Welcome to Willard!

Welcome from the Faculty Chair!

Dear Incoming Willard Residents:

As the Faculty Chair of Willard Residential College, I am delighted to welcome you to Northwestern’s oldest and liveliest residential college. You are joining an exceptional group of Northwestern students, a vibrant community, and a rich tradition you will love and remember long after you graduate! Our student Executive Board will provide many opportunities for you to interact with other residents at fun events throughout the year.

Willard features a cohesive community, and your own unique interests and active participation are essential to shaping Willard’s direction this year. We have no mold into which you must fit and no set of beliefs to which you must conform. While some residential colleges are thematic and devote themselves to a particular area of study, Willard takes the opposite approach. It promotes mixing and interaction of students from many schools and disciplines. The Willard world is diverse in all senses, including intellectually. You are just as likely to end up having a conversation with a musician or dramatist as you are an economist or chemist.

In the Fall I will be teaching GEN_ENG 151, Honors Programming for Engineers which is mostly for Computer Science majors and McCormick students, though it is open to all. If you’re in my class, make sure to come and let me know you’re a Willard resident! Our robust roster of Fellows (Graduate Students and Faculty from across Campus) also love to see Willard students not only at High Table (weekly lunches) but also in their courses so make sure to take a look to see if any fit your schedule.

We will soon embark on this new journey together! Though this is only my second year as Willard’s Faculty Chair, I have been involved with Willard since 2018 while finishing my PhD here at NU. I hope that Willard can become a special place for each and every one of you–just as it did for me those many years ago.

See you soon!

Connor Bain, Ph.D. – Willard Faculty Chair
Charles Deering McCormick Assistant Professor of Instruction

Welcome from the Executive Board!

Hello Class of 2030!

We’re so excited to welcome you to Willard Residential College! 

As a Willardite (affectionately called a Woo), your residential college adventure will include a large, welcoming community and various events every week that foster connections between you, your fellow Woos, faculty members, and the greater Northwestern and Evanston communities. We hope to see you at some of our favorite events which you can read more about at the events and traditions page on our website.

We, Willard Exec are especially eager to meet you come this September. If you want to learn more about us, check out our Executive Board page for short bios and fun facts.

Willard has the unique distinction of being one of only two non-thematic residential colleges at Northwestern. We also have about 260 residents, making us the largest residential college on campus. These are some of our greatest strengths because with so many students from all six schools you will meet lots of people with diverse interests, in and out of the classroom.

Located on the southwest side of campus, we are just steps away from downtown Evanston, which includes a variety of great restaurants, a plethora of public transportation options, and our beloved AMC movie theater. 

If you want to learn more about Willard or connect with your fellow Woos, explore the rest of our website and follow us on Instagram @willardrescollege! 

We are counting down the days to welcoming you to your new home and are excited to see you embark on the journey that is college. 

Enjoy the rest of summer, and we'll see you soon! 

‘Sko Woos! 

Willard Exec 2026-2027

Elijah, Lloyd, Eunice, Ashley, Ryan, Nikhil, Aidan, Brad, Dani, Noa, Lucy, Charlotte, and Katie