We seek to give students every possible opportunity to succeed and are excited to offer residents further development opportunities through our many diverse Academic Living-Learning Communities (LLC). These programs provide residents with access to educational programs and extracurricular activities exclusive to each LLC. Each community is unique, with specific requirements and living arrangements. Students select certain communities during online room selection, while others require a separate application and acceptance into that program before assignment. Read the following information, and contact LLCs or the HRC main office if you have any questions.

Application deadlines differ among LLCs. Please be aware of application requirements if interested in an LLC.

Blount Scholars Program

Community Features/Requirements: Faculty-in-Residence and common classes

Eligibility and How to Apply: Students must be accepted to the Blount program. There is a separate application for this community.

The Blount Scholars Program provides students with a specialized Living-Learning environment. Located in Blount Hall, built specifically for this community, scholars reside within a building containing classrooms, fellow Blount program members, and a Faculty-in-Residence. For more information call Murrie Dixon at 205-348-1706 or email at murrie.j.dixon@ua.edu.

Apply to Blount

Bridge: Men of Color LLC

Community Features/Requirements: Monthly events, faculty/staff mentor, peer mentor, shared academic course

Contact: 205-348-2408 or bridgeprogram@ua.edu

Eligibility and How to Apply: Must be a first-year student and participant in the BRIDGE program. There is a separate application for this community.

BRIDGE is a student success program at The University of Alabama for undergraduate men, with a focus on exploring the campus and community experiences of Black and Hispanic/Latino undergraduate men.

The experience begins with a weeklong program and extends throughout the academic year. First-year students in BRIDGE benefit from year-long mentoring from upper-level BRIDGE students, faculty, and staff, have the option to enroll in a shared academic course, and form a peer group to share in their first-year experience. Housed in John England Jr. Hall, the BRIDGE living-learning community (for first-year students only) provides an RA and a group of peer mentors to support the students. A limited number of spaces are available in the living community, but students can still participate in the BRIDGE program and live in a different residence hall.

The 2024-25 application for this LLC will be available in late January. The application deadline to be considered for the LLC is April 30, 2024 (program participants still accepted through summer).

Capstone Communication LLC

Community Features/Requirements: Common classes, peer mentor, programming and events.

Contact: 205-348-8599 or Jack Purser

Eligibility and How to Apply: Must be a first-year student and have a declared major in C&IS. There is a separate application for this community.

The Capstone Communication LLCconnects students pursuing careers in media and communication. Students form a rich community among peers who share academic interests while participating in a variety of social, academic, and creative activities both on- and off-campus. Housed in John England Jr. Hall, current students from the College of Communication and Information Sciences serve as resident advisors and peer mentors for students throughout the first year. Participation in the program requires enrollment in two common courses each semester. A limited number of spaces are available, and students will be admitted on a rolling basis until spaces are filled.

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now. Preferred application deadline is March 1; applications accepted until May 1 if space allows.

Community Engagement LLC

Community Features/Requirements: Common Classes

The Community Engagement LLC provides first-year, undergraduate students with an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and explore the Tuscaloosa area through community engagement. Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people.

In this community, students have the opportunity to live, learn, and study with peers who are also interested in community engagement. Housed in Riverside East, students will benefit from community-based activities related to a wide variety of social, academic, and engagement experiences on and off campus. This LLC will require enrollment in one common EDU community engagement course during the fall semester.

A limited number of spaces are available, and students will be admitted on a rolling basis until spaces are filled.

Contact: Dr. Daniela Susnara, 205-348-1007 or dsusnara@ua.edu

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through April 15, 2024.

Delta Initiative: Capstone Women in STEM

Community Features/Requirements: Common classes and peer mentors

Eligibility and How to Apply: There is a separate application for this community.

The Delta Initiative: Capstone Women in STEM is a community of freshmen women who have the opportunity to live, learn, and study together. Community members:

  • take a common Women’s Studies Course (WS 200)
  • benefit from study spaces and programs in the residence hall designed with STEM majors in mind
  • have the opportunity to participate in STEM-specific community service

The Delta Initiative provides opportunities for career exploration, plan visits with STEM employers, and builds meaningful connections with faculty and STEM practitioners. Students majoring in biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, marine science, mathematics, microbiology, physics, or any of the eight majors in the College of Engineering are eligible. This program is currently housed in Riverside East.

Contact: Elizabeth Lester, 205-348-5040 or elester1@ua.edu.

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through April 15, 2024.

EPIC Scholars Program

Community Features/Requirements: Students will take common seminar courses and are highly encouraged to live in Paty Hall together as a cohort. Live-in EPIC representatives will also be housed in the LLC to serve as a student resource.

Eligibility and How to Apply: Students must be accepted into the EPIC Scholars Program.  There is a separate application for this community.

The EPIC Scholars Program LLC is a small, cohort-based Honors program designed specifically for engineering and computer science students who come from a diverse set of backgrounds and are passionate about promoting positive social change. The EPIC Scholars Program seeks to be inclusive and equitable in admissions, and will consider grades, test scores and other quantitative measures if provided in the application; however, responses to a series of short essay questions are weighted far more heavily in the selection process. Students completing the EPIC Scholars Program will be awarded a minor in engineering positive and intentional change.

The EPIC LLC is housed in Paty Hall, which is essentially adjacent to the home of the College of Engineering – H.M. Comer Hall, the Shelby Engineering and Science Quad, Hardaway Hall and the ENGenuity Lab.  Paty Hall will host the biweekly EPIC Scholars Peer Mentoring Coffee Hours, and is also home to Alabama IMaDE, a hub for innovative research and education in intelligent and advanced manufacturing featuring a wide variety of manufacturing robots.

