Global Communities students live in Dorchester Hall, which is a four-story, coed, traditional residence hall in the North Hill Residential Community of South Campus. Approximately 168 students live in Dorchester Hall, of whom around 100 are in Global Communities. Along with Somerset Hall (home of the Civicus Living-Learning Program), St. Mary’s Hall (home of the Language House), and Ann Arundel Hall (home of the Honors College), Dorchester Hall forms part of what is considered the “Lucky Horseshoe”. This name refers not only to the shape that these buildings create, but also to their central location on campus.
In the backyard of Dorchester Hall, students find the University’s flagship library: McKeldin Library. Since McKeldin Library sits atop McKeldin Mall, the main academic quad on campus, Dorchester Hall is a stone’s throw from most academic buildings. Two buildings over is the University Health Center, and Stamp Student Union, the center for campus life, is across the street. In other words, Global Communities students rarely have to walk far to attend class, grab a bite to eat, or visit friends.
Dorchester Hall is a traditional residence hall because it houses students in double, triple, and quadruple rooms, rather than in suites or apartments. Students on each floor share a large bathroom, and they take meals together in the South Campus dining hall. What makes Dorchester Hall non-traditional is its reputation as one of the most diverse and active residence halls on campus. Global Communities proudly shares Dorchester Hall with the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House. With international movie nights, themed cultural dinners, barbeques, and poetry readings—organized by some of the University’s most creative and worldly students—it's easy to see why students in Dorchester Hall seldom complain of boredom.
Global Communities occupies the third floor and most of the second floor of Dorchester Hall. Female students live on the third floor and male students live on the second floor. Students in the Jimenez Porter Writers’ House occupy the first floor. Every effort is made to house together first-year students in double rooms. We match first-year students based upon the questionnaire they complete with their Housing Agreement. After their first year in the program, students are able to select their room and roommate(s) in Dorchester Hall. Many students also request to live with exchange students. We try to accommodate these requests and foster the intercultural learning that occurs when U.S. and exchange students share the same living space. Because Dorchester Hall is the home of open-minded and welcoming Global Communities students, it is the preferred residence hall for exchange students.
For more information on Dorchester Hall see Amenities.
