1. LIVING LEARNING
COMMUNITIES
Jessica Karner and Jon Ladino

2. VIDEO
University of Prince Edward Island
 LLC


3. DEFINING AN LLC
“Students in residential learning communities had
significantly higher levels of involvement, interaction,
integration, and gains in learning and intellectual
development than did students in traditional
residence halls. Participation in learning communities
directly enhanced students' involvement and
interaction and indirectly promoted integration and
gains; the nature of these indirect effects varied by
outcome” (Pike, 1999).

4. BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY LIVING
LEARNING COMMUNITY- HONORS COMMUNITY
First year
 Located in Woodward Hall
 Students are in the honors program at BSU
 Connect with Honors Faculty
 There are Honors Programming Assistants that put
on both social and academic programs for students


5. BSU- COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING
COMMUNITY
First Year
 Located in Woodward Hall
 Students that have a strong interest in community
service when they enter college
 Works with a staff partner in the Community Service
office at BSU
 There are programming assistants that put on
social and academic programs for students


6. BRIDGEWATER STATE UNIVERSITY- SCIENCE
AND MATH COMMUNITY
Any age student can apply to participate
 Specifically for Science and Math majors on
campus
 Located in Woodward Hall
 Students are in contact with faculty members for a
variety of science and math departments.
 Programs are put on by programming assistants


7. ADVISOR INTERVIEW- MAX QUINN
Max is a Graduate Student at BSU
 Works with all of the communities in Woodward Hall
 In his second year working with the programs


8. ADVISOR INTERVIEW- MAX

Each RLC has a different specific goal but the over
arching goal as Max defined it was a place to give
students who share interests, academically or
socially, a chance to live together and discuss those
interests in a challenging setting.

9. ADVISOR INTERVIEW- MAX
Feels that due to LLCs students feel a greater connection
to each other, their community, and campus because of
LLC.
 A limitation of LLCs is that students come in with specific
expectations that cannot always be met
 Because of the extensive staff that the LLCs have, two
RAs per LLC, 2-4 PAs per LLC, and 3 SPAs in the
building there are at least six programs for each
community a month.
 They do offer, and require, a one credit course to go
along with each LLC


10. INTERVIEW WITH CRISTY
Currently a first year student, living in the Honors
RLC
 Chose to live there- wanted to be with people of like
goals.
 Feels more connected to the community then to
college
 She believes the goals of the Honors community is
to form a community interested in academic
excellence, form a sense of belonging and support,
and to create connections with faculty


11. INTERVIEW WITH AUTUMN
Second year student who is no longer living in an
LLC, but participating as a SPA
 Lived in the Science and Math RLC
 Felt the best part was getting to know other
students with serious interest, and the study
sessions that upperclassmen helped with
 Found the biggest difference between RLC and
regular community to be a special bond that forms
in an RLC based on common interest


12. INTERVIEW WITH EVAN
Second Year Student who lived in community
service RLC first year, Science and Math RLC this
year.
 Liked the opportunity to meet people with shared
interest easily and live with them.
 Felt that moving in a day early, meeting everyone in
the RLC first, and then attending a class with them
led to additional bonding. Compared it to a fraternity
in some ways.
 Could not clearly articulate the goals in his own
words.


13. INTERVIEW WITH SHANNON
Her favorite part was spending time with students
who had a common goal and mindset. She also is
incredibly passionate about service so it was great
for her to be able to address that in her community
 Goals are to help students become involved,
developing strong bonds with other students who
share interests, fostering leadership skills and
teamwork skills.


14. BABSON LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY
First Year
 LLC for Incoming First Year Students
 Living Social Change
 Passionate About

Community Service
 Social Justice
 Social Responsibility

Work With Student Life & Office of Faith and
Service
 Students Are Selected by Babson


15. LIVING SOCIAL CHANGE
Live in the Same Hall in Mattos
 Share Their FYS Class Together
 Community Library (Books and Movies)
 Share in Group Projects or Opportunities to Show
Their Interest in Community Service, etc.
 Allow Students to Allocate to Their New
Surroundings

Babson College (Campus Resources)
 New Students


16. INTERVIEW WITH MONICA COHEN
2nd Year Area Director in First Year Area
 Coordinator of LLC
 Teacher for the FYS Class


17. MONICA CONTINUED

Main Goal


Engage Students, Help Transition, Connect Residential
Experiences to Classroom, Develop Students (Why am
I Here? What is my Passion?)
Student Feedback

