Advantages of Joining a Learning Community
What are Learning Community Students Saying?
MAKE LIFELONG FRIENDS
Learning Community students often say they found their best friends in the Learning Community. As a part of a learning community, you'll be with people who share similar interests. Learning community members tend to make friendships that last as they learn, dream, and discover college life together. First-year students also have the opportunity to live near other students in their Learning Community.
COURSE Registration
You and others from the community are automatically registered for the courses listed for your community. You will take these courses as a group. Courses will either fulfill requirements for specific majors or University General Education.
- Students do not have to take all the courses listed for each semester to be a member of the Learning Community, based on recommendations from their academic advisor.
- Course registration does not apply to the Transfer Learning Community.
Faculty Interaction
Get to know faculty outside of the classroom, an opportunity not all first-year students have. Faculty members instructing your courses and from your area of interest will be involved with the learning community. It might be a faculty-led study session, a shared meal, or helping with your Make A Difference project. Many are excited about making connections with students and participating in what learning communities are doing on our campus!
Peer Mentors
Engage with an upper-level student, referred to as your Learning Community Coordinator (LCC), who is dedicated to helping you set and achieve academic goals. LCCs help develop focused study groups within your community, plan events to build connections and explore opportunities, and connect you with support resources to help navigate your college life.
GET INVOLVED
There is life outside of the classroom--and your learning community will help you make the most of it! Your LCC, fellow 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.
Make A Difference
Your learning community will choose and participate in a service project, either on campus or in the Mankato community. These projects are related to the major or interests of students.
Sure Success
By sharing experiences, you have a built-in support system to help you start college the right way and have a great first year! Through participation, you will have higher grade-point averages, have more meaningful interactions with faculty, get involved in campus activities and events, and have greater satisfaction with your overall college experience.
Housing
We encourage you to live on campus with others in your Learning Community because that's where a lot of your networking and informal learning takes place. However, we understand there are students who would rather live in different housing on-campus or off-campus. Becuase of this, we are not requiring students to live on campus. If a student chooses the Learning Community housing, they will be assigned to a renovated double room on a specific floor with others in their community. The renovated housing locations are: Crawford A, B, D, McElroy E, F, H or Preska I. Renovated rooms have in-room air-conditioning and share a community bathroom with the floor.
Early Move-IN
As a member of a learning community, you can move into the residence halls a day before everyone else (a great way to avoid the crowds). You will participate in activities with your community your first evening, which will allow you to instantly get to know others and on move-in day you will participate in your first community service event with your community by helping other students move into the residence halls.
