USC’s Housing is divided into five communities North, South, East, West and Parkside. Each community provides residents with access to world-renowned live-in faculty, the support and mentorship of undergraduate, graduate and professional staff members as well as programming targeted specifically to resident needs and interests. In addition, each area hosts Special Interest floors, where residents can connect with others who share similar interests. Click here for more information about each community or particular buildings, or visit the USC Housing’s website for information on building specific floor plans and amenities.
New and North Residential Colleges and the University Residential College at Birnkrant
Traditional programs in the North area include the Ed Wood Film Festival, a celebration where residents are given a theme and a prop and have 24 hours to make a five minute film, and Mardi Gras, a huge party for the whole university featuring food, shows and dancing. In addition, faculty in the North area host weekly dinners for their residents.
Marks Tower, Pardee Tower, Marks Hall, and Trojan Hall
Traditional programs in the South area include Halloween Scream, a spooky fun party with a DJ, booths for activities such as pumpkin decorating and fortune-telling and a donation collection for local shelters; Snowball, a spring semi-formal evening that includes dancing, refreshments and free give-aways; and the fall Involvement Fair, where campus leaders, employers and peers with similar interests to the community discuss their passions, job openings and future projects.
Annenberg House, Severance Street Apartments, Manor, Troyland, Hillview, Stardust, Honors House, Max Kade, Bel-Air, Terrace, Fairmont, Cardinal ‘N Gold, Seven Gables, Regal Trojan, Regent, Helena, Twin Palms, Pacific, Founders, Senator, University Regent, Troy Hall, Sunset, Windsor, Vista, Sierra, Seaver, Centennial, La Sorbonne, and Troy East
Traditional programs in East include the Graduate Professional Student Awareness Week (GPSAW), which has been officially recognized by the City of Los Angeles; the Troy Diversity Dance and Art Show; the East Area Block Party; and an annual Thanksgiving Dinner celebration.
Century, Cardinal Gardens, Fluor Tower, and Webb Tower
West Area’s largest traditional program is Diversity Month, where residents participate in a month-long series of programs and events that encourage them to explore both their differences and commonalities. Like the four other areas, the West Area is also affiliated with dedicated Faculty Staff Mentors (FSMs) who help bring resources and support to the area’s residents.
Parkside Arts and Humanities Residential College, Parkside International Residential College, and Parkside Apartments
Traditional programs at Parkside include weekly dinners hosted by Parkside’s faculty masters; Parkside Provides, an ongoing series of philanthropic programs; Reel World events, which celebrate the film, food and culture of featured countries; the International House of Coffee, a weekly morning break featuring gourmet coffees and discussions on international events; Meet the Music Floor, concerts celebrating the talents of Music Floor residents; and Arts in the Park, a series of interactive programs and events which allow residents to express themselves artistically. In addition, all residents in Parkside are eligible for the Parkside Piano Program, which provides free weekly piano lessons to students of all experience levels.
