Learning Communities Connect Students to Campus

More than half of this fall’s 1,528 incoming freshmen have been enrolled in learning communities in which 25-student cohorts share three courses, a faculty adviser and a major or academic theme. 

The purpose of learning communities is to help new students make a positive connection to the campus from the outset of their academic careers.

The feedback so far is that they are working.

The establishment of learning communities was a priority for Provost Ahmed Abdelal when he arrived on campus last spring. His objective is to positively affect the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate and the graduation rate.

“Learning communities are successful because they help students bond with each other and a faculty mentor, and connect solidly with the campus,” he says.

Virtually every one of the 200-plus freshmen entering the University this fall as Undeclared Liberal Arts (ULA) majors are enrolled in a Learning Community.  Each cohort shares a section of College Writing I, either an introductory sociology or psychology course and a Values and Critical Thinking Course.

Students selected one of eight themes for their Values course: Communications and Media, Education and Children’s Issues, Health and Environment, Fine Arts, Global Business, International Affairs and Politics and Social Justice.

Frank Talty, director of academic programs in the Division of Humanities, Social Sciences and Fine Arts, enlisted faculty from the School of Health and Environment and the College of Management to teach the Values section, exploring health and business, respectively. 

“The Values sections are designed to provide an orientation to the school and also introduce students to what they’ll encounter in their academic and social lives,” says Talty.

“We only have anecdotal evidence so far,” he notes, “but faculty have noticed a difference between freshmen who have been grouped in a learning community and those who have not. These kids seem to know each other much better.”

Asst. Prof. Aart Holtslag of the Political Science Department is the lead teacher for the learning community on international affairs. He witnessed the effect of learning communities at Florida International University, where he taught prior to coming here. He is unequivocal in his support for them.

“Learning communities,” he says, “enhance student retention, student involvement and student achievement.”

Frank Andrews, director of undergraduate programs in the College of Management, agrees that the learning community program seems to be successful.

“We know that the first six weeks are critically important for freshmen to connect with the school,” he says. “The anecdotal evidence for this year is terrific. We’ve come through that first six-week period with 95 percent of our freshmen still here.

“Students have been telling to me that they love the freshman seminar we developed,” says Andrews. “One student told me recently that what she has learned about study skills and time management has already been invaluable to her.”

- Elizabeth_James