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Loyola - Sobrato Hall

Loyola RLC

Loyola Residential Learning Community  (RLC) is a suite and apartment-style, four-year community, focused on the themes of faith and social justice. The RLC is housed within Sobrato residence hall.

The Loyola RLC  focuses on faith and social justice, and welcomes students of all faith traditions. The community invites students to explore and expand their knowledge, understanding, and awareness of faith, justice, and the Jesuit tradition.

Loyola RLC explores faith and social justice through the following five values:

  • Scholarship: Embracing the importance and value of scholarship that educates the whole person.
  • Spirituality: Finding a holistic approach to living that recognizes the importance of physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional well-being.
  • Hospitality: Experiencing the beauty and joy to be gained from spending time with one another - thinking, questioning, and exploring the world together.
  • Solidarity: Reflecting upon our personal experiences and our essential relationship to others, both locally and beyond.
  • Discernment: Reflecting on our personal decisions, gifts and passions to determine how we might better serve others and the world around us.

Loyola RLC houses 300+ first and second year students in a mixed suite and apartment-style setting. Many students choose to live in the community for both their first and second year at Santa Clara, which allows community traditions to deepen and mentorship opportunities to flourish.

Suite and apartment-style living provides a unique opportunity for staff and students to engage with one another in thoughtful and intentional ways. Within suites, students have an opportunity to become close to up to seven other suite or apartment-mates, rather than a single roommate.

Because most residents have communal space within their suite, it can be a somewhat quieter living experience than a traditional-style hall, and students may need to challenge themselves to leave the comfort of their own space. With many events hosted in public spaces throughout the building, Community Facilitators invite residents to engage with the broader community, and community-wide programs in Loyola RLC tend to see particularly high-attendance.

The front desk and lobby often serves as an active social space, where students can check out games or kitchen items, and hang out on nearby couches with friends.


 

Every Residential Learning Community (RLC) offers several programs and events each week. Community Facilitators and Leadership Councils host floor and building-wide socials, facilitate activities to promote wellness and mental health, lead students to on-campus events, and organize service opportunities. 

Events traditionally hosted in Loyola RLC include community-wide Monday Night Dinners and quarterly raffles for "Loyola Bucks," which residents receive for attending programs and having open doors.

Theme programming often includes guided meditations, service at local organizations and food banks, community masses, Safe Space and other justice-oriented trainings, and programs highlighting aspects of discernment.



The Loyola staff is comprised of 9 Community Facilitators (CFs), 1 Spirituality Facilitator (SF), 1 Faculty Director (FD), 1 Assistant Resident Director (ARD), and 1 Resident Director (RD). 

The Loyola RLC 2023-2024 team includes:

Leadership Team

  • Dr. Clare Gordon Bettencourt, Resident Director
  • Brita Bookser, Faculty Director
  • Gueverly Mendez, Spirituality Facilitator
  • Nolan Anderson, Assistant Resident Director

Community Facilitators (CFs)

CFs in Sobrato work with approximately 40-60 students. All student staff on campus receive training in conflict resolution and roommate mediation, crisis response, community building, and campus resources, and are present in their community to support their residents. Students can contact their Community Facilitator or Leadership Team directly for support.



Sobrato Residence Hall

Sobrato is a four-year, co-ed space that houses approximately 300 residents, and offers a variety of living options. 

Sobrato's front building includes suites of four single rooms, one double room, two shared bathrooms and one common area; while Sobrato's back building is apartments made up of four single rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a common area. Sobrato has air conditioning in both common and indivdual spaces throughout the hall. Each floor has 30-60 residents, and regardless of their living style, students will find a sense of community throughout the building. 

Sobrato's community spaces include the Commons and community kitchen, the Den, and the Sobrato classrooms.

 

Take a video tour!

Sobrato Hall - Loyola RLC

  • Contact Us

    Each RLC is coordinated by a Leadership Team comprised of a live-in Resident Director (RD), Faculty Director (FD), Spirituality Facilitator(s), and Assistant Resident Director(s). Your RLC’s Leadership Team is a valuable resource and its members can help you with both personal and academic concerns.

Dr. Clare Gordon Bettencourt

Resident Director

Dr. Clare Gordon Bettencourt

cgordon@scu.edu 

pronouns: she/her

Nolan Anderson

Assistant Resident Director

Nolan Anderson

nranderson@scu.edu 

pronouns: he/him