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Name: Breaking the Barriers Between Classroom and Community Involvement
Day: Friday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Elva Salinas, Anna Rogers
Emails: ElvaSalinas@example.com, AnnaRogers@example.com
Institution: San Diego City College
Description: Participants will learn to design integrative assignments that will connect students’ classroom learning to the cultural resources of their communities. San Diego City College sits in a rich urban environment in close proximity to one of the busiest crossroads of the international border, refugee resettlement communities, historic Latino barrios and African American neighborhoods. Surrounding communities can function as powerful assets for learning community practitioners focused on developing contextualized learning and promoting deeper critical thinking. This presentation will showcase integrative assignments that have been developed to capitalize on diverse student experiences by linking them to the cultural resources of the community. They draw on individual students’ backgrounds and experiences and expand them through experiential learning to promote critical reflection and analysis. Participants in this workshop will develop integrative assignments for implementation in their own classrooms that utilize local community resources.
Track: Integrative Assignments

Name: Spreading the Message: Communicating and Recruiting for Learning Community Success
Day: Friday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Ryne Kerchner
Emails: RyneKerchner@example.com
Institution: Purdue University
Description: Learning Communities exist within university and college campuses to provide students an opportunity to transition more easily and succeed at their institutions. How do you make this opportunity known to your prospective and admitted students? This session will focus on discussing the social media, email, mailed publications, and digital tools and resources that can be utilized by LC staff to communicate that message and recruit students for the program.
Track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Identical Profiles, Different Paths: Comparing Equivalent TLC and Non-TLC Participants to Measure TLC Impact
Day: Friday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Greg Barker, Julia Spears, Stephanie Zobac
Emails: GregBarker@example.com, JuliaSpears@example.com, StephanieZobac@example.com
Institution: Northern Illinois University
Description: In this session, a full TLC cohort will be assessed using varied methodologies at multiple instances throughout one academic year. Mid-semester and end of semester surveys will be used to determine the students’ perception of TLC impact. End-of-semester comparisons of GPA and retention will be used to measure the influence of the TLC on student success. Furthermore, equivalent comparison groups will be created to address the self-selected nature of TLC groups. Students’ will also be queried at the end of their second semester to measure the lasting impact of their TLC experience. The session will end with a discussion of how this data can be used for program development to ensure continuous improvement of the overall TLC experience. We hope that through these varied and convergent assessment methods a complete picture of the TLC experience can be presented and provide a framework so other institutions can evaluate their own TLC’s.
Track: Assessment and Retention

Name: Incorporating Core Science Classes into Learning Communities
Day: Friday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Nick Richardson, Patricia Tooker
Emails: NickRichardson@example.com, PatriciaTooker@example.com
Institution: Wagner College
Description: Many learning communities are unable to integrate core, introductory science classes (such as general chemistry or biology), and instead non-majors science classes are often incorporated into the learning community instead. This leaves a large cohort of students (science majors, pre-health majors) unable to take a learning community directly linked to their academic interests. At Wagner College, as part of the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, we have been able to successfully place core science classes into learning communities without having to reduce the amount of material covered in the science course. We will discuss the structure employed to solve this problem, giving specific examples of freshman learning communities we have developed.
Track: Best Practices

Name: Creating a Community of Learners in IT . . . Are You Serious?
Day: Friday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Elaine McLeod, Wanda Burwick
Emails: ElaineMcLeod.example.com, WandaBurwick@example.com
Institution: Midlands Technical College
Description: At Midlands Technical College, a two-year institution in Columbia, SC, many students begin the Information Systems Technology (IST) program academically under prepared and with little awareness of professionally appropriate use of technology. This gap in student experience and program expectations can be a barrier to student success and retention in a program heavily dominated by technology. To engage students and improve retention, faculty restructured introductory courses as learning communities. Task-oriented students collaborate in developing solutions and learn about benefits of teamwork in IT and community professional standards. Activities also tie technical skills to more general academic skills through information technology literacy and use of college services. Presenters discuss extending the notion of learning communities in entry level IT courses and provide examples of activities for hybrid and online learning environments as well as traditional classes. Audience participants will explore how shared learning experiences using technology can create community and student success.
Track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Can You Meet Me Halfway? Innovative Approaches to Recruiting 1st-Generation and At-Risk Students
Day: Friday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Copano
Presenters: Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, Tamara Serrano-Chandler
Emails: RaquelCastaneda-Lopez@example.com, TamaraSerrano-Chandler@example.com
Institution: Wayne State University, Center for Latino/a & Latin American Studies
Description: Many LCs and universities’ recruitment efforts focus on reaching students via standard mail, a school email account, and/or campus presentations. However these methods are relatively ineffective with first-generation college students and other at-risk populations that do not engage in these traditional ways. Recruitment strategies that engage this demographic frequently, in familiar spaces within their home communities are far more successful. In addition, involving parents and other family members is key to students’ “buy-in” to the benefits of LC programming. Coupling these strategies with culturally relevant recruiting materials and student testimony ensures greater success at reaching students and developing meaningful relationships during the recruitment process. Participants will learn about the strategies used by CBS Scholars Program at Wayne State University to successfully engage students in the recruitment process.
Track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Can You Meet Me Halfway? Innovative Approaches to Recruiting 1st-Generation and At-Risk Students
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Copano
Presenters: Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, Tamara Serrano-Chandler
Emails: RaquelCastaneda-Lopez@example.com, TamaraSerrano-Chandler@example.com
Institution: Wayne State University, Center for Latino/a & Latin American Studies
Description: Many LCs and universities’ recruitment efforts focus on reaching students via standard mail, a school email account, and/or campus presentations. However these methods are relatively ineffective with first-generation college students and other at-risk populations that do not engage in these traditional ways. Recruitment strategies that engage this demographic frequently, in familiar spaces within their home communities are far more successful. In addition, involving parents and other family members is key to students’ “buy-in” to the benefits of LC programming. Coupling these strategies with culturally relevant recruiting materials and student testimony ensures greater success at reaching students and developing meaningful relationships during the recruitment process. Participants will learn about the strategies used by CBS Scholars Program at Wayne State University to successfully engage students in the recruitment process.
Track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Ancestors: Integrating Biological and Historical Knowledge in a Themed Learning Community
Day: Friday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Terry Davin, Greg Sanford
Emails: TerryDavin@example.com, GregSanford@example.com
Institution: Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley
Description: This interactive session will explore the generation of a themed learning community structured around a series of disciplinarily integrated student projects and assignments. The class title, Ancestors: Lives of the Ancients, expresses an important intersection between the disciplines of biology and history. From this conceptual starting point the class is structured around five integrative themes, each culminating in research-based student presentations and synthetic essays. The session will first examine the thematic integration of the class. The discussion will be guided by Emily Lardner’s and Gillies Malnarich’s recommendation to develop learning communities by modeling expert behavior; that is, how the two disciplines view, pursue value and share knowledge. The session will then turn to the integrated assignments for one of the units. This will be done with reference to the heuristic for designing and assessing integrative and purposeful assignments introduced by Veronica Boix-Mansilla and refined by Lardner and Malnarich.
track: Integrative Assignments

Name: Co-Curricular Activities in Learning Communities: The Importance of Linking Curricular Content to Engaging Events.
Day: Friday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am  
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Ryne Kerchner
Emails: RyneKerchner@example.com
Institution: Purdue University
Description: One of the most important factors in the impact that a course-based learning community makes is the extent to which theories and concepts introduced in class connect to the activities and events explored outside of class. Students learn best and most enthusiastically when academia meets practical reality. This discussion-based session will focus on specific examples of well-made connections, explore what makes them well made, and how to encourage instructors to pursue such qualities in their planning
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Are We Doing Things Right and Are We Doing the Right Things? Using the S.E.T.U.P. Assessment Tool
Day: Friday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Catherine Swift
Emails: CatherineSwift@example.com
Institution: University of Central Arkansas
Description: : Dr. Catherine Swift will lead a workshop on using the Swift Evaluation Tool of Undergraduate Programs (S.E.T.U.P.) assessment method. She will discuss the theoretical foundations of the rated topics, present longitudinal data collected from learning community students at the University of Central Arkansas, and suggest how to effectively interpret the results.
track: Assessment and Retention

Name: New Roles for Librarians in First-Year Learning Communities: Reframing Information Literacy in the Context of Student Transition
Day: Friday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Anthony Stamatoplos
Emails: AnthonyStamatoplos@example.com
Institution: University of South Florida St. Petersburg
Description: What is the role of a librarian in a first-year learning community? Do we limit that role by focusing solely or primarily on teaching a set of information skills? The purpose of this session is to provide participants with a framework for re-thinking librarians’ contributions to first-year learning communities in the more meaningful context of student transition to college. By recognizing specific stages and associated challenges of student transition, librarians can re-conceptualize their roles and target their efforts more appropriately. Participants in this session will explore ways to ground information literacy and librarian collaboration in a more holistic understanding of first-year students and their needs in their transition.
track: Best Practices

