WKU is offering students a second-year Living Learning Communities option to students in the 2026-2027 school year, according to Housing and Residence Life.
According to Housing and Residence Life Assistant Director for First Year Programs Kirsten Hooks, all first-year students currently participating in first-year LLCs were eligible to apply for a second-year option. Those accepted will move into different floors of Southwest Hall in the fall of 2026.
Students were first made aware of the opportunity on Feb. 6. The application officially opened on Feb. 13 and closed on Feb. 23, according to Hooks.
English Professor and LLC second-year fellow Dawn Winters said that expanding the opportunity to live in an LLC largely stems from its success in improving student retention and fostering community at WKU.
Living Learning Communities are programs for students with similar academic interests to live together on a residence hall floor and partake in various social or academic activities connected to their fields of study, according to the WKU website. There are currently 16 WKU LLCs organized by various majors, colleges, and organizations.
Formerly the fellow for the Citizen and Social Justice and Stonewall LLC, Winters said both existing and recently added LLCs have all received largely positive feedback. According to the WKU website, students who participate in WKU LLCs graduate at an 8% higher rate than their non-LLC peers, with low-income LLC students experiencing a 11.4% increase in four-year graduation rates.
“From where I stand, the LLCs have been successful; students are more likely to succeed academically, they’re feeling like they’re more part of the WKU family, and their identity becomes that of a Hilltopper,” Winters said.
The amount of student interest for extending the LLCs to a second year far exceeded expectations, Winters said. While freshmen are often overwhelmed with an abundance of activities and social gatherings, opportunities can dwindle in a student’s second year, Winters said, so extending the LLC provides an opportunity to sophomores who are still finding their footing at college.
“Helping students through that sophomore slump and making them excited to come back to the Hill is what I’m most excited about,” Winters said.
Besides Stonewall Suites and ROTC, this is the first time that many existing LLCs will offer a second-year option. HRL hopes for the extension to become a long-term endeavor, according to Hooks.
“While we will assess and refine the experience in its early years, our intention is for it to be a permanent, growing option that complements our robust portfolio of Living Learning Communities and enhances the student experience,” Hooks said.
