Collaborating to Enhance Academics in LivingLearning Communities

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Collaborating to Enhance Academics in
Living-Learning Communities

• What questions, challenges, ideas do you have
  about
• Learning Communities and academic enhancement?
• June 14, 2007
• Russ Gill, Jeff Stein

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Overview

• 1) Background/Identity
• 2) Partnerships
• 3) Academic Results
• 4) Questions

LEARNING COMMUNITIES
An Academic Affairs Residence Life Collaboration
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Background

• Who we are
• Elon University
• Mid-sized, comprehensive university,
• enrollment 5000, arts/sciences core
• Engaged, experiential education
• 4 credit-hour, ELR
• Seamless learning from Academics/Student Life

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Learning Communities_at_ElonWhere Living
Learning Meet

• 20 Learning Communities, over 35 advisors
• Established 1994
• Service Learning Community
• Math, Science Engineering Floor

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Elons RLC Mission Statement

• Learning Communities provide a rich variety of
  intentional communities designed to connect
  students, faculty staff to support students
  academic, personal social development
  success through
• Integration of in-class out-of-class learning
• Academic social programs that foster close-knit
  residential communities,
• Social and academic support networks.

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Partnership Challenges

• Primarily Residence Life Project Planning
• Faculty isolation, burn out
• Theme communities, limited academic
• or departmental connection
• Student Affairs language, focus
• Limited budget, common spaces
• Unclear expectations

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Partnership Solutions 1

• Inclusive Philosophy Programs
• LC Syllabus Learning Objectives
• New faculty handbook
• LCs as cohorts learning together, recruitment
  tools, extension of classroom
• Emphasize student-faculty engagement
• Working towards PT, reassign time
• Provost-University strategic plan, budgeting

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Partnership Solutions 2

• Inclusive, or Seamless, Staffing
• Russ Gill, Faculty Fellow
• Nancy Harris, Associate Dean Arts Sciences
• Arts Sciences Learning Community
• Jeff Stein, English Dept.
• LC Contracts with departments, chairs, academic
  deans, Residence Life
• More systematic faculty development, models, etc.

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Partnership Solutions 3

• Academics
• Each Learning Community must contain an
• academic component and link to a discipline.
• Does Academic necessitate a class?
• Creative approaches
• reading group blog,
• community garden,
• CNN visit,
• mini-courses,
• community sculpture, etc.

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Results

• Linked courses core 1st year courses
• New LC applications focused on learning goals
• New LC halls with common space,
  faculty-in-residence
• Attention from Academic Affairs, University
  budget priorities, faculty meetings
• Each LC must meet a unique departmental goal or
  student need.
• Start with learning outcomes syllabi
• naturally leads to knowledge/skill
  development

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Discussion/Questions

• What does the academic component of your RLC
  program look like?
• How have you defined academic besides
  traditional classes?
• What do Learning Communities contribute to your
  campus?
• What causes students to buy into/support your
  RLCs?

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Russ Gill Professor of English, RLC Faculty
Fellow, Distinguished University Professor (336)
278-5629 gillruss_at_elon.edu
Jeff Stein Asst. Dean of Students for Residence
Life Service Learning, Asst. Professor (336)
278-7300 jstein_at_elon.edu