June 6–12, 2007, Number 446
Learning Communities aim to provide you with an engaging and influential experience through programming, mentorship and the building of a strong community bond.
First Year Experience
Learning Communities
Last week, I went in depth on the First Year Experience program. Though it is probably the most well known, there are other learning communities in the residence halls that are not only for freshmen. Many students enter into these other learning communities and absolutely love the people they meet and the experiences they have.
International House
Three of the special learning communities are found in McNair Hall. The first community I will talk about is International House. I-House consists of students from all different cultures and many different parts of the world. The diversity of the students and the great number of stories and cultures that are shared makes I-House a very memorable place to live. Like all of the learning communities, there are expectations for living in I-House. Some of the most important expectations are the need to cooperate with the other people in the house and not be afraid to share your cultural background. The full description of what is expected from each student can be found here.
Healthy Living House
Another learning community located in McNair Hall is the Healthy Living House. HLH provides a chemical free environment (free of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs) for students to become well-rounded individuals both academically and physically. Students work with peer mentors and resident assistants to set up a wellness, academic, and fitness plan to help them succeed at Michigan Tech. One of the unique expectations of students staying in HLH is that they must enroll in at least one intramural sport or physical education class each semester. The full list of expectations for HLH students can be found here.
Computer Science Learning Community
The last of the McNair Hall learning communities is for computer science students. To live in the Computer Science learning community (CSLC), students must have declared their major as Computer Science, Software Engineering, or Computer Systems Science. CSLC provides students the ability to quickly make friends with other students that are in similar majors. The students will be enrolled in many of the same classes and will have the opportunity to participate in activities together outside of the classroom as well. One of the unique expectations for this community is that students must attend study groups throughout the semester, and if the student is a returning student, help lead the study groups. All of the expectations for CSLC can be found here.
Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences Community
The fourth and newest of the learning communities is located in Wadsworth Hall. The Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences community is specifically designed for students seeking degrees in forestry, ecology and environmental sciences. FRES helps to bring together students of the similar major and help them to learn outside of the classroom. There are weekly study sessions with peer mentors and even some faculty from the forestry department. Students also get to go on field trips around the Upper Peninsula to help enhance their academic experience. FRES also participates in many social events held in the residence halls and around campus.
If your student will be staying in one of these learning communities, I am sure they will have a ton of fun and meet a lot of new people. The learning communities are always more close-knit when compared to other houses in the residence halls. This is partly due to the fact that most students have something in common, such as lifestyle choices or declared major. Also by fulfilling the expectations of the learning communities, students have to interact and rely more on one another.
If there are ever any topics that you feel should be addressed, please send me a personal email and I will try my best to include them in my future articles.
Until next week,
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885