ACA Summit October 22, 2010
THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF
LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Dr. Melinda Dukes
Dr. Troy Goodale
Dr. Pauletta Johnson
Mrs. Amanda Waddell
Mission
Tusculum College provides a liberal arts
education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts
environment.
Vision
Tusculum College will be known throughout the midSouth for its adherence to Judeo-Christian values, its
allegiance to the liberal arts, and its avenues for career
preparation and civic engagement, all delivered
through innovative course structures and personal
attention from outstanding faculty
LEARNING COMMUNITIES OVERVIEW
Tusculum College LLC Program Mission
The Living-Learning Community Program seeks to enhance the institutional
commitment of participating first-time freshmen by providing an
academically and socially enriched environment
Program Goals
•Students experience an enhanced transition to college life
•Students report a higher degree of academic integration
•Students report an enhanced sense of social integration
“Student success does not arise by chance”
Vincent Tinto
INDICATORS FOR LEARNING COMMUNITIES
AT TUSCULUM COLLEGE
Supportive Campus Environment
Students perform better and
are more satisfied at colleges
that are committed to their
success and cultivate positive
working and social relations
among different groups on
campus
Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically
Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities
Providing the support you need to thrive socially
OVERVIEW OF TUSCULUM COLLEGE LEARNING COMMUNITY PROGRAM
Murdock Circle
Patton Society
Quest
Hurley Society
•A Living Learning
Community for students
interested in Social Science
and Humanities
•ACT English subscore 2025, SAT verbal subscore
460-590
•2010 Theme: Leadership
•56.3% Retention Rate
•Learning Community for
students majoring in
education licensure areas
•High school GPA 2.75/4.0
•2010 Theme :Teaching as
Service
•72.2% Retention Rate
•Learning Community for
conditionally admitted
students
•ACT English subscore 19
or below, SAT verbal 450 or
below and ACT Math
subscore 18 or below, SAT
subscore 450 or below
•2010 Theme: Quest for
Success
•50% Retention Rate
•A Living learning
community for students
who are SSS eligible
•ACT composite of 20
•Qualify for SSS
•Undecided major
•2010 Theme: Students’
Search for Self
•80% Retention Rate
2009-10 Satisfaction Survey Summary
•Are you satisfied with the outside of class academic activities presented by the faculty in your Learning Community?
•Are you satisfied with the non-academic activities provided by the Learning Community program?
•Are you satisfied with the academic and social support provided by the peer mentor(s) in your Learning Community?
•Are you satisfied, overall, with the Learning Community program?
Learning Communities Combined Retention Rate
65.7%
Tusculum College Overall Retention Rate
58%
QUESTIONS TO PONDER FOR YOUR OWN INSTITUTION
 Is there a fit for learning communities (LC’s) with the
overall institution mission?
 What would be the academic objectives and mission of
the communities?
 Is there institutional investment capacity for LC’s or living
learning communities (LLC’s)?
 Is there faculty and staff capacity for LC’s?
Murdock Circle
Dr. Troy Goodale, Amanda Waddell
Peer Mentor: Amber Sharp
Leadership Thematic
•Tusculum Experience
•Composition and Rhetoric
•Comparative Government
•U.S. History, Creative
Writing, Environmental
Science
•Physical Fitness and
Wellness
•Service Project
•Weekly Group Meetings
Hurley Society
•Student Support
Services/Federal TRiO
programs
•Theme: Career Exploration:
Students’ Search for Self
•Undeclared majors
•Environmental Science
Immersion
Quest
Quest: Achieving Full Potential
•Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The
Glass Castle
•English, Math and Environmental
Science
•West Virginia Coal Mining
•Concord University
Patton Society
Living Learning Community
(2008-9) and Learning
Community (2009-2011)
Diversity in Educationexplore diverse cultures with
the students at a local
elementary school
Teaching as ServiceTusculum College Mentoring
for Kids program
QUESTIONS TO PONDER FOR TUSCULUM AND YOUR OWN INSTITUTION
 Is there a fit for learning communities (LC’s) with the
overall institution mission?
 What would be the academic objectives and mission of
the communities?
 Is there institutional investment capacity for LC’s or living
learning communities (LLC’s)?
 Is there faculty and staff capacity for LC’s?
IS THIS A PRACTICAL OPTION? IF SO, WHERE DO WE BEGIN???
A bit of advice…
Funding, Funding, Funding…
Student Selection
Peer Mentors
Faculty/Staff Mentors