Live in UH

Our Community

University Honors strives to build a community of interdisciplinary students all seeking further understanding and development of their skills. Our students pursue degrees in every college and school at UMD, have a variety of interests, come from all walks of life and backgrounds, and are involved in a wide array of campus activities. 

As members of a thriving living-learning program, students in UH form lifelong connections and friendships living together. And from the required Gateway and Vantage Point Seminars to the multidisciplinary courses from which students may choose in our Thematic Clusters and Theory & Practice Tracks, the UH curriculum prompts students to engage in critical reflection about their college journey and the world, connect with peers, and support one another’s learning.

First-year students in University Honors may elect to live in the new Heritage Community, Pyon-Chen and Johnson-Whittle Halls, located on North Campus and adjacent to the UH Commons located on the ground floor of Yahentamitsi Dining Hall.

Living with University Honors is a great way to engage with fellow students, build strong relationships, and to have close access to UH classroom spaces, study spaces, program space, and faculty and staff. First-year students who choose to live with UH in double room spaces are required to live with another UH student due to space constraints. Students may choose their own roommate within the program if desired.

University Honors does not require students to live in our community. UH students may choose to live elsewhere on campus or to commute to campus in their first year. 

While UH does not offer dedicated residence halls for second-year students, many choose to continue living with other UH students on North Campus to maintain proximity to the UH community, classroom, and study spaces. 

Early each spring semester, program staff hold a series of informational events and workshops to help rising second-year students establish roommate connections; plan their housing selection process; and make the best decisions possible about their living arrangements for their second year in the program. Information about this workshop series is typically available late in the fall semester.

At a Glance

Living and Learning in UH

What is the Heritage Community?

Heritage Community is located on North Campus and consists of

  • Pyon-Chen & Johnson-Whittle Halls
  • Yahentimitsi Dining Hall (including UH Commons)

Pyon-Chen Hall opened in Fall 2021. Johnson-Whittle Hall and Yahentamitsi Dining Hall will open in Fall 2022.

How many UH students live in Heritage Community?

Approximately 500 first-year UH students live in Johnson-Whittle and Pyon-Chen Halls. Many second-year UH students also choose to leave in nearby housing on North Campus. 

What is the UH Commons?

Located on the ground floor of Yahentamitsi Dining Hall, the University Honors Commons is our program’s home base for all UH students, faculty, and staff. 

What happens at the UH Commons?

This student-centered space was designed with community-building, faculty-student and peer-to-peer mentorship, and student success in mind. Features include: 

  • Two seminar rooms
  • Event space for co-curricular and student life programming
  • Lounge space
  • Study areas
  • Two huddle rooms for student groups and faculty-student mentorship
  • Conference room
  • UH faculty and staff offices
  • Gender neutral bathrooms

What does "Yahentamitsi" mean?

In the Algonquian language spoken by the Piscataway Conoy tribe, “Yahentamitsi” (uh-hen-tuh-meet-c) means “a place to go eat.”

Heritage Community 
(Johnson-Whittle Hall left, Yahentamitsi Dining Hall right, Pyon-Chen center)

If you have questions about our community, facilities, and/or joining UH, please see our FAQs: Joining UH page, our Our Home page, or email Associate Director for Student Engagement & Leadership, Migdalia Maldonado.