BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors has voted to keep the university’s living-learning communities intact, ending months of speculation over their future on campus.
The decision came during the board’s first meeting under new leadership Monday and Tuesday. In April 2026, the board had introduced a resolution questioning whether living-learning communities — known as LLCs — had a financial impact on the university. During the most recent meeting, Provost Julie Ross presented her findings before the board reached its conclusion.
Virginia Tech spokesperson Mark Owczarski said the data made a clear case for keeping the programs.
“Provost Ross did share with the board members that many if not most universities offer such residential programs, and the data shows that that sense of belonging, that sense of support that those kinds of communities provide, help and attribute to our student success,” Owczarski said.
What are living-learning communities?
Virginia Tech operates dozens of LLCs, which group students together in residence halls based on shared interests, academic pursuits, hobbies, or backgrounds. One example is Mozaiko, a community for students with international backgrounds or an interest in international affairs.
Brett Shadle, director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies, said the communities do more than create a comfortable living space — they drive deeper engagement across campus.
“Dorms have always been an important place for students to learn about others, to learn about different ways of life, different perspectives,” Shadle said. “But when you get people with similar backgrounds or similar interests, it really kind of supercharges those exchanges.”
Shadle pushed back on the idea that LLCs isolate students from the broader campus community.
“I think too often when outsiders look at these LLCs, they see it as for just one community and it’s inward looking and it reinforces almost an isolation,” he said. “But I think it’s really the opposite. Those LLCs provide that foundation, that starting point for them to do so much more and contribute in all kinds of ways across campus.”
New dorms approved, older buildings to be renovated
Along with preserving the LLCs, the board approved construction of two new residence halls and renovation of four older dormitories. The new buildings will house an additional 1,200 students. However, the renovated dorms are expected to lose some capacity as part of the updates, putting the net student housing gain at under 1,000 once all work is completed.
Owczarski said the construction will give the university the flexibility it needs to upgrade aging facilities.
“We can take other residence halls offline and refurbish them and renovate them and update health, safety, air-conditioning facilities — all the things that will help students find academic success,” he said.
Virginia Tech has seen a wave of leadership changes in recent months, with new figures taking over as president, athletic director, rector, and vice rector. The Board of Visitors meeting this week was the first under that new leadership structure.