Campus Housing
Welcome to Housing & Residential Life – on campus housing at the University of Arizona. Approximately 8,000 students – more than 7,600 undergrads and 300 grads – live in our 23 dorms and one graduate housing apartment complex, La Aldea.
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Your Arizona Home
Theme Communities
Equity and Student Engagement
⭐ Theme Communities
Want to live with students who share similar interests and goals? Join a theme community! Theme communities allow you to live with other students who share a similar personal or academic interest or passion. Living in a theme community, you will be able to access resources and opportunities focused around your area of interest. The connection between you, the other residents, and professional staff can create a dynamic living experience for developing lasting relationships and a network of support during your transition to college. To be eligible to live in a theme community:
APIDA Scholars Community - Yavapai
Live in an environment that celebrates and explores Asian Pacific Islander Desi American students' cultural identities. The APIDA Scholars Community is an opportunity to transition to college among other first-year students who want to incorporate Asian Pacific Islander Desi cultural knowledge and experiences with academic support and mentorship.
B.L.A.C.K. Community - Pima
The Building Leaders and Creating Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.) Community is a residential program that incorporates Black/African American/African cultural knowledge and experiences with academic support in a living community. This theme community provides a welcoming place for students to engage in discourse about the Black community on campus and at large, receive mentorship, and develop understanding of leadership and personal identity.
Blue Chip Leadership Community - Pueblo de la Cienega
The Blue Chip Leadership is a nationally-renowned program whose mission is to build leaders that make a difference. Blue Chip Leadership: First Year Experience helps you develop leadership knowledge and skills by combining academic and extracurricular activities like: team building, community service and professional development.
Cambium: STEM Scholars Community - Honors Village
Cambium: STEM Scholars Theme Community provides science and engineering students admitted to the Honors College an opportunity to live in a research-enriched learning environment. Members of this community benefit from a small cohort of peers and faculty who are engaged in scientific inquiry at a Research 1 institution; with support from Arizona community partners: the Honors College, College of Engineering, and the College of Science.
Engineering Leadership Community - Yuma
The Engineering Leadership Community (ELC) is a unique theme community that brings together first-year engineering students to develop their skills as future leaders in an engineering profession. Members of this community develop a real sense of belonging to the College of Engineering and benefit from being a part of a group who shares their interests and passions. Students have the opportunity to form a cohort of peers who attend classes together, receive guidance from a faculty member, pursue social networking among the Arizona engineering community and explore engineering professions.
O'odham Ki: Community - Yavapai
Pronounced AW-THAM-KEE, this phrase translates from the southwest tribes (Hopi and O'odham) languages as "The People's House." This community provides a welcoming, comfortable, and supportive living and learning environment for Native American students that affirms Native American cultural identity and emphasizes education, culture, empowerment, and community.
Outdoor Adventures - Villa del Puente
The Outdoor Adventures Theme Community is designed for students who share a passion for human-powered outdoor recreation. In partnership with Campus Recreation, this interactive and fun-filled community will participate in a variety of outdoor trips, such as camping, hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, and canyoneering. There will be numerous opportunities to explore the incredible wilderness areas of southern Arizona and the American Southwest, both through trips provided by the Arizona Outdoor Adventures program and on informal trips planned and run by residents of the community. Through these adventure activities, residents will develop leadership abilities, technical skills, and close friendships with their peers. No previous experience is necessary; only a desire to participate, learn, and grow!
PACE Communities - Coronado, Manzanita-Mohave, Villa del Puente
The Eller Pre-Professional Academic Communities of Excellence (PACE) Theme Community offers an amazing opportunity to live, learn, and socialize with your Pre-Business and Pre-Economics peers in a UA dorm. PACE Theme Communities feature a creative and high-energy environment with access to Peer Academic Leaders, Academic Advisors, student-faculty interaction, and professional development opportunities. All Eller Pre-Professional first year students are encouraged to apply to be part of these housing communities.
The Arts District (TAD) Community - Manzanita-Mohave
Through a dynamic and collaborative residential environment, The Arts District (TAD) Theme Community provides a space for students interested in the arts to optimize growth in leadership, academic success, and networking with artists from diverse backgrounds. This community supports the successful transition into college of first-year students through a safe and inclusive living-learning community. Students are integrated to University life through study groups, access to studio and rehearsal space, peer mentorship, and College-student interaction. The ideal student for this program is motivated in their discipline, has an interest for artistic leadership, and seeks a greater sense of community through creative diversity.
Transfer Community - Graham-Greenlee
In partnership with the Transfer Student Center, the Transfer Theme Community provides a supportive living-learning environment that helps transfer students transition to life at University of Arizona. Members of this community will be a part of a space that recognizes their needs, and that the needs of transfer students vary greatly from the needs and interests of incoming freshmen. Students living in this community will live with others who are on a similar transitional journey, and residents will be connected with the academic programming, resources, a community of students, and faculty needed to thrive.
⭐ Equity and Student Engagement
Equity & Student Engagement is committed to creating safe and inclusive settings for all students and staff. The Mission of fostering social justice through respect, equity and compassion creates a welcoming environment for all identities, as well as, sets the standard for training and programmatic efforts. During the course of the year, Equity & Student Engagement provides challenging training and development opportunities to students, staff, and campus partners. Community efforts include programming within the residence halls, working closely with the six campus Cultural and Resource Centers, and collaborating with the city of Tucson on service learning opportunities. By focusing largely on the University of Arizona student body, the Equity & Student Engagement team strives to actively find ways to bridge gaps between the residential and commuter communities, in hopes of creating a more holistic campus.
Equity & Student Engagement, the Dean of Students Office, and Housing & Residential Life acknowledges their presence on Tohono O'odham land. By paying tribute to the 22 Indigenous tribes of the state of Arizona, Equity & Student Engagement commits itself to honoring and respecting the foundations and traditions of said nations.
Equity & Student Engagement, the Dean of Students Office, and Housing & Residential Life acknowledges their presence on Tohono O'odham land. By paying tribute to the 22 Indigenous tribes of the state of Arizona, Equity & Student Engagement commits itself to honoring and respecting the foundations and traditions of said nations.
Advocates Coming Together
This group is for Arizona students passionate about societal transformation and social change. ACT’s mission is to: educate students on issues of equity and equality, to have pride in the University of Arizona’s diversity, and to take action to make Arizona a more inclusive place. Talk to your RA or Community Director during move-in to learn more and join this exciting organization.
Finding Community Welcome
This large event takes place during welcome week. Highlighting the different student and professional organizations and resource centers available on campus, FCW will introduce you to different communities with information on getting involved. There is also free food, music, performances, community partners, and a raffle!
Hunger Banquet
For over 20 years, Housing & Residential Life has hosted a Hunger Banquet to raise awareness about hunger and food insecurity. Participants are encouraged to fast for 30 hours before the event, which is the average amount of time someone in Arizona who is food insecure goes between meals. The fast is broken at the event, where you will learn more about different causes of hunger and how to help combat the problem.
Open Housing
Housing & Residential Life is committed to fostering inclusive communities. Open Housing is intended to create a comfortable living environment for transgender and gender non-conforming residents as well as any student who wants to live with someone of a different gender. We also offer some all-gender bathrooms in some dorms. Please see dorm descriptions and floor plans for details.
Housing Peer Advisor
The student Peer Advisor position is one that is grounded in the multicultural competency framework and allows student staff to gain the awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to work effectively with students and residents across cultures and identities. Student Peer Advisors will be responsible for instituting monthly programmatic efforts within the residence halls that focus specifically on issues of equity and student engagement– including the educating on the mosaic of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusivity.
