What is a Residential College?

The best way to understand a residential college is to think of it as a small college experience inside a large university setting, with the advantages of both available to you. In the RCs, you live and take classes in a residence hall with faculty who work (and in some cases live) in the residence hall, too. This provides a way for you to get to know faculty and for faculty to get to know you, encouraging intellectual and social growth. With a curriculum of classes that meets General Education requirements, each Residential College has a distinctive curricular focus with its own set of Core courses taught in the residence hall by RC faculty.

Who can attend a Residential College?

Open to every major on campus, the Residential Colleges help you develop a strong foundation in critical inquiry, writing, speaking, and problem solving, as well as personal and social responsibility. Residential Colleges are open to students in their first and second years at UNCG and include students from across the University. You are encouraged to bring your unique experiences to each of your courses within the Residential College! Rich in traditions, the Residential Colleges each maintain a series of annual signature events and unique academic and social programs.

What does it cost to be in a Residential College?

There is an annual Residential College activity fee of $50.00 which helps to fund the programs and events you will experience when you join one our three Residential Colleges. Otherwise, the cost is the same as living in other comparable residence hall buildings on campus.

What RC options are available at UNCG?

You can choose from three RCs, each with its own focus. Ashby College explores Contemporary Media Literacies, Strong College expands issues of Sustainability, and Grogan College focuses on developing Future Professionals through project-based learning. Having three options means you can find an RC that is the right fit for you.

Where can I learn more?

Visit our website at http://residentialcolleges.uncg.edu or e-mail us at residentialcolleges@uncg.edu, and we’ll help you navigate all your options. Or better yet, come take a tour!

How do I apply to a Residential College?

Log in to the same SpartanLink account you used to apply to UNCG and look for the question, “Do you want to apply to a Residential College?” Select “yes” to complete the RC application.

What is Ashby College?

Ashby College students explore Social Justice and Contemporary Media Literacies. At Ashby, we emphasize the humanities within Core courses that ask you to expand your understanding of the larger world and how we interact and communicate in that world. Your Core courses are designed to include and interrogate new ways to understand your experiences, using traditional verbal, written, and oral literacies, forms you already know well. We will also explore how to communicate through the more contemporary forms of digital communication that have emerged, such as sounds, images, and videos we see on the web every day. You will learn how these literacies connect you to your community and the larger world around you. This approach helps you think about your education as an intersection with social concerns and how we not only consume information, but also interpret and create information. Ashby College is located in Mary Foust Residence Hall.
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What is Strong College?

Strong College students focus on Sustainability and hands-on research. In Strong College Core courses, you will engage with the broader questions, challenges, and possibilities of sustainability that expand beyond the environment to also include social, cultural, ethical, political, and economic systems. Core courses are designed to generate a new understanding of your community through a variety of approaches to learning and fieldwork experience, including observations, interviews, analysis, and reflection that will help you make sense of your course material. Strong College is located in Guilford Residence Hall.
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What is Grogan College?

Grogan College provides a vibrant academic community for future professionals. In Grogan College Core courses, you will follow your curiosities to explore important social questions alongside your peers. You will work in teams to understand and address these questions from diverse perspectives and come to understand the impact you can have on the world around you. And you will create a portfolio of your most meaningful learning experiences. In the process, you will develop foundational professional competencies and transferable skills needed in many different types of careers. Recognizing the changing nature of the world, in Grogan, we encourage you to imagine opportunities, take initiative, and create futures that best fit your individual aspirations. Grogan College is located in Grogan Residence Hall.
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