������-���������ұ���

������ is preparing to introduce a major shift in its residential experience with the launch of Theme Communities starting Fall 2026. The new model replaces the long-standing Living-Learning Communities, which have existed on campus for more than 25 years.

Planning for Fall 2026 programming is taking place this spring, with a more tentative calendar of activities in the themes expected by summer.

According to Jill Jenkins, senior executive director of University Housing, the change was prompted by both practical challenges and student feedback.

“What’s happened over the last, probably eight years, is we’ve seen a decline in the number of Living-Learning Communities,” Jenkins told Kent State Today. “All of the Living-Learning Communities have an academic program of sponsorship, and as academic colleges’ resources have gotten tighter, they have had to make decisions about what their staff are doing.”

At the same time, fewer students were signing up. To understand why, University Housing partnered with a senior-level marketing class taught by Robert Jewell, Ph.D., professor in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, in Spring 2024. Students were asked to evaluate whether Kent State should continue offering Learning Communities and, if so, how to improve them.

Jenkins said the results were surprising.

“We figured they were going to come back and say, ‘Get rid of them,’” Jenkins said. “But they came back and said students are very interested, they just don’t know what they are, and the term ‘learning’ is putting them off.”

The class’s findings pushed housing to rethink the model. Jenkins and her team started brainstorming options.

“We said, well, what if we centered it around a theme, an interest, instead of an academic program?” Jenkins said. “And that’s where we landed.”

The result is a rebranded and redesigned program that maintains the spirit of the original communities, while broadening who can participate and who can sponsor them.

Several current communities will continue under the new model, each centered on a specific interest or student experience.  

• The Education and Human Services Community brings together students who want to serve others, future teachers, interpreters, counselors and similar majors, creating a supportive space built around helping professions.
• The Exploratory Community is designed for students still deciding on a major, offering mentoring, programs focused on strengths and career exploration and plenty of opportunities to connect with peers on the same path.
• The Honors Residential Experience will continue providing an academically focused environment for Honors College students across several halls. The community is specifically for students who are admitted into the Honors College.  
• Colorlab, now housed in the School of Fashion, remains a creative hub for students interested in fashion, design and the arts.

Two new communities will launch in Fall 2026.  

• The Eastway Experience, located in the first-year Eastway Complex, will help students transition to campus life by connecting them with resources, staff and other first-year peers.
• The Hall of Champions, created with , will bring together students involved in athletics, spirit groups, band members and related roles, offering a community built around pride, teamwork and campus spirit.

Jenkins explained the shift reflects a deeper goal of strengthening student belonging and for Theme Communities to give students another layer of support and connection, whether through staff, programs or shared activities.

“Students who live on campus get connected to the university and stay and graduate in greater numbers,” Jenkins said. “We want to double down on that sense of belonging by making even smaller communities within the residence hall communities, similar to joining a club.”

While specific activities are still being developed, the communities will help students meet one another, build communication and teamwork skills and learn how to advocate for themselves and their community.  

The redesign was shaped by a group called Reimage LLP Working Group, which included housing staff, hall directors, alumni staff, representatives from the Center for Student Involvement, Education Human Services and existing learning communities. Jenkins said the group was intentionally broad so that everyone could be involved in the process.

“We want to connect first-year students in a way that keeps them connected to Kent State, all the way through,” Jenkins said. “We wanted to start with the end in mind and invited those folks to the group as well.”

Future partnerships are already being explored. Jenkins said Recreation and Wellness Services has expressed interest in developing a health and wellness-focused community for a future cohort.

“I think it would be popular,” she said. “It ties in nicely to university priorities and initiatives.”

Students can already sign up for Theme Communities through the housing application, which opened in January.  

One of the first measures of success will be whether students understand what communities are and if they are signing up. Other measures will include whether students feel connected to peers, staff and campus resources, as well as if they develop skills in communication, teamwork and self-advocacy.

For students unsure whether a Theme Community is right for them, Jenkins offered simple advice.

“Give it a try,” she said. “You don’t have to stay involved. There’s no harm in applying, getting in one, making a few friends and then saying, ‘This isn’t for me.’”

Faculty, staff or students interested in proposing future Theme Communities, or wanting to help volunteer, can contact University Housing or Jill Jenkins directly, while a formal application process for volunteers is being developed.

Learn more about the Theme Communities.