Residential Learning Communities
Benefits of a Residential Learning Community (RLC)
Learning together: RLCs provide students with a residentially-based small group experience that enriches their in-class instruction and provides focused out-of-class activities. RLC members will live together and are co-enrolled in a first year seminar and two or three additional classes. Each RLC accommodates up to 20 students per cohort.
Living together: Not only will students in an RLC be in a themed first year seminar together, but will have the opportunity to live with others in the same themed cohort.
- Discover Auburn: Out-of-State RLC Cohorts have a maximum of 20 students to provide a small group experience in the context of a large university.
- Engineered for Success RLC Cohorts have a maximum of 30 students to provide a small group experience in the context of a large university.
- All students take a first year seminar, which serves as the anchor course for the RLC experience.
- Students are co-enrolled in a first year seminar and two to three additional courses (usually Core Curriculum courses).
- RLC students have supportive classroom and living environments to help ease the transition to college life and college-level academics.
- Students network with peer educators, staff members, and faculty members.
- RLC students commit to participate in the fall and spring semesters of the first year.
2026 RLC Descriptions
DISCOVER AUBURN: OUT-OF-STATE (20 students per cohort)- Harper Hall (Out of State Students)
Are you from out-of-state? Worried about the transition being so far from home? The Discover Auburn: Out-of-State Student Learning Community is designed for students who are looking to discover Auburn while connecting with other students who are also far from home. Students will redefine what "home" means to them and explore Auburn to understand what their new home is all while learning traditional First Year Seminar topics like time management, study strategies, campus involvement, and career preparation. This Residential Learning Community is designed for students who are more than 250 miles away from their hometown.
ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS (30 students per cohort) - Aubie Hall (All Engineering Students)
Engineering is a challenging degree choice and requires students to quickly learn how to manage their work and time, as well as their own learning process to be successful; therefore, the Engineered for Success Residential Learning Community (RLC) focuses on providing students with direct access to an engineering peer advisor and an engineering advisor throughout their first year. Students are exposed to a support system that encourages the development of good academic and professional habits, learning about engineering as a degree and career choice, and getting connected with the engineering community at Auburn. The first-year seminar course utilizes sketchnoting and engineering career design to help students describe their own process of becoming successful engineering students. This course is also a substitute for ENGR 1100. All students – including Honors College students – may apply for the RLC and live in Aubie Hall.
ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS: HONORS (30 students per cohort) - Matthews Hall (Honors College Engineering Students)
Engineering is a challenging degree choice and requires students to quickly learn how to manage their work and time, as well as their own learning process to be successful; therefore, the Engineered for Success Residential Learning Community (RLC) focuses on providing students with direct access to an engineering peer advisor and an engineering advisor throughout their first year. Students are exposed to a support system that encourages the development of good academic and professional habits, learning about engineering as a degree and career choice, and getting connected with the engineering community at Auburn. The first-year seminar course utilizes sketchnoting and engineering career design to help students describe their own process of becoming successful engineering students. This course is also a substitute for ENGR 1100. Through this RLC you can meet all of your first-semester honor course requirements while also getting involved in the Auburn community! Students in the Honors College may apply for the RLC and live in Matthews Hall (Village, Honors College housing).
2026 RLC On-Campus Living
Students will live together in the following residence halls:
- Harper Hall (Upper Quad) - RLC: Discover Auburn: Out of State
- Aubie Hall (The Village) - RLC: Engineered for Success (All Engineering students)
- Matthews Hall (The Village) - RLC: Engineered for Success (Honors)
RLC Roommate Selection Instructions
- Log into the Student Portal and relaunch your Fall 2026 - Spring 2027 Housing Application.
- Click the Roommate Search and Selection page of the application
- Click on the blue hyperlink labeled, Search for Roommates by Profiles
- There are different sections on this page (i.e., Areas of Interest, Personal Habits, Profile Info, RA Interest, and Smoking Preferences). You will need to scroll until you get to the section titled, Profile Info:
- Change Any to High for "Residential Learning Community"
- After completing this, you will scroll to the bottom of the page and click the navy button labeled, SEARCH
- This will populate "suggested roommates"
- The students who are displayed here are other students accepted into the same RLC.
- There are different sections on this page (i.e., Areas of Interest, Personal Habits, Profile Info, RA Interest, and Smoking Preferences). You will need to scroll until you get to the section titled, Profile Info:
Steps to Join an RLC
The 2026-2027 application for Residential Learning Communities is closed.
Take a look at the other opportunities we offer to connect with Auburn and start strong, finish ahead academically!
- UNIV 1050: Success Strategies: A one-credit-hour graded course that helps students fine-tune their academic and personal skills. Students will learn about note-taking and study strategies, reading, writing, and presentation skills, memory and test-taking tips, and career opportunities. They will also explore the available (and free) academic and personal resources on campus. This course can be added through AU Access during Camp War Eagle (CWE) or during open course registration as seats are available.
- Themed First Year Seminar: Students selecting a TFYS will be enrolled in only an FYS course with the indicated theme. Special emphasis will be placed on the importance of relating the class theme to academic skills necessary for success.
- Applications are selected via a lottery on May 7th. Remaining TFYSs are then filled at CWE on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, you can browse our available themes on our Themed First Year Seminar & Learning Community Options website
- Learning Community: LC cohorts are composed of 20 students who share a common interest or major. Students are co-enrolled in an FYS and one to four additional courses (usually Core Curriculum courses). Students have the benefit of taking the linked courses alongside students in their FYS and will be pre-registered for them. Students will then add additional courses to build the rest of their schedule during CWE.
- Applications are selected via a lottery on May 7th. Remaining LCs are then filled at CWE on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, you can browse our available themes on our Themed First Year Seminar & Learning Community Options website
- Ace That! Event Series: Events designed to support your transition into college life and help you thrive at Auburn. Whether you're seeking tips for academic success, wanting to build healthy habits, navigating registration, or just looking to make the most of your college experience, this series has you covered! Take a moment to browse upcoming events, featuring faculty panels, wellness workshops, and assistance with course registration. We look forward to seeing you there!
334-844-4501 | 
fys@auburn.edu|
@AuburnFYS_LCs
Last modified: May 5, 2026