Residential Village FAQ
What is a Residential Village?
Residential Villages are designed for first-year students with similar interests or academic majors. Students live together and are enrolled in one course together. The primary goals of the Residential Villages are to support academic excellence, enrich personal development, and promote student engagement and involvement. Students who share common interests will have the opportunity to interact with other students and faculty members both inside and outside of the classroom.
What is the advantage of living in a Residential Village?
Residential Villages are academically focused first year student residence hall communities. These villages are designed to:
• • •
Provide an academic and social support system for residents Promote interaction with fellow residents, faculty and staff members Promote student engagement to help form lasting friendships, great memories and a sense of community
Which Residential Village is right for me?
There are four to choose from: Artist’s Colony - For students interested in Studio, Performing or Visual Arts Doctor’s Lounge - For students interested in Pre-Health Sciences The Boardroom - For students interested in being future business leaders Clinical Corner - For students interested in Health Sciences
What is expected of me if I live in a Residential Village?
The Residential Life and Housing staff will be planning at least four Residential Village focused events for both the Fall and Spring semesters. Residents living a Residential Village should attend at least two of these events each semester. In addition, residents are expected to assist in the formation of and participate in study groups for the common courses that residents are enrolled in with fellow Residential Village residents.
Does it cost extra to live in a Residential Village?
No.
What if I choose a Residential Village based on my intended major and then change my mind?
It is fairly common for first-year students to change their minds about the majors and career paths. In most cases, the common courses you will take as part of the Residential Village curriculum are courses that will fulfill a General Education requirement. In most situations, you would also be permitted to remain a member of that Residential Village until another space on campus can be identified.What courses are associated with each Residential Village?
Several of the Village courses are classes that you may take during your first year at VCU anyway, such as Focused Inquiry and UNIV 101. However, by choosing into a village, you take these courses with a “cohort” of students with whom you live and with a specially chosen professor who mirrors your own interest. This makes forming study groups easy and tailors the experience to your own interest.
In addition, there may be an additional class associated with your village that meets your interest. For a complete listing of courses, please see Residential Village Course listing.
What are some of the events in the hall that I can take advantage of?
Success Series
The Residential Village Success Series is made up of programs with specific topics that will help enhance the academic and personal success of any individual in attendance. These programs are designed for Residential Village participants, but are open to any VCU student who would like to attend. RV participants are encouraged to attend at least two of the several programs that are provided!
RV Excursions
Residential Village Excursions are field trips that are only for participants of the RV program. There is one RV Excursion per semester and each trip is one full day starting with departure from VCU in the morning and returning to VCU the same night. The trips are fully funded by the program and there is limited space.
Close Faculty Involvement
Each Residential Village has a faculty leader with a discipline related to the goals of their RV. The faculty leader may teach the common prerequisite course the students take, and will be involved with events on the floor and in the building.
