Learning Communities at UNA

Learning communities are springing up at colleges and universities all over the nation, and in their simplest form they take two courses and connect them to help students get the most out of their college experience.

Learning communities:

• Organize students and faculty into smaller groups
• Bring faculty and students together
• Encourage integration of different subjects
• Focus faculty and students on student learning
• Help students establish support networks
• Provide a setting for adjusting to college

Some of the most outstanding faculty on campus participate in this program. In addition, over 96 percent of the students who participated in a learning community during the past two years said that they would recommend a learning community to an in-coming freshman! At UNA, two different subjects are paired together, such as English and History, and a one hour Learning Community course is added so that students have an opportunity to interact with their professors and get to know fellow students from both of the core classes. (All of the paired courses are courses that a college student would normally take during their freshman year.)

By organizing students and faculty into smaller groups there is an opportunity for students to establish support networks, there is an increased focus on student learning, and the program offers an excellent chance for students to adjust to the college environment. That helps create a successful college experience!

How can you participate?