Building and Sustaining Learning Communities: The Syracuse University Experience

Learning communities are small, defined groups of students who come together with faculty and student affairs professionals to engage in a holistic and intellectually interactive learning experience. Building and Sustaining Learning Communities describes the theory and rationale for learning communities, particularly in a large university; the process for setting them up in various settings; and reflections on these unique environments.

Part I introduces the history and theory behind learning communities, then discusses various issues involved in planning and implementing a learning community on campus, including

• Forging partnerships between academic- and student-affairs
• Establishing an environment that supports learning communities
• Finding strategies for collaboration to promote integrative learning
• Developing a learning-community structure and curriculum
• Assessing learning communities
• Anticipating and meeting institutional challenges

Part II profiles experiences of faculty and students involved in some of Syracuse University’s learning communities, which represent a variety of pedagogies, including arts, citizenship, education, human services and health professions, leadership, management, and online learning. The authors share how each learning community’s structure was designed to meet the unique needs of a program’s and its faculty and students. This book guides administrators, faculty, and student-affairs professionals to understand why learning communities are worth considering and how to successfully create them.