Largest-Ever First-Year Class Necessitates Housing Adjustments

The members of five student living-learning communities have been notified that their groups will be relocated to on-campus apartments to make way for Dartmouth’s largest-ever first-year class.

The relocation from campus residence halls in the McLaughlin cluster to College-owned apartments for the living-learning groups keeps the groups together in their new locations and makes beds for first-year students available in the McLaughlin’s six residence halls. McLaughlin has been one of the residential areas housing first-year students in recent years.

“The move will allow us to ensure positive outcomes for all of our students,” says Dennis Washburn, house professor for the living-learning communities.

Plans call for moving the Thought Project, the STEM Collective, the Asian and American living-learning community, and the Gender Equity Program to College-owned apartments on North Park Street. The Italian living-learning community will move from McLaughlin to apartments in the Maxwell and Channing Cox residence halls.

The North Park Street apartments have traditionally been occupied by graduate students. The College real estate office is helping graduate students find other housing arrangements.

The living-learning groups that are moving will continue to have access to Occom Commons, a large social space in the McLaughlin cluster, for activities.

“With this change, we did everything possible to preserve the living-learning communities as we addressed the challenge of housing a larger-than-expected first-year class,” says Mike Wooten, associate dean of residential life. “We want to thank the living-learning community members for their understanding and for embracing their new homes for the coming academic year. We look forward to welcoming them back in September.”