The University of Michigan Residential College: A Living-Learning Community
The University of Michigan Residential College (RC) stands as a distinctive undergraduate program, fostering intellectual curiosity and creative expression within a supportive and engaging environment. As a division of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), the RC combines the intimacy of a small liberal arts college with the vast resources of a world-class research university.
A Unique Approach to Undergraduate Education
At the Residential College (RC), the dedication lies in helping LSA undergraduate students develop their intellectual interests and creative talents in a supportive environment. The faculty and staff inspire students to take charge of their education, actively participate in classes and extracurricular activities, think critically about what they learn, reflect on experiences, and engage with both the University community and the wider world. The distinctive educational mission of the RC is to enable students to develop their intellectual interests and creative talents in an environment in which they can find their own voice and relate learning with doing.
Living and Learning in East Quad
A Four-Year Living-Learning Community: Live with your peers in East Quad and enjoy easy access to our art studios, dining hall, theater, and study lounges. Central to the RC experience is the concept of a "living-learning community." This is because RC students live and learn in the same physical space: East Quadrangle Residence Hall. Students are required to live in East Quadrangle for at least one year, fostering a close-knit community where academic and social lives intertwine. East Quad provides easy access to various resources, including art studios, a dining hall, a theater (the Keene Theater), and study lounges, further enhancing the integrated learning environment. Close to 400 Residential College alumni will descend upon East Quad this weekend.
Innovative and Interdisciplinary Curriculum
The Residential College curriculum offers a wide variety of courses, seminars, community experiences, workshops, and more. The RC curriculum is constantly evolving to stay fresh and relevant. Students in the RC take classes in LSA as well as specially designed RC courses, many of which are seminar courses with fewer than fifteen students each. The RC is known for its interdisciplinary approach, encouraging students to explore connections between different fields of study. Interdisciplinary Opportunities: Explore a wide range of interdisciplinary courses, concentrations, and programs. Plus, you’ll have access to all the courses and programs available at the larger University. The curriculum emphasizes active participation, critical thinking, and reflection on experiences.
Personalized Advising and Support
Personalized Advising from Orientation to Graduation: Smaller, dedicated advising staff who work in the building where you live. The RC provides dedicated advising staff who work in the building where you live. Recognizing the importance of individual guidance, the RC offers personalized advising from orientation to graduation. This ensures that students receive the support they need to navigate their academic journey and make the most of the opportunities available to them.
Read also: Important Dates: U-M Spring
Language Study
A major requirement for RC participation is intensive language training, which consists of two eight-credit courses similar to language immersion, and one four-credit readings course. Intensive Japanese at the RC has no reading courses, and the semi-immersion curriculum consists of two ten-credit courses. Students can study Spanish, French, German, Japanese, & Russian.
A Brief History
Founded in 1967, the Residential College was designed to create a smaller liberal arts program with the resources of a larger university. Since it was founded in 1967, the RC has functioned as a small liberal arts college within the University. It has managed to survive even as similar colleges at other universities have failed. The RC began as an experiment through which professors could study the learning process of undergraduates and how a highly personalized, controlled environment would affect learning. Ted Newcomb, then a professor in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, designed the program. When the RC opened its doors in the fall of 1967, about 1,500 students applied for admission.
Governance and Curriculum Development
For the first seven years of the RC’s existence, its students and administrators played an equal role in the college’s governance. The governing body, called the representative assembly, was comprised of eight RC students, eight faculty members and the director of the college. This body made all administrative decisions concerning the college. RC Prof. Carl Cohen, a founder and one-time associate director of the RC, designed the curriculum. Once the required classes had been completed, each student designed an individual concentration with the oversight of a faculty member. But students felt the core curriculum was at odds with the ideology behind the governance structure, so bit by bit, the core curriculum was overthrown.
Evolution of Grading System
Until 2001, the RC did not give grades to its students. Instead, professors gave students written evaluations. This changed in 2001, when then-LSA Dean Shirley Neuman demanded that RC professors include grades on every student’s transcript.
