Theme Proposal

  1. Office & Department Directory
  2. Residence Life
  3. Theme Proposal

All Current Theme Houses/Floors wishing to continue as a theme for the upcoming academic year as well as all new groups who wish to apply for theme housing must submit a theme proposal.

Theme Proposals must be submitted to Residence Life (Student Center 230) by 5pm on March 1.

Theme Proposals must include the following:

  • Cover Page (available in the Residence Life Office)
  • Responses to the Theme Questions
  • Recruitment and Interview Materials
    • Theme Application for those applying to live in the theme
    • Questions asked in the Theme’s interview process to potential new members
  • Theme Member Contract (for all who have accepted a spot in the theme for next year)
  • Advisor Agreement (available in the Residence Life Office)

Step 1 – pick up both the cover page and advisor agreement from Reslife!

Step 2 – complete the rest of the bullet points!

Step 3 – submit completed packet to Residence Life!

What is Theme Living?

A Theme Community is a recognized group of students living in a university house or residence hall with a common interest, vision, or goal that will benefit students, the university, and/or the Canton community. This common interest can center on a particular academic area (e.g. political awareness or foreign language), a specific issue (e.g. low impact living, women's issues), or a hobby or skill (e.g. the arts, technology). A few theme communities act mainly as a safe space while others focus more on programming; some are a combination of the two.

You will have the support of your advisor and the Residential Coordinator in implementing your theme.  Theme coordinators will attend biweekly meetings, receive information on available resources, and expectations from the Residence Life Office. Meetings with the Residential Coordinator will allow you to get ideas and support from other themes, and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

Theme Questions

In your group’s own words, please respond to the following prompts in relation to this past Academic Year and your goals for the Upcoming Academic Year.  You should attach your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

For Currently Established Themes Reapplying for Housing Status:

  • In what ways is your organization currently contributing to the St. Lawrence and Canton Communities?
  • Why is it important for your organization to have a residential living space?
    • How is the space positively contributing to your organization and how will it continue to do so?
    • What are the specific benefits to current members and SLU Students if your organization is granted a residential space?
  • What is your organization’s plan to fill the residential space for the next Academic Year?
    • If you have carried vacancies in the past, what are you doing differently to make sure you are filling the residential space?
  • What are some areas of improvement that your organization has identified and what are some steps you are planning on taking this year to work on said areas?
  • What is your organization specifically doing to ensure you are supporting and striving to meet the University’s goals on Diversity and Inclusion?
  • How is your organization on track for continued long-term growth?
  • For Themes Requesting a different space than the space they were granted during the previous academic year: How do you see your Theme and the St. Lawrence community benefiting from the change of location of your Theme?

For Organizations Requesting a Theme Residential Space who are not currently an established theme:

  • In what ways is your organization currently contributing to the St. Lawrence and Canton Communities?
  • How would your organization benefit from having a residential living space?
  • How would your organization having a space benefit the St. Lawrence Community?
  • What is your organization specifically doing to ensure you are supporting and striving to meet the University’s goals on Diversity and Inclusion?  How will your group continue to do so if granted a Theme Space?
  • How do you see your organization growing and developing as a Theme in the next 5 years?
  • What would your proposed Theme contribute to the Theme community?  What makes your Theme unique from current established Themes?

Interview

  • Groups will sign up for an interview slot when they submit their completed theme proposal to Residence Life
  • Both new and returning themes must go through the interview process
  • Interviews will take place on March 7, 8, 11, and 12th
  • Each interview will be about 30 minutes and will be conducted by members of the Theme Selection Committee (a mix of students and administrators)
  • Both current and future theme coordinators for the group should attend the interview.  Other select members who will be living in the house the upcoming year may also attend.  Interview groups typically consist of 3-5 individuals who can provide the committee with an accurate sense of the leadership and future direction of the group.
  • The committee will have read your Theme Proposal before the interview.  Questions about your proposal may be posed by the committee during the interview process

Rosters

  • The current Theme Coordinator will be provided with a blank housing roster for the upcoming fall which the group will fill out.  Please assign people to the rooms they will actually be living in as those are the assignments that will be entered into the housing database if the theme is approved.
  • Students will receive housing lottery cards in their Student Mail Boxes in early March.  They must sign these and turn them in to the Theme Coordinator who will attach them to the roster and submit everything to Residence Life.  Completed Rosters are due to the Office of Residence life by 5pm on March 12th  
  • Even if no one in the house is planning on going abroad, all houses should list at least two alternates who could move in should a vacancy occur. 

FAQs

What do we do if theme members may be planning on going abroad?

  • If someone who is hoping to go abroad is a Theme’s first choice the Theme can put them on the roster but should have an alternate listed in case the individual does go abroad.  If a Theme has many potential live-in members planning to go abroad, they should be planning on having an equal number of alternates.  All Abroad decisions will be sent out before room draw and a Theme must pull in their alternates before room draw. 

Can students apply to more than one theme?

  • People can apply to as many themes as they want but once Theme decisions go out, they will need to commit to a Theme.  Once someone commits to a Theme, they are fully in the Theme and must give the Theme their housing card to submit with the rosters.  (Themes, this means you should NOT put someone’s name on a roster until you have their housing card.  You need to turn in housing cards with the roster).
  • If someone no longer wants to live in a Theme that they have given their housing card to, they need to apply for a room change that will take place over the summer.  They DO NOT go through room draw or get their housing card back.