SCI-Arc is located in downtown Los Angeles in the heart of Arts District, a former industrial area that has transformed into a walkable, cultural hub rich with museums, art galleries, residential developments, restaurants, and boutiques. A dynamic, global city spanning nearly 500 square miles with more than 13 million residents, Los Angeles is an exciting and compelling place to study and practice architecture.

Housing is independent of SCI-Arc. Students live in the Arts District itself or the nearby communities of Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights, Echo Park, Chinatown, Silver Lake, and Koreatown. Each community is ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse and can best be understood by visiting.

Students who select to attend SCI-Arc will gain access to a housing section in their my.sciarc.edu portal with postings of roommates, sublet opportunities, and apartment openings.

While finding housing in any new city can be daunting, most SCI-Arc students find suitable accommodations within a week or two of beginning their search. 

PODS Blog: How to Find an Apartment in Los Angeles

PODS Blog: Ultimate Guide to Los Angeles Neighborhoods

Downtown L.A. District Guide

Getting Around L.A.

 

Suggested Packing & Shopping List.pdf

Discussion Topics - Housemates + Roommates.pdf

 

The zip code for SCI-Arc is 90013. 

 

The following sites may help you find a roommate:

Craig’s List

Roomi

Roommates.com

Roomster

Spareroom

 

The following sites may help you find an apartment or home to rent:  

Apartment List

Apartments.com

HotPads

Trulia

Zillow

 

There are many options for housing within walking distance of SCI-Arc. 

One Santa Fe   

1 minute walk

Aliso  

1 minute walk

Riverfront Lofts               

3-minute walk

923 E 3rd Street                  

4-minute walk

811 – 815 Traction           

5-minute walk

Barn Lofts                              

5-minute walk

AVA Little Tokyo             

5-minute walk

Vignes Arts Building             

6-minute walk

Savoy     

6-minute walk

Newberry Lofts                  

7-minute walk

The Garey Building               

7-minute walk

Molino Street Lofts            

7-minute walk

Artisan on 2nd Apartments   

8-minute walk

Hikari Apartments             

11-minute walk

Toy Factory Lofts                  

11-minute walk

Toy Warehouse Lofts        

12-minute walk

 

SCI-Arc requires that all full-time and part-time degree-seeking students who are enrolled in academic units have health insurance coverage. SHIP is designed specifically for all SCI-Arc students. It provides essential health benefits, as defined by the Federal Health Insurance mandate, as well as coverage for doctor’s visits, surgery, mental health care, and much more. Dependents of SCI-Arc students are not eligible to enroll in this plan.

The standard student health insurance fee for the 2024–2025 academic year is $2,964. For students who enroll in the Fall term, coverage begins September 1, 2024, and continues through August 31, 2025. Students who enroll in the Spring term will be charged a fee of $1,976; coverage for these students will begin on May 1, 2025, and continues through August 31, 2025. For further details regarding coverage, review the SHIP 24-25 Brochure.pdf.

Students have the option to waive SHIP with verification of comparable health insurance coverage. All waiver requests must be completed by the announced deadline through the online waiver portal located here.

 

Comparable health insurance coverage will be verified at the beginning of every term. When insurance cannot be verified, students will be enrolled with SHIP and their account will be charged.

 

Comparable health insurance coverage must meet the following requirements:

  • Plans must be operated and based in the United States and must be in full compliance with applicable federal laws. International students may not waive insurance from their home country. 
  • Coverage must be active on September 1, 2024, and remain active throughout the full academic year (verified by broker)
  • Deductible is no more than $5,000
  • Annual maximum plan benefits must be unlimited
  • For international students, the plan must have at $50,000 of repatriation coverage and $50,000 of medical evacuation coverage

Fall Waiver Deadline: Sunday, September 15, 2024 | 11:59pm

Spring Waiver Deadline: Monday, January 20, 2025 | 11:59pm

Optional Dental and Vision Insurance

Unlike medical insurance, dental and vision insurance are not required. If you are interested in dental or vision insurance, Aetna does offer these plans. If you wish to enroll with either or both plans, more information will be forthcoming. 

