By Magdalena Stuehrmann, Class of 2015
For many students, a residence hall can be little more than a place to sleep and store clothing. For Julia Prout, a freshman in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, her residence hall has become something more – a community and a home.
Ms. Prout is a member of Civic House, an academic and residential community in the Mount Vernon Campus’ West Hall where students live on the same floor and participate in classes and service projects together.
“When we first moved in, we started hanging out, talking and bonding over our commitment to community service,” said Ms. Prout. “It’s nice to have this kind of family unit because GW is so big. This helps make it feel smaller.”
At the George Washington University, incoming freshmen are given the opportunity to apply to any of six academic and residential communities as part of their freshman housing experience. There are many benefits for students in these communities, which bring together small groups of freshmen with similar interests, said Jeff Llewellyn, director of first-year experience in the Center for Student Engagement.
“They provide an instant connection, enabling freshmen to have a community already when they first get here. It helps them build relationships with their classmates and peers, which enhances their academic experiences,” said Mr. Llewellyn. “They have a preexisting community of other students taking the same classes to discuss things with and to help each other.”
In the case of Civic House, students not only live on the same floor but also take two service-learning courses together during their freshman year. In addition, students work on service projects throughout the year, volunteering at various organizations in the D.C. area.
Phyllis Ryder, associate professor of writing and the faculty guide for the Civic House program, believes that such an experience greatly contributes to the students’ learning by helping them to discuss what they learn in class outside of the classroom.
“The living aspect of the program allows students to form a close bond that helps facilitate classroom discussion. Students seem to find it more comfortable to discuss difficult subjects that arise in class when they have a supportive group of students in the class with them, a group of students that they know well and trust,” said Dr. Ryder.
Dr. Ryder teaches the freshman university writing course, Writing for Social Change: Writing with D.C. Community Organizations, which is required for the students in the Civic House program. During the class, students learn to write for varied audiences, with a particular focus on writing for community organizations and academic writing.
Amanda Huron, an adjunct professor of American studies, teaches the second required course for the Civic House program, Washington, D.C.: History, Culture, and Politics. In this service-learning course, students learn about D.C. history and volunteer at local Oyster Adams Bilingual School. Civic House students help eighth-grade students learn about research methods, D.C. history and the history of the Adams Morgan neighborhood and create an atlas of the area.
Ms. Huron also sees significant benefits to the residential aspect of Civic House.
“I think it’s an exciting idea for students to mesh their academic and social lives – it enriches both, helps them make connections and gives them a more holistic college experience,” said Ms. Huron. “Additionally, they come to my class with an incredible pre-established sense of community, so there’s none of the initial nervousness over having a class with people they don’t know. It helps them feel more comfortable and speak up more in class.”
Anneliese Bustillo, a graduate student who works with both the Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service and the Civic House program, acts as a liaison between the two.
“The program is really helpful to the students in both their academic and social lives. It allows close bonds to form that would otherwise remain unexplored. Also, having the students interact during their service projects gives them a forum to discuss the activities and lessons that they have as part of it,” said Ms. Bustillo.
Yangyu Su, a freshman in the Civic House program, volunteered with the D.C. organization Little Friends for Peace last fall helping children in the D.C. area learn peaceful methods of conflict resolution.
“What I really like about Civic House is living with the house members and having close relationships with them. I enjoy the sense of community and the fact that we have small classes with people we all know very well,” said Ms. Su. “Because we have class, service and live together we have a real group identity that makes me feel comfortable at the university.”