Name: Applying TLC: Promoting Student Success and Retention in a High-Risk Chemistry Course Through a Targeted Learning Community
Day: Friday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Hillary Steine, Michelle Dean
Emails: HillarySteine@example.com, MichelleDean@example.com
Institution: Kennesaw State University
Description: Many first-year students begin college aspiring to a career in a STEM field only to be discouraged by their lack of preparation for challenging courses like introductory chemistry. Learning strategies that enabled these students to be successful in high school science are no longer sufficient, and many students fail or withdraw from the class. This session will describe an attempt to improve student success, retention, and metacognition in an introductory chemistry course through a learning community that pairs the course with a specialized first-year seminar focusing on strategies for success in the sciences. Presenters will discuss the design, goals, assignments, and assessments of the specialized first-year seminar, as well as share data from a focus group interview of successful and non-successful former introductory chemistry students who inspired the course’s design.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Create Your Story: The Narrative of an Undeclared Student Residential Learning Community
Day: Friday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Copano
Presenters: Brian Hayes, Amber Paulson-Hofseth
Emails: BrianHayes@example.com, AmberPaulsonHofseth@example.com
Institution: Colorado State University
Description: How do you intentionally retain and engage first-year, undeclared students? Utilizing best practices and a collaborative model, Colorado State University created a Residential Learning Community where undeclared students receive support from Peer Mentors/Teaching Assistants, a Community Coordinator, and an Academic Advisor who also serves as the students’ seminar instructor. Our students have an opportunity to “create their own story” in order to understand how their interests, abilities, developing identity, and experiences shape who they are and who they are becoming. Additionally, students are provided social, educational and community-oriented activities to support their academic, career, and leadership paths. In our presentation, we will share the creation, model, students’ stories, and program outcomes, as well as best integrative teaching practices.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Effective Integrative Assignments
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Corpus B/C
Presenters: Greg Hinckley
Emails: GregHinckley@example.com
Institution: Seattle Central Community College
Description: In recent years, student-centered research has demonstrated that integrative assignments are more effective than finding just the right learning model. Among other advantages, a well-designed integrative assignment offers high-quality knowledge construction for students that encourages – indeed requires – them to integrate knowledge across the curriculum. This session is designed to introduce you to the theory and practice of integrative assignments.
track: 

Name: Building Learning Community Success with Service Learning: The Story of Spartan Consulting
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Bayview
Presenters: John Karnatz, Alison Douglas
Emails: JohnKarnatz@example.com, AlisonDouglas@example.com
Institution: Elgin Community College
Description: Can first-year college students in learning communities absorb and use coursework while becoming trusted advisors to critically important nonprofit organizations? At Elgin Community College (ECC) the answer is yes! When students join the Spartan Consulting Learning Community they become Partners in a working management consulting firm with real clients, real issues, real expectations - and great opportunities for learning. Since its inception in 2011, Spartan Consulting - has contributed over $100,000 in pro bono labor in a setting that benefits students, faculty, the college and critically important nonprofit organizations. But the real question is: Can Service Learning work for your Learning Community - and at your institution? Find out! In an interactive presentation with a practical orientation, instructors from ECC’s Spartan Consulting Learning Community will tell their story and help you build yours with ideas, planning tools, examples, resources and more. You will leave with the ability to evaluate this valuable method for engaging students, building accountability and creating value for your community as well as resources to help you move forward.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Promoting the Arts Through a Living Learning Community: STARS Residential College at UCA
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Kondwani Phwandaphwanda
Emails: KondwaniPhwandaphwanda@example.com
Institution: University of Central Arkansas
Description: STARS Residential College at the University of Central Arkansas was established with the purpose of bringing together freshman students and helping them continue to exploring different forms of art through interactive experiences in and out of the classroom. Through a collaboration of Enrollment Management, Housing and the College of Fine Arts and Communication faculty from the College promote the arts, not only through their teaching but also by assigning students projects that promote creativity. Students create works and invite their friends to come watch... whether it is Theatre, Music, Writing, Art, or Communication. Students also volunteer at the Reynolds Performance Hall to which they invite friends. They also participate in an outreach program through drumming sessions with teenagers who need role models who are going through a challenging time keeping up with academic work at school.
track: Best Practices

Name: Integrating Learning Community, Compressed, and Hybrid Pedagogy into Developmental Education
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Amy Garcia, Krista Kozel
Emails: AmyGarcia@example.com, KristaKozel@example.com
Institution: Doña Ana Community College
Description: Our aim is to discuss how a compressed hybrid learning community increases success and retention for under-prepared, at-risk, first generation developmental students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. At a southwestern community college, the students participating in this endeavor work collaboratively with two instructors to discuss, write, and present on a variety of issues related to the theme, Communication and Inquiry. This presentation will highlight steps the instructors focused upon when shifting from a compressed learning community toward a compressed hybrid learning community, applying team-teaching strategies, common assignments, integrated coursework, service learning, and uses of technology. The assessment methodology and the results of the shift from face-to-face to a hybrid format will be shared with session attendees. This initial pilot establishes groundwork for further study into the efficacy of hybrid compressed learning community courses for developmental students.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: When the Program Still Works, Fix It Anyway
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: William Young, Mindy McCallum, Eric Sullivan
Emails: WilliamYoung@example.com, MindyMcCallum@example.com, EricSullivan@example.com
Institution: Metropolitan Community College
Description: When a learning communities program is successful, is there still more to do? Should you re-invent the wheel? When and why do decide to radically change the program to increase student success? These are questions asked and actions undertaken in Kansas City on the campuses of the Metropolitan Community College. The rationales and decisions will be shared, and audience participation is encouraged to move this mission along.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Integrative Assignments: The Compassion Workshop
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Stacy Waddoups, Deb Thornton
Emails: StacyWaddoups@example.com, DebThornton@example.com
Institution: Utah Valley University
Description: A student’s chance request one semester was the genesis of what has evolved into a semester-long integrative assignment sequence in our learning community. After a semester of onthe-fly experimentation, we implemented the dovetailed assignment into our learning community curriculum, and doing so has made considerable difference in the achievements of the students in a Stress Management class that is linked with an English composition class. Our integrative assignments presentation will unfold largely as we experienced it: from a question to a full-participation enterprise that we implement in each learning community. Because assignments require both contemplation and a direct action, the element of experiential learning is strongly present. We will discuss the high academic achievement–and personal development in engaged learning–that results from the unexpected gift of a student-driven assignment sequence. A student will present with us, providing his or her insights regarding the workshop.
track: Integrative Assignments

Name: STEM it up! Accelerating our STEM Students
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Alma Ramirez, Andrea Hammock
Emails: AlmaRamirez@example.com, AndreaHammock@example.com
Institution: Mt. San Jacinto College
Description: In this session, presenters will share their experience with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Prep learning community that was designed to help STEM complete their pre-college level math and English. Presenters will share their acceleration model and ideas for implementation.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Savanna Studio: A Living, Seeing, Doing, Being Learning Community
Day: Friday
Time: 1:30pm - 2:15pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Malinda Cooper
Emails: MalindaCooper@example.com
Institution: Iowa State University
Description: The College of Design at Iowa State University utilizes a theme based learning community as the foundation of its Landscape Architecture program. Referred to as the Savanna Studio, this learning community provides second year students the opportunity to log about 7,000 miles learning about landscape architecture while traveling to a range of places from the Boundary Waters to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River/Great Lakes to the Grand Teton mountains. Although this type of learning community may not work for all programs, it has worked for us. Find out if it would work for you.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Learning Communities: Life Jackets for At-Risk Students
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Bayview
Presenters: Mindy Johnson, Christine Howell
Emails: MindyJohnson@example.com, ChristineHowell@example.com
Institution: Metropolitan Community College - Penn Valley
Description: Learning communities often provide both an academic and personal support system that is lacking in developmental students’ educational experience. Rather than a “sink or swim” approach, developmental education learning communities offer a way to increase connectedness, success, and retention. Presentations will discuss the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a learning community centered on developmental writing and reading combined with a college orientation course. Presenters will discuss the evolution of the learning community as well as the student population served by the community. Retention data will be discussed along with student reactions and success in college level courses.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Seeing Connections: Using Film to Anchor Course Units
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: James Gould, Ted Hazelgrove
Emails: JamesGould@example.com, TedHazelgrove@example.com
Institution: McHenry County College
Description: Many professors use films in college courses to engage students, present ideas, provide illustrations and make issues relevant. Too often, however, showing a film is simply a voyeuristic exercise – and students, while entertained, do not see it as a text that can foster meaningful learning. We use film – which students view outside of class and which we excerpt in class – for a different reason. Even in an LC, course topics can become disconnected from each other, with students experiencing them as unrelated fragments. In order to create a coherent learning experience, we use a different film to anchor each unit of our Philosophy and English course. These films provide an integrating hub to which the various spokes of the unit connect. In addition, films deepen understanding by connecting abstract ideas to concrete visual images and embedding them in a sustained narrative. In this interactive workshop we model how a film can be used to integrate disciplines and structure an entire course unit.
track: Integrative Assignments

