Shriver Living Learning Community

What is a Living Learning Community?

Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) connect students with shared academic interests in culture, academics, or community service. LLC residents live together in a community, and participate in academic and community programming specially designed for them.

The Shriver Living Learning Community is UMBC’s first Living Learning Community (LLC), now one of nine LLCs on campus. Our students have majors across the 3 UMBC Colleges, Erickson School, and School of Social Work. Shriver LLC members are deeply connected with the Center’s vision to lead meaningful social change through transformational higher education. They represent diverse majors and interests, yet are connected through service, leadership, and advocacy. Peer Mentors are SLLC returners and remain in the community to support a positive transition for new members through relationship-building activities and resource exploration.

The goals of the Shriver LLC are:

  • Strengthen relationship-building across members of a service-minded living-learning community;

  • Increase awareness of a variety of community assets and needs;

  • Explore necessary skills to advocate for oneself and others;

  • Promote leadership development of LLC members; and

  • Research strategies to address social issues on campus at UMBC and the greater community.

A group of Living Learning Community members take a selfie while waiting at the UMBC bus stop
SLLC ’24-’25

 

 

The Shriver LLC & CEL Staff are gathered in front of the Friends of Patterson Park building for a group photo, before they begin service.
The service kick-off of 2024. SLLC members and CEL staff take a group photo before starting a community clean up.

Member Expectations:

  • Enrollment & participation both Fall & Spring in PRAC 096: Community Engaged Learning.
  • Throughout the year, students participate together in shared academic experiences to explore community & civic engagement through the lens of Sargent Shriver and local change makers.
    • Fall: All first-year students will take the same section of UNIV 101, a first-year experience on Wednesdays, 1-2:15pm.
    • Spring: All members will take SOCY 396, for which the culminating result is a group project to pitch a social change idea.
  • Participation in cohort building activities, like the Service kick-off, Culture Night, and Passing of the Torch
  • Regular check-ins with Peer Mentors

 

The Shriver LLC members post for a group photo in the Erickson Study lounge. They are dressed in clothing unique to their cultural heritage.
LLC students gathered to celebrate Culture Night, 2024

The benefits of participating in a Living Learning Community: 

  • LLC members were more satisfied with their overall academic experience on campus than students not involved in an LLC.
  • Students were more engaged and involved on campus than students not involved in an LLC.
  • They interacted with more university faculty and staff members than students not involved in an LLC.
  • LLC members had a greater understanding of diversity and multiculturalism than students not involved in an LLC.

Applications are closed for the 2026 – 2027 academic year.

In order to be considered for a LLC, new students should complete the Residential Life Housing Application by May 1 and complete the Living Learning Community portion of the application.

Students will be contacted in mid to late-May to set up an interview with CEL Staff and SLLC Peer Mentors. Final decisions and admittances will be sent out late May.

If a student is admitted to the SLLC, they can only request a roommate who has also been admitted to the SLLC.