Residential CAT Community
What is a Residential CAT Community?
Residential CAT communities provide an added opportunity for first-year students to connect with others who share your academic interests by placing you in the same on-campus residence hall or residence community. Like our other CAT Communities, about 22 first-year students take a group of classes together, but you'll live, eat, sleep, study, and socialize near each other, too! Your Residential Learning Assistants will also live in the same hall or community as well.
If you are interested in enrolling in a Residential CAT Community, read through the page below and indicate which Residential CAT Community you would like to be a part of on your Housing contract or email us at kstatefirst@ksu.edu for help making those changes. For more information you can also Explore Your Options on the Housing and Dining site.
Be sure to talk with your advisor during your June Enrollment session to get connected as well!
Fall 2024:
Below are the Residential CAT Communities for Fall 2024! Click on the icons for more information about each one.
Animal Health and Nutrition
What can we do to keep animals healthy? Why do we feed them the way we do? How does good health and nutrition impact their growth and longevity? This learning community uses practical examples and hands-on learning to connect Principles of Animal Science with Chemistry I so you can apply fundamental science to your love of animals.
Residence Hall: Haymaker
ASI 102 Principles of Animal Science
CHM 210 Chemistry I
ASI 100 Animal Health and Nutrition
APDesign Community
APDesign has a long-standing tradition of providing connection between building a foundation in design through Studio, learning about the rich and varied history of design through History of the Designed Environment, and exploring the diversity of the professions and career paths in Survey of Design Professions for all first-year students. The CAT Community will provide you with additional opportunities to get to know your ENVD classmates better, have dinner with a faculty member each week, and learn strategies to stay focused and motivated in your first year as an APDesign student.
Residence Hall: Kramer Community (Goodnow, Marlatt, Wefald)
ENVD 250 History of the Designed Environment 1
ENVD 203 Survey of the Design Professions 1
ENVD 204 Studio Seminar
Engineering Futures
In this community, you will explore different engineering degree programs and careers while engaging in learning activities that promote your personal and professional development. You will also develop a solid understanding of how engineers utilize math and science to solve all types of problems. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to get to know other general engineering students and begin building a community of peers.
Residence Hall: Goodnow
ECON 110 Principles of Macroeconomics
MATH 220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
DEN 161 Engineering Problem Solving
Find Your Fit
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” and "What are you going to major in?" are undeniably two questions a first year college student has heard over and over. Enroll in this CAT Community to learn more about yourself and the decision-making journey as you uncover your strengths, values, and a world of majors and careers that can lead to a life of passion, purpose, and fulfillment. This CAT Community serves Open Option students.
Residence Hall: Derby Community (West, Haymaker, Ford, Moore)
COMM 106 Public Speaking 1
PSYCH 110 General Psychology
EDCEP 120 Academic and Career Decisions
First in the Family
This is a living-learning community for first-generation, first-year students. You will learn essential college success skills such as community building and critical thinking, while taking classes that teach you about social systems and leadership. You will also take these classes and build connections with other students who have similar experiences as the first in their families to go to college. Together you will develop not only your individual talents and strengths, but will also be part of an academic and social support community that will help you all year long.
Residence Hall: Derby Community (West, Haymaker, Ford, Moore)
LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts
PSYCH 110 General Psychology
LEAD 195 First in the Family
Hacking the MCAT: Medicine, Science, and Society
What does it take to do well on the MCAT, and more generally, to be a good healthcare provider? This CAT community will help you develop your critical analysis and reasoning skills while exploring public health concepts related to health disparities.
Residence Hall: Derby Community (West, Haymaker, Ford, Moore)
BIOL 198 Principles of Biology
GWSS 105 Introduction to Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
DAS 195 Hacking the MCAT
Hope and Resilience Through Fandom
"So long as life remains, there is always hope... and so long as there is hope, there can be victory!" - Wonder Woman. Do you love Marvel and DC, did you grow up reading Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter, or have you been inspired by characters in Star Wars or Star Trek, or maybe an adventure with Doctor Who or with a group of friends through Dungeons and Dragons sounds like fun? If so, join this community to examine the transformative power of stories of hope and resilience and the fandoms inspired by them. Together, we will explore how these stories helped to shape our ideas and values, and have inspired us to be and do better for the world around us.
Residence Hall: Derby Community (West, Haymaker, Ford, Moore)
PSYCH 110 General Psychology
ENGL 220 Fiction into Film
DAS 195 Hope and Resilience Through Fandom
Pre-Med
As you prepare for future medical careers you will have the opportunity to explore what it means to be a culturally aware health professional and what healing means for individual patients and different communities around the world.
Residence Hall: Kramer Community (Goodnow, Marlatt, Wefald)
BIOL 198 Principles of Biology
ANTH 315 Medical Anthropology & Global Health
DAS 195 Pre-Med
Psychology of Prejudice
You will examine stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination broadly, including field observations as these manifest in media and everyday social interactions. You will also complete a novel research project using psychological/sociological research methods to answer a research question related to stereotypes, prejudice, or discrimination. Some class time will be devoted to strategies for maximizing opportunities for success in college.
Residence Hall: Kramer Community (Goodnow, Marlatt, Wefald)
PSYCH 110 General Psychology
SOCIO 211 Introduction to Sociology
DAS 195 Psychology of Prejudice
Strengths
K-State is a strengths-based campus. First-year students in this living learning community will transition from strengths identification to strengths development. Discover what you do best and learn how to use those talents to make your college experience rewarding and successful. In this positive and engaging learning community, you will study the importance of exercising leadership through a strengths based perspective. You will bridge the gap between your own leadership education and social environment to make progress on issues you care deeply about.
Residence Hall: Derby Community (West, Haymaker, Ford, Moore)
LEAD 212 Introduction to Leadership Concepts
ANTH 204 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
LEAD 195 Strengths
In a Residential CAT Community, first-year students:
- Take two general education courses and one connections course with the same 22 students
- Are housed in the same Residence Halls
- Have the opportunity to work with an undergraduate Residential Learning Assistant, who lives just down the hall and offers academic and social support
- Learn from engaging and empathetic professors
- Participate in social and educational activities related to shared interests inside and outside of the classroom
Is a Residential CAT Community for you?
The Residential Community may be a good fit for you if...
- You are looking for a first-year college experience that will maximize academic and social opportunities, through both a community of dedicated students and talented faculty
- You are interested in the classes and themes of this year’s Residential CAT Community offerings
- You wish to reserve a space in one of our popular on campus Residence Halls
If you have any questions, please e-mail us at kstatefirst@k-state.edu.
Learn more about CAT Communities!
On March 23, 2021 we held a special live event with our parnters in Housing and Dining to answer some frequently asked questions about Residential CAT Communities. Check out the video below for additional information on how our CAT Communities work, the impact they have on students, and ways to get connected!
