First-year UAB students interested in business now have an opportunity to live and learn amongst their peers. The Collat School of Business has launched a Living Learning Community (LLC) for entering students to meet and live with fellow business students to build connections, explore professional development opportunities and grow as future business and community leaders.
Members of an LLC live in designated residence halls and share common academic interests and goals. Housed within the new UAB McMahon Residence Hall, the business LLC will expose business students to opportunities to network with students and faculty in similar fields, enroll together in community-specific courses and participate in peer activities that enhance and extend classroom learning.
Residents will collaborate with faculty, staff and each other outside of the classroom, working together on class projects, group assignments – and even studying together!
Research indicates students within an LLC have a higher rate of academic success, enjoy their college experience more and are more likely to graduate. Moreover, students can build lifelong friendships with their peers.
"We have a vibrant community of students here at UAB, and the LLC is a great opportunity to offer and extend our community to entering students."
-Manish Gorre, Collat Student Senators President
Collat Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) senators Manish Gorre, Michelle Diaz and Will Larsen are credited with presenting the idea for an LLC to stakeholders within Collat and UAB Student Housing, demonstrating the value that LLCs can bring to the college experience. "We have a vibrant community of students here at UAB, and the LLC is a great opportunity to offer and extend our community to entering students," says Gorre.
To be eligible to join, entering students must be interested in or intending to major in business. Students wanting to join the business LLC are encouraged to note their interest on their housing application. Students selected to join will be sent a supplemental application.
"We're excited to launch the [LLC] because it'll give our freshmen an opportunity to meet and live with students with similar interests and career goals," says Brandon Cox, Collat's recruitment program director. "They'll be able to study and learn together, take the same classes, and have a better overall college experience."
To learn more about the Collat School of Business Living Learning Community, please contact Student Housing at