"Everyone here wants to be here."

Imagine a school where that were true...imagine the possibilities! At SEGL, the boundaries between academic and residential life are purposely blurred. It's not uncommon to hear a spirited late-night conversation referenced in Ethics and Leadership class the following morning, or to continue an English class discussion over dinner. It's not unusual for students to design our weekend activities, or for teachers to bake cookies the night before a tough academic assignment is due. When you come to SEGL, you're not only joining our school; you're joining an incredible family.

Living in a dorm

Our residential facility is a brick townhouse one block from the Supreme Court and Senate Office buildings. Each student lives on one of our residence floors in two, three, or four person rooms. Most rooms are relatively small (expect to have your own bed, and shared study/storage space), but there are several common areas for socializing, and bathrooms with showers on every floor.

Each week you will have dorm meeting with your dorm parents. Dorm meeting is the place to bring ideas, concerns, and reflections on how to make the residence halls more enjoyable for everyone.

Weekends

Weekends officially begin after lunch on Saturdays. Each Tuesday, a new group of students works with faculty to plan the Saturday night entertainment for the school. Most events are completely created and organized by students, so there is ample room for creativity. Want to learn to salsa? Want to invite the director of that new documentary to speak? Want to host a casino night? Want to organize a soup kitchen? Saturday night is your chance!

On most weekends, Sundays are relaxed, with time for impromptu fun with friends, laundry, studying, an optional field trip or service project, or a nap. Students can also attend a variety of religious services on Sunday morning, Saturday evening, and during the week. Study hall on Sunday begins after dinner, and is usually followed by dorm meeting.

Meals

You will eat well at SEGL! Each student shares in three healthy meals every day (brunch and dinner on Sunday). We also occasionally sample food from the areas of the world we study. And from time to time (especially on Sunday mornings!), you will even have the opportunity to add your own culinary expertise to our menu!

The Social Contract

An important feature of the school community is the idea that students and faculty enter into a “social contract” of shared trust and responsibility at the beginning of each semester. This means that significant trust and responsibility is placed in you and your friends from the outset of their time at the school, and that an atmosphere of collegiality and cooperation, rather than authoritarianism and rules, prevails. It means students and faculty collaborate on chores, dish crew, and other work projects. It also means that by agreeing to join our community, you also agree to abide by a code of ethics: “Whereabouts” violations, the use of alcohol and other drugs, dishonesty (academic or otherwise), and violence against people or property will constitute grounds for dismissal. In the event you or a friend violates the code of ethics, students will help decide the proper sanction.

Reunion Conferences

Your time at SEGL will not end when you graduate! Instead, after SEGL you become part of a vibrant community of graduates, who—among other things—attend regular follow up symposia with each other to continue their education, to compare notes on post-SEGL projects, to ensure that the skills they gained during their semester remain an enduring part of their lives, and to reminesce about the good old days.