The Residential Engagement Community (REC) program provides students with an opportunity to take an active role in their residential and educational experience at Wake Forest University by engaging in a community of individuals with common educational or co-curricular interests.
Established over a decade ago as the Theme Housing program, RECs continue to be an integral part of Residence Life and Housing’s mission to create engaging learning communities. Today they include Interest Housing Communities, Theme Housing Communities, and Living-Learning Communities. Residential Engagement Communities promote a direct link between residential, academic and co-curricular life for students at Wake Forest University.
The REC program follows a student-led, staff-advised format that relies heavily on the entrepreneurial spirit of students to form and run their own communities. Student members share responsibility for developing a thriving community and meeting community goals. Student leadership positions are available students that serve in a leadership capacity and maintain the programming, recruiting, and administrative expectations of their role.
REC members live together in campus housing either in blocks of rooms in a residence hall or in one of the university-owned houses on Polo Road. Communities are responsible for the recruitment and placement of their own members and are expected to ensure their community is filled to capacity throughout the year. Spaces left vacant in a REC will be utilized by the Office of Residence Life and Housing for general student housing.
For additional information on Residential Engagement Communities visit our webpage on The Link at http://go.wfu.edu/rec or contact Elizabeth Leslie, Coordinator for Residence Education.
Application
The application process for new and returning Residential Engagement Communities runs from December through January. For information on the application process, selection criteria, and program expectations, visit the Residential Engagement Communities webpage on The Link at http://go.wfu.edu/rec
2017-2018 Residential Engagement Communities
| Theme | Description | Location | Student Leader(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AHUVA | The AHUVA House intends to bring women who desire Christian community and friendship together in a shared living environment. It will be a place to meet new friends and grow closer to old friends, as well as for residents to grow in their faith. | 1109 Polo Road and 1115 Polo Road | Brittany Helms |
| Casa Latina | Serves to build a stronger community with the Latino students on campus, while encouraging an increased involvement of these theme members with the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS). Living in community would allow theme members to have consistent, positive interactions with each other as we plan and carry out theme and social events. | Dogwood Residence Hall | Kimberly Romero |
| Community Engagement | The Community Engagement Theme house is a living community that focuses on the question of what is “community” and how can we as students engage the broader Winston-Salem community and global community. We function as a home away from home that builds community and works to broaden what we define as “community” while engaging in talks about the intersections of social justice and community. A pivotal part of the community is that is a safe space that respects and values all members of our community. | Kitchin Residence Hall | David Ajamy |
| Global Village | The purpose of this community is to do good as global citizens, while creating a stronger international culture and perspective as a university. Promote intercultural understanding, engage with the greater Wake Forest community and discuss global issues as a community. | Magnolia Residence Hall | Jeannie Smith and Guillermo Torres |
| Pride House | The Pride House is an LGBTQ+ centered theme house aiming to provide an inclusive, supportive, and safe housing option for LGBTQ+ identifying students and allies. Pride House focuses on working with the Wake Forest LGBTQ Center and the Gender Neutral housing program to support programs that foster close connections between house members, and engagement with LGBTQ+ support systems and opportunities on and off campus. | 1210 Polo Road | Sunny Calhoun |
| Sustainability House | The mission of the Sustainability House is to bring together creative, thought-provoking leaders who demonstrate interests in environmental issues and sustainability. This house aims to work closely with the Office of Sustainability to promote the tangibility of sustainable, high-quality living for college students and facilitate meaningful relationships with faculty, students, and staff of the Wake Forest community. | 1157 Polo Road | Lando Pieroni |
| Theatre House | The Mission of the Theatre House Residential Engagement Community is to provide a loving home — literal, artistic, and philosophical — for the vibrant collection of students who make possible the work of the University Theatre and its affiliates. | 109-111 Rosedale Circle | Jayson Pugh |
| Wake Radio | Wake Radio wishes to create an inclusive, welcoming community living space that is open to all members of our organization and their friends. By doing this we hope to create a space where all are welcome to express themselves and share in their love of music. Wake Radio’s purpose is to connect the local Winston-Salem music community with music lovers on campus. | Kitchin Residence Hall | Thomas Fitzgerald |