The Residential College (RC) is a four-year interdisciplinary liberal arts program within the College of Literature, Science and Arts (LSA) at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Founded in 1967, the RC is often described as a living-learning community; this is because RC students live and learn in the same physical space: East Quadrangle Residence Hall. The RC community encourages and welcomes participation by everyone associated with it – staff, students, faculty, friends, and alumni.
The RC curriculum is interdisciplinary and engages students in creative exploration of the humanities, the social and natural sciences, intensive foreign language study, and the visual and performing arts. We seek to foster a genuine appreciation and lifelong passion for learning; not merely individual quests for knowledge, but preparation and encouragement that lead to effective and responsible engagement in the real world.
By combining typical residence hall facilities (dorm rooms, lounges, dining halls, etc.) with the academic and artistic resources required for a liberal arts education (classrooms, creative arts studios, faculty offices, performance and exhibit spaces, and student support services) the RC makes a unique contribution to higher education – a small college fully integrated with a major and highly respected public university.