York's Residences contain several Living-Learning Communties, or "Themed Houses". These are groups of mostly first-year students living together sharing a common academic program or interest.
All students living in residence at York University have the option to be apply to live in a themed house. Each residence has its own theme or themes, and in most cases, you do not need to be a major in a specific program in order to be eligible. (The two exceptions are Life Sciences House in Bethune and Current Topics in Psychology in Calumet.) For all the other themed houses, all you need is an interest in the topic and the desire to participate throughout the year in activities related to the theme.
There is no additional fee to be on a themed house. When you apply to residence, you will be asked if you are interested in participating in a themed house. If you are, you will then indicate which residence and theme, from the following choices and you will be asked to complete a supplementary application to tell us why you are interested. Space in the themed houses is limited and selection will depend on what you tell us in your supplementary application:
- Maison Bilingue/Bilingual House (Glendon, Hilliard Residence)
- Economics and Business (Vanier Residence)
- Global House (Pond Residence)
- Green House/Maison Verte (Glendon Campus, Wood Residence)
- Health & Wellness (Stong Residence)
- Life Sciences House (Bethune residence)
- Humanities and Philosophy (Vanier Residence)
- Image & Motion (Winters Residence)
- Law, Politics & Public Policy (Tatham Hall Residence)
- Music & Sound (Winters Residence)
- Current Topics in Psychology (Calumet residence)
- Writing & Communication (Stong Residence)
More Info about each Themed House
Maison Bilingue/Bilingual House (Glendon Campus, Hilliard Residence, 40 spaces in E House) provides Anglophone and Francophone students with an immersion-like experience. House events and programming will alternate between French and English so that residents will be exposed to a constant blending of two cultures and two languages.
Economics and Business (Vanier Residence, 44 spaces on floors 8 & 9)The introduction of a themed floor in residence addresses a number of concerns expressed by students. First, given students’ busy schedules, there is often little, or no, opportunity for students to meet on campus, and subsequently arrange academic and/ or social meetings which focus on a theme, or topic, of common interest. Second, even when such meetings are arranged, many students who would attend are left out, largely because no one knows who these other students are, or how to contact them. Third, as there is usually no resource person helping to guide these meetings, discussions may leave out readings, and other material, which can enrich the discussion. The purpose of a themed floor is to address these concerns, thereby enriching the educational and social lives of students, who are pursuing their studies in one or more of the areas covered by the theme. Students selecting one or other of our themed floors will be grouped with other students with similar academic interests. Throughout the academic year, we plan to hold informal meetings, talks, discussions, and parties for students in the themed floor. The Vanier College Master, the Residence Life Coordinator, and other select faculty will assist in the planning of events, and where relevant,contribute to the meetings.
Global House (Pond Residence, 82 spaces on the 4th floor) is an internationally focused community dedicated to both Canadian and international students who have an interest in exploring the global community and internationalizing their living environment while attending York University. More Info
Green House/Maison Verte (Glendon Campus, Wood Residence, 36 spaces in C House) is designated for students who have a common interest in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of life. Students living in this house share a common concern for issues related to the local and global environment and agree to minimise their energy and water consumption in residence. Special attention will be paid to issues such as recycling and awareness-raising activities.
Health & Wellness (Stong Residence, 44 spaces on floors 9 & 10) is a theme that directly complements the mentoring activities that take place in the Stong College, including supplementary instruction sessions offered for courses such as Anatomy and Physiology. This floor is ideal for students majoring in Kinesiology, Nursing and Health Policy, Health Management and Informatics and those who welcome the opportunity of group/partner study and intellectual explorations in these fields.
Humanities and Philosophy (Vanier Residence, 44 spaces on floors 6 & 7) The introduction of a themed floor in residence addresses a number of concerns expressed by students. First, given students’ busy schedules, there is often little, or no, opportunity for students to meet on campus, and subsequently arrange academic and/ or social meetings which focus on a theme, or topic, of common interest. Second, even when such meetings are arranged, many students who would attend are left out, largely because no one knows who these other students are, or how to contact them. Third, as there is usually no resource person helping to guide these meetings, discussions may leave out readings, and other material, which can enrich the discussion. The purpose of a themed floor is to address these concerns, thereby enriching the educational and social lives of students, who are pursuing their studies in one or more of the areas covered by the theme. Students selecting one or other of our themed floors will be grouped with other students with similar academic interests. Throughout the academic year, we plan to hold informal meetings, talks, discussions, and parties for students in the themed floor. The Vanier College Master, the Residence Life Coordinator, and other select faculty will assist in the planning of events, and where relevant,contribute to the meetings.
Image & Motion (Winters Residence, 38 spaces on the 2nd floor) Winters has a long tradition in the visual and performing arts, and when it came time to designating a second themed house, it seemed totally organic for us to focus on a theme that explored the language of images – whether they arise out of plastic media or by a body in motion. On the Second floor I&M residents will have access to their own small painting studio, and across the quad they have their own vibrant and innovative Art Gallery. Also located in the College is a very large open space called the Winters Dining Hall, which is used by all of our dance clubs and for dance workshops.
Soon after you arrive I will be hosting a small meet & greet in the College Senior Common Room, at which time I hope to introduce you to some of our other Winters students and faculty, and to share some of my ideas about enrichment opportunities. Your Residence Life Coordinator, Mitch Burney, our Student Programming assistant, your Don (among others) will also be there, and we are excited about meeting you and sharing your ideas.
During your time with us, you will have special access to some Winters Fellows and senior students who are Visual Arts and Dance Faculty, and who have expressed an interest in mentoring you. This could take the shape of a Master class or one-on-one mentoring – and a unique opportunity to learn from talented instructors who may not be teaching any of your classes! I am especially committed to offering you opportunities to explore new ways of expressing yourself, and to a wide range of cultural influences. I know that I speak for all of us when I say that I look forward to a rewarding year with you.
Law, Politics & Public Policy (Tatham Hall Residence, 44 spaces on floors 4 & 5) offers students a range events aimed at enriching their understanding of and participation in political life. Campus and political involvement can range from enjoying contemporary political satire and movies to finding out about various internships and related opportunities within municipal, provincial and federal governments. Through interaction with affiliated clubs, students will have an opportunity to meet political leaders from all levels of government and the public service, to build skills in developing and promoting specific public policies, and to gain a deeper understanding of the Canadian legal and political system and its place within the international community.
Life Sciences House (Bethune residence, 42 spaces on floors 11 & 12) is the home for Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Kinesiology and Health Science students sharing the same classes and labs and forming organized study groups. More Info
Music & Sound (Winters Residence, 32 spaces on the 1st floor) is particularly suited to Music students who are expected to practice together outside of class and to experiment and build repertoire. You don't have to be a Music major to participate, but you do want to have an interest in making, and listening to, music. In addition to access to fellow musicians, residents in this theme will enjoy other programming opportunities, including a performance at the end of each term.
Current Topics in Psychology (Calumet residence, 46 spaces in House 3 & 4) provides an opportunity for beginning Psychology majors, those in the same section of Psychology 1010, section G, to benefit from the academic and social support of students with similar academic and career interests, to share the same course experience, and to interact academically and socially outside of class. Students take part in study groups, exam preparation sessions, learning skills workshops, field trips and other activities.
Writing & Communication (Stong Residence, 44 spaces on floors 7 & 8 ) is the perfect floor for students majoring in English, Creative Writing and Professional Writing, as well as students seeking to discover their hidden Muse. Through co-exploration of "how to make words mean" during activities that bring students together academically and socially, students broaden their academic and creative goals.
