Specialized Communities
Specialized Communities are niche living communities within Residential Education’s house model. They seek to deepen personal relationships already at the core of our mission, leveraging the commonalities students share through a specific affinity or topical area. Specialized Communities enable first-year students to customize their CMU experience in arguably the most foundational way: where they live.
Queer Community
The Queer Community is an opt-in residential community and is open to any student, but specifically designed for students who are LGBTQ+, trans/nonbinary, and those exploring gender identity. Specific programming will be offered by the Welch House team and other campus partners. The Queer Community is in Welch House, one of CMU's suite-style communities, and allows students to live in the same room with any other student inclusive of sex assigned at birth, gender identity, gender expression, and/or sexual orientation. In suite-style bathrooms, students share their bathroom with their roommate and two other students in an adjacent room. Students are also responsible for cleaning their bathroom. Note: Students who opt into the Queer Community and do not choose their own roommate may be placed with a roommate of any gender identity. The Queer Community is not intended for romantic couples.
The Application Process
Students who are interested in the Queer Community should:
- Select the "Queer Community" option from the Specialized Communities page of the housing application.
- List the Queer Community building (Welch House) as their top building preference on their first-year housing application.
Residents who opt into the Queer Community will be assigned together on a floor within the designated house community. Generally, the Queer Community will be located in a building with semi-suite style rooms.
Roommates
First-year students who apply to live in the Queer Community can see other applicants of the Queer Community on the roommates page of the housing application. Students can contact prospective roommates through the housing application or request roommates they contacted independently. Both roommates need to have selected the Queer Community in their housing application in order to be able to find and confirm each other as roommates.
Students are not required to identify their own roommate. If a student does not indicate a roommate on their housing application, they will be assigned another roommate who preferenced wanting to live in the Queer Community based on their compatibility as determined by their roommate profile responses.
Humanities Scholars Program Cohort
Students enrolled in Dietrich College’s Humanities Scholars Program (HSP) have the opportunity to live together in a unique living-learning concept. Specific programming is offered by HSP staff which could include dinners, trips, and outings. This HSP cohort will be located at the Maggie Mo First-Year House Community, a unique opportunity to share a small house with 10-15 other first-year HSP students. Only students who are already enrolled in the HSP through Dietrich College are eligible to live in this community. Any program questions should be directed to Therese Tardio, director of the Humanities Scholars Program.
The Application Process
Students who are interested in the Humanities Scholars Program Cohort should:
- For Location, select “Maggie Mo FY Houses” from the Specialized Communities page of the housing application.
- For Room Preference, select “House Double - Maggie Mo FY Houses.”
Residents who opt into the HSP will be assigned together within the Maggie Mo First-House Community.
Roommates
First-year students who apply to live in the HSP can search other applicants from the HSP on the roommates page of the housing application. Students can contact prospective roommates through the housing application or contact them independently. Both roommates need to have selected the HSP in their housing application in order to be able to find and confirm each other as roommates.
Students are not required to select their own roommate. If a student does not indicate a roommate on their housing application, they will be assigned another roommate who preferenced the HSP based on their compatibility as determined by their roommate profile responses.