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Constructed in 1963, Birnkrant has been a part of USC over the last several decades. Created in honor of Cecele & Michael G. Birnkrant, the eight-story tower originally provided housing for 308 women. Over the many years of Birnkrant’s existence on the University Park campus, co-ed floors were created, and in 2011, the community began functioning as a first-year Honors community. First-year Presidential, Trustee, & Mork Scholars live in Birnkrant’s tight-knit community after an application and interview process. Commonly referred to as “8 Floors of Open Doors,” the Birnkrant community is strong, as friendships and relationships are created that often span the course of the students’ time at USC. In 1994, Birnkrant began operating as a Residential College, with a full-time, live-in Faculty Master residing in the building and working to bridge the experiences inside and outside the classroom. The Faculty Master works alongside Residential Education staff to provide programs that introduce students to Los Angeles culture, art, food, and more. Traditionally, Birnkrant residents move in two days prior to the campus-wide move-in day, to attend a retreat with the community, faculty, and staff. This retreat often includes community building activities and an off-campus trip to the Hollywood Bowl for a performance by the LA Philharmonic. Residents take great pride in living in Birnkrant and often refer to it as one of their favorite memories and experiences as a USC student.

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Cale Residential College for Global Perspectives, engages students in the complexities of the world by immersing yourself in global exploration at USC. In this Residential College, you will build your intercultural competency and participate in critical dialogue regarding the ever changing global landscape. Take part in partnerships with academic departments and resource centers that focus on international affairs, business, arts/culture, media, and current events. Discuss critical issues regarding the world’s refugee crisis, hunger, poverty, socio-political strife, and global citizenry. Students will emerge from this Residential College Experience as global citizens ready to make a positive impact on the world. Irani Residential College for Performance Science focuses on the mind, body, and business. Students in this residential college will get to explore their untapped potential in learning how to break down barriers inhibiting leadership, decision-making, resilience, or creative potential. Students will attend programs and workshops that will help them understand brain and body function, human behavior, psychology, emotion, and leadership, all with the goals of maximizing performance, both individually and within an organization or community.

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Cardinal Gardens is a popular apartment option among continuing undergraduate students. The community consists of nine individual townhouse-style buildings connected by winding, tree-lined walkways. Residents can choose between fully furnished one or two-bedroom apartments, each with a full kitchen, bathroom and a spacious, air-conditioned living room. Located on the north side of Jefferson Boulevard, Cardinal Gardens is across the street from campus and near to both the Lyon Recreation Center and Café 84. The newly renovated central courtyard provides a great gathering place for residents, where they can relax around the modern fountain in comfortable couches and chairs, grill on two gas barbecues, or spend a quiet evening sitting next to the large outdoor fireplace. Residents can also enjoy playing half-court basketball or lounging in the Customer Service Center, equipped with a 70 inch flat screen TV and pool and foosball tables.

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Comprised of two large buildings surrounding a central open area with a lawn, pool and customer service center, Century is an excellent choice for upperclassmen looking for an apartment close to campus. It offers air conditioned one bedroom and two bedroom apartments, each with double occupancy bedrooms. Residents can enjoy a central recreation room with a pool table as well as two large flat screen TV, lounge seating and vending machines. For outdoor fun, there is a swimming pool with barbecue area, basketball and beach volleyball courts and a large grassy area. Century Apartments is just across Jefferson Street and is convenient to both the Lyon Recreation Center and the USC Village. Century is home to the Rainbow Floor, an inclusive community for members of the LGBT community and their supportive Allies. Second-year special Interest floors in Century include APIDA Leaders, El Sol y La Luna, and Somerville Place.

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The residents of Cowlings Residential College for Arts & Cultures will awaken their inner cultural explorer. USC and the city of Los Angeles are home to many musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, painters, and various artists from around the world. Through programs offered within the community and coordinated events within the Los Angeles area, the residents of Cowlings Residential College for Arts & Culture will be surrounded by a wealth of experiences that will enrich their learning experience. Want to weave through the “Urban Light” exhibit at LACMA and discover its origins? Watch local slam poets perform pieces rooted in human experience in the halls? Sample a wealth of flavors at seasonal food festivals? Through the guidance of faculty, staff, and peers, the residents of Cowlings Residential College will find their niche within USC and the City of Angels.

Ilium Residential College is home to our Sophomore Honors students. Ilium is a vibrant, tight-knit community of scholars who share a commitment to rigorous intellectual and academic achievement. Ilium is designed to build upon the experience the Honors student had during their freshmen year in McCarthy Honors Residential College.

