From New Nest to Network

The College of Business Living and Learning Community Strives to Shape the First-Year Experience Through Personal and Professional Development

On a humid mid-August afternoon, the lobby of Louisville Hall is a sea of moving carts, dorm keys and tearful goodbyes. For incoming students unpacking their lives on the west side of campus, it marks the official start of a massive life transition filled with new schedules, unfamiliar faces and sudden independence.

To help incoming business students navigate that leap, the University of Louisville built a dedicated runway: the College of Business Living and Learning Community.

Image

Launched during the 2022-23 academic year by University Housing and Resident Experience, the College of Business LLC was established with the mission to strengthen connections between first-year business students. Mirroring a cohort system, students in the LLC are not simply next-door neighbors with a common interest. In addition to residing with fellow business students, they also take core degree courses together, such as CAMP 100, ECON 201 and MKT 301. 

Student Success Coordinator Brandon Halcomb was brought into the role as the LLC advisor last year and continues to carry his goal of supporting first-year students through strengthening peer to peer connection and implementing his educational experience in leadership. Offered through group or one-on-one meetings, the network available to students also reaches college alumni, faculty and career professionals.

Image

The LLC also hosts monthly events within Louisville Hall, organized by the LLC’s student committees that allow the students to advocate for their interests and gain leadership experience. In Halcomb’s Campus Culture course, the course objectives help business students understand university life and the resources available for their personal and academic success. 

In addition to students forming a closer relationship with campus, Halcomb also challenges students to consider how leadership is defined. “A lot of students in their work or professional experience might not have had a leadership position, but once you talk about leadership and how it's different from management, students start really seeing that for what it is, the different traits of an effective leader – they can see themselves as leaders more,” he explains. 

Since the LLC exclusively serves first-year students, the cohort is reset every year. However, Halcomb’s long-term plan for the LLC is to develop a mentorship model between students who once resided in the LLC and incoming students. While the structure is still a work in progress, Halcomb also strives to minimize the stigma of students utilizing campus resources. For now, the premise of the LLC remains stronger than ever in easing first-year transition and creating a positive undergraduate experience. 

The flight to greatness starts at the College of Business. Prospective business students who plan to live on campus can learn more and apply for the College of Business LLC beginning in Spring 2027 through the University Housing website. 

About the UofL College of Business:

Founded in 1953, the UofL College of Business fosters intellectual and economic vitality in our city, region and the global business landscape. Our academic programs, research, community outreach initiatives and commitment to student success inspire lives and businesses to flourish through entrepreneurship, innovation, critical thinking, diversity and the power of people.

Connect with the CoB by following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X, or by visiting our website.