Learning Communities
What is a Learning Community?
A Learning Community is a group of freshmen with the same major or interests who take two or three of their classes together at Sul Ross. It's a voluntary program that assists first-year students academically and socially. This gives them many opportunities to work together, get to know each other and learn together.
The faculty in each learning community collaborate with each other in order to develop connections among the classes: relating content, assignments, and activities in one class with content, assignments, and activities in other Learning Community classes.
Benefits of Learning Communities
There are many benefits to learning communities. You can easily form study groups with other students in your classes and your GPA and retention rates will be consistently higher. And for social reasons, you will meet fellow students with interests similar to yours, form friendships, and make connections on campus.
Much research has been done on learning communities, indicating that well-designed learning communities benefit students in many ways. For example, students who participate in learning communities:
- Have more opportunities to express themselves orally and in writing in academic contexts;
- Develop their academic skills more fully;
- Are more engaged or involved in learning experiences and in college life;
- Experience greater intellectual development;
- Report higher levels of satisfaction with their college or university;
- Are more likely to complete their courses and stay in school;
- And tend to earn higher grades.
There will be seven math/science based learning communities offered during the fall 2009 semester. They will consist of two courses that work together to emphasize the core subject of math and/or science.
These classes will share subject matter and relate to one another in the content of the course. The LCs will also require a First Year Interest Group. The FIG is a weekly out-of-class seminar taught by a graduate assistant, in which students are introduced to university facilities and resources and have the opportunity to interact with each other.
FIGS will provide entering students more systematic support during their transition from high school to a university learning environment by helping to integrate the academic, social and developmental issues facing students, facilitating the formation of study groups and giving students support through weekly sessions with graduate assistants and peer mentors.
The following are the list of class pairings being offered and a short description of what to expect from them.
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Math 1315/Chem 1401
Traditionally, MATH 1315 is a pre- or co-requisite for CHEM 1401. The Mathematics class will have a well-defined objective of understanding the mathematical concepts behind the Chemistry for. With the integration of the two courses, the Chemistry class will gain a deeper knowledge since the instructor will not have to reiterate the mathematics needed.
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Biol 1401/Eng 0300
In this botany/writing learning community, students will strengthen their reading and writing skills as they work on lab reports, summaries, and essays that relate to the content material in both classes. Students will also develop their vocabulary in the fields of botany and rhetoric.
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ANSC 1401/ASBT 1384
The General Animal Science/Business Computer
Applications learning communities will engage students in learning computer software and applying it to agriculture uses. Students will learn to use MS Office 2007 components, including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Access, and other available software in agriculture applications.
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Math 0300/Eng 0300
In the learning community composed of writing and beginning algebra, students will apply process-analysis components to math principles such as proportions and similar triangles and other applications like redecorating a room or balancing a checkbook explained through essay writing.
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Math 0300/PE 1150
Wellness/Fitness Assessment will combine with this beginning math course to assist students in making an assessment of their level of fitness. In this course the students will be asked to use basic math skills to calculate heart rates, daily dietary break down of the fat, carbohydrates and protein in-take, body composition, and muscular strength.
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Geol 1401/ED 0300
The students enrolled in this Geology/Reading learning community will improve their reading, comprehension and analytical skills while meeting one of their laboratory science requirements. Physical Geology is an introduction to the world around us. The student will be introduced to volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, rocks and other aspects of our exciting and vibrant Earth. In the Reading portion of the course, the student will increase their reading and comprehension skills by reading material appropriate to the Geology class.
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Math 1310/Comm 1303
In the Mathematics/Communication learning community, students will learn how mathematical principles affect everyday communication and vice versa. Students will learn how to apply and to communicate mathematical
principles through homework assignments and group work.
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For more information about Sul Ross learning communities or to find out how to sign up, contact the Title V office at (432) 837-8982 or stop by SRSU Lawrence Hall 213.
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Sul Ross State University
