Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need to live on campus to participate in a Learning Community?
Yes, for the 2023-2024 academic year, students must live on campus in order to participate in a Learning Community.
Can I select my roommate in an LC?
Yes, you can select your roommate. You will both need to rank the same learning community and live in the same community to be roommates. More information about roommate pairing and matching will be shared with all students in May 2023.
Does it cost more to be part of an LC?
No. It does not cost extra to be a part of a Learning Community. The only cost element related to an LC is the cost of your room & board on campus.
If I am a first-year student living on campus, do I need to be part of an LC?
No. It is optional. Starting Fall 2023, first-year students living on campus have the option to be part of a Learning Community. This is to help students find and develop a close-knit community with peers who share similar passions and interests with each other. Depending on your major, interests, and identities you can choose to either engage in an Academic, Interest, or Identity LC. For more information about our different types of LCs, please visit the LC page.
Do upper-level students get involved in LCs?
Yes, it is also optional for upper-level students to choose an LC. For more information on applying to upper-level LCs, please visit the Application Process page.
Do I need to be a certain major in order to join an Academic LC?
Yes, in order to be considered for one of our First-Year Academic LCs, you must be a major or minor in that LC’s college or school. Similarly, you must be a member of the Honors College in order to be considered for the Honors College LC.
Do I need to take a connected course as part of my LC experience?
For First-Year students, all of the Academic LCs have a required connected course that students must enroll in and complete. However, in many cases, these are courses that students in that college or school would already be taking as part of their curriculum. Interest LCs do not have any course requirements but there may be opportunities to participate in optional LC-related courses.
In addition, some Upper-Level LCs have a required connected course and you can learn more about those LCs on the Upper-Level LCs page.
How do I apply for a Learning Community?
The Learning Community application is embedded within the 2023-2024 Housing Application, which you can find in the StarRez Housing Portal.
For First-Year students, you will be able to apply to ONE Learning Community.
For Upper-Level students, you have the option to participate in a Learning Community by selecting “Yes” to the LC interest question on the application and selecting your one preference.
What is a campus partner?
A campus partner is a faculty or staff member on George Mason campus meets regularly with the students and staff of their learning community. Campus partners guide the learning component of the community, may teach the course in common, and help connect students to various resources across campus.
If I accept my Upper-Level Learning Community offer will I be guaranteed a spot in that LC?
Accepting an LC offer does not guarantee placement in an LC. Once an offer is accepted, you will be confirmed in the LC based on spaces available at the time of the offer acceptance. If no spaces remain in the LC at the time of the offer acceptance, you will be notified via your Mason email and given information about the general housing process.
How will I be registered to my LC course?
If you are part of an Academic LC, then you will be automatically registered to one of your LC’s required courses by the registrar’s office.
If you are part of an Identity or Interest LC that has an optional course, you have the option to register for one of your LC’s connected courses, in the same way as you would register for any other course from your program.