About STUN

        The Student Union (STUN) administers student activities and helps to support the student community at SCI-Arc. It helps to fund student-built work, student exhibitions, and student publications, as well as purchasing supplemental tools for departments such as the shop and computer resources, and sponsoring competitions and special projects.

          STUN organizes a weekly gathering open to the entire school that allows the SCI-Arc community to discuss and meet informally each week. Students select several speakers for the each year’s lecture series, a unique and tremendous opportunity to shape discussion at the school.

          Each year in the spring term, the student body holds elections for their class representatives. The representatives then vote among themselves for specific titles (co-chairs, secretary, etc.). One student representative sits as a full member of the SCI-Arc Board of Trustees for a two-year term. This student reports directly to and from the student community to the board. The representative also has full voting power and sits on committees that advise the Board.

          Three student representatives sit on the Academic Council, which allows the student body a formal arena for voicing their concerns not only to the director, but also to the faculty and staff in attendance. It provides an opportunity for students to participate in discussions with the director, faculty, and staff on policy decisions.

STUNCTIONS | Upcoming Events

Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, September 11 | 6pm-9pm

Position Descriptions

All students are always welcome to participate in the Student Union, but some of us have been elected into positions which have a particular set of responsibilities and a role to play within the union. The following is a list of all the positions along with a brief description for each.

CHAIR
The Chair serves as the primary facilitator for all Student Union activity. In both private and public meetings, events, and communications, the Chair is relied upon to organize and facilitate in all cases where no other Student Union position is more clearly suited to take the lead. Some of the Chair’s most important tasks include: setting and publishing the agenda for all STUN meetings, facilitating STUN meetings, communicating directly with various administrative departments, being present at all STUN events. Clear and prompt communication as well as detailed coordination are both critical parts of these positions.

SECRETARY
The Secretary serves as the primary manager of all schedules, communications, and record-keeping that are internal to the Student Union. Some of the Secretary’s most important tasks include: sending emails to STUN members, taking detailed meeting minutes (notes) at all STUN meetings, and managing the Student Union’s calendar of events. The Secretary is also responsible for receiving and forwarding any emails directed towards the Student Union’s address.

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
The Communications Coordinator serves as the primary manager of all communications external to the Student Union. Some of the Communications Coordinator’s most important tasks include: sending emails to the student body, managing the Student Union Instagram account, designing all graphic material for event promotion and information distribution (in collaboration with any other responsible parties). The Communications Coordinator is also responsible for the documentation public STUN events.

TREASURER
The Treasurer serves as the manager of the Student Union’s budget and funds. Some of the Treasurer’s most important tasks include: draft the yearly budget for the forthcoming academic year, approve and track all spending of Student Union funds, record and facilitate all income earned by the Student Union. The Treasurer is also responsible for maintaining all communications between the Student Union and the SCI-Arc Financial Services Office.

TRUSTEE
The Trustee serves as the Student Representative on SCI-Arc’s Board of Trustees. The Trustee’s most important tasks include: attend all Board meetings, draft and present reports of STUN activities and initiatives to the Board of Trustees, represent and advocate for student interests at all Board meetings. The Trustee is also responsible for comprehensively tracking the Student Union’s activities and accomplishments, and it is therefore also important that the Trustee be included in much of the communication between the Student Union and SCI-Arc’s other administrative departments.

ACADEMIC COUNCIL (4 Positions, 1 representative from: B.Arch, M.Arch 1, M.Arch 2, Edge)
The Academic Council Members serve as the primary facilitators of communication between the student body and the Program and Department Chairs. They are responsible for representing student interests when it comes to the development, planning, and reform of future curricula, academic structure, and the institutional standards which affect the educational experience. Some of the the Academic Council Members’ most important tasks include: hosting Town Hall events for the students they represent, to accurately and comprehensively document the academic issues which are most pressing to the student body, and to collaboratively (amongst all four members) produce and present Academic Council reports.