Community Engagement and Extracurricular Activities
The RC fosters a vibrant community through various engagement programs and extracurricular activities. The seven community engagement programs focus on social justice and local activism. Students can intern, volunteer, and take classes with these programs.
Read also: Legal Support for UMich Students
Arts and Culture
The Residential College Art Gallery hosts three professional artist exhibits every year along with two Student Showcases which allow students in the Visual Arts Program to present their work. Each exhibit is celebrated with a reception that welcomes the artist or artists to our space. Gallery Hours: 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday during the academic year. Students can build some furniture with Ray in Visual Arts, peruse the RC Art Gallery on a lazy afternoon, and stop by the Keene Theater and see what the Music students are rehearsing. Meet Alex Wand, the RC’s new head of Music.
Student and Faculty Perspectives
“The RC has been literally my whole experience at U of M,” she said. “It’s not just the academic thing, but the fact that you all live in East Quad and your classes are there,” she said. Laura Thomas, an RC Creative Writing instructor, knows the college from the perspective of both student and teacher. “Now that I am on the faculty, I realize how much effort and love that takes,” she said.
Degree Programs and Minors
Graduate from the Residential College with an RC Degree! We offer 4 distinct learning tracks, as well as several minors. Open to both RC and LSA students, the Residential College Minors provide interdisciplinary programs in areas of contemporary relevance and high student interest. Whether you’re passionate about exploring the nuances of urban life, the dynamics of crime and justice, the intersection of science and society, or the vibrant world of drama, these minors offer unique academic pathways. Each program combines rigorous coursework with hands-on experiences, allowing you to deepen your understanding in ways that complement or contrast with your major.
RC Drama Minor
The RC Drama Minor invites you to immerse yourself in creative expression and artistic exploration, with no prerequisites required. You’ll develop skills in acting, playwriting, devising, dramaturgy, and directing, starting with a foundational course and progressing through advanced, customizable classes that align with your artistic goals. From classical theater to contemporary performance, our curriculum covers it all. Engage in unique opportunities like the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) and Telling It, a trauma-informed arts program. Participate in Shakespeare in the Arb, an annual outdoor production at Nichols Arboretum. Learn to navigate complexities, collaborate with diverse communities, and communicate effectively.
RC Crime & Justice Minor
Explore the intricate landscape of crime and justice with the RC Crime & Justice Minor. Over the past thirty years, prison populations have surged, driven by the centrality of crime in American politics. This minor blends historical perspectives on crime and criminal law with contemporary theories of punishment and societal factors influencing criminality. Delve into the societal dynamics that create unequal patterns of criminal behavior and understand the broader implications of crime and justice in modern society.
Read also: Applying for Merit Scholarships
RC Urban Studies Minor
The RC Urban Studies Minor provides a comprehensive exploration of urban life through an interdisciplinary lens. Engage actively with urban environments while integrating practical experiences with classroom learning. This minor combines theoretical and analytical concepts from African American Studies, social work, urban planning, and more, helping you understand the history, strengths, and challenges of urban life. Open to students across all UM schools and colleges, this minor enhances your capacity for civic engagement and prepares you for work in diverse urban settings.
RC Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Minor
Discover the transformative impact of technology on society with the RC Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Minor. This program examines the ethical, environmental, and social implications of new tools and methods, focusing on how they shape and are shaped by societal forces. Study the interplay between science, technology, and medicine, and understand how social dynamics differ across world societies. Explore issues of gender, race, and class in these fields, learning interdisciplinary methods to tackle boundary-spanning problems.
The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA)
The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is the liberal arts and sciences school of the University of Michigan. The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts was originally designated the Literary Department and was the core of the University of Michigan. From 1841 to 1874, the faculty elected a president that communicated with the regents about department needs.
tags: #University #of #Michigan #Residential #College #history