Name: Documenting the Positive Health Impacts of a Wellness Themed Living Learning Community
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Anne Carroll, Heather Wiles
Emails: AnneCarroll@example.com, HeatherWiles@example.com
Institution: East Carolina University
Description: Living Learning Communities (LLCs) provide a unique opportunity to explicitly and indirectly address important issues affecting student health. We address the impact of LLCs on student health by comparing health risk behaviors and mental health symptoms of a Wellness themed LLC to a Biology LLC, a Leadership LLC and to non-LLC students. We emphasize the importance of using a control and comparison groups and utilized Astin’s Input-Environment-Output model to control for potential selection bias. The diversity of LLCs included in this study provides an excellent research setting.
track: Research & Scholarly Activity

Name: Learning from a Successful Faculty-Led Program Redesign
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Meg Horton, Caitlin Spencer, Deb Stanford
Emails: MegHorton@example.com, CaitlinSpencer@example.com, DebStanford@example.com
Institution: University of North Carolina - Greensboro
Description: Three UNCG faculty members who led a redesign of a Residential College program reflect on the lessons learned during the course of the project and describe how faculty worked together to meet the challenge of revitalizing a residential learning community program. Attendees will hear about the faculty perspective on learning community design and consider the advantages of including faculty in the design process. From mission statements to course proposals, we’ll share the process we used to make an existing learning community better than ever.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Improving Academic Success for Undecided Students: A First-Year Seminar/ Learning Community Approach
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Dale Tampke
Emails: DaleTampke@example.com
Institution: University of North Texas
Description: Creating educationally purposeful environments for students is critical to campus retention efforts. First-year seminars and learning communities are two interventions the retention literature suggests can create such environments and enhance the success of at-risk students. Undecided undergraduate students are often considered to be at-risk for lower academic performance and lower retention rates than students with declared majors. This presentation summarizes the development, implementation, and assessment of an intervention directed toward undecided first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at a large, public university in the Southwest. The intervention features enrollment in a first-year seminar as part of a learning community.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Thriving with HOPE: A Learning Communities Program for State Scholarship Recipients
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Catherine Bradford, Diane Grindell, Laila Smith, Stephanie Foote, Hillary Hettinger Steiner
Emails: CatherineBradford@example.com, DianeGrindell@example.com, LailaSmith@example.com, StephanieFoote@example.com, HillaryHettingerSteiner@example.com
Institution: Kennesaw State University
Description: Now entering its third year, Kennesaw State University’s Thrive Program provides intensive academic and social support to a subset of students entering college on HOPE, the state’s merit-based aid. Thrive is an award-winning collaboration between the Department of First-Year Programs and the Center for Student Leadership. Thrive targets students identified as most likely to lose HOPE, those graduating from high school with 3.0 -3.49 GPAs. In this presentation we will provide an overview of the program and its many components, including leadership-themed learning communities and seminars, graduation coaching, pre-college workshops and team-building activities, service learning, and more. Early findings suggest program participation positively affects retention of HOPE, first to second year retention, grade point averages, summer enrollment, and progression to sophomore status. In addition, survey data indicate that Thrive participants express greater overall satisfaction with the university and higher levels of personal commitment to complete their degrees at KSU.
track: Assessment and Retention

Name: Seamless Integration, Visible Development
Day: Friday
Time: 2:30pm - 3:15pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Miles Liu, Kate Maiolatesi
Emails: MilesLiu@example.com, KateMaiolatesi@example.com
Institution: Holyoke Community College
Description: In addition to an interdisciplinary framework, learning communities, when seamlessly integrated, can transform a performer-spectator classroom by placing students in the center of learning and fostering a community where students experience all four stages of environmental sensitivity development as described by Bereznicki’s “Nesting Model.” “Carbon-Free Energy: Fantasy or Future” fully integrates “Introduction to Literature” and “Introduction to Clean Energy” in a second semester of the first-year learning community. From Hawthorne’s short stories, Jewett’s “A White Heron,” London’s “To Build a Fire,” to Frost’s poems, Nature has been portrayed as a devilish place of non-believers, an object to improve upon, a specimen to preserve, and something to dismiss, manipulate or conquer. Literary discussions in the context of renewable energy highlight the forest for the trees by debunking monolithic views of Nature, fostering environmental sensitivities, and creating a space for generating new mindscape where life style is connected with ecological footprint. This session delineates our LC structure, describe our application of the “Nesting Model,” and demonstrate the effectiveness of this experiential approach through students’ written work and video clips of classroom activities.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Scaling Up: Growing Your Program, Expanding Your Reach
Day: Friday
Time: 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room: Pre-Function Lobby Area, Third Floor
Presenters: Julia Spears, Stephanie Zobac
Emails: JuliaSpears@example.com, StephanieZobac@example.com
Institution: Northern Illinois University
Description: This presentation will present NIU’s journey to develop a campuswide Themed Learning Community program. The process of developing sustainable learning communities included working with stakeholders on campus to create positive relationships and a solid foundation for scheduling, faculty development and student learning outcomes. We will also discuss how the new TLCs benefit student retention rates and fit with our strategic plan. In addition, this presentation will include our challenges as we have worked our way from year one to year four, and look towards the future. This discussion will talk about scaling: the number of TLCs, the representation across academic and campus departments, and the type of students served by our TLCs
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Ripples of Effort Created Waves of Achievement
Day: Friday
Time: 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room: Pre-Function Lobby Area, Third Floor
Presenters: Jan Wiersema, Barbara Licklider, Katherine Thompson, Janette Thompson, Cynthia Haynes, Suzanne Hendrich
Emails: JanWiersema@example.com, BarbaraLicklider@example.com, KatherineThompson@example.com, JanetteThompson@example.com, CynthiaHaynes@example.com, SuzanneHendrich@example.com
Institution: Iowa State University
Description: The Academy for Leadership and Learning (ALL), a cross-disciplinary community of first-year learners, was created to help students develop learning, teamwork, and leadership skills while they are becoming competent in their majors. Typically, during the first semester we observe individuals transform from students who wait to be told what to do and what to think into more responsible learners—those who begin to take control of their own growth and development. During fall 2012, this development was apparent earlier in the semester than it had been during any of the previous 6 years since the inception of the Academy. Therefore, a phenomenological research study was used to explore the perceptions of students who experienced ALL during fall 2012 to determine key components that most affected these students’ transformations as responsible learners. During our session we will share “lessons learned” about developing responsible learners that are applicable to all learning communities.
track: Research & Scholarly Activity

Name: Learning Communities and First-Year Experience Courses: A Match Made in Heaven?
Day: Friday
Time: 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room: Pre-Function Lobby Area, Third Floor
Presenters: Nicole Carr, Cecelia Martin, Krista Harrell
Emails: NicoleCarr@example.com, CeceliaMartin@example.com, KristaHarrell@example.com
Institution: University of South Alabama
Description: : In our presentation, we examine academic and social integration data for two groups of students; those in learning communities (including an FYE course) and those in stand-alone FYE courses. We expect higher levels of academic integration, social integration, institutional commitment, and degree commitment for students in learning communities compared to students in stand-alone FYE courses. We also consider financial costs of not being in one or both of these experiences. Our findings will guide our decision-making regarding learning communities and FYE courses
track: Assessment and Retention

Name: Five Premises to Assure Engagement and Achievement in ALCs
Day: Friday
Time: 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room: Pre-Function Lobby Area, Third Floor
Presenters: Stacy Waddoups, Deb Thornton
Emails: StacyWaddoups@example.com, DebThornton@example.com
Institution: Utah Valley University
Description: We begin our semester with five premises that facilitate a rapid descent into each curriculum and establish cross-curricular connections and assignments. In the presentation, we will elucidate the five premises and discuss the ways that each deepens the learning-community experience. The premises promote mutual accountability and cultivation of a strong support network, sustaining engagement in both the curriculum and the cohort. We retain more at-risk students who become more successful in their classes and feel like rigorous scholars and writers. The premises also strengthen the perception of our themed learning community and illuminate connections in our integrative assignments--to the point that students and faculty alike refer to the learning community as “the class.” We consider the premises as the beginning of our shared journey; they provide a beautiful way to invite students into the academic community and to expand their learning beyond the walls of our classroom.
track: Best Practices

