First Year Experience

(Calhoun, Kelly, Millennium, Myers, Race, and Towers)

First year residence halls are buildings where new students find their place at Drexel University. The Residential Assistants(RAs), along with Residential Desk Coordinators (RDCs), and Desk Assistants (DAs) work to create a comprehensive and diverse first year experience where every resident has a place to belong, a place to explore, and a place to call home. This happens through weekly events coordinated by RAs, casual interactions, and hall wide events designed to bring residents together (Thanksgiving dinners, open mic events, athletic competitions, and movie series). The First Year Experience (FYE) RAs work to connect residents to each other and to the Drexel community in order to help residents successfully transition into college.

College Learning Communities

(Myers and Millennium)

Within the First Year Experience, residents have the option of living in one of the College Learning Communities (CLC) where first year students with similar interests live together and have the opportunity to connect and extend their learning beyond the realms of the classroom. CLC RAs strive to integrate academic and social learning to enhance the intellectual and personal growth of their residents. RLO partners with the following colleges for the CLCs on campus: the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design (CoMAD), the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the iSchool, the LeBow College of Business, and the Pennoni Honors College. In addition, RLO collaborates with the Liberty Scholars to offer a similar living and learning environment for students participating in this exciting new scholarship program.

Upper Class Experience

The Sophomore Year Experience (Race, North and Caneris)

The second year of college can sometimes come without definition for some students. The excitement surrounding the first year has faded, and students are gearing up for their co-op and internship experiences while talk of graduation and "the real world" is not far off. The Sophomore Year Experience (SYE) builds on the strength of the First Year Experience at Drexel by providing residents a variety of experiences to foster self exploration. Sophomores and Transfer Students across campus are offered a series of programs and resources that are designed to help them achieve a smooth transition through their second year, while catering to the unique needs demanded of the sophomore year at Drexel. SYE is based on 5 Component Areas (Citizenship, Career Exploration, Self Awareness, Collaborative Learning, and Academic Engagement). SYE activities include: Sophomores in the City dinners (exploring restaurants in Philadelphia), Sophomore Corps (an in house community service group), Sophomore Discussion Series (this year special guests included President Fry and Chief of Police Ed Spangler among others) and the Sophomore Year Mentoring program where sophomore students have the opportunity to mentor first-years as they begin their journey at Drexel. All residential sophomore students, regardless of building assignment, can participate.

Creating Opportunities for Residential Engagement (C.O.R.E)
(Race, North, Caneris, and University Crossings)

Creating Opportunities for Residential Engagement (C.O.R.E.) is a program aimed at all upper class residential students at the Drexel campus. C.O.R.E. provides residents with opportunities to gain leadership skills while enhancing the communities in their halls through the development of programming opportunities separate from those of the Resident Assistants. Additionally, residents participating in C.O.R.E. will have the opportunity to attend leadership workshops specifically developed for residential leadership.

Graduate Student Experience

(Stiles Hall)

Whether taking classes in Center City or University City, fresh out of undergrad or the workforce, and with majors ranging from Fashion Design to Medical School, the RAs of the Graduate Student Experience (GSE) offer something for every resident. With such variety, GSE RAs are jacks of all trades. They model sound academic practices, act as a directory of university resources and as ambassadors to the social offerings of Philadelphia. GSE RAs get to know their residents, allowing them to make connections with others and acquire the tools they need for a positive and engaged graduate and professional school experience. Calhoun