Beginning in fall 2013, only Honors students will be eligible to live in the Ridgecrest Community in an attempt to have a more cohesive community within Honors housing.
“The goal in Honors housing, just as in other living-learning communities, e.g., the business community in Friedman Hall, is to bring together students with a college, academic major or other interest in common,” Alicia Browne, director of housing administration, said. “In Honors housing, students in the Honors College want to live together and share out-of-classroom experiences.”
However, due to the housing shortage, there still will be allowances made if there are unfilled rooms within Honors housing.
“We begin each fall trying to only assign students who are eligible in each LLC, meaning only Honors students in Honors housing. That said, the numbers never work out perfectly, and we do not want to leave vacant rooms while there are students still needing housing assignments,” Browne said. ”So, if all spaces in Honors housing are not filled by Honors College students, and other students need assignments, we will fill in the few vacancies with students not otherwise eligible for that community.”
This new housing situation is an attempt by the Honors College to surround their students with like-minded peers.
“In this situation, you’re going to be around other people with similar classes as you,” Alex Raus, resident advisor at Paty Hall, said.
Demarc Thomas, a resident advisor at Riverside East, said an all-Honors living environment will assist students in social and academic situations.
“It allows Honors students to be around like-minded people so they can focus more,” Demarc Thomas, resident advisor for Riverside East, said.
However, it is still under debate if separating Honors students in residence halls will foster a great sense of community within the Honors College.
“It could go along the same way as Blount [Undergraduate Initiative], but I don’t think it will,” Raus said. “I don’t think Honors has events mandated that all Honors students attend, so there won’t be any difference.”
Cody Frederick, a resident advisor for Blount, said he sees positive and negative elements to a separate Honors community.
“You come close to a community and intellectualism and academic rigor; however, it would also insulate Honors students from the rest of the University and, on the flip of the coin you, insulate the rest of the University from Honors,” Frederick said.