Name: Beyond the First Year: The College to Career Pipeline
Day: Friday
Time: 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room: Pre-Function Lobby Area, Third Floor
Presenters: Tamara Serrano Chandler, Raquel Castañeda-Lopez
Emails: TamaraSerranoChandler@example.com, RaquelCastañedaLopez@example.com
Institution: Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies, Wayne State University
Description: College students face many challenges impacting their ability to receive a university degree. Being an underrepresented student or first-generation college student compounds these challenges. The College to Career (C2C) Program, a two-year professional and leadership development learning community, uses a multi-faceted approach combining professional and peer mentorship, community-based research and service learning with graduate school preparedness. This program prepares students to present at a regional research conference through a capstone course that places them in community-based organizations. The presentation will provide effective tools for engaging 3rd and 4th year college students academically and professionally to increase retention and persistence of communities of color.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Humanities and the Democratic Imagination: Incorporating Civic Literacy and Democratic Engagement into a First-Year Experience LC
Day: Friday
Time: 3:15pm - 3:45pm
Room: Pre-Function Lobby Area, Third Floor
Presenters: David Finley, Yvonne Reineke, Paul Petrequin
Emails: DavidFinley@example.com, YvonneReineke@example.com, PaulPetrequin@example.com
Institution: Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Description: This session will provide insight and reflection into the development and planning of a First-Year Experience Learning Community. After participating, as one of ten community colleges selected, in an NEH “Bridging Cultures to Form a Nation: Difference, Community, and Democratic Thinking” grant including a summer institute at the University of Vermont, CGCC decided to create a 9-credit hour, integrated, first-year experience learning community for freshmen that over the course of two semesters meets their general education requirements of 6 hours of First-Year Composition, 6 hours of Humanities (HU), and 6 hours of Social & Behavioral (SB) credits for the Associates degree, including the needed Cultural (C), Global (G), and Historical (H) awareness areas.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Writing for the Community: Incorporating Triad Themes into First-year Composition
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Room: Bayview
Presenters: Andrea Montalvo-Hamid
Emails: AndreaMontalvoHamid@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Description: This presentation will explore the ways in which learning community themes can be incorporated into first year composition through shared assignments and lesson planning in three different learning communities: History 1302 (1865-present), Human Societies 1301 and Political Science 2305 (U.S. Government & Politics) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC). The presenter will also include a discussion about the structure of learning communities at TAMUCC, the assignment sequences for ENGL 1301 and 1302, and the importance of creating a sense of community for first year students
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Washington Center’s Online Student Survey: Four Years of Findings and Implications for LC Practice
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Maureen Pettitt, Skagit Valley College; Gillies Malnarich, Jack Mino
Emails: MaureenPettitt@example.com, GilliesMalnarich@example.com, JackMino@example.com
Institution: 1 Skagit Valley College, 1 Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education, 1 Holyoke Community College
Description: What do more than 10,000 responses to the online survey of students’ experiences of learning in learning communities tell us about our LC programs—and, given our aims, what is working and needs work? Whether your campus is currently using the survey developed by the Washington Center in partnership with Skagit Valley College’s Office of Institutional Research, or you are thinking about adding it to your assessment toolbox, this interactive session will focus on the survey as a means for discovery and pro-active planning. After a brief overview of the survey design and purpose, we will explore a critical connection: what students say about “integrative learning and teaching” and their LC experience compared to other classes—and how participating two- and four- year institutions have used survey results to document the “LC difference” and to design faculty development.
track: Research and Scholarly Activity

Name: Professional Development for Learning Community Faculty
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Devin Henson, Jan Jake, Cindy Rogers, David Sabol, Nancy Goldfarb, Rita Sperry, Michelle Riley
Emails: DevinHenson@example.com, JanJake@example.com, CindyRogers@example.com, DavidSabol@example.com, NancyGoldfarb@example.com, RitaSperry@example.com, MichelleRiley@example.com
Institution: 3 Midlands Technical College, 2 Indiana University Purdue University, 2 Texas A&M University
Description: Panelists from three institutions will discuss professional development for faculty in their learning communities programs. This will be an interactive session with time for questions and sharing between panelists and participants about how to engage faculty in discussions about teaching in learning communities. 
track: 

Name: First-Year Learning Community: A Holistic View on Transitioning to College
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Grace Nelson
Emails: GraceNelson@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University
Description: First-generation students encounter a variety of new experiences during their first year of college. At Texas A&M University, the FOCUS Learning Community assists students through classroom interaction, mentor relationships, and opportunities for involvement through planned events and community service. Utilizing the idea of overall wellness, the program emphasizes resources in academic, social, emotional, economic, and cultural wellness. In this approach, students learn about these areas while also understanding how overall wellness affects their success in higher education on a personal level. The presentation will give specific resources, activities, and outlines used with the firstyear students and also allow participants to explore their own holistic wellness as an individual.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Beyond “Just Us”: Your Place in Cultural Connectedness – A TLC Model
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Ketwana Schoos
Emails: KetwanaSchoos@example.com
Institution: Washington & Jefferson College
Description: : The professional roles of the co-presenters heavily influenced the curriculum of the themed learning community (TLC)/first-year seminar FYS, as they were employed in the campus Multicultural Success Center. This helped to inform how students were supported and challenged throughout the course. The Social Change Model of Leadership was used to aid in the facilitation of three important phases of developing multicultural understanding and leadership development: individual, group and community/society. This TLC/FYS combined public speaking fundamentals, composition, a first year seminar, an assigned academic advisor and an upper-class mentor to explore the unique individual backgrounds of the students. Additionally, our curriculum and course objectives provided the ideal space to challenge students to consider unexpected and controversial perspectives, in order to increase their understanding of diversity, privilege and power. The ultimate goal was to provide opportunities for students to acquire skills necessary to facilitate their success in a complex and multicultural society.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Extending the Learning Community Experience: An Assessment of a Year-Long Program for English as a Second Language Students
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Gabrielle Kahn, Christian Calienes
Emails: GabrielleKahn@example.com, ChristianCalienes@example.com
Institution: Kingsborough Community College, CUNY
Description: The Intensive ESL Learning Community Program at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY, a one-semester program, has been running successfully since 1995. Despite positive outcomes, recent data show that without the continued support and rigor of the learning community setting, some program benefits are weakened as students progress beyond their first-term experience. Given this evidence, we designed and implemented a year-long learning community option for ESL freshmen: Accelerated College ESL (ACE). The interconnected, broadened curriculum was revised to more deeply reflect a number of sociocultural principles (Vygotsky, 1978), including the promotion of individualized instruction, multimodality, and collaborative, project-based learning. Our presentation will demonstrate an assessment of ACE using a mixed methods approach. We will explore the potential in providing more structured learning community support over time for at-risk students, and based on our experience, offer suggestions for administrators, evaluators, and educators looking to expand learning community offerings on their campuses.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: From Sidewalk Chalk to Facebook: Strategies to Market Your Learning Community Program
Day: Friday
Time: 3:45pm - 4:30pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Stephanie Zobac, Julia Spears
Emails: StephanieZobac@example.com, JuliaSpears@example.com
Institution: Northern Illinois University
Description: This presentation will offer a variety of marketing ideas to ensure students,faculty and staff are informed about learning communities on your campus. This session will primarily focus on getting the word out to students so they enroll in learning communities, but general outreach methods will also be discussed. We will provide concrete examples through print, web, and other mediums. In addition, we will discuss how to integrate learning community content into the marketing messages of other campus units to extend your reach and broaden pathways. From social media to integrating your message into other offices marketing materials, learning community administrators will learn about what has worked at NIU, and will leave this session with ideas on how to create a marketing plan for your own campus
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Implementing and Assessing SENCERIZED Themed Learning Communities
Day: Friday
Time: 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Bayview
Presenters: Michael Yard, Michele Hansen, Lauren (Chism)-Schmidt
Emails: Michae Yard@example.com, MicheleHansen@example.com, LaurenSchmidt@example.com
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Description: Science Education for New Civic Engagement (SENCER) Learning Communities are designed to enhance student learning and interest in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics by connecting course topics to issues of critical local, national, and global importance. Presenters will describe the implementation of SENCERIZED Themed Learning Communities and explain how students were provided opportunities to extend their learning across the curriculum to broader social and community issues. We will also present NSF supported research findings suggesting that SENCERIZED LCs are effective in strengthening integrative learning, community engagement, and academic success.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Washington Center’s Validation Study of the Online Student Survey: Unexpected Outcomes and Possibilities
Day: Friday
Time: 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Gillies Malnarich, Jack Mino, Maureen Pettitt
Emails: GilliesMalnarich@example.com, JackMino@example.com, MaureenPettitt@example.com
Institution: 1 Washington Center for Improving Undergraduate Education, 1 Holyoke Community College, 1 Skagit Valley College
Description: The results from the Fall 2012-Fall 2013 validation study for the Online Survey of Students’ Experiences of Learning in Learning Communities includes unexpected findings in relation to students’ interpretation of survey questions. Students surveyed included those from two- and four-year institutions and those enrolled in pre-college to college-level studies. In this session, we will review the validation study design as a context for thinking about what we discovered when students write about and discuss their understanding of what the online survey questions “really mean.” Come prepared to imagine the online survey as more than a means to document the LC difference or design faculty development. Could the survey results also be used by students as a starting point to articulate and assess their learning in the company of peers? We will use selected student excerpts as a prompt for thinking about possibilities.
track: Research and Scholarly Activity

