What is LOCUS?
LOCUS (Laurier Off-Campus University Students) is a program designed to aid the transition into University for first year students living off-campus at Wilfrid Laurier University - Waterloo Campus. It will provide first year students with academic, social, and personal support to ensure that off-campus students will not miss out on the on-campus experience if they decide not to live in residence.
Like a residence floor has a senior student to guide and mentor the first year students, LOCUS has an Off-Campus Advisor (OCA) that does the same. The OCA does monthly programming for their students, holds a weekly office hour on campus, and is there to answer any questions their students may have on school, academics, the city or just life in general.
Maybe living off-campus in your first year was what you had expected and always planned for. On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t exactly what you had hoped for. Regardless, LOCUS is here to make that choice even more rewarding and allow you to really enjoy your experience in first year. By living off campus, you are joining approximately 700-800 other first year students, and this is where LOCUS becomes important.
LOCUS offers students the chance to get involved and stay connected to the Laurier campus.
Upon joining LOCUS, you will be assigned a community of peers who are also living off campus and are headed by a senior student, or an ‘Off-Campus Advisor’ (OCA). Your OCA is responsible for getting you all of the information that you need during O-Week and throughout the year, and also for planning a monthly event for you and your community. Your OCA is your link to the campus, the community, and LOCUS events such as our first year Hawk Weekend, a sports trip to Toronto, snow-tubing, and other events around the Kitchener-Waterloo community. LOCUS, however, focuses on more than just social events; we also provide academic support through midterm and final exam study sessions, helpful information seminars throughout the year, and much more.
To ensure that we address every aspect of student life here at Laurier, we have four committees within LOCUS whose sole job is to program events and activities for each of you. Those committees are: Student Balance, LOCUS Link, Locuteering, and House Council. Some of these committees also provide leadership opportunities for you to enjoy. Make sure to ask about them during Orientation Week!
Like a residence floor has a senior student to guide and mentor the first year students, LOCUS has an Off-Campus Advisor (OCA) that does the same. The OCA does monthly programming for their students, holds a weekly office hour on campus, and is there to answer any questions their students may have on school, academics, the city or just life in general.
Maybe living off-campus in your first year was what you had expected and always planned for. On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t exactly what you had hoped for. Regardless, LOCUS is here to make that choice even more rewarding and allow you to really enjoy your experience in first year. By living off campus, you are joining approximately 700-800 other first year students, and this is where LOCUS becomes important.
LOCUS offers students the chance to get involved and stay connected to the Laurier campus.
Upon joining LOCUS, you will be assigned a community of peers who are also living off campus and are headed by a senior student, or an ‘Off-Campus Advisor’ (OCA). Your OCA is responsible for getting you all of the information that you need during O-Week and throughout the year, and also for planning a monthly event for you and your community. Your OCA is your link to the campus, the community, and LOCUS events such as our first year Hawk Weekend, a sports trip to Toronto, snow-tubing, and other events around the Kitchener-Waterloo community. LOCUS, however, focuses on more than just social events; we also provide academic support through midterm and final exam study sessions, helpful information seminars throughout the year, and much more.
To ensure that we address every aspect of student life here at Laurier, we have four committees within LOCUS whose sole job is to program events and activities for each of you. Those committees are: Student Balance, LOCUS Link, Locuteering, and House Council. Some of these committees also provide leadership opportunities for you to enjoy. Make sure to ask about them during Orientation Week!
How Does LOCUS Compare to Living in Residence?
LOCUS strives to provide everything to a student living off-campus that a student in residence would experience, with one exception— the physical space! Instead, LOCUS students live wherever they please. Off-Campus Advisors fill a similar role to a residence Don, in that they provide support, encouragement and programming for the first-year students in their community.
LOCUS students are surrounded by a community of peers to socialize with at events and develop meaningful friendships with. Just as a residence student lives on a floor with other first-year students, a LOCUS student meets many other students at LOCUS events and when they attend events with their OCA.
LOCUS is integrated with Residence Life, and because of that, is included in all residential activities. Some of these include: The first-year formal, intramural sports & activities, House Council and many other First Year Leadership Positions (FYLPs).
Both offer phenomenal first-year experiences and many memories to be made!
LOCUS students are surrounded by a community of peers to socialize with at events and develop meaningful friendships with. Just as a residence student lives on a floor with other first-year students, a LOCUS student meets many other students at LOCUS events and when they attend events with their OCA.
LOCUS is integrated with Residence Life, and because of that, is included in all residential activities. Some of these include: The first-year formal, intramural sports & activities, House Council and many other First Year Leadership Positions (FYLPs).
Both offer phenomenal first-year experiences and many memories to be made!