Building Community

Learning communities are now an integral part of campus life at a wide range of colleges and universities, where they play an important part in efforts to improve student success. They help to create smooth transitions for first-year students and lead to greater satisfaction with the undergraduate experience. Learning communities can make a large campus more navigable foster a more academically and socially supportive residential environment, and forge connections among students, faculty, and staff.

However, creating learning communities requires commitment and concerted effort from numerous stakeholders. With a wealth of information and hard-earned insight, Building Community: Stories and Strategies for Future Learning Community Faculty and Professionals offers indispensable advice on the design, implementation, maintenance, and improvement of learning communities.

Topics include:
The historical evolution of learning communities
Learning community models
Assessing the effectiveness of programs
Faculty, student, and administrative perspectives on learning communities
Creating a new learning community: possibilities and challenges
Teacher-student dynamics within learning communities
Diversity in learning communities
Implications and applications for graduate education
Resources for and about learning communities