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The Explorations program at NYU is a network of theme-based communities across the campus that intentionally places students into a community where living and learning is dynamic and constant. The theme in each community is developed through programs and activities which are planned by the resident assistant (RA), a faculty member designated for the floor (Faculty Affiliate), and the residents on the floor. NYU has specialized Explorations communities in both the FYRE (First Year Residential Experience) and upper-class halls.  Many of our upper-class communities are designed by students themselves.

Institutions across the country are recognizing the importance of creating and maintaining collaborative learning communities that cross traditional campus boundaries between the formal classroom and the residential setting. Research repeatedly supports that the degree to which a student persists and succeeds in a university setting is directly related to the establishment of a community and culture of learning across the campus. NYU students indicate the Explorations program helps them connect with the University and each other quickly and meaningfully. 

The Department of Residential Education recognizes that a student's learning is an on-going process, not bounded by the confines of traditional class time and space, and realizes that the array of experiences outside of the traditional classroom are a haven for the application of classroom theory, experiential learning, and life skill development.