Living Learning Communities

Casa Sol provides opportunities for students to explore their own identity as well as opportunities for students who want to reach beyond their own cultural background and learn about the experiences of others. 

The goal of the Casa Sol Living Learning Community is to provide a supportive community where the academic experiences of students are nurtured and enriched, as well as help in making friends and finding their niche on campus. Participants have the opportunity to live, study, and participate in curricular activities together. 

Casa Sol gives you the opportunity to connect with the Latinx community on campus, find academic support, explore leadership opportunities, and, of course, have fun! Casa Sol students participate in cultural events, networking events, workshops, and a community that will make them feel at home at the University! Casa Sol ensures access to academic resources in an environment that understands where you are coming from.

More about Casa Sol

Charlotte’s Home strives to support the academic, social, and personal endeavors of Black women through community building, leadership, identity exploration, and personal growth to ensure their success during their time here at the University of Minnesota and thereafter.

The goal is to provide a supportive community where the academic experiences of students are nurtured and enriched, as well as help in making friends and finding their niche on campus. Participants will have the opportunity to live, study, and participate in curricular activities together. This LLC provides opportunities for students to explore their own identity as well as opportunities for students who want to reach beyond their own cultural background and learn about the experiences of others.

This house is named after Charlotte Crump Poole. Charlotte was a student activist at the University of Minnesota in the 1930s who fought against housing discrimination on campus. She was "reprimanded by the dean of women for calling attention to racism." She later went on to found the Negro Student Council and the Jack and Jill of America Foundation which serves African American children and families. MCAE is proud to offer this LLC in her name and honor her legacy.

More about Charlotte's Home

Huntley House strives to support the academic, social, and personal endeavors of Black and African American men through community building, leadership, identity exploration, and personal growth to ensure their success during their time here at the University of Minnesota and thereafter.

The goal is to provide a supportive community where the academic experiences of students will be nurtured and enriched as well as help in making friends, and finding their niche on campus. Participants will have the opportunity to live and study together and participate in curricular activities together. This LLC provides opportunities for students to explore their own identity as well as provide opportunities to those students who want to reach beyond their own cultural background and learn about the experiences of others.

Huntley House is named in honor of Dr. Horace Huntley, a member of the first African American and African Studies (AA&AS) graduating class in 1970, who went on to earn a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and become a Professor of History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Huntley was one of the leaders in the Morrill Hall Takeover in the spring of 1969, when a small group of African American students occupied the University of Minnesota's administration building.

More about Huntley House

The Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence (MCAE) invites incoming first-year students who are first-generation and/or students of color to live in a close-knit and dynamic community with peers committed to academic success at the University of Minnesota.

The primary focus of The Firsts is to increase visibility around the first-generation college identity and cultivate community through the shared experiences of navigating academic life at the University of Minnesota. "The Firsts" LLC is intended for students whose parents have not obtained a college education and who are the first in their family to pursue a college degree.

This LLC is designed to promote academic success by providing holistic support and cultivating an encouraging community. The Firsts assists in family and community connections and aids in navigating the worlds of school and home while building honor and visibility among the diverse UMN first- generation community. Finally, students who live in The Firsts LLC gain an extra layer of support in navigating UMN, increased connections to staff, and a support system of first-generation resources and peers.

More about Tsev Hmoob

The Tsev Hmoob LLC, launched in 2011, is designed to provide first-year students the opportunity to live in a community intended to promote personal, social, and academic growth on campus.

Tsev Hmoob aims to provide a supportive community where the academic experiences of students are nurtured and enriched, as well as help in making friends and finding their niche on campus. Participants will have the opportunity to live, study, participate in curricular activities together.

Students will find opportunities to explore their own identity as well as opportunities for students who want to reach beyond their own cultural background and learn about the experiences of others.

More about Tsev Hmoob

Students interested in participating in the MCAE Living Learning Community must meet the following requirements:

• Must be a first-year student.
• Must identify as a first-generation student and/or a student of color.
• Must submit a completed application due May 2023.
• Must move in on Friday, August 25th, 2023.
• Must attend MCAE LLC Retreat on Saturday, August 26th, 2023.
• Must attend MCAE Kick Off prior to the start of the academic year (August 27th to August 29th).
• Must commit to participate in academic coaching and holistic support from MCAE Staff.
• Must commit to attending regular community meetings and events.
• Must live on campus for the entire duration of the academic year (Fall & Spring).
• Must follow Housing & Residential Life community/conduct expectations as well as University’s Student Code of Conduct.
• Must be fully present at MCAE LLC events, remain open to new ideas and experiences, and make an effort to get to know other members of the MCAE LLC community.

1. Complete a House & Residential Life application and select the MCAE LLC(s) you are interested in joining.
2. Check your email: If you expressed interest in one of MCAE's LLCs you will receive an email communication from MCAE with complete application information in mid-summer
3. Submit your MCAE LLC application! Only students who submit a completed MCAE LLC application will be considered.
4. Check your email! The first round of LLC application reviews begins in early summer.

Dr. Fernando Rodriguez
Director of the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence

Email: [email protected]

Daniel Morales Morales

Interim Assistant Director of Inclusive Classroom Climate'

Email: [email protected]