Pride Right Away, Bonding Quickly with Different
People, Immediate Face Time with Faculty and Staff,
Need a Common Space for Hang Out

18. MONICA CONTINUED

Programs


Speaker Series, Library, Passion Project
Disadvantages (Monica)

Possible Hyper Bonding, Not Enough Time to Dedicate
to LLC Development

19. INTERVIEW WITH ROXY
Categorical Information
 Best Parts of LLC



Project (Cruickshank 5k Race), Having Class Together
Goals of LLC

Test Class, Unite Students With Same Goal

20. ROXY CONTINUED

Continue Living in LLC

Yes


Connected To Overall Community

Yes


Made Friends, More Structured, Interaction Skills
Part of Babson Experience, Class With People Not in LLC,
Learning Points

Learning How to Live Together, Feeling of Community

21. ROXY CONTINUED

Confusion/Adjustments
Confused by Meaning of Living Social Change
 “Why Was I Picked?”
 Want More Organized Events for LLC


Camping Trip

22. INTERVIEW WITH IRFAAN
Categorical Information
 Best Parts of LLC


Having Class with Floor Mates



Walking Together, Allows Opportunity to Get To Know Each
Other
Community Like a Family, Open Environment,
Friendship
Goals of LLC

Different Type of Thinking, Making Change, How to
Benefit Other People

23. IRFAAN CONTINUED

Continue Living in LLC

Yes


Connection with Overall Environment

Yes


Sophomore Year
Sees LLC as Backup to Community, Not too Central
Learning Points

Learn About Diversity (On/Off Campus), Benefit All
People

24. IRFAAN CONTINUED

Confusion/Adjustments
Brainstorm what is Living Social Change
 More Projects



Innovative Project for Campus/Community, Community
Service Projects
Apply Lessons Learned in Classroom

25. TAKEAWAYS FROM INTERVIEWS
Allows Students an environment where they felt
connected immediately
 No hyper bonding
 Develops a community of shared interest
 Goals not clearly described, but students
understand the overarching purposes
 Hands on projects make a big difference


26. LIMITATIONS
Students were accessed through their advisor
 Male/ female ratio
 Different LLCs foster different relationships
 Low number of participants in interviews
 1st Year of the LLC
 Only Three Months in LLC
 Interviewed 2 of 20 Students


27. OUR THEORY- THEORY OF EFFECTIVE FIRST YEAR
LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY
Behind the Scenes
Compare LLC to Overall College
Environment
•Collaborating with students in
possible ideas of how their LLC
can contribute to the overall
College Community and do
projects
Make Goals of LLC Clear
•Use a selection process for the
LLC or Make goals apparent on
paper to students

28. OUR THEORY- THEORY OF EFFECTIVE FIRST YEAR
LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY
In the LLC with the Students
Allocate Students To College
Environment
•Orientation to College
•Make sure they are comfortable with
their overall environment
•Faculty Staff Inclusion, Face time
Allocate Students in Community
•Have students share a class, Have
students participate in projects
together that show the goals of the
LLC, Have students live in same
environment, preferably all three.
•Allow students opportunity to interact
with other students outside of LLC to
avoid Hyper Bonding
Fostering Strong Relationships
•Make sure there are strong
relationships within the students
by holding team building
exercises, programming
•Possibly adding an extra day of
“orientation” for these students
•Foster strong relationships with
faculty so that students feel a
connection by having socials for
both, and having classes
specifically with faculty related to
the community

29. FROM PERRY
Dualism to Multipicity
 That is involved in LLC development depending on
the goals of the LLC
 Explaining goals will open their eyes


30. FROM CHICKERING

Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships


Developing Purpose/Developing Integrity


Students working together in both classroom and living
communities
Worthwhile goals
Moving Towards Interdependence

Work together and trust themselves

31. SCHOLOSSBERG’S TRANSITION THEORY
Situation – the LLC itself and the environment that
the students are in
 Self- Connection to LLC and how they view it
 Support – Faculty staff inclusion in the LLC
 Strategies- Format of the LLC and how the students
interact with it. Comparing class and the LLC
environment.


32. CHALLENGE AND SUPPORT
Support in the fact that the relationships in the
community are closer, and there are stronger
relationships with Faculty, Staff and each other
 Challenge because it adds another area for
students to work in and adjust too when they come
to college.


33. WORKS CITED

Pike, G. R. (1999). The effects of residential
learning communities and traditional residential
living arrangements on educational gains during the
first year of college. PsycINFO, 40(3), 269-284.

Do we need to cite the interviews?!?!?!