Criteria for Groups Seeking a Living-Learning Community

• Friday before Thanksgiving Break - Proposals from groups applying for new special interest housing space due to the Special Interest Housing Committee.
• Before Semester Break – The committee will meet to review and render recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs to approve or deny requests for new special interest housing space.
• Before the end of January - The Vice President for Student Affairs will render a decision, which will then be communicated to the proposing group and the Special Interest Housing Committee.

The following guidelines establish the procedures for academically related groups (living-learning communities) to request special interest housing space when available:

1. The academically-related group (living-learning community) proposing an allocation of special interest housing space must have the support of an academic department or program to include:
   1. Faculty members must be officially designated to serve as advisors and provide administrative support to the living-learning community.
   2. There must be a commitment of funds to support the programming efforts of the living-learning community. The proposing group must present evidence that financial support is committed for at least two years and must include the sources and amounts of funding. The Committee will consider appeals to this provision but must see significant evidence that sufficient resources exist to support the organization's goals.
   3. Where appropriate, a tutor must be employed by the academic department or program to provide in-house support to the residents who will reside in the space. The proposal should include details concerning the preferred qualifications, hiring, compensation, training and supervision of the tutor.
   4. The proposal must include the process whereby the housing spaces will be assigned each year. At a minimum, this will include a proposed written application form that would be completed by students interested in residing in the living-learning community and the procedures that would be used to select the house members. Procedures for developing and maintaining a waitlist will also be required.
2. The proposal for the living-learning community to receive approval for special interest housing space must include a list of students committed to living in their acquired housing for the following academic year. This proposal must be submitted to the Special Interest Housing Committee no later than the Friday before the university's Thanksgiving Break. It must include the written recommendations of faculty members who will assume advising and/or administrative support for the house. The proposal must include:
   1. A mission statement and goals of the living-learning community
   2. A plan for achieving these goals
   3. Why having special interest housing space is important to achieving these goals
   4. How the group will contribute to the residential and campus community
   5. How will the group assess its progress and success? The proposal should also suggest a space preference and include the minimum and maximum size of the housing unit.