Paul Robeson
Hegeman and Pell Halls, Bishop Quad, College Avenue Campus
The Paul Robeson community was established in 1976 and is a symbol of acknowledgment of the late Paul Robeson, a celebrated African-American activist, scholar, artist, athlete, and Rutgers graduate. This community places special emphasis on aiding first-year students as they make the transition from high school to college. This community also engages transfer and continuing students, encouraging community interaction and involvement, scholarship, as well as self-growth. Community members stress cultural enrichment and awareness among themselves and the Rutgers community. They work collaboratively with staff and faculty mentors towards academic achievement and excellence. The community strives to engender curiosity, interest and understanding of the history and origins of the African Diaspora and the relevance and importance of that understanding in day-to-day life.
Community members will live on College Avenue Campus, adjacent to downtown New Brunswick theaters, restaurants, student-friendly shopping, and the NJ Transit train station for easy access to NYC and Philadelphia. Hegeman and Pell Halls are in the heart of the College Avenue Campus in the scenic Bishop Quad area.
- Build a network of faculty and staff members who are willing to assist you in your college journey
- Engage in cultural immersion and enrichment
- Past programming has included:
- Movie nights
- Holiday celebrations
- Cultural dinners
- Guest speakers
- Community service
- Participate in discussions/activities with Rutgers professors to build strong academic connections and mentoring relationships.
- Connect to other LLCs such as Latin Images (Latin diaspora), Asian American Identities and Images (Asian American diaspora) and French Language and Culture.
- Explore Rutgers within a smaller community of students and make friends!
- You do not need to identify as Black in order to participate in the Paul Robeson LLC.
- Students applying should have an interest in leadership, cultural enrichment, and the African Diaspora.
- In order to participate in an LLC, you must live in the building in which the LLC is located.
- Incoming first-year must place into 01:355:101 Expository Writing/College Writing, 01:333:104 College Writing Extended or higher for English testing
- All class years within all undergraduate schools.
LLC Orientation
Make Rutgers home! We’d like you to begin to connect with students, faculty, and staff even before the start of classes. We intend to have an LLC orientation in late August or early September. Students who have been accepted to the community will be provided further information on the LLC orientation date and time.
- Incoming first-years will take a specific section of the Byrne Seminar: Introduction to Paul Robeson as a Global Citizen. Incoming transfers and continuing students, not in the Community Ambassador Program, will take a specific section of Introduction to Africana Studies.
- Participate in academic success workshops and opportunities for academic coaching
- Receive individualized attention from residence life staff, who will guide and advise you to provide a smooth and successful transition into Rutgers through course registrations, getting involved, managing your time, academic development, showing you the “ropes” and common pitfalls to avoid in your first year.
- Upper-class students will have the opportunity to engage in leadership roles and serve as mentors for first-year students
Download a sample syllabus for this community.
Paul Robeson LLC Byrne Syllabus
Paul Robeson LLC Intro to Africana Studies Syllabus
Please note: Syllabi and Instructors change over time, so this may not be the exact syllabus or course content that you will take as a future participant.
Student Testimonials
“The most beneficial part of the LLC is having familiar faces in the dorm due to having the [LLC] orientation. Everyone knows each other and is friendly whether you are friends or talked once. There is always someone to talk to just because the shared experience of living there.”
“As a student, I have faced the challenge of adapting to the workload while still handling my extra priorities such as schoolwork, exercising, and clubs. My LLC assisted me because my peer mentor would set up study nights from time to time which would allow me to study in groups with my peers.”
“By attending my Africana Studies class, I was able to be more exposed to my culture and personal background.”
“Participation in my LLC has expanded my knowledge by the fact that I learned more about Paul Robeson and his contribution to not only Rutgers but the Black population as a whole.”
Ambassador Program
Students who have participated in the Paul Robeson Living-Learning Community, and taken the seminar, may come back to the community the following year, and participate in the Community Ambassador Program (CAP). Rather than taking the seminar again, CAP members are encouraged to continue their cultural and personal growth by actively participating in the following activities:
- 1-2 service projects/academic year created in collaboration with the community;
- Attend events hosted by the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, Center for Latino Arts and Culture, and the Asian American Cultural Center;
- Participate in 2 of 3 workshops per semester, engage in conversation and activities with the facilitator and campus partners present at each workshop.