Name: Learning Community for Second Semester Probation Students
Day: Friday
Time: 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Adam Klepetar, Holly Schuck, Chee Moua, Nikki Jagodzinski, Amber Williams
Emails: AdamKlepetar@example.com, HollySchuck@example.com, CheeMoua@example.com, NikkiJagodzinski@example.com, AmberWilliams@example.com
Institution: St. Cloud State University
Description: : Learn how St. Cloud State University works to retain over 80 conditional admit second semester students who ended up on probation after their first semester. This innovative program combines using early alert software, paired courses and weekly intervention meetings to create a community and individualize students’ second semester. Faculty, professional staff and graduate students work first years to help them reframe their ideas about themselves and their behaviors to become successful university students. All probation students participate in a course focused on personal growth that combines classroom learning with personal growth groups and peer leadership. Students admitted through our conditional admit program have traditionally persisted at an equal rate to their regular admit peers.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Shifting Our Focus to Make Our Own Little Ripple
Day: Friday
Time: 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Shelly Bayer, Kami Kurtenbach, Bonnie Shinn
Emails: ShellyBayer@example.com, KamiKurtenbach@example.com, BonnieShinn@example.com
Institution: South Dakota State University
Description: In Fall 2012 learning communities hit our university like a tsunami when over 100 were implemented the first year, and we as faculty were assigned to them with minimal training or understanding. We chose to attend the 2012 NLCC and came away inspired. We shared suggestions for moving forward using best practices learned at the NLCC with our LC administrators. They heard us, yet few suggestions have been implemented. Within our own department, we have chosen to focus on letting go of our concerns and shifting our focus to that which we can control. For Fall 2013 we have created several learning communities within our own department combining First Year Seminar courses with Exploratory Studies courses and using Gallup’s Strengths and the StrengthFinder 2.0 assessment as an integrative thread. This session will highlight the concept of shifting focus from the concerns faced in universal implementation of learning communities to focusing on the aspects that faculty can control.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Smooth Sailing: Easing the Transition to College for English Language Learners
Day: Friday
Time: 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Colleen Stribling, Alison Douglas, Marilee Halpin, Sara Baker
Emails: ColleenStribling@example.com, AlisonDouglas@example.com, MarileeHalpin@example.com, SaraBaker@example.com
Institution: Elgin Community College
Description: This session explores the challenge of transitioning adult English Language Learners from Adult Education to college-level courses, in particular, to a college-level composition course. As the percentage of English Language Learners increases, especially in community colleges, it is imperative for administration and faculty to become competent in the placement and best teaching practices for this unique population. Instead of the traditional placement route through developmental coursework, this collaboration between college composition and ESL faculty bypassed traditional placement procedures and targeted support for the specific developmental needs of the language learner. In addition to promoting academic success, this learning community created an environment that nurtured student confidence and developed a network of support for students as they transitioned independently to other courses. This session will describe the development and implementation of this learning community. It will also share student reflections on the impact of the community on their educational goals.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Appreciating and Recognizing Learning Community Instructors. Getting More Enthusiasm with Less Work!
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:45pm - 5:30pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Naomi Kirkpatrick
Emails: NaomiKirkpatrick@example.com
Institution: Purdue University
Description:  Purdue University will share many of the methods that have worked with faculty and staff who serve as Learning Community instructors. Purdue has created a thriving Learning Community Program with curricular cohesion and a high volume of events and participation by Learning Community instructors. Purdue will share ideas such as a Learning Community Appreciation Luncheon, awards and letters that improve faculty and staff participation and satisfaction within the program thus creating more participation and stronger Learning Communities on campus.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Flipping, Wrapping & Integrating: Refocusing Students on Learning
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 11:30am
Room: Corpus A/B
Presenters: José Antonio Bowen
Emails: JoséAntonioBowen@example.com
Institution: Southern Methodist University
Description: Technology provides new ways for students to receive first contact with material and better ways to ensure that students are prepared for class. We will begin by searching for new sources of online content and exploring the benefits of podcasts and online exams. We will play games and practice creating active learning assignments that use free internet content, laptops, tablets or phones in or out of the classroom. Technology can be used to lower the stakes and raise standards with micro tests, improve reading and writing, and even create opportunities to study source documents. All of these offer opportunities to spark the sort of critical thinking or change of mental models we seek. If technology can give us more classroom time, how can we design experiences that will maximize change in our students? Dee Fink provides an excellent model for designing courses, but technology creates many more opportunities to rethink the sequence of activities. We will examine how first contact, learning activities and assessment can all be reworked to focus students on learning
track: 

Name: The Successful Creation of a Basic Skills Learning Community
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Corpus C
Presenters: Susan Wolff-Murphy, Joseph Jozwiak, Mark Hartlaub, Michelle Riley
Emails: SusanWolffMurph@example.comy, JosephJozwiak@example.com, MarkHartlaub@example.com, MichelleRiley@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Description: We have employed learning communities for our first-year students for almost 20 years with varying success. However, we found that our most recent students were not as academically prepared as those in the past, and therefore our retention rate for first-year students was slipping. Several concerned faculty and administrators created a basic skills learning community which was significantly smaller than our other learning communities. With dedicated professionals staffing the learning community, we found the smaller, focused learning community improved retention, even among at-risk students. We present data which support the effectiveness of a smaller learning community enthusiastically focused on success and retention of at-risk students. We also review strategies and tactics which we believe have made our learning communities successful.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: The Road to Jericho: The African American Struggle for Equality
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Karen Curls, Lyle Gibson
Emails: KarenCurls@example.com, LyleGibson@example.com
Institution: Metropolitan Community College – Penn Valley 
Description: This presentation will examine the implementation and structure of the Civil Rights Learning Community theme to include Civil Rights LC theme benefit, Learning Enhancements, Research Skills, Life Enhancements and demography. Examples utilized throughout the presentation will include Constitutional Rights—citizenship and voting—that were denied to African Americans and the current challenges faced rooted in the systemic processes with a primary focus on the Dred Scott decision of 1857; the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments; and the Civil and voting rights legislation of the 1960s. This presentation reasserts the resilience of the human experience. We will demonstrate that the symbolic road to Jericho was difficult, but that at a critical juncture during the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were aided by “good Samaritans.”
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Evaluating Learning Community Programs: Update on a National Project
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Emily Lardner, Rachel Burke
Emails: EmilyLardner@example.com, RachelBurke@example.com
Institution: The Evergreen State College
Description: How do campuses currently assess their learning community programs, and what do they wish they could do? These questions are at the heart of the LC Evaluation Project, a multi-year project organized by Washington Center. In spring 2013, learning community coordinators were asked to respond to a survey about the outcomes they were assessing and the tools they were using to assess those outcomes. They were also asked to identify outcomes they would like to assess if the appropriate tools were available. We will report on the results of the survey, and describe the second phase of this work, in which campuses are invited to experiment with a shared set of assessment tools as part of a national action research project.
track: Assessment and Retention

Name: Taking Time Out for Us: Using Collaborative Relationship Mapping to Improve Integrative Teaching and Learning
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Mary Price, Starla Officer
Emails: MaryPrice@example.com, StarlaOfficer@example.com
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Description: This session is about you and your team. During our time together, participants will use a visual reflection method and planning tool called Collaborative Relationship Mapping (ColRM). Participants will be invited to examine the structure and flow of communication in their instructional teams. We will also surface assumptions about our teaching in order to build on individual strengths, build confidence, improve our collective teaching practice and ultimately, to improve student engagement and learning. As a result of engaging in this interactive session, participants will leave with: a copy of their relationship map, concrete action items, and a set of concrete strategies that support improved collaboration among instructional teams, thus enhancing integrative teaching and learning in the context of Themed Learning Communities.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: The More the Merrier: Managing a Community of 200 Students or More
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Marianne Warzinski, Karen Clement
Emails: MarianneWarzinski@example.com, KarenClement@example.com
Institution: Kent State University
Description: Prior to 2005 most of the living/learning communities at Kent State University consisted of 30 or so student in one wing or floor of a building. Now many of the colleges at KSU are requesting full buildings to house their living/learning communities. This can be a daunting task if you are charged with managing one of these large communities. So how do you do it? Two directors from the College of Arts and Sciences and from the College of Communication and Information will share their experiences directing their programs. They’ll share tips on what worked, what didn’t, and what’s next. It may be more manageable (and affordable) than you think!
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: The Fully Integrated LC: Only a Utopian Ideal?
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: James Allen
Emails: JamesAllen@example.com
Institution: College of DuPage
Description: Can the optimum integrated LC be achieved, or is such a goal merely a utopian ideal? In this presentation, I will discuss a seminar focused on utopias and dystopias in which both faculty members worked to integrate their courses as fully as possible, from reading assignments to papers and exams. The goal has been to create a learning environment where the divisions between the courses disappear so both students and faculty can focus on the theme of the seminar.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: “My JagPAL ROCKS!”: Using Peer Coaches in Learning Communities
Day: Saturday
Time: 9:45am - 10:30am
Room: Copano
Presenters: Nicole Carr, Susan Brochu, Emily Jerkins
Emails: NicoleCarr@example.com, SusanBrochu@example.com, EmilyJerkins@example.com
Institution: University of South Alabama
Description:  Learning communities at the University of South Alabama are still a relatively new initiative (Fall 2011); however, they have already made a significant difference in student retention. We are currently examining levels of academic and social integration, and expect our communities to make a difference in that area as well. One of the unexpected developments along the way is our peer-coaching program. Each first year experience course in a learning community has a JagPAL (Peer Academic Leader). That individual has the potential to increase student involvement, alert us to students at risk, and create havoc in academic settings as well.
track: Assessment and Retention