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USC's newest residential community as of Fall 2021! Figueroa Residential Community is housed within University Gateway Apartments. University Gateway is conveniently located across the street from campus at the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street, close to campus and less than two blocks from USC Village. The large building has ground floor retail shops and dining locations, Community amenities include landscaped courtyards with plenty of seating, a sundeck, a modern fitness center, a business center with free printing and rooftop terraces affording views of USC and downtown LA. Every floor has a laundry facility and individual study rooms. Students will be assigned to two-bedroom four-person, double bath units that are fully furnished and have full kitchens.

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Graduate and Family Housing, endearingly referred to as GradFam, is comprised of the Graduate and Family Housing East and West communities. USC offers approximately 2,000 spaces for graduate students and students with families. Since the housing needs of graduate students and families typically differ from those of undergraduate students, Graduate and Family Housing is located in the smaller buildings in the North University Park area. Graduate student housing offers a variety of options from single occupancy studios and apartments that allow students to live and study on their own to the lower cost option of shared bedrooms and apartments units. Family Housing mainly consists of one-bedroom apartments, but there are a few two-bedroom apartments for those families that require a little more space. There are several amenities within the graduate and family communities including lounge spaces, gyms, courtyards, and play areas. We offer live in staff including Resident Assistants, Residential Community Coordinators, a Graduate Residential Community Coordinator, and Faculty in Residence who put on events, provide nightly emergency assistance, and support resident development.

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McCarthy Honors Residential College is a vibrant, tight-knit community of scholars who share a commitment to rigorous intellectual and academic achievement. McCarthy Honors Residential College provides a bridge between the residential and academic experience. Students will engage in programs and conversations that promote innovative thinking and challenge them to explore all branches of knowledge. Students living in McCarthy Honors Residential College will have direct contact with Faculty in Residence as well as faculty, advisors, and experts across disciplines. Unique experiences in this Residential College will include connecting students to research opportunities and an early move-in summit focusing on community building and the holistic development of high achieving students. McCarthy Honors Residential College will create a peer network of student scholars who are successful in balancing involvement in academic and social activities.

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The McMorrow Residential College for Innovation & Design aspires to support the interests and passions of students in the areas of technology, science, and design. This community will encourage the pursuit of solutions to global challenges through creativity, innovation, and novelty. The Priam Residential College for Innovation & Design welcomes all students, across academic disciplines, to connect and create opportunities to transcend their academics and bring ideas to life.

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Nemirovsky Residential College for Sustainability, USC’s sustainability community, is an interdisciplinary society of students who are dedicated to building awareness around the principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability through green living practices, educational activities, and societal engagement. Members vow to live a lifestyle that attempts to reduce their individual use of natural resources and lessen their impact on the greater earth, while building their own knowledge and leadership capabilities to address the challenges facing our communities across local and global scales.

The Bohnett Residential College is a community built around a core ideal of social action through entrepreneurship. In collaboration with faculty, staff, and social entrepreneurs within the Los Angeles community and beyond, students will engage with and seek innovative solutions for a broad range of social issues such as homelessness, gun violence, diversity & inclusion, college access, and many other pressing social justice concerns facing the world today. Through speaker series, small group seminars, professional and community collaborations, and the support of the Bohnett community investment fund, students will be given entrepreneurial skills and tools to innovate new concepts and technologies to address today’s most significant social challenges.

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New North Residential College, originally called North Residential College, was founded in 1993 and consisted of EVK, College, University, and Harris Halls. In 1997, New Residential College (consisting of just EVK and College Halls) was split off, and for the following 18 years, New and North were separate, each with their own Faculty Masters and programming. Past Faculty Masters and residents included Professor Florence Clark, Stanley Rosen, Stephen Toulmin, Cynthia Hendricks and Tim Gustafson. Past Faculty Masters of New North Residential College are Professors Phil Ethington and Ange-Marie Hancock. Professor Ethington began as Faculty Master of New in 2011, and Professor Hancock began as Faculty master of North in 2012. Considering that the student residents of New and North shared a common identity and common spaces, Ethington and Hancock decided to re-merge the four Halls once again but retain the historic dual name, which students had long ago adopted: “New North.” New North Residential College houses predominantly first-year residents and strives to integrate a dynamic and active social setting with high academic achievement. New North Residential College is in a premium location on campus- you can grab coffee at the Starbucks at Trojan Grounds on your three-minute walk to Leavey Library, toss a Frisbee on McCarthy Quad, and appreciate the view of the neighboring reflecting pool. Across the street is the Galen Center and the historic Shrine Auditorium. New North also benefits from having the EVK dining hall attached to their building, so residents connect with a diverse group of students from all over campus.

