Learning Communities Iowa State University

1. Learning CommunitiesIowa State University International Conference on The First-Year Experience Doug Gruenewald www.iastate.edu/~learncommunity June 14-17, 2004

2. Overview of Program • History and Vision • Organizational Structure • Data • Challenges • Future Directions • Question/Answer

3. History of LCs at Iowa State • 1994 - Grass-roots LC effort begun • 1995 - First LCs implemented • 1998 - $1.5 million allocated for LCs over a 3-year period • 2001 - Baseline LC funding in ISU budget, formalize co-director positions • 2004 – 50 Learning Communities

4. Learning Communities Vision • To support Iowa State University’s commitment to student learning, the Learning Community initiative seeks to enhance our undergraduates’ experience by providing all interestedstudents dynamic, focused communities in which students, staff, and faculty can learn and grow together.

5. Typical Learning Community • Two or three connected courses • Peer and/or faculty mentors • Career exploration • Service learning or community service • Co-curricular activities • Social activities • May be residential • Primarily first year students

6. Academic Affairs Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs Howard Shapiro Student Affairs Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Holcomb Co-Director of Learning Communities Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs Corly Brooke Co-Director of Learning Communities Assistant Director of Residence for Academic Services Doug Gruenewald Organization of Learning Communities at ISU

7. Co-Directors of Learning Communities Academic Affairs/Student Affairs Administrative Graduate Assistant Learning Community Advisory Committee (21) Assessment Subcommittee (16) Curriculum Development & Enhancement Subcommittee (14) LC Institute Subcommittee (8) Peer Mentor Subcommittee (10) LC Coordinators (One or more for each LC) Research Graduate Assistants (2) Peer Mentors (139)

8. Learning Communities Growth Year Group 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 _____________________________________________________ LCsa 23 36 41 47 49 50 Participantsb 1114 1780 1838 2103 2139 2175 a Total number of learning communities by academic year b Total number of participants, fall semester only

9. Percent of Freshmen in LCs

10. Retention Rates

11. 4-Year Graduation Rate

12. 5-Year Graduation Rate

13. Other Data • LC students have higher gpa (.36) • LC students report greater satisfaction with overall quality of instruction and overall experience at Iowa State • LC students report more knowledge of university services, their discipline, and career options

14. Learning Community Scholarship • Since 1999, Iowa State faculty and staff have published 26 articles and chapters in publications ranging from the Journal of Natural Resource and Life Science Education to the Journal of Technology Studies. • Iowa State faculty and staff have made over 70 professional conference presentations—regional, national, and international—on issues related to learning communities. • 15 theses and dissertations on learning communities have originated at Iowa State. http://www.iastate.edu/~learncommunity/papers.html

15. Financial Benefit of LCs • $2.5 million tuition savings on a $1.5 million initial investment during the first 3 years of the program • Now that the program is fully in place, the yield is about $1.6 million per year (Epperson, 2003)

16. Challenges • Faculty involvement • Individual program assessment • Sustaining programs • Developing new programs • “Weeding” the garden • Involving new people in committees • Recruitment and marketing

17. Future • Increase participation to 50-60% • Attempt new models: Freshmen Interest Groups in College of LAS? • More residential programs • President’s Entrepreneurial LC • More “diversity” focused programs

18. Questions and Comments??