A Residential Learning Community (RLC) is a group of students intentionally living together on campus who have a shared interest in an academic, identity, or interest theme. We provide RLC options for all these aspects: academic, identity, and interest.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I need to live on campus to participate in a Residential Learning Community?
Yes. Our Residential Learning Communities are only available for students living within Housing & Residence Life.
Can I select my roommate in an RLC?
Yes, you can select your roommate. You and the person(s) you'd like to room with must live in the same community to be roommates. More information about roommate pairing and matching will be shared with all students in May.
Does it cost more to be part of an RLC?
No. It does not cost extra to be a part of a Residential Learning Community. The only cost element related to an RLC 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 RLC?
No. Though there is a first year live on requirement, living in a Residential Learning Community is completely optional experience.
Do upper-level students get involved in RLCs?
Yes, it is also optional for upper-level students to choose an RLC. For more information on applying to upper-level RLCs, please visit the Application Process page.
Do I need to be a certain major in order to join an Academic RLC?
It depends. Each Academic Residential Learning Community has their own requirements to live within the RLC. For more information on RLC requirements, please see each RLC on their respected first-year or upper-level page.
Do I need to take a connected course as part of my RLC experience?
For First-Year students, all of the Academic RLCs 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 Mason Core curriculum. Some Interest RLCs do have a required course though not all, some are optional. Check out each RLC page to see what course requirements are attached to each.
In addition, some Upper-Level RLCs have a required connected course and you can learn more about those RLCs on the Upper-Level RLCs page.
How do I apply for a Residential Learning Community?
The Residential Learning Community application is embedded within the Housing Application, which you can find in the StarRez Housing Portal.
All student will only be able to apply to one Residential Learning Community.
What is an RLC Coordinator?
An RLC Coordinator is a campus partner who is usually a faculty or staff member at George Mason who meets regularly with the students and staff of their residential learning community. RLC Coordinators guide the learning component of the community, may teach the course in common, and help connect students to various resources across campus.
I got my RLC offer email! Do I need to accept my offer?
For Upper-Level RLC offers, yes. Students sent an offer in an upper-level RLC must go back into the Housing Portal to accept their offer. The steps to confirm this is sent within the offer email.
For First-Year RLCs offers, you do not need to anything further. The email acceptance letter is the confirmation that you will be added and placed into the RLC.
If I accept my Upper-Level Residential Learning Community offer will I be guaranteed a spot in the RLC?
Accepting an RLC offer does not guarantee placement in an RLC. Once an offer is accepted, you will be confirmed in the RLC based on spaces available at the time of the offer acceptance. If no spaces remain in the RLC 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 RLC course?
If you are part of an Academic RLC, then you will be automatically registered to one of your RLC’s required courses by the registrar’s office.
If you are part of an Identity or Interest RLC that has an optional course, you have the option to register for one of your RLC’s connected courses, in the same way as you would register for any other course from your program.