Mission for Learning Communities at Syracuse University:

The mission of the Office of Learning Communities is to promote, enhance, and support students' academic, personal, and professional growth and success through the development of residential and non-residential learning communities at Syracuse University.

Goals for Learning Communities at Syracuse University:

§          Building partnerships among faculty, staff, and students to increase interaction, involvement, and learning inside and outside the classroom.

§          Connecting the curricular and co-curricular experiences of students to create a seamless learning experience.

§          Facilitating college transitions by fostering smaller communities of students, faculty, and staff.

§          Promoting opportunities for individual students to make more meaningful connections with members of the Syracuse University community.

§          Supporting students’ successful completion of their academic programs.

§          Contributing to the continuous enrichment of the intellectual climate of the university.

§          Fostering students' active commitment to the Syracuse University community as students and alums.

Definitions:

§          Residential learning communities at Syracuse University are partnerships between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs that intentionally integrate academic components and co-curricular experiences to promote, enhance, and support students' academic, personal, and professional growth and success.

§          Non-residential learning communities at Syracuse University are partnerships between/among faculty that intentionally integrate academic courses and experiences to promote, enhance, and support students' academic, personal, and professional growth and success.

Office of Residence Life Residential Learning Community Philosophy

The Office of Residence Life (ORL) promotes the development of seamless learning environments through partnerships with academic units, student affairs staff, and faculty in the creation of residential learning communities. ORL staff provides community development and co-curricular programming expertise for the creation and implementation of residential learning communities. And, where appropriate, ORL staff are also qualified educators in a classroom setting for student-development and transition-related issues.

Minimum Requirements:

§          learning outcomes

§          academic component

§          assessment plan