

According to Trainum, the co-curricular portion of the Living and Learning Community program creates a fraternal atmosphere around a particular common interest. LLCs regularly feature panel presentations, films, tours of the city, as well as prominent speakers from the students’ areas of interest. “Ultimately these programs are for the students to have some leadership opportunities within the program. We don’t tell them what to do. We show them what’s possible and let them take it from there.”

The LLCs typically kick off the academic year by hosting a big event, for instance the Watergate 723 group welcomed Nieman Watchdog Editor Barry Sussman, former Washington Post editor at the time of the scandal, while the Tomorrow’s Business Leaders group met with Dave Durbin, CEO of Crestline Hotels.

The University also features 10 curricular programs such as the Dean’s Scholars in Globalization, in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences; Politics and Values, in the Elliott School of International Affairs; and the Elizabeth J. Somers Women’s Leadership Programs, at GW’s Mount Vernon Campus.

Not all of the LLCs have such an academic focus, but even the programs that are purely social, such as the sports and recreation program, offer the potential for personal growth according to Trainum.

“Those students have to plan outings for 20 people five hours away, and go through the risk management process and get all of the clearances,” he explained. “So even some programs that on the surface look entirely social, really turn out to be amazing learning and leadership opportunities for the students.”

The newest and perhaps most ambitious community in CLLC’s lineup is Project G Street, a featured member of GW’s burgeoning collective arts communities. Similar to the hit TV show “Project Greenlight,” participants will create their own feature-length film from the page up, managing all of the pre- and post-production details including screenwriting, casting, directing, acting, filming, and editing.

The University recently began offering freshmen communities the assistance of a faculty mentor. These faculty mentors provide another valuable resource for the communities by attending community events and assisting in programming.

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu