A&SRC: The Arts & Sciences Residential College

Belonging Leads to Success

First-year A&SRC students consistently demonstrate strong persistence and academic performance compared with other first-year UTC students.

Data reflect outcomes for first-year A&SRC students compared with other first-year UTC students.

How A&SRC Works

The success of A&SRC students reflects the strength of the program’s structure. Residential Learning Communities bring students together around shared academic interests while providing opportunities to learn, connect, and grow together.

The Arts and Sciences Residential College is composed of multiple Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) that bring together students with similar interests to live and learn with one another. Most RLCs are sponsored by departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and are organized around distinctive academic or thematic areas.

As part of the RLC experience, students enroll in academic cohort courses alongside fellow members of their residential learning community. These shared courses strengthen connections among students while extending learning beyond the classroom and into the residential community.

Through programming, social activities, service opportunities, and engagement with faculty and campus partners, A&SRC students develop meaningful relationships, deepen their academic interests, and build the habits that support success at UTC and beyond.

Join A&SRC in Three Simple Steps

Joining A&SRC is as easy as 1-2-3!

 Don’t Forget: Register for Orientation

All first-time UTC students must attend New Student Orientation before beginning their first semester. 

Register for Fall Orientation

Want to learn more? Read on!

Guiding Force: RLC Coordinators

These are faculty and staff within the College of Arts and Sciences. Coordinators usually teach one or more courses exclusively for their RLCs. Additionally, they plan and lead several co-curricular and social activities for their members each semester and provide informal mentoring for their students.

Peer Support: Programming Assistants

These peer leaders are typically returning students who previously participated in the RLC they serve. They help coordinators organize and promote events and facilitate general communication with RLC members. Programming assistants receive special scholarships from Housing and Residence Life for their valuable contributions to their RLCs.

Building Community in the Classroom

RLC Coordinators select one or more courses that align with their membership’s particular interests and curricular plans and designate these as their RLC academic cohort courses. RLC members enroll in these courses as a cohort to build community in the classroom. A&SRC members are expected to participate in all their designated academic cohort courses.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

At A&SRC, learning happens in the classroom, in the residence hall, and in the community. Special activities and events amplify our students’ learning and skill acquisition and provide them with unique opportunities to apply their new-found knowledge and skills.

Recipe for Success: Engagement

Our mission is your success. By design, A&SRC’s benefits grow out of your engagement; therefore, accepting a place in A&SRC is an implicit commitment to be an engaged RLC member, participate in our special programming, explore our resources, and take advantage of our unique services.

Eligibility

UTC undergraduate residential students majoring in programs in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible to join A&SRC’s RLCs. Currently, our RLCs are open to first-year students only. Undeclared students interested in CAS academic programs are welcome to join CAS Explorers.

Application Process

Applying is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Follow these steps:

1. Complete UTC's Admissions application. We will reach out to you within a week of receiving your form.
2. Complete your A&SRC Membership application. The Arts and Sciences Residential College App is accessible in the UTC Admissions portal, located in the "Other Applications" area's drop-down menu. Our staff and RLC Coordinators will review your application and notify you of your status.
3. Confirm and Finalize your A&SRC membership.
   1. Complete the UTC Housing Application (available beginning  in early December).
   2. Indicate your A&SRC RLC on your Housing application.
   3. Answer ALL questions on the application. 

When Housing emails you your room assignment, you MUST formally accept the room assignment and pay your $400.00 Housing pre-payment by their deadline to secure your RLC room and finalize your A&SRC membership.

*Additionally, please note that you must be academically eligible to participate in your RLC. Academic eligibility means that you meet any prerequisites for your RLC's selected academic cohort courses (where required) and that you have not already earned credit for those courses.

Cost

A&SRC is funded by a partnership between the College of Arts and Sciences, its constituent departments, and Housing and Residence Life. This means you can participate in this fantastic program at no extra cost to you!

A&SRC Participant Guidelines and Expectations

A&SRC is a student success initiative that brings together UTC’s Academic Affairs faculty and Student Affairs staff to develop and incorporate high-impact practices that amplify student success. The program’s mission is to cultivate a sense of belonging in its members by creating communities that live together in a residence hall and engage in curricular (through academic cohort courses), co-curricular (through RLC-organized programming), service, and social activities. Interested students must apply and be accepted to participate in this competitive program. Participation in A&SR's RLCs is FREE, thanks to support from our partners in Housing and Residence Life, the College of Arts and Sciences, and its constituent departments. We make this significant investment to benefit your and our other students, but for this impact to result, you must commit to being fully engaged.  

The following guidelines clarify A&SRC’s expectations of its members. You must acknowledge your understanding of these guidelines by signing the acknowledgment statement as part of the application process. Your signature also asserts your commitment to abide by these guidelines and expectations. Failure to do so will result in your forfeiting your membership and being room-changed out of your RLC in Decosimo so other interested students can participate. 

Academic Cohort Courses: Our faculty coordinators carefully select the academic cohort courses. All first-year students participating in A&SRC are required to enroll and remain enrolled in these courses. Academic cohorts are unique to each RLC and include courses in the Fall and Spring semesters. A list of academic cohort courses can be found below, in the A&SRC Academic Cohort Courses section of this page.

RLC Activity Programming Participation: RLC Coordinators organize and lead co-curricular and social activities to strengthen the bond within our communities. Engagement is an indispensable part of this process and our student success model. With that in mind, you are expected to participate in these activities. Your RLC plans at least six activities every academic year (three per semester), and you are expected to participate in at least four of these (two per semester). 

Residence Hall and Engagement: Decosimo Apartments is home to A&SRC and its RLCs. Our partnership with Housing and Residence Life enables us to provide additional engagement and support opportunities in our residence hall (and adjacent congregational spaces at Stacy Town Center). These opportunities are also designed to develop skills, strengthen community building, and provide additional support services. Take full advantage of these resources to help you on your path to success. 

Service Activities: We use service activities to give back to the community and to develop a sense of agency in our participants. You will be expected to participate in at least four service activities yearly (two per semester). These may be formal service events organized by A&SRC, its constituent RLCs, or other UTC offices. Additionally, you may opt to perform individual service hours organized independently with one of our Chattanooga community partnering organizations. In such cases, three (3) hours of individual service performed will be equivalent to one A&SRC/RLC/UTC-sponsored service event. 

Communication via Navigate: A&SRC and its RLCs use Navigate to communicate with our members. When you receive emails and text messages from Navigate, you are expected to read and respond to them (when appropriate). 

Good Academic Standing: A&SRC’s mission is to support your academic progression toward graduation. UTC defines Good Academic Standing as earning a GPA of 2.0 or higher. If your GPA falls below 2.0, you will be offered an Academic Success Plan, which includes student success measures such as academic coaching and tutoring. Following and completing your academic success plan will ensure you remain eligible to participate in your RLC. 

The residential college contains substantial resources to bolster your success at UTC; however, no institutional support can do all the work for you. As an A&SRC participant, your job is to lean into these resources and take full advantage of what the residential college offers: a path to academic success through community, engagement, and service.