What this community is
The First-Generation living-learning community is a themed floor or wing in Heritage Hall, for first-generation college students of any intended major.
What's different from a standard floor
Structured peer mentoring built around the "hidden curriculum" — how to read a syllabus, when to see a professor, how financial aid actually works — alongside the standard floor programming. Rent is the same as a standard room in the same hall — the community adds programming and structure, not cost.
Faculty and staff partner
Each community has a staff partner from TRIO/first-generation student services and peer mentors who are themselves first-generation graduates of the program, who holds regular office hours on the floor and is the community's point of contact for both programming and the occasional roommate or academic concern.
Signature programming
A first-generation graduate student panel each October and a family-inclusive weekend event each spring, on top of the regular hall-council events every floor gets.
How to get in and how long it lasts
Rank this community as a preference on the housing application and complete any short supplemental question; placement is by contract date and space, so apply early. First-year only. You can leave a community at any time through the standard room-change process if it turns out not to be the right fit.
Common questions
Do I have to be in this exact major to join? The community is built around students planning that path, but exploring or undecided students with a genuine interest can usually request a spot if space allows — ask Housing directly.
What if I want to switch majors after joining? Nothing about your housing changes automatically; talk to your resident assistant if the community no longer fits and you want to explore the standard room-change process.
Is this the same as an academic minor or program? No — a living-learning community is a housing and programming structure, not a credit-bearing requirement, though some communities link to specific course sections.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. This living-learning community and every detail on this page are invented; nothing here describes a real housing option.