What is an Academic Cluster?
An Academic Cluster is a small group of students living in the Trent Durham residence who share similar classes in the following academic programs. Our first Clusters for next year will include the following programs:
Business and Logistics Cluster: This community will connect students with upper year students, faculty and staff within the various Business Programs available at Trent University Durham to explore valuable experiential learning opportunities. Opportunities to connect with facult from the Logistics and Supply Chain Management and Trent School of Business.
Social Work Cluster: Members of this community share a passion for frontline community, family, and individual care, all while working towards creating the conditions necessary for social change and equality. In a community that will encourage students to address challenges, to create change, and the build resiliency, this academic cluster aims to develop skills in students within the Social Work and Child & Youth Studies programs that will benefit them in their career in this field.
Creativity in Communication Cluster: Communication, at its simplest, is the act of transferring information from one place to another. Today’s world needs effective communicators, creative visionaries, and professional writers. This community will engage you with both the ideas and the resources you need to develop your potential as a communicator. An Academic Cluster created for those interested in journalism, communications, social media and content creation, students will be able to challenge themselves and learn to become a creative, logical, and integrative thinker and a clear communicator both in and out of the classroom.
Community Engagement Cluster: The Community Engagement Academic Cluster was created for those in community-inclusive programs at Trent Durham, such as the Policing & Community Wellbeing program, and the Psychology program. Students in this Academic Cluster will not only have the benefits of living close to other students who are taking similar classes as them, students will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively to create sustainable visions for our community's future.
Our Academic Clusters will provide students with the unique opportunity to live with peers in their program, meet upper year students who have taken some of the same courses, and interact with Faculty and Staff beyond the classroom. Academic Cluster learning experiences are tailored to the academic subject of the Cluster, providing students with a chance to further explore their interests in this field of study. An upper-year student, employed by Housing Services in the role of Residence Life Don will facilitate engagement opportunities in the community through Community Meetings, workshops in partnership with Academic Skills, facilitated study groups with Academic Peer Mentors and so much more!
Benefits of living in an Academic Cluster
- Develop higher levels of academic self-confidence
- Establish strong connections with peers in the same lectures and seminars
- Opportunities to connect with Faculty and Academic Support Staff from departments beyond the classroom environment
- More likely to engage in academic projects, study abroad opportunities, and research
- Live in a supportive learning environment in Residence that helps ease the transition into the University community
- More likely to become Student Leaders and Mentors
How do I apply to live in an Academic Cluster?
- Fill out a Residence Application for the Trent Durham GTA Residence: applications for the 2023-24 Academic Year open on January 30, 2023.
- On the Residence Application for Residence Learning Communities: Select your preference from the drop-down menu of options for an Academic Cluster from one of the following options:
- Business and Logistics Cluster
- Social Work Cluster
- Creativity in Communication Cluster
- Community Engagement Cluster