Name: Global Girl Talk: Fostering Intercultural Engagement and Service for First-Year Learning Community Women Through an Integrative Curriculum
Day: Saturday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Corpus C
Presenters: Gail Scott, Catherine Bradford, Hillary Steiner, Jeannie Beard
Emails: GailScott@example.com, CatherineBradford@example.com, HillarySteiner@example.com, JeannieBeard@example.com
Institution: Kennesaw State University
Description: The “Girl Talk” learning communities at Kennesaw State University are devoted to helping young women transition to college while expanding their awareness of global conditions. Through integrated assignments (Psychology, English, First-Year Seminar) and out-of-class activities, first-year female students explore the living conditions of women and children around the world, including their struggles for human rights, freedom, and power. Students design and implement service projects to make a positive difference for women in another part of the world. In 2012, Girl Talk students focused on the women and children of Haiti, and in 2013 the focus is on the women of India. Under faculty guidance, undergraduate researchers developed a survey instrument to measure student perceptions of global awareness and citizenship. In this presentation, we will share the story of “Girl Talk,” one of KSU’s most popular and successful LCs. We’ll highlight student work and share nascent findings of undergraduate research.
track: Integrative Assignments

Name: Integrative Practice in an Education Themed Learning Community: Engagement toward Social Justice
Day: Saturday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Deborah Keller
Emails: DeborahKeller@example.com
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Description: The presenter will share how a Themed Learning Community for students considering teaching as a career integrates a social justice theme across the curricula of an introductory Education course, a History course, a Writing course, and a First-Year Seminar. Components to be addressed include service-learning, fieldtrips, art projects, dramatic monologues, reflective writing, and how these curricular elements complement each other to underscore the significance of integrative teaching and learning, both for students in general, and in this particular case, for pre-service teachers to consider in their future practice. An emphasis will be placed on how students’ service-learning experiences in urban schools and community centers present a hands-on approach through which to examine theoretical underpinnings of what constitutes social justice and the students’ own roles in working toward a more socially just society. Additionally, the presenter will address challenges encountered in these endeavors and discuss planning for an integrative assignment.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Have You Considered Writing about Your Work?
Day: Saturday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Rachel Burke, Emily Lardner, Gillies Malnarich
Emails: RachelBurkev, EmilyLardner@example.com, GilliesMalnarich@example.com
Institution: Learning Communities Research and Practice
Description:  Learning Communities Research and Practice is about to release the third issue of its online, peer-reviewed journal. Its success represents widespread interest in reading (and writing) about learning communities. This session is designed for people who are considering writing about their work. After a brief description about what we are learning from reviewers’ comments, we will break into smaller groups to brainstorm topics for articles, to answer specific questions about potential submissions, and to listen to your advice about what you would like to read.
track: Research and Scholarly Activity

Name: The True Surfers Revealed: An Exploration of Student Staff Roles within Learning Communities
Day: Saturday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Erica Farrar, Shakima Clency
Emails: EricaFarrar@example.com, ShakimaClency@example.com
Institution: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Description: Student leaders play a critical role in helping first year learning community students navigate the academy. Through individual conversations in the residence halls, peer facilitated class discussions, and community development initiatives, peer academic leaders can greatly enhance the learning community experience. Since the creation of the Office of Learning Communities at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the emergence of student leadership opportunities within learning communities has evolved to include student ambassadors, community fellows, global peer facilitators, and learning community peer academic leaders – all of whom are charged with the task of helping first year students learning community students navigate and successful transition into the UNCG academic community. This program will highlight various student leader roles, recruitment, training, supervision, and funding structures in place to support academic student leaders in their quest to serve as anchors for first year students riding the UNCG collegiate wave
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Integrating Strengths into Learning Community Professional Development
Day: Saturday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Jennifer Leptien, Doug Gruenewald
Emails: JenniferLeptien@example.com, DougGruenewald@example.com
Institution: Iowa State University
Description: n and Doug Gruenewald; Iowa State University Summary of Presentation: In the spring of 2012, the Learning Communities program at Iowa State University began the process of integrating Gallup Strengths training into the professional development of our 100 learning community faculty and staff. The learning community coordinators participated in an introductory retreat in which they took the Gallup StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment and began to dialogue about how Strengths could be incorporated into on-going peer mentor training and supervision. Since that initial retreat, we have provided multiple additional trainings to support further Strengths education for our coordinating faculty and staff. This session will reveal our continuing process for building Strengths into the professional development activities of our learning community coordinators. Additionally, we will share how Strengths has been added to the training and supervision of our 350+ peer mentors. Session participants will be encouraged to share their best practices and ask questions related to integrating Strengths into their learning community programs.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Research Skills and Writing in a Learning Community: A Symbiotic Relationship
Day: Saturday
Time: 10:45am - 11:30am
Room: Copano
Presenters: Marcia Rapchak, Ava Cipri
Emails: MarciaRapchak@example.com, AvaCipri@example.com
Institution: Duquesne University
Description: Both research and writing skills are essential for success in college and beyond, but first-semester freshmen do not always recognize the importance of these skills. By integrating a research skills course and a writing course within a learning community, students were able to apply these skills in their projects that integrated the learning community themes. The instructors worked together to scaffold assignments and assess similar learning outcomes. Ultimately, students in the learning community were more engaged in the process of research and had greater capacity to research for their writing assignments than if the two courses were separated. This presentation will share strategies and ideas for pairing information literacy and composition within a learning community
track: Integrative Assignments

Name: Building and Securing Learning Communities in Banner
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Steven Schwerin
Emails: StevenSchwerin@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Description: “Building” learning communities in Banner can be a daunting task with short deadlines that affect student registration. In this workshop, we will use a cookbook approach that sets up blocks of the courses for each learning community, demonstrates methods of securing the learning community for specific populations of students, and controls how the learning community is shown online for students registering.
track: 

Name: When Critical Thinking Meets Community Building: Empowering Students to Engage, Encouraging Instructors to Explore
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Room: Corpus C
Presenters: Kate Thedwall, Janice Bankert-Countryman
Emails: KateThedwall@example.com, JaniceBankertCountryman@example.com
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Description: Using the Paul-Elder model for critical thinking and ideas related to teaching, learning, and dialogue presented by authors such as Nosich, hooks, and Buber, TLC instructors cocreated a TLC in which Computer Information Technology students shared freshman seminar, speech, and discipline specific courses in the fall semester of 2012. The positive effects of this TLC continue to unfold. For example, student members of the TLC maintain a Facebook page and meet socially with TLC instructors. Also, students continue to seek mentoring and advising from TLC instructors. Join one of these instructors and the Director of IUPUI’S Gateway to Graduation program for a presentation that explores how TLC members can co-create a learning community that embraces critical thinking. The presenters will also discuss how a Community of Practice is using information about the aforementioned and other TLCs to assist instructors in applying teaching methods based in critical thinking and community building.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Faculty Ownership of Learning Communities: Gaining and Maintaining Buy-In
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Jim Pukrop
Emails: JimPukrop@example.com
Institution: Purdue University
Description: LC success is directly proportional to faculty buy-in; many universities struggle to get faculty to buy in to Learning Communities. Purdue University has developed a highly successful model of LC delivery based on the premise that faculty engagement, throughout the process, results in measurable student success. Session attendees will learn about Purdue’s LC development process whereby faculty conceptualize and run LCs while LC Coordination Staff operationalize and support. Achieving and maintaining significant faculty buy-in will also be highlighted.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Learning Communities 2.0
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Sarena Lee-Schott, Loretta Kucharczyk, Craig Mulling
Emails: SarenaLeeSchott@example.com, LorettaKucharczyk@example.com, Craig Mulling@example.com
Institution: Prairie State College
Description: Planning a successful learning community generally involves participating in “tried and true” Learning Communities 101 experimentation. And teaching teams typically experience the greatest boost of creative, cognitive energy as they pull together the initial pieces of their LC puzzles. However, what happens at the end of a semester as they deconstruct the LC--when they discover that some things worked as planned and others did not? How does a team of faculty begin the process of identifying the hits as well as the misses? How do they muster energy and joy from the successes of an LC and parlay them into addressing the shortcomings? In this presentation, three LC faculty will share insights on how they examined, revised, and revived a learning community combining College Success Seminar, Composition I, and Introduction of Sociology.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Against The Odds: A Learning Community Resulting in Higher Retention, Student Engagement, and Academic Performance for Diverse Students
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Tae Nosaka, Heather Novak
Emails: TaeNosaka@example.com, HeatherNovak@example.com
Institution: Colorado State University
Description: The Key Communities are intensive, intentional, structured and diverse (50% ethnically diverse, 60% first-generation to college, 40% pell-eligible) Learning Communities at Colorado State University with structured integration of the curriculum and co-curriculum in order to increase retention, engagement, and academic success. Created as a response to data depicting lower academic performance and retention of diverse students, Key has become an integral strategy for student success. This presentation will share the overall model of the Key Communities (purpose, structure, curricular and co-curricular integration, staffing, partnerships), and the results of a research study which showed the positive impact of participating in Key Communities on student success as measured by first year retention and the deep approaches to learning scale obtained from the National Survey for Student Engagement. This study utilized regression models to explore the impact of the Key Communities on student success after controlling for prior academic preparation and student demographic characteristics.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: At-Risk Students: The Necessary Quadrant for Student Success
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Regina Turner, Barbara Browning, Claudette Lands, Sylvia White-Hooks
Emails: ReginaTurner@example.com BarbaraBrowning@example.com, ClaudetteLands@example.com, SylviaWhiteHooks@example.com
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis
Description: American higher education institutions are anxious to adopt programs and practices that attract, retain and graduate larger numbers of students from low-income, first generation backgrounds. This session shares four essential categories that should be included in Learning Communities with such students. These four essential areas include: social well-being, psychological well-being, academic support, financial literacy. Each of these four areas contain specific bodies of information, experiences, activities that should be acknowledged and integrated in the Learning Community setting. These areas provide a strong foundation on which students can build to complete their degrees.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: What Can Science Teachers and Literature Teachers Learn from Each Other?
Day: Saturday
Time: 1:15pm - 2:00pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Pearl Ratunil, Bhasker Moorthy
Emails: PearlRatunil@example.com, BhaskerMoorthy@example.com
Institution: Harper College
Description: In Spring 2013, we taught a Learning Community that combined the science of astronomy with science fiction literature. This pairing was meant to draw upon the popularity of science fiction in order to stimulate student interest in science. At the same time, the engagement with hard science in a literature course enhances students’ analytical abilities. In this session, we will describe the rationale of the course and the challenges in combining two very different disciplines. We also share how the opportunity to witness the pedagogies of another discipline enhanced the level of instruction in all our courses. During the presentation, we will engage the audience in a group activity that was used in the course.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: “Blowing Up the Schedule” and Other Methods of Expanding an LC Program
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Corpus C
Presenters: David Finley, Melinda Baham
Emails: DavidFinley@example.com, MelindaBaham@example.com
Institution: Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Description:This session will provide insight and reflection into the processes of drastically expanding a community college learning community program, especially with a developmental education focus. After participating in the National Summer Institute on Learning Communities at The Evergreen State College, CGCC expanded its Fall LC offerings from 7 to 32 with a primary first-year focus on developmental Reading courses paired with student success courses as well as with collegelevel content courses, like Psychology, Sociology, and First-Year Composition.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: What Students Say: Student Reaction to Emphasizing Study Skills in a Learning Community
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Christine Grela, Anne Humphrey
Emails: ChristineGrela@example.com, AnneHumphrey@example.com
Institution: McHenry County College
Description: For two years, study skills have been emphasized in a psychology/composition learning community. As a follow-up to a presentation at the 2012 meeting, several transformations were made, for example a more intentional incorporation of the “testing effect” as well as an assignment related to Dewey’s “The ‘6 hour D’ and how to avoid it.” In this presentation, we will discuss the results in terms of class assignments and exams, but now we can also incorporate the students’ perspective. This year’s students were explicitly told that they were research participants and were shown data from the past semester’s study skills incorporation research. Input on the effects of study skills inclusion was sought out from three types of students: those who dropped, those who stopped attending but didn’t drop, and those who completed. Comparisons between sections of the learning community, across semesters, and to non-learning-community sections will be explored.
track: Best Practices

