Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015
PROPOSAL INFORMATION
Are you interested in working with other instructors? Are you interested in linking your content course to a Freshman Seminar course or linking your content course to another content course? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you may want to develop a linked learning community.
A linked learning community is a community that links one or two academic courses with a
Freshman Seminar course (COL 105) OR a community that links two or more academic courses and embeds Freshman Seminar principles into the linked learning community. The Freshman
Seminar (COL 105) curriculum concentrates on eight behaviors of successful students:

Personal Responsibility
 Self-Motivation


Self-Awareness
Life-Long Learning
 Self-Management

Interdependence
 Emotional Intelligence

Believing in Themselves
Reviewing the Freshman Seminar (COL 105) Syllabus and A Guide to the Freshman Seminar Course will also assist you in completing a proposal for developing a linked learning community.
The linked learning community’s purpose is to show students the connections between the courses while they explore a theme or specific topic that ties the courses in the community together. The theme or specific topic of a linked learning community is stressed through shared assignments, activities, lecture topics, etc.
For example, a linked learning community could have a COL 105, an ENG 101, and a PSY 201 course. The title of this community might be something like Would You Like Fries with that B.A.?
The theme explored could revolve around the importance of general education and what promising career paths are available for these degree holders. A shared assignment could involve students completing a career project for COL 105 that includes research methods learned in ENG 101, selfawareness topics discussed in COL 105, and the science of behavior presented in PSY 201. On the other hand, another possible linked learning community could consist of only the ENG 101 and PSY
201 courses, but this linked learning community would include shared assignments embedded with
Freshman Seminar principles.
To complete the proposal process, please complete the Proposal Form in this packet and answer each question thoughtfully and thoroughly. Also refer to the rubric in this packet as this rubric will be used to select linked learning community developers for Fall 2015. The completed Proposal Form should be submitted to Amoena Norcross at anorcros@tctc.edu
no later than Tuesday, March 24,
2015 . A completed and signed Learning Community Designer Agreement must also be submitted by each linked learning community instructor and routed to Amoena Norcross in RH-249A (Pendleton
Campus) no later than Tuesday, March 24, 2015 .
Need feedback about your idea(s)? Questions about your proposal? Questions about this form?
Contact Amoena Norcross ( anorcros@tctc.edu
or 864.646.1365).

Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015
PROPOSAL FORM
1. List the names of the proposed linked learning community instructors, the course associated with each instructor, any course pre-requisites, the instructor’s department, and telephone number(s).
A linked learning community could include one, two, or three instructors.
NAME COURSE COURSE
PRE-REQUISITE(S)
DEPARTMENT TELEPHONE
2. If connecting one or more content courses to Freshman Seminar (COL 105), does the proposer associated with the COL 105 course have a Master’s degree? ☐ Yes ☐ No
If ‘Yes’, in what discipline?
3. Has the proposer associated with the COL 105 course taught one or more sections of COL 105 at
Tri-County Technical College?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If ‘No’, please complete this form . This form will be emailed to Jennifer Hulehan, Department Head for Comprehensive Studies, who will contact the proposed COL 105 instructor to discuss hiring procedures, requirements, and expectations for teaching in the Comprehensive Studies
Department.
4. On what campus (Pendleton, Anderson, Easley, or Industrial Technology Center) would you like for this community to be offered?
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Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015
5. Linked learning community training consists of SIX (6) core workshops, meetings with all linked learning community designers (frequency to be determined by the designers and the Learning
Communities Coordinator (LCC)), and individual meetings (when needed) with the LCC. Other specific responsibilities of linked learning community designers are outlined in the Learning
Community Designer Agreement in this packet. Will each proposer be able to participate in linked learning community training and planning sessions during Fall 2015?
☐ Yes ☐ No
Describe any anticipated obstacles or conflicts each proposer may encounter in Fall 2015 as they pertain to the responsibilities of learning community designers.
6. Please describe what knowledge each proposer has of Freshman Seminar (COL 105) concepts.
This knowledge may have come from teaching the course, attending a workshop, etc. You do
NOT need experience teaching Freshman Seminar to design a linked learning community.
However, if your linked community includes COL 105, the designer of the COL 105 course in the linked learning community will be required to participate in supplementary Freshman Seminar training provided by the Comprehensive Studies Department prior to piloting the linked learning community (in addition to the six core workshops mentioned in 4.). This training typically spans one day and occurs immediately following the end of the summer semester. You will be notified once the training has been scheduled.
7. Describe the theme or topic you would like to develop for a linked learning community. Include with your description a tentative name for the community. Make sure that your description and name are applicable to any semester. If your proposal is selected, your team will design the theme and pilot the linked learning community, but other instructors will ultimately teach the linked learning community as well.
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Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015
8. Describe what student population(s) would be interested in the linked learning community. The target population(s) may be determined according to major, interests, etc. Also provide the total number of students in the target population(s) eligible for enrolling in the thematic community.
This data can be obtained from ISIS reports or other institutional data —contact Chris Marino in
Institutional Research if you need assistance.
9. Will each proposer be able to take one course released time (equivalent to 3 instructional/classroom hours per week) during Fall 2015?
☐ Yes ☐ No
If selected, each designer will be required to take one course released time (equivalent to 3 instructional/classroom hours per week) during Fall 2015; no designer will be permitted to teach an overload during Fall 2015. Consult with your supervisor and complete the Learning Community
Designer Agreement in this packet.
Thank you for your interest in developing a linked learning community. If you have any questions, please contact Amoena Norcross at anorcros@tctc.edu
.
Submit your completed Proposal Form to Amoena Norcross at anorcros@tctc.edu
no later than
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 . A completed and signed Learning Community Designer Agreement must also be submitted by each linked learning community instructor and routed to Amoena Norcross in RH-249A (Pendleton Campus) no later than Tuesday, March 24, 2015 .
Need feedback about your idea(s)? Questions about your proposal? Questions about this form?
Contact Amoena Norcross ( anorcros@tctc.edu
or 864.646.1365).
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Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015
OBJECTIVE
Participation in
Training and
Development
Knowledge of
Freshman Seminar
Theme
Target Audience
Availability
3 POINTS
Is able and willing to participate in training and development activities as referenced in the proposal form and in the Learning
Community Designer
Agreement and foresees no obstacles or has a plan/solution to overcome any obstacles
Has taught 2 or more sections of Freshman
Seminar and/or in a learning community or has attended 2 or more professional development workshops/events that have featured Freshman
Seminar concepts and/or learning community concepts
Theme is general enough to be applicable for any semester
The designer has provided
3 or more target student populations, majors, and/or career interest areas, along with data to support the student interest level in this theme
The designer is available to be released for the equivalent of 3 hours per week in Fall 2015 and has submitted a completed & signed Learning
Community Designer
Agreement
2 POINTS
Is able and willing to participate in training and development activities as referenced in the proposal form and in the Learning Community
Designer Agreement but foresees possible obstacles and has no concrete plan/solution to overcome any obstacles
Has taught 1 section of
Freshman Seminar and/or in a learning community or has attended 1 professional development workshop/event that featured Freshman
Seminar concepts and/or learning community concepts
Theme has potential to be developed into a general enough idea to be applicable for any semester
The designer has provided 2 target student populations, majors, and/or career interest areas, along with data to support the student interest level in this theme
The designer is available to be released for the equivalent of 3 hours per week in Fall 2015 and is in discussion with his/her supervisor concerning permission
1 POINT
May be able and willing to participate in training and development activities as referenced in the proposal form and in the Learning
Community Designer
Agreement but knows of obstacles and is unsure if there is a plan/solution to overcome any obstacles
Has taught no sections of
Freshman Seminar and/or in a learning community and has not attended any professional development workshops/events that featured Freshman Seminar concepts and/or learning community concepts
Theme is a limited idea and would not be applicable for any semester
The designer has provided 1 target student population, major, and/or career interest area, along with data to support the student interest level in this theme
The designer may be available to be released for the equivalent of 3 hours per week in Fall 2015 and has not spoken to his/her supervisor concerning permission
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Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015
Learning Community Designer:
Name of Community:
REQUIRED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL LEARNING COMMUNITY DESIGNERS
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsible for designing and implementing a linked learning community.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Completes the learning community design process as outlined by the Title III Activity Director for Learning Communities (ADLC) in one academic semester.

Attends training sessions and learning community design meetings scheduled and facilitated by the ADLC.

Completes and submits to ADLC all learning community design documents during the academic semester that released time is given.

Completes a tentative course schedule with clearly stated objectives and learning outcomes for the learning community design during the academic semester that released time is given.

Participates in professional development activities specifically focused on enhancing skills related to the design and facilitation of learning communities.

Uses released time effectively and efficiently to complete the design process. Failure to fulfill responsibilities will result in actions according to College’s personnel policies/guidelines.
Note: Designers are prohibited from teaching an overload during the design process.

Pilots the learning community design.
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Title III/LC 2 Linked Learning Community Proposal Spring 2015

Collaborates with the ADLC, the Title III Project Director, and the Faculty Liaison for
Professional Development to create and implement a plan for sharing information about the learning community design and the design and implementation experience with the college community.

Provides feedback from the learning community course(s) to include but not limited to integrated assignments, student experiences, instructor experiences, and value of the course(s) and learning community.
By signing this form, all parties understand the following:

the responsibilities listed above

the designer will receive one course released time (equivalent to 3 instructional/classroom hours per week) in the academic semester of the design process

the designer will not teach an overload while receiving released time for the design process
Learning Community Designer Signature
Department Head Signature
Date
Date
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