Contact: epic@ua.edu or faculty lead Dr. Kathryn O’Harra (keoharra@ua.edu)

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through Feb. 25, 2024.

German House

Community Features/Requirements: Common class

Eligibility and How to Apply: There is a separate application for this community.

If you wish to enhance your German skills in a fun and relaxed environment, the German House is the right fit for you! The Hans und Sophie Scholl Haus constitutes a unique Living-Learning program. Students who live in the house agree to speak German as much as possible and UA offers an optional conversation course exclusive to German House residents. The program is supervised by a student director, who is a native speaker and lives in the house with the other residents.

Scholl Haus is currently housed in the Bryce Lawn apartments.

Contact: Dr. Johannes Fröhlich, jfrohlich@ua.edu

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through Jan. 31, 2024.

Honors College

Community Features/Requirements: Faculty-in-Residence

Eligibility and How to Apply: Students must be accepted to the Honors College.

Students in the Honors College have the option to live in Blount, Ridgecrest West or South. These Living-Learning facilities form the center of the University’s tightly knit honors community. Honors College students are not required to live in Honors housing. However, students are not guaranteed any specific building or style of building.

*Affiliation with Honors College is required.

Honors Connections Living-Learning Community

Who: First-year students in the Honors College

Where: Ridgecrest South

Program Requirements: Students must be accepted to the Honors College. Enrollment during fall semester in the 2-hour course, UH 100: Honors Connections LLC.

Contact: Katie Johnson, 205-348-6029, kdjohnson16@ua.edu

Community Highlights: 

Designed as an immersive and supportive environment, the Honors Connections Living Learning Community (LLC) helps ease the transition to students’ new homes on campus as they start their freshman year at The Capstone. Honors Connections fosters community through the building of friendships, pairing with upperclassmen mentors, hosting engaging programs, and enrolling in an Honors College course. Honors Connections Mentors will live in the LLC hall with students and, in conjunction with Ridgecrest Community Staff, will be available as a resource not only in the community but in the Honors Connection (UH 100) class, helping to build connection with the Honors College and the greater UA community, while engaging in a curriculum that challenges students to become critical and creative thinkers, ethical and reasoned citizens, and collaborative and inclusive leaders.

HRC will assign accepted students to the LLC. The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through April 15, 2024.

Lucy’s Legacy LLC

Community Features/Requirements: Common class, peer mentor, programming

Contact: Dr. Kiara Summerville, Director of Student Academic Engagement & Advocacy, at kssummerville@ua.edu or 205-348-2408

Eligibility and How to Apply: Must be a first-year woman who intends to live on campus. There is a separate application for this community.

Lucy’s Legacy is for women interested in exploring the historical significance and experiences of women of color at UA. Named in honor of Autherine Lucy, the first African-American student to attend UA, Lucy’s Legacy strives to support the academic and social transition of women to UA. Members of this community are part of a group of first-year women who enroll in a shared academic course, benefit from mentoring and resources, and form a peer group to share in their first-year experience. Additionally, Lucy’s Legacy provides a RA and a group of sophomore-senior level peer mentors to serve and support the women.  A limited number of spaces are available and students are admitted on a rolling basis until spaces are filled.

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through April 30, 2024.

McCollough Institute for Pre-Medical Scholars

Community Features/Requirements: Students will take common courses and live in Ridgecrest South together.

Contact: Submit questions here, or contact Shantell Averette at MccolloughInstitute@ua.edu or 205-348-2362.

Eligibility and How to Apply: In-state students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, 30-36 ACT, or 1360-1600 SAT.  Out-of-state students must have a minimum 3.5 GPA, 32-36 ACT, or 1420-1600 SAT.

The McCollough Institute for Pre-Medical Scholars housed in Ridgecrest South offers a minor in interdisciplinary studies on medicine to a small cohort of aspiring physicians.  McCollough scholars will form a Living-Learning Community investigating big picture questions about the art of medicine.  The program focuses on academic excellence, leadership, community service, and undergraduate research. In addition, students’ primary major must be in the College of Arts & Sciences.

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now. For priority consideration for admission, apply by December 15, 2023 (students who apply by this date are eligible for February Zoom interviews; students who apply later will be considered for second-round offers).  Second-round final decisions will be made by April 29, 2024.

Parker-Adams

Community Features/Requirements: Required course for fall and spring, peer mentors and dedicated faculty and staff

Contact: Lanna Johnson Boyd, Director of Parker Adams and First Year Initiatives, lanna.johnson@ua.edu

Eligibility and How to Apply: All incoming students registered within Arts and Sciences, Social Work or Nursing are eligible to apply to the Parker-Adams Year. No minimum GPA, ACT or SAT scores are required for students who have been accepted into the University. The program is not open to students participating in the Blount Scholars Initiative or Honors College.

The Parker-Adams Year is a freshman living-learning community designed to foster academic and personal success during the first year at UA. Housed in England Hall, the program integrates classroom and residential experiences through a one-credit course each semester (AS 101/102), social activities and cultural events. Participants have access to dedicated faculty and staff who assist with academic advising, personal challenges, campus involvement and career readiness.

Students experience a community that promotes:

  • Academic Achievement
  • Leadership Opportunities
  • Service Learning
  • Career Preparation
  • Networking

PA room assignments are made by HRC staff during the spring semester following acceptance to the program.

The 2024-25 application for this LLC is available now through April 15, 2024.