Today we’re going to learn about some new important acronyms and delve deeper into the secret world of residence acronyms. Hopefully by now you’re familiar with the terms RA, PF, CL, and RLM, ARLM, and AC. If not, check out the blog from June 16th.

One acronym you might hear or see a lot of is SHS, or, Student Housing Services, which is the department in which residence life stems from. However, SHS is responsible for many different aspects that we sometimes forget about like facilities, residence admissions, family/grad housing, conference services, and so much more!! The office for SHS is located in South Residence, in the Maritime Pod. So, if you are ever looking for answers to your questions, or just a friendly face stop in and say hello!!

At Guelph we have a couple of specialized learning communities. The Living Learning Centres, or LLCs, are four different theme houses that offer specialized communities and programming.

International House is located in Watson Hall. This community focuses on global issues, promotes diversity, and provides cross-cultural programming. Maids Hall is the home of Arts House. Students who live here are encouraged to take part in programming focused on the several different mediums of art including visual, performance, and multi-media. Arts House hosts frequent Open Stages where students are welcome to come and share their talents and skills.

East Residence is home to two LLC houses. Eco House is located on the 1st floor of Dundas Hall and supports a community that places importance on environmental awareness, sustainability, and ecological principles. A weekly soup kitchen takes place as part of the programming in Eco House where guest speakers share their opinions while residents bring resources together to create a pot of soup. French House, or La Maison Française, is situated on the 2nd floor of Dundas Hall and is an environment for students to feel comfortable speaking and learning to speak French. French culture is celebrated through several programs and events, including the annual Reveillon. The PF of French House also maintains a close relationship with the French Department at the university and many programs are planned in partnership.

Students wishing to live in an LLC must complete an additional application indicating their interest.

Academic Learning Communities, or ALCs, are also known as clusters. These are communities where students are grouped together based on their academic program. Student living in clusters have 2 or 3 classes in common and have the advantage of living in an environment geared toward academic success. Cluster leaders, or CLs live in these communities and plan programs and events geared toward supporting in-classroom learning such as study groups, faculty interactions, and techniques for writing exams and papers.

Clusters are located in Lambton, Lennox-Addington, Johnston, Maritime, Prairie, and Mountain Halls.

There are 3 Academic Drop-In Centres, or ADC,  located in Mountain, Lambton and East Residence, and  staffed by the ALCs. The Centres are a great resource available to students in residence, offering study sessions, exam prep questions, help with writing essays, and special guests to assist in your learning! During the school year, ask an CL or RA about some of the cool opportunities and workshops that the ADC provides to help enrich your studying.

Another set of specialized residence communities are the Themed Living Communities (TLCs). The areas are Study Intensive, Healthy Choices and Leadership & Engagement.

When you applied for residence, you had the option of choosing to live in a cluster, or specialized community. Rooms will be assigned by Residence Admissions in late July and you’ll find out if you’ve been placed in one of these specialized communities!