Name: Peer Mentors: Leading, Teaching, and Instilling Community Values
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Jessica Klingsmith
Emails: JessicaKlingsmith@example.com
Institution: Colorado State University
Description: : In response to a changing demographic and culture of students, Community Led Academic Success Strategies (C.L.A.S.S.) was created to redefine and meet three programmatic goals; teaching college level study skills, providing space for active engagement in learning how to be academically successful, and connecting students to campus events and resources with a focus on Academics, Diversity, Service, Leadership, and Community. C.L.A.S.S is a one-hour per week recitation facilitated by the peer mentor during the fall semester. This presentation will provide a detailed understanding of C.L.A.S.S curriculum development and implementation. In addition, specific training to prepare mentors to facilitate C.L.A.S.S. will be shared.
track:  Best Practices

Name: Taking the Plunge! Preparing to Expand Your Learning Community Program
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Terri Baker, Emily Bogunovich
Emails: TerriBaker@example.com, EmilyBogunovich@example.com
Institution: Drexel University
Description: The Drexel University Engineering Learning Community (ELC) is a longstanding living-learning program of 40 first-year students who participate in housing, academic and co-curricular programming. In 2011, new college leadership led to a renewed interest in the Engineering Learning Community program. This presentation will share the data and assessment advisors presented to college leadership and demonstrate how this conversation led to a growth initiative that would double learning community offerings for 2013 (offering two instead of one) and 2014 (offering four instead of two). Advisors encountered many roadblocks to growing the program including getting faculty engagement, theme development, and housing space procurement. Presenters will highlight taking advantage of existing resources and structures, the importance of an implementation timeline, and how to best maximize efforts without wasting energy and resources. The session will end with participants sharing their own experiences with growing and developing learning community programs.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Moving to the Next Level: Designing a 100-Level Learning Community for Developmental Students
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Mary Zimmerer, Kim Chuppa-Cornell, Heather Horn
Emails: MaryZimmere@example.comr, KimChuppaCornell@example.com, HeatherHorn@example.com
Institution: Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Description: “Burn This! Perspectives on Censorship in a Global Society” fully integrates Critical Reading, English Composition, and Introduction to Information Skills in a learning community designed for students who took developmental reading and English the previous semester. The planning involved in creating a fully integrated learning community for at-risk students can be daunting, but the rewards--for the instructors as well as the students--far outweigh the drawbacks. Please join these three Chandler-Gilbert Community College faculty as they share their trials and triumphs in relation to planning, promotion, syllabus creation, teaching, grading, and student expectations related to this 9-credit course
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Swimming Against the Current: Cross Sector Collaboration for Student Success
Day: Saturday
Time: 2:15pm - 3:00pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Jennifer Hodges, Julie Glass, Julie Kirkland
Emails: JenniferHodges@example.com, JulieGlass@example.com, JulieKirkland@example.com
Institution: University of North Texas
Description: According to the Washington Center, learning communities include three essential features: student cohorts who attend two or three classes together, opportunities for integrative learning, and partnerships between academic and student affairs. This presentation will focus on one institution’s efforts to intentionally build collaborative partnerships that bridge not only academic and student affairs, but bridge academic units as well as faculty and administrators. Challenges faced, lessons learned, and strategies utilized will be shared. In addition, this session will include discussion of building buy-in through stakeholder analysis and targeted messaging by stakeholder population (e.g., students, faculty, parents, administrators, academic advisors). Key approaches that have facilitated the learning community program’s growth will also be discussed.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Learning Community Troubleshooting
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Corpus C
Presenters: Catherine Bradford, Betheen Glady-Teschendorf, Lauren Schmidt, Anne Mahoney, Steven Schwerin
Emails: CatherineBradford@example.com, BetheenGladyTeschendorf@example.com, LaurenSchmidt@example.com, AnneMahoney@example.com, StevenSchwerin@example.com
Institution: 1 Kennesaw State University, 1 Delta College, 1 Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 1 Metropolitan Community College, 1 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Description: This perennially popular session is for anyone who faces “challenges” related to learning communities at his or her campus. The panelists will moderate this open discussion of topics introduced by participants. Advice, suggestions, and empathy from the audience are welcome. The session is intended to help identify workable, positive solutions.
track: 

Name: The Effect of Problem-Based Learning and Metacognitive Reflection on the Development of Post-Formal Thinking among First-Year Learning Community Students
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Richard Mosholder, Charles Wynn, Carolee Larsen
Emails: RichardMosholder@example.com, CharlesWynn@example.com, CaroleeLarsen@example.com
Institution: Kennesaw State University
Description: The researchers will present the design and preliminary results of a study comparing three curricular variables in teaching American history in terms of their effects upon student abilities to think at levels beyond Piaget’s formal operational level. These variables are a traditional lecture, a problem based learning approach, and a problem based learning approach combined with an integrated first year seminar to form learning communities. The learning objectives of the first year seminar include strategies for academic success, life and motivational skills and the foundations for global learning and the lesson plans developed to accomplish these have been structured to focus student development on success in the American history curriculum. In addition, students in the first year seminar were provided additional opportunities to debrief and reflect upon their experiences in the problem based learning exercises.
track: Best Practices

Name: Why We Came to Love Learning Communities and Why We Now Have to Consider Something Else
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Doug Haywick, Sam Fisher
Emails: DougHaywick@example.com, SamFisher@example.com
Institution: University of South Alabama
Description: The University of South Alabama (USA) was a comparatively late adopter of Learning Communities (LCs), but in the 2 years since they were first widely offered, many faculty have come to be strong advocates of them. Our data generally confirm higher success rates for students who took classes that were incorporated into LCs than those that took them in unlinked traditional sections. However, USA has recently initiated a new educational enhancement plan that is encouraging the incorporation of the Team Based Learning (TBL) model for improving student learning in our classes. Consequently, many LC instructors are considering incorporating TBL strategies into their LC offerings. This presentation will examine how and why some USA faculty are contemplating merging TBL in LC classes.
track: Best Practices

