Special Living Options
Penn State Behrend offers opportunities for students interested in living with others who share common interests and goals. Special Living Options (SLOs) are open to students who have an interest in one of the themes. Students interested in an SLO can contact the Housing and Food Service Office for more information about how to request an SLO.
The following SLOs are available at Behrend for 2021-2022:
- Discover House
- Engineering House
- Global Boarders
- Heartbeat House
- Honors House
- Service and Sustainability House
Discover House
Discover House is a living-learning community designed by the Behrend Academic & Career Planning Center on behalf of the Division of Undergraduate Studies for students who want to make the most of their Penn State experience. In Discover House, a student learns about the University opportunities and academic programs so he/she can make an informed choice of major and create an exciting academic plan. Discover House students receive individualized attention from advisers and are offered special monthly programs and opportunities. It is an ideal environment to begin university life and transition to the on-campus living environment. Discover House is in a traditional hall and is for DUS students.
Engineering House
By living in one of the Engineering Houses at Behrend, you'll have ready access to the tech you need and the engineering-focused social and academic programs you want. All School of Engineering students and first-year students interested in engineering are invited to live in an Engineering House:
| Niagara Hall for First-Year Students | Almy Hall for Returning Students |
|---|---|
| Live with 200+ first-year engineering students | Suite-style living |
| RAs are engineering majors | RAs are engineering majors |
| Engineering lounge | Dual-monitor study room |
| College-supported printer | College-supported printer |
| Remote access to engineering software | Remote access to engineering software |
| In-house programming sponsored by the School of Engineering | Collaboration station with 65-inch screen and wireless content sharing |
Global Boarders
This international-focused special living environment in Trippe Hall offers the opportunity to build valuable cultural competency skills. Global Boarders is an international-focused community of students seeking close interaction with peers who live or have studied abroad, hope to study abroad, or want a culturally diverse living-learning environment. The Black School of Business will offer academic enrichment and unique out-of-class opportunities for Global Boarders participants, both first year and returning students.
Heartbeat House
Heartbeat House offers support and amenities that speak to the unique demands of your nursing studies. You'll have opportunities for in-house advising and tutoring. You'll also enjoy easy access to nearby parking and the use of a kitchen, which help to accommodate early morning clinicals or late-night study sessions.
Honors House
The Honors Special Living Option is available to students who share similar academic goals and are enrolled in the Honors Program. Fostering the scholars' growth through activities with faculty, the Erie Honors House is run in conjunction with The Schreyer Honors College. Behrend students also have the opportunity to participate in the Hall Council and the Community Standards Board. A majority of Honors students, both first year and returning, are assigned to Ohio Hall.
Service and Sustainability House
The Service and Sustainability House is an Interdisciplinary Learning-Living Community centered around learning about and acting on the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) as detailed by the United Nations. Do you care about food insecurity? Want to eliminate poverty? Interested in Green Building? Want to fight gender and racial inequality? All these issues are components of sustainability. Sustainability isn’t just about the environment, it’s about people and prosperity, equity and the economy, too.
This Special Living Option, located in Trippe Hall, is for students who are dedicated to a sustainable and service-oriented lifestyle. Students interested in learning about and tackling these issues through service projects can now live together among a community of similarly passionate students. Be part of a group that raises awareness about sustainable living and builds a greater culture of service among all our students. Special opportunities for residents could include participating in convenient programming designed to match their interests and travelling to participate in service opportunities in our surrounding communities and beyond.