Residence Life and Experiential Communities: Johnson-McFarlane Hall & Experiential Communities - Micah

We are now in front of Johnson-McFarlane Hall, a smaller building with a white zig-zagged roof.  

Johnson-McFarlane Hall, or JMAC, is another first-year residence hall on campus, in addition to Centennial Halls and the Dimond Family Residential Village which were mentioned earlier on the tour. I lived in Centennial Halls, or what we call just “Halls”, my first year and it was a blast. However, it is a popular debate amongst first-year students as to which first-year residence hall is the best.  

The rooms within JMAC and the other residence halls on campus house two people per room. You can check out models and photos of the rooms on our website. There are male-identifying, female-identifying and gender-neutral common bathrooms in most of the halls. There are also Resident Assistants on every floor to help students in any way they can.  

Within the residence halls, we host several experiential communities that combine academic, social and residential life, allowing our students to build community around similar interests from the first day they arrive at DU. For example, we have Living & Learning Communities, or LLCs, with a variety of topics to choose from so you can do exactly like the name and live and learn amongst people who are interested in the same topic as you.  

We also offer the PLP Leadership Studies program, which is a four-year program with 88 students per cohort. You take classes in leadership and do projects within the Denver community, and you graduate with a leadership minor by the time you finish at DU. There is also a living requirement to be with all other PLP students during your first year at DU.  

Our Honors Program is another learning community to consider, but living on the Honors floor is optional, and you’ll complete Honors-specific and discussion-based classes throughout your time at DU. You’re also required to complete a thesis within one of your majors to graduate with Honors.  

Those are just two supplemental programs here at DU – and while all of our learning and success communities require an extra application, there is no extra cost to join any of our cohorts.  

When I was a first-year student, I was worried about coming from out of state and not knowing anyone at all, but a large percentage of our students come from out of state looking to make friends and have new experiences. I was also excited though, because I knew I had a great roommate coming in. Because of the community I found within my residence hall and my orientation group, I felt an immediate sense of belonging on campus.