If you select to live in our Leadership Institute themed living community, this experience will include opportunities to share in the excitement of participating in an environment that combines leadership programming and community engagement into your personal development all within one of our Residence Hall communities. The design of this program reflects Drew University’s belief that growth and development are strongly influenced by the climate in which it takes place. These programs provide students with enhanced faculty and staff relationships, specialized floor programs, resources, and other creative activities focused on enhancing your engagement in our community.

Goals of the Drew University Leadership Institute include:

• Provide a space for learning about leadership and leadership development outside the classroom.

• Increase first-year residential student retention and engagement in the campus community.

• Promote the personal growth and development of students through greater contact with faculty and staff members, one another, and University resources.

• Actively engage in one’s intellectual, social, cultural, and ethical development.

Special Note:

All first-year residential students are invited to apply to be a part of the Leadership Institute floor! Students who are Civic Scholars and Athletes are also eligible to participate!

Apply to the Leadership Institute today
Priority application deadline: TBA (Summer Orientation registration deadline)
Final application deadline: TBA (the Housing Application deadline)

After applying, one of our staff members will reach out to schedule a brief (~15 minutes) in person or phone/video conference interview with you. In-person interviews will be held during Summer Orientation!

Additional First-Year Residence Hall Themed Living Options 

• Substance Free Housing
• Single-Sex Housing

Be sure to select the themed floor of your interest in the Housing Application.

STEM Living Learning Community:

The Baldwin Academic Floor is open to all upper-class residents who are or will be part of an academic honors program at Drew University. Space is intended for students with strong academic interests. This floor is located in McLendon Residence Hall. Participants will have a more scholarly environment centered on their classes and studies. Students must be pre-approved to reside on this floor. Please check out the Baldwin Honors program webpage for more information or contact the Office of Residence Life, Housing, and Community Standards at reslife@drew.edu or 973-408-3394.

Pangea

A unique 1-year residential program in Haselton Hall with the focus of building a close intercultural community where international friendships are fostered and a worldwide alumni network is needed. Each semester, Pangeans are required to participate in at least two intercultural programs to bond with each other, learn from each other’s perspectives and cultural backgrounds, and simply enjoy the fun time together! Here are some featured programs to choose from. You can always propose your own Pangean programs, too. For more information, contact pangea@drew.edu .

Civic Scholars Living Learning Community

Drew University actively supports students who show extraordinary commitment to the community by offering Civic Engagement Scholarships and admittance into the Civic Scholars Program. Civic Scholars are leaders in creating opportunities for all Drew students to connect learning with action for the greater good. These Drew Civic Scholars receive a monetary award and join an exciting civic engagement program that increases their service and leadership skills and gives them real-world experiences. They complete 100 hours of service annually and participate in special classes, workshops, seminars, and off-campus service projects.  Learn more about the Center for Civic Engagement and the Civic Scholars Program.

Residential first-year students who have been accepted into the Civic Scholar program will also be members of the Civic Scholar LLC and will reside together in Welch Hall. Living in this community allows for special programming specific to Civic Scholar students’ interests and an environment conducive to group work for your shared classes, workshops, and projects. In creating Living-Learning Programs, studies and experience show that intact cohort communities create the optimal environment for the best student experience. For those Civic Scholars who choose to commute to campus, as well as those who have medical needs that are met in other residences halls, you will still be able to partake in the Civic Scholars Living Learning Community.  We will arrange for you to have access to the floor so that you can be a full member of this community.

Through this LLC, students will have the opportunity to connect with their faculty and upper-class Civic Scholars within their Residence Hall. The Civic Scholar professors are Amy Koritz and Susan Rosenbloom. For more information about the Civic Scholar program, please visit the Center for Civic Engagement website.

Examples of Events & Programs:

• Civic Scholars Fall Retreat: All Civic Scholars take part in a Day of Service and team bonding. This year we’ll create breakfast and toiletry bags for the Community Soup Kitchen of Morristown, NJ.
• First Year Community Partner Placements: You will be placed in teams to volunteer for approximately two hours each week with a local-area community partner.
• Attend Alternative Break Trips together.
• Plan and execute your First Year Civic Projects.
• Partner with other student groups and clubs on campus for service events and programs.
• Attend your DSEM and CE 101 Workshops together: As one First Year Civic Scholar said this year, “When it’s time for Workshop, everyone on the floor leaves together and it’s really fun.”

Roommates and Room Assignments
In creating these environments, studies and experience show that intact cohort communities create the optimal environment for the best experience. As such, your roommate will also be a student in Civic Scholars. You may request that a non-Civic Scholar lives with you on this floor. Requests will be taken on a first come, first serve basis and they will need to participate in hall activities related to this floor. You must live on the Civic Scholar’s floor to be a member of this group unless you are a commuter student. Assignments are made via our Housing Coordinator with input from the Office of Civic Engagement.

Community Service First Year Drew Seminar

While we believe community service to be a good thing, an activity that benefits others and improves our shared world, we may not have thought much about the meaning of community, or, indeed, of service. What constitutes a community? Do we belong to a single community or many? And is service always beneficial to those being served? We will explore assumptions and beliefs about these two key terms—both separately and together. This seminar is limited to Civic Scholars. Students will contribute 18-20 hours of community service over the course of the semester.

The houses are made up of undergraduate residents. Two of our Undergraduate Theme Houses are housed in Haselton Hall (Art House & Spirituality House) and three are located in Eberhardt Hall (La Casa Latina, Wakanda & WoCo). Each Theme House contains its own distinct community that programs for the campus on a regular basis.

Each Undergraduate Theme House has a House Assistant (HA). Their role is to build community, be a resource to house members, and serve as a liaison to Residence Life and their faculty/staff advisor.

All Theme Houses have a faculty/staff advisor. This position allows for contextual learning to occur outside of the classroom as the faculty adviser may serve as a facilitator to house members. The Faculty Advisor also serves as a consultant on topics of interest to the house, and as a resource to help house members plan programs based on the House’s theme.

2019-2020 Theme Houses:

La Casa Latina — HA Kassel Franco Garibay

WoCo: A Feminist House – HA Anna Gombert

Wakanda House – HA Kiera Husbands

Pangea — HA Violet Kimble

Art House – HA Alison Kipe

Spirituality House – HA Dennis Shteyn

Roommates and Room Assignments
In creating these environments, studies and experience show that intact cohort communities create the optimal environment for the best experience.  As such, roommates are members of the same Theme House.  Students must live in the Theme House to be a member of this group.  Assignments are made via our Residence Life & Housing Office with the Theme House.

Theme House Renewal/ New Theme House Application

Theme House Renewal/Applications are open for the 2020-2021 academic year!

If you are interested in joining a current Theme House please contact the HA for the specific house.

Application Process Dates to Remember:

February 24th- Theme House Application Due

Week of March 9th-13th- Interviews

March 16th- Theme House Decision Letters go out

April 3rd- Official House Roster Due

April 8th- HA Application Deadline

April 13th-17th- HA Interviews

April 20th- HA Decision Letters go out