LECTURE SERIES COORDINATOR
The Lecture Series Coordinator serves as the primary manager of the Student Union’s participation in the SCI-Arc Lecture Series. The Lecture Series Coordinator’s most important tasks include: poll the student body for lecturer requests, meet with the administration to propose a list of guest lecturers, contact and invite guest lecturers to SCI-Arc, and coordinate with all parties involved to ensure the smooth functioning of all STUN-sponsored lectures.

STUDENT PROJECTS LIASON
The Student Projects Liaison serves as the primary point-of-contact between the Student Union and any other student group seeking funding for a publication, special project, or public event. Some of the Student Projects Liaison’s most important tasks include: meet with interested student groups about any student project for which they might seek STUN funding, receive and transmit applications for funding, receive and transmit reimbursement requests from student projects which have been approved for funding by the Student Union.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH CO-CHAIR (2 Positions)
The Community Outreach Co-Chairs serve as the primary coordinators and facilitators of all Student Union programs, events, and initiatives which interface, or are in-collaboration, with any organizations external to SCI-Arc and with the communities around SCI-Arc. The Community Outreach Co-Chairs look for opportunities to connect the student body with the surrounding community, with an emphasis on what we as students can do to affect positive, meaningful, and lasting change.

STUDENT WELLNESS CO-CHAIR (2 Positions)
The Student Wellness Co-Chairs serve as the primary coordinators and facilitators of all Student Union programs, events, and initiatives which pertain to student health and wellness. The Student Wellness Co-Chairs look for opportunities to foster and expand a culture of health, wellness, and safety within the student body. 

EVENTS COORDINATOR (3 Positions)
The Event Coordinators serve as the primary coordinators of all social, celebratory, and cultural events hosted by the Student Union. Some of the Event Coordinators most important tasks include: planning (includes budgeting, requisition, scheduling, etc.) all STUN events, communicating with any and all vendors, venues, staffing, and guests who may be involved with an event, and managing STUN volunteers in the setup, operation, and tear-down of all events. The Events Coordinators are expected work together, and to organize themselves into roles of leadership and support for all STUN events (including but not limited to: Fridays @5, Halloween, Thanksgiving).

CLASS REPRESENTATIVE (11 Positions)
The Class Representatives hold the most important positions in the Student Union because they serve as the primary communicators between the Student Union and all other students. The Class Representatives are expected to bring any and all issues, questions, or comments from their peers to the Student Union meetings, as well as to bring any and all important information and announcements from the Student Union to their peers. Class Representatives are expected to communicate regularly with their peers, participate in Student Union events and programming, and volunteer their time and energy to help operate those events and programs.

Given the class-specific nature of the Class Representative positions, the occupants of these positions are not elected during the regular STUN Elections, but are instead nominated and elected by their own peers. Elected Class Representatives may ALSO run for another STUN position, and a student may hold both positions simultaneously for a given term.

In order to become a Class Representative you must do the following: 
1) send an email to everyone in your class nominating yourself for the position, 
2) offer an opportunity for other members of your class to nominate themselves, 
3) if two or more people have been nominated, then have a neutral 3rd party host a vote amongst your peers, OR, if you are the only nominated member receive at least 2 other nominations, 
4) then inform the Student Union that you have been elected to the position by your peers, 
5) attend the next Student Union meeting and introduce yourself. 

Class Representative Positions

Undergraduate
1A/B Representative 
2A/B Representative 
3A/B Representative 
4A/B Representative 
5A/B Representative 

Graduate/Postgraduate
1GA/B Representative 
2GA/B Representative 
3GA/B Representative 
2GAX/BX Representative 
3GAX/BX Representative 
EDGE Representative