There have been many changes in the higher education sector that have impacted on universities and university colleges this has often resulted in restructures, mergers and amalgamation across the university sector. The new era has also brought with it the need for universities to achieve targets in terms of student retention, completion and graduate outcomes. It is here that university colleges through their collegiate structures and processes support the development of a community of learners. The challenge in this new era of amalgamation and restructure is to maintain this community of learners within larger college communities. This paper will explore the challenges of identifying and greasing the right links between universities and residential colleges to highlight the importance of collegiate life to the achievement of universities in this new era in higher education. Examples will be drawn from my experience of developing a community of learners in the context of a large self catered college (505 college members) following the amalgamation of four smaller colleges.