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		DEVELOPING LEARