Living-Learning Communities

Our Arts LLC is a community designed to maximize residents' creative capacity. Whether you are interested in creating music, theater, visual art, architecture, engineering, and/or film students who elect to live in the Arts LLC are united by a passion for creating, and a commitment to the arts. You do not need to be an artist or a performer to join; you just need a curiosity for artistic expression in general.  

Our First Year Experience LLC is a community that helps our new students get acquainted with the college and involved during their first year. Students are offered academic and social opportunities that help them form meaningful connections to the college community and find their niche at Mount Holyoke. This program is housed in MacGregor Hall and many programs for our first year students will happen there, making this building the hub for first year activities and interactions. Students participating in this program will flourish throughout their first year.

Our Leadership LLC is a community within the First Year Experience LLC where individuals at any point in their leadership development can come together to build and deepen their understanding and skills of what it means to be a leader. Leadership is a lifelong learning process, and whether participants have a lot of experience or not this community is a space where everyone can learn and gain insight on how leaders make a positive difference in their community, regardless of the title they hold.

Students who chose to become Leadership LLC community members are expected to participate in weekly discussion-based sessions during the Fall & Spring semester. For the 2019-2020 academic year, sessions will be every Thursday from 7:30-8:30pm, facilitated by the Associate Director of Student Program and the Student Involvement Consultants. These sessions will be an opportunity to build community, discuss what it means to be a leader, and reflect on the ways participants have and can continue to engage in this meaningful work.

Our Interfaith LLC is a community of students dedicated to learning, exploring, and celebrating the diversity of religious, spiritual, and socially just practices observed at Mount Holyoke and worldwide. Interfaith community residents desire to deepen their own values/mindful practices, explore the values of their community members with curiosity, and respect seeking meaning and purpose. All students, whether they practice a particular religion, are spiritual but not religious, are seekers, agnostic or atheist are encouraged to apply. 

Our Language LLC is a community of students that promotes a supportive and congenial environment of language immersion for its residents by providing access to language assistants, faculty and staff who facilitate programs and activities that enhance students’ linguistic and cultural competence in their target language in order for them to thrive in a global society. This community is recommended for students studying that language as well as those planning to study abroad. All students who choose to live in this LLC will sign the Community Living Guidelines pledging their commitment to participating in events that maintain an environment of immersion and cooperative learning. The Language LLC was first founded in 2015 with Spanish and French as the original two language sections. Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish have all been part of the Language LLC throughout the years. The languages that will be in the LLC for any given year will be decided by which languages receive the most viable resident applications by the deadline.

Our Lyon’s Legacy LLC is a community designed to support students as they explore and express their whole selves, including their gender identities and sexualities in a safer and affirming environment with particular regard to those complexities which pertain to the historical and contemporary experiences of transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people. Lyon’s Legacy community residents commit to fostering a community, that builds solidarity, honors the legacy of identities that transcend existing binary systems at an institution founded as a female seminary. The community is named after, the Lyon’s Legacy Loan Fund', to provide assistance to MHC students who've lost support from their families for coming out as LBGT.

Our Lyons’ Nation LLC is a community that is designed to support students who are varsity/club athletes and dancers that strive for athletic and academic excellence. Lyon’s Nation community members are committed to developing a community that celebrates the dedication required to maintain a healthy active lifestyle as well as strive for academic excellence. Community residents support each others competitions and performances while encouraging school spirit among the larger college community.

Our Mary Woolley LLC is a community that is designed to support students as they explore and express their whole selves, including their gender identities and sexualities in a safer and affirming environment with particular regard to those complexities which pertain to the historical and contemporary experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, aromantic, pansexual, polysexual and allied people. Mary Woolley community residents commit to fostering a community, that builds solidarity, honors the heritage of identities that transcend existing binary systems and intersections of identities while working towards justice and equity for all. Ths community is named after, Mary Woolley, the 11th president of Mount Holyoke College. While Mary Woolley accomplished many feats in her 36-year term as president, today she is remembered for laying a foundation for LGBTQ inclusiveness at the College. 

Our Mi Gente LLC is a community that is designed to support students who are of Latina/x descent, identify within the Latin American Diaspora and/or wish to foster connections between different cultures within the diaspora. Mi Gente community residents are committed to developing a safe, supportive, and celebratory environment with particular regard to those complexities of being a student of Latina/x descent at a predominantly white institution.

Our Mosaic LLC is a community that is designed to support students who self-identify as people of color and express a commitment to creating an inclusive and socially just community that allows residents to learn, listen, and share the many identities they embody. Mosaic community residents engage in cross-cultural dialogue providing students with opportunities to explore and cultivate their academic, intellectual, and cultural interests.

Our Outdoor Adventure  LLC is a community that is designed to provide students with an opportunity to take an active role in engaging in Mount Holyoke’s Outdoor Community. Outdoor Adventure residents will explore nature on campus and in the Pioneer Valley. Various excursions such as walking, hiking, skiing, biking and snowshoeing will be planned with the goal of building teamwork and leadership skills  No previous experience is necessary. All students who chose to live in the Outdoor Adventure LLC commit to a willingness to participate, learn, and grow.

Our Shirley Chisholm LLC is a community that is designed to support students who are of African descent, identify within the African Diaspora and/or wish to foster connections between different cultures within the diaspora. Shirley Chisholm community residents are committed to developing a safe supportive and celebratory environment with particular regard to those complexities of being a student of African descent at a predominantly white institution. The community is named after, Shirley Chisholm, a former professor of politics and sociology at Mount Holyoke. Before teaching at Mount Holyoke, Shirley Chisholm made history as the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

Our Transfer LLC is a community designed to support students who transfer into Mount Holyoke College. Transfer community residents are committed to developing peer network and support environment that brings together students who arrive at Mount Holyoke College with valuable college and life experiences. Though they may come from a variety of different backgrounds transfers bring a unique perspective to their Mount Holyoke College journey. Throughout the year, activities, events, and programs designed in collaboration with community members will assist transfer students in navigating Mount Holyoke.