Beard Hall & the May Fellows Residential Program
Beard Hall is an intellectually vibrant and diverse residential community that expands the educational experience beyond the classroom.
Beard Hall hosts the May Fellows Living Learning Community. This integrated Living Learning Community (LLC) enhances the residential experience by providing dynamic opportunities for faculty, students, staff and community members to interact through co-curricular programming. Residents of the hall are expected to design and participate in hall activities. Through these activities, residents find ways to enrich the Beard Hall experience for themselves and others.
Applying to Live in Beard Hall
Beard Hall is primarily home to May Fellows. May Fellows receive priority to live in Beard Hall and have the exclusive opportunity to select Beard hall during Housing Lottery, however placement is not guaranteed. Those students wishing to live in Beard, but are not May Fellows must be sponsored as a roommate by a current May Fellow. Both roommates must agree to the community standards. Non-May Fellows who are interested in living in Beard Hall and are not sponsored by a May Fellow roommate have access to any spaces available in Beard Hall after the conclusion of Housing Lottery and must apply. All applications will be reviewed by the May Fellows Advisory Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who are May Fellows? Select first-year students are invited to join the May Fellows Program. This academic program focuses on helping high-achieving students thrive academically, connect socially, and engage deeply in the Wheaton community through co-curricular and residential-based learning opportunities. May Fellows need not live in Beard Hall to maintain their connection to the program, but they are expected to participate regularly in May Fellows programming.
- What activities and programs will be held in Beard Hall? The activities and programs held in Beard Hall depend on the desires of the residents and a chosen annual theme, which corresponds with the Colloquium topic. That said, some possibilities include: film viewings and discussions, regular teas and brunches, professor-led discussions, special Beard-based Flash Seminars, community-service activities, and so forth.
- What is expected of a Beard Hall May Fellows LLC resident? Beard Hall residents are expected to foster an intellectually vibrant and diverse residential community. All students are expected to abide by Community Standards, attend or participate in programs, and self-evaluate their involvement in the community. The May Fellows Advisory Board along with the Office of Residential Life may choose in some circumstances to bar May Fellows from the LLC who are exceptionally disruptive or non-participatory.
- How are rooms assigned? Rooms will be assigned via General Housing Lottery. There is no longer an application process for May Fellows or sponsored non-May Fellows pulled into Beard Hall as roommates during the normal operation of General Housing Lottery. May Fellows have exclusive access to choose spaces in Beard Hall, but are not obligated to do so. If there are any spaces leftover in Beard Hall upon the completion of General Housing Lottery, those spaces will be made available to non-May Fellows by application process.
- What are the chances of getting a single? Roughly one-third of residents in Beard Hall will live in singles. Students with more favorable lottery numbers will have a better chance of securing a single.
- What is the committee looking for in a Non-May Fellows applicant? Applications will only be have available if there are spaces available in Beard Hall. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated past academic engagement and success. Moreover, their applications will showcase a clear desire for more substantial intellectual engagement in a residential setting. Since the central goal of Beard Hall is to host an intellectually vibrant and diverse residential community, the committee seeks to build a community that includes a variety of academic majors, intellectual interests, and extracurricular activities. Successful applications indicate an eligibility to live in Beard Hall, but does not guarantee placement in Beard Hall.
Questions regarding the application process, Beard Housing Lottery, or room selection process should be directed to Residential Life at [email protected].