International Living-Learning Center

It’s hard to believe that new students will be arriving on campus from all over Oregon—and the world—and moving into the International Living Learning Center (ILLC) in less than two months. The resident assistant staff and I are excited to meet you all!

I am Dawn Snyder, and I will be the resident director in the ILLC. As a resident director, I supervise eight resident assistants (RAs), advise our hall government, and help students as they transition into living on campus and attending Oregon State. Whether you are from Tianjin, China or Oregon City, Oregon or Riyadh, Saudi Arabia or Southern California, coming to college will be a time of change. The RAs and I are here to help you navigate that change and OSU.

University Housing and Dining Services will be teaming up with INTO-OSU and other campus partners to encourage your academic and personal success at OSU. In the fall, writing assistants and math tutors will be available to residents on one night a week in the ILLC. The staff and I will be working with you and your roommate, suitemates, and fellow residents to help you learn about each other’s cultures and how to communicate effectively. The RAs and I will be checking in with you to see how classes are going and how you are adjusting. We want to do what we can do to help you make the most of living in the ILLC and thrive as students at OSU.

I’m anticipating that one of the things students will like most about living in the ILLC is the variety of different spaces available to you. There are so many beautiful spaces that are yours to use to study, to hang out, to watch movies, to cook, to play games, and to talk. We have nooks and lounges on each resident wing. We have two-story high lounges on every floor. We have two large main lounges on the first floor. All of these spaces have comfortable seating, great views, and lots of natural light. I’m sure you will all find your favorite spot. Your rooms, with their large windows and private bathrooms, are pretty great, too!

In addition to the array of spaces in the building, the ILLC also features Peet’s Coffee and Tea and Cascadia Market on the first floor. These are open to the public, but you will be able to come down a few floors, grab a coffee, and head back to your room without ever needing to go out in the rain. You will also have access to resident-only kitchens on each floor. Each kitchen is equipped with two stoves, two refrigerators, a microwave, lots of counter space, and a seating area. For those who like to cook, these will become a favorite (and a favorite for those who like to eat your cooking)!

Several students and their family members have asked me “Why would I want to live in the ILLC”? The reasons it may be a good fit for someone varies because people vary. Some of the reasons may involve what I mentioned above. For many students, though, having a roommate, suitemate, and floormates from another country will be one of the most valuable parts of living in the ILLC. Over half of our residents in the ILLC will be international students and this will only increase the quality of the experience for our domestic students, who will be their roommates. All ILLC residents will be exposed to people whose cultures may vary significantly from their own – and will also find that those same people love to do some of the same things you do, like play video games, talk about politics, or go shopping. Living in the ILLC will help you learn so much about yourself – and the ways you are both similar and different than someone from another country than your own. The spaces in the ILLC are beautiful, but in the end I know it’s going to be the people that make it such a great place to live.

The RAs and I are so excited to help you all get to know each other and get to know your new home.

What about living in the ILLC are you most excited about? Anything you’re nervous about that we can help with? Let me know in the comments or email me at dawn.snyder@oregonstate.edu.