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On August 15, 2007, after nearly two years of construction at the cost $58 million, USC celebrated the opening of the Parkside Arts and Humanities Residential College (PRB) with the marching band, balloons and banners. “Student residences aren’t just places to sleep anymore,” said Michael L. Jackson, Vice Provost of Student Affairs, at the ceremony. “They’re part of the educational program.” Precisely for these reasons, PRB was designed to create a space where students and faculty can form a strong scholarly community centered on the arts and humanities. Although intended for students of all disciplines, its theme allows for special interest floors dedicated to music, the visual arts, poetry and architecture. Living in Parkside Arts & Humanities Residential College is not limited to majors in the arts and humanities. Everyone who appreciates the role of culture and the exploration of ideas is welcome.

Standing four stories tall and bordered by Exposition Boulevard, Watt Way and 37th Place, PRB is at the southwestern end of the University Park Campus, across from the Los Angeles Natural History Museum. Joining its two sister structures, Parkside International Residential College (IRC) and Parkside Apartments, to complete the Parkside Community. Residents live in suite-style apartments, amidst state-of-the-art study lounges, music study rooms, recreation room with ping-pong, foosball and air hockey tables, and a Performance Café, all designed in response to student requests for more shared space. Outside, PRB boasts its own green space, quad, community garden and outdoor gym workout station. PRB is also a few steps away from the Parkside Restaurant, known across campus for the high quality of its food.

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Parkside International Residential College (IRC) opened in 2001, the brainchild of USC President Steven B. Sample and V.P. of Student Affairs Michael Jackson. At 295,000 square feet and four floors, it was given its theme in order to create dialogue on global issues, and to bring together international and domestic residents in a single vibrant community. Located in the lower left quadrant of the university park campus, bordered by Vermont Avenue, Exposition Boulevard, Watt Way and 37th Place, IRC provides generous suite-style living, a high quality restaurant downstairs, laundry and rec room on site, ample study space and lounge space, music practice rooms, performance café, classroom space, and an unmatched outdoor green space including fountain, fire pit, and community garden.

Special Interest Floors in IRC include the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) Floor. While IRC is home to predominantly first-years students, Parkside Apartments (PKS) houses primarily students in their junior and senior years. Parkside Apartments is comprised of two adjoining six-story wings of two-person apartments, all with individual kitchenettes and bathrooms, offering a more independent living environment. Renovated in 2005, it was originally built to coincide with the 1984 Olympics and was part of the athletes’ Olympic Village. PKS also has an ongoing commitment to sustainability through recycling programs and the creation of the Michael Waterman Community Garden. Living at Parkside allows residents to participate in intellectual, cultural and social exchanges with people who have a wide range of backgrounds and interests, in one of the most attractive locations on campus. The physical beauty, cultural richness, and wealth of study opportunities outside the classroom make the Parkside community at USC special. They are a unique collaborative learning center, and a place where Trojans are proud to live.

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Opened as a residential college in 2012, the South Residential College includes four traditional-style residence halls: Marks Tower, Pardee Tower, Marks Hall (closed for 2022-2023) and Trojan Hall (closed for 2022-2023). South Residential College is conveniently located near the Doheny & Leavey Libraries, Tutor Campus Center, important campus service departments, several popular classroom buildings, and McCarthy Quad, a great place to relax and enjoy great Los Angeles weather. A signature of this residential area is its close-knit community; many describe South as being a true “family.”

The South Residential Colleges are supported by an engaging team of faculty and staff who endeavor to create a vibrant community where emphasis is placed on the transition to college and exploring USC’s First Year Experience programs. Programming provided by faculty and staff emphasizes personal growth and determining one’s best pathway for leadership as a USC student and future graduate. Residents are encouraged to attend Faculty in Residence events and participate in faculty-student interaction outside the classroom. Students in South have always benefited from the sense of belonging that occurs within these facilities which offer the smallest floor communities at USC. Special Interest floors in South include APIDA Leaders, El Sol y La Luna, and Somerville Place.

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West Residential College, comprised of Fluor Tower (closed for 2022-2023) and Webb Tower, is conveniently located near the Engemann Student Health Center, the Lyon Recreation Center, and the Uytengsu Swim Stadium. As such, West Residential College has begun to develop various wellness-based initiatives. Faculty in Residence focus on different aspects of holistic wellness and hope to create all-encompassing programming around these initiatives. West Residential College is supported by a dynamic team of faculty and staff who endeavor to create a vibrant community where diversity is celebrated and living-learning opportunities abound.

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