Name: “One Health” Freshmen Learning Community: Understanding the Interactions of the Agricultural, Medical, and Veterinary Sciences for the Improvement of Human and Animal Welfare
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Matthew Taylor, Merrideth Holub
Emails: MatthewTaylor@example.com, MerridethHolub@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University
Description: “One Health” identifies the interaction and complexity of the agricultural, ecological, medical, and veterinary sciences for contributing to the sustainability and improvement in quality of life for humans, animals, and the natural environment. During the Spring 2013 semester, a cohort of 22 Texas A&M University freshmen in the Animal Science and Biomedical Science curricula met weekly to discuss varying aspects of the “One Health” framework. Students were visited by experts from a variety of disciplines, including architecture, infectious diseases, food processing and safety, and reproductive physiology. Additionally, students visited various teaching and research facilities on the Texas A&M University campus. This presentation will describe key learnings from the completion of this “One Health”-themed learning community, discussing identified opportunities for enhancing student learning in future iterations and describing vision for development of new “One Health”-focused learning communities and high-impact learning experiences for Texas A&M University students.
track: Themed Learning Communities

Name: Changing the Learning Community Culture: Moving from Metrics to Meaning
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Jim Pukrop
Emails: JimPukrop@example.com
Institution: Purdue University
Description: LCs are powerful tools for helping students connect more readily, successfully, and completely to their college experiences. However, those goals are often lost in measuring success solely by retention and graduation rates. Such rates are by-products – indicators – that other vital elements were successfully developed and managed. This session will focus on structures and practices that enhance Purdue University LC student experiences, evidenced by dramatic increases in planned events, curricular connection, participation, and student contact hours. Data also demonstrate a tremendous shift from primarily social events to an emphasis on events with academic and campus resource connections.
track: Assessment and Retention

Name: Virtual Linked Classes
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Uppinder Mehan, Sharon Bailey
Emails: UppinderMehan@example.com, SharonBailey@example.com
Institution: University of Houston-Victoria
Description: We look at what is gained and what is lost as we attempt to transfer the structures of linked classes to the online environment. UHV has very recently expanded downward to include lower division classes and students, and our QEP focuses on developing Learning Communities for our Freshman students. We explore in this presentation the plausibility of making such a practice available to the online student community, a community that is still our largest constituency.
track: Best Practices

Name: Reading Used to Be Fun: Integrative Reading Projects for Learning Communities
Day: Saturday
Time: 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Room: Copano
Presenters: Sean Britt, Rita Sperry
Emails: SeanBritt@example.com, RitaSperry@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Description: Incorporating a literature assignment into our history learning community has given students the chance to reconnect with reading in ways that both develop their habits of reading and bridge conceptual discussions between composition and history content. Our methodology involves finding contemporary texts that share a common theme with the goals of the history lecture and creating an assignment that allows the students to explore that theme in a personal way. This presentation explores the benefits of such an integrative project in terms of student participation, community building, critical analysis, and habits of learning. We argue that contemporary literature has an advantageous role in LC effectiveness and welcome questions or ideas about what kind of literature could work best.
track: Integrative Assignments

Name: Being Good Stewards through Assessment: Accountability, Transparency, and Program Sustainability
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:30pm - 5:15pm 
Room: Corpus C
Presenters: Sherri Shoefstall
Emails: SherriShoefstall@example.com
Institution: Lamar University
Description: Student Programing is often underfunded but an integral part of the student experience. Our presentation will demonstrate how to keep your funding and garner more funding through the use of quality program assessment. Program assessment allows program coordinators, directors, or staff to be more accountable and transparent, which then results in program sustainability, justification and credibility. Participants will leave with the tools to implement their own program assessment for their university. This assessment model was based on our learning community program but can be modified for most student-focused programs.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Fostering Soul Surfing, Not Beach Combing: Interdisciplinary Learning and Reflection (IRL)
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:30pm - 5:15pm 
Room: Nueces A
Presenters: Leslie Miller, Sumana Jogi, David Strong
Emails: LeslieMiller@example.com, SumanaJogi@example.com, DavidStrong@example.com
Institution: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Description: IRL pedagogy is a dynamic educational practice. It consists of engaging students in collaborative learning in the TLC by developing higher-order processing skills, including critical thinking, competent communication, and the enhanced ability to integrate and apply knowledge through their reflections on a high-impact experience. For the past two years, we have seen how this pedagogy promoted understanding, reflection, and deeper learning. In our own collegial discourse and reflection, however, our team identified some significant barriers to student learning. Particularly, we identified their first-generation status, the transition to college learning and adulthood, commuting to campus, their heavy workloads, a reliance on cliques, and their attitudes of overconfidence. We thus worked together to create a “learning rubric” to enhance our methods for promoting students’ learning competencies. This presentation will highlight the progress we have made so far in student learning-through-reflection-based practices and discuss how students can be active participants in their own learning.
track: Best Practices

Name: Navigation Tools for Students: Thinking about Achievement Guides Meaningful Effort
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:30pm - 5:15pm 
Room: Nueces B
Presenters: Jan Thompson, Jan Wiersema, Katherine Thompson, Suzanne Hendrich, Barbara Licklider, Cindy Haynes
Emails: JanThompson@example.com, JanWiersema@example.com, KatherineThompson@example.com, SuzanneHendrich@example.com, BarbaraLicklider@example.com, CindyHaynes@example.com
Institution: Iowa State University
Description: Students often arrive at colleges and universities without the skills needed for success in their academic endeavors. In the Academy for Leadership and Learning (ALL), a first-year community of learners, students participate in a set of cross-disciplinary courses to develop learning, teamwork, and leadership abilities. In fall, 2012, new emphasis was placed on creating opportunities for students to discover the link between effort and achievement. We developed a tracking tool for students to rate achievement for learning outcomes in their core academic courses, provide evidence for their ratings, and plan for greater achievement. Next, we provided a grid for students to identify factors that interfered with their learning and specific efforts they could exert to enhance their learning. In sequence, these tools were very effective to reveal the connection between effort and achievement, and supported students as they became responsible learners, better prepared to navigate the rigors of academic life.
track: Best Practices

Name: The Ripple Effect: Shifting Focus Creates Exponential Change
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:30pm - 5:15pm 
Room: Laguna Madre
Presenters: Gregg Howard
Emails: GreggHoward@example.com
Institution: Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Description: Like a stone dropped into a pool of still water, a slight shift in emphasis and availability of professional development resources can produce expanding waves of change; impacting students, faculty and collegiate culture. It is a fact of life that adjuncts teach many of the developmental education courses-and indeed a large percentage of all first year courses. They are on the front lines; very often a student’s first college experience is in a classroom with an adjunct instructor. Involving adjuncts in the design and development of integrative assignments and learning communities at an early stage can produce big dividends in terms of propagating best practices, improving student engagement and success, providing opportunities to better integrate adjuncts into the faculty community, and even increasing their marketability and future employment prospects. Providing professional development opportunities that embrace and empower the adjunct faculty will produce an ever-widening ripple of positive energy.
track: Program Coordination/Faculty Development

Name: Using a Living Learning Community to Support the Provisional Admission Program
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:30pm - 5:15pm 
Room: Aransas
Presenters: Laurissa Noack, Mayen Udoetuk, Susan Noack
Emails: LaurissaNoack@example.com, MayenUdoetuk@example.com, SusanNoack@example.com
Institution: Texas A&M University Galveston
Description: The Sea Aggies Involved in Learning (SAIL) program is the provisional admission program at Texas A&M University Galveston (TAMUG). SAIL students are enrolled in summer courses linked to a Living Learning Community (LLC) that assists in academic development and college transition. Prior to the summer of 2011, the TAMUG gateway (Bridge) program did not use an LLC to support its students. Only 39 % of students who attended the 2010 Bridge program returned the following academic year; whereas, 45% of students who attended the 2011 SAIL program with LLC support returned. Of the students that persisted into their sophomore year at TAMUG, 59% of the Bridge students’ cumulative GPA’s fell below 3.0, while only 6% of the SAIL students’ GPA’s fell below 3.0. This data suggests that using an LLC as an academic support network for provisional admission students increases retention and provides a greater chance of academic success.
track: At-Risk Students

Name: Newsworthy: Using the Media in Your Learning Community
Day: Saturday
Time: 4:30pm - 5:15pm 
Room: Matagorda
Presenters: Laura Pipe, Tommy Lambeth
Emails: LauraPipe@example.com, TommyLambeth@example.com
Institution: University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Description: Struggling to get students discussing the tough topics? Tired of hearing about the Jersey Shore as a current issue? Since 2011, UNCG has participated in two NY Times Readership programs focused on deeper learning: The New York Times in the First Year and The New York Times in Leadership. Both programs serve as key components of integrated learning within learning communities at UNCG. In this session, UNCG will share examples of how the newspaper has transformed our learning community environments using a non-static text. Additionally, we will provide examples of how use of the paper has grown beyond learning communities to the greater campus. Participants will be asked to share their own challenges in fostering meaningful student driven discussion and thought in the classroom, while brainstorming potential opportunities to create integrated assignments using the paper and other media sources.
track: Best Practices