Leadership and Service Living Learning Community

Seven volunteers wearing hard hats and work gloves stand side by side on a dirt road in a forested area, holding trail-maintenance tools such as shovels, loppers, and rakes. They are smiling at the camera, with tall pine trees, brush-covered hillsides, and sunlight filtering through the woods in the background.

Welcome New Bobcats!

The Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center and the Community Engagement Center (CEC) congratulate you on your upcoming endeavors! The Student Leadership Center and the CEC are located at the heart of campus, Kolligian Library (KL 190 & 172), facing the New Beginnings Statue and Scholars Lane. Our centers connect our students with leadership and service opportunities while helping them build on their already existing leadership skills. The Leadership and Service Living Learning Community is an opportunity offered ONLY to 1st year freshman by both centers.

The Leadership & Service LLC is a great opportunity for 1st year students to learn about leadership theory, engage in service & connect with a like-minded community of students and professional staff. 30 students are admitted into the Leadership & Service LLC each academic year and receive direct guidance from staff in our centers for their 1st year at UC Merced. Our LLC members develop their transferrable skills for their resumes through experiential learning. Our LLC members receive letters of recommendation from staff upon request and get early access to event registrations!

 

 A group of students gathers around a classroom table participating in a hands-on nutrition or food-preparation activity. They measure and mix ingredients such as oats, milk, and yogurt into jars while following instructions displayed on a presentation screen in the background. A group of eleven student and staff members pose together on a playground structure beneath a large shade canopy. Several participants wear matching blue volunteer shirts, while others wear casual clothing. The group smiles at the camera, standing around colorful playground equipment at what appears to be a school or community center. Six volunteers wearing hard hats and work gloves stand beside an “Adopt-a-Trail” sign in a forested mountain area. They hold trail-maintenance tools and pose along a hiking trail surrounded by trees, grassy terrain, and evidence of previous wildfire burn scars on the landscape.

 

Program Requirements for LLC Members

  • Students are required to attend weekly scheduled meetings in both fall and spring semesters.

    • Fall 2026 Meeting: Wednesdays from 1:30 - 2:20 PM.

    • Spring 2026 Meeting: To Be Determined (TBD)

  • Students must schedule a check-in with their LLC advisor at least once a semester.

  • Students must participate in the Leadership and Service LLC retreat in the fall and spring celebration.

  • Participants must commit to community engagement participation in both fall and spring semesters.

  • Students must attend one of three Valley Adventure and Service trips in the spring semester.

  • Participants must be in good academic and student conduct standing throughout the duration of the experience.

 

Only students who have completed the LLC application and signed their housing contract by May 23, 2026 will be considered for the Leadership and Service LLC.

Please direct questions regarding the Leadership and Service LLC to lead@ucmerced.edu and communityservice@ucmerced.edu. If you have specific questions regarding housing, including the cost of housing and meal plans, please visit the housing website or email Housing Services at housing@ucmerced.edu.