Course connections

When you enroll in a learning community, you and your fellow community members are automatically registered for a block of courses you'll take as a group.  Depending on the which Learning Community you choose, the courses fulfill requirements for specific majors or general education.  Check-out the courses for the learning communities Minnesota State Mankato currently offers.

Faculty interaction

Learning Community students are often offered the unique experience of getting to know their faculty outside of the classroom.  Faculty are given the opportunity to attend various social and academic support events.  Many are excited about what Learning Communities are doing on our campus!

"Learning Communities serve a tremendous purpose in the success of students, and I have been impressed with the caliber of students I have worked with in these groups." -Dr. Aaron Budge, Civil Engineering

"Learning is enhanced when it's more like a team effort than a solo race... Knowing each other and knowing a few faculty members well enhances students' intellectual commitment and encourages them to think about their own values, future plans, and success in learning and teaching." -Dr. Lyudmyla Carrison, Chemistry

"The involvement in LCs also enabled me to be more experimental in my teaching.  By knowing the students better, and them knowing me better, I felt empowered to try some different teaching techniques to improve their learning." -Dr. Richard Schiming, Economics

First-year friends

Worried about making friends your first year?  Most first-year students feel the same.  As a part of a Learning Community, you'll live and attend classes with people who share similar interests.  Learning Community members tend to make friendships that last as they learn, dream, and discover college life together.

"My favorite part of being in a learning community is the friends you make.  I have met some of my best friends through this program and it has really helped me overcome the social obstacles to starting college."  -Anthropology major, class of 2011

"The learning community gave me more confidence right away because the same girls from my floor were in many of my classes; it provided me with extra support and academic guidance, it allowed me to get to know many of my professors better, and certainly improved my success in my first year of college." -Nursing major, class of 2011

Peer mentors

Each learning community has their own Learning Community Coordinator (LCC), an upper-class student dedicated to helping you set and achieve academic goals.  LCCs also help develop study groups within your Community and plan social events for Community members.

Residential Life

A Learning Community is more than a residence hall.  It's more than a social group.  It's an opportunity to live and learn with other first-year students like you, and it's a sure path to success at Minnesota State Mankato.

The bigger picture

There is life outside of the classroom - and your Learning Community will help you make the most of it! Your LCC, fellow first-year students, and faculty you meet through the Community will help you find ways to get involved in student organizations, academic clubs and the Greater Mankato community.

Giving back

Your Learning Community will choose and participate in a service project, either on campus or in the Mankato community. Often, faculty work with Learning Communities to choose projects related to the major or course subjects - like the elementary education students who created a Fall Fun Night for Halloween in a local elementary school, the engineering students who worked for Habitat for Humanity, and the nursing students who participated in an Alzheimer's Walk.

Sure success

Research on Learning Communities tells us that participants are more likely than non-Learning Community students to have higher grades, to find opportunities to interact with faculty, to get involved in campus activities and events, and to report greater satisfaction with their overall college experience.