Starting this fall, Merrimack will kick off two new Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) that will enable students who share academic interests to attend classes, workshops, and social events together.
The new LLCs will focus on important components of a successful future: being a productive professional and maintaining health and wellness.
Warriors at Work LLC, for first-year students, has a primary goal of providing on-the-job experience through co-ops and internships, service learning and community engagement, study away (study abroad, domestic travel, research opportunities), and undergraduate research projects. Throughout their time in the program, students will work and live in cohorts with the same group of peers, and will be supported by Resident Advisors (RAs) who also share their major.
The goal is for 100% of Warriors at Work students to participate in at least one experiential learning opportunity each year, and therefore have at least four total experiences by the time they graduate. This fall, students in several majors — accounting, civil engineering, communication and media, criminology, and criminal justice — will be automatically enrolled in the program. Going forward, Merrimack hopes to expand the program to as many majors as possible.
Patricia Sendall, Ph.D., dean of experiential learning, led the development of Warriors at Work. “Students in the Warriors at Work program will have exclusive access to alumni in their chosen field of study, will live and learn with other students in their major, and participate in specially designed professional development activities. A large part of this program will involve reflection in which students will discuss their experiences and use that knowledge to make future decisions.”
A second new LLC – Wellness Integrated Living and Learning (W.I.L.L.) – will place emphasis on health and wellness, addressing topics such as eating healthfully on campus, mindfulness, supporting friends with mental health concerns, and taking care of one’s own mental health. Particular focus will be placed on the six dimensions of wellness — physical, emotional, social, spiritual, occupational, and intellectual — and specialized housing options will allow students to live near like-minded students.
“By living in W.I.L.L., residents will attend programs planned by their RAs and learn from other staff and faculty on campus, while practicing how to approach wellness from a holistic perspective,” said Erin Kaminski of the Office of Wellness Education at Merrimack. This LLC will be available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in maintaining or starting a healthy lifestyle.
To learn more about Merrimack’s new LLCs, contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@merrimack.edu or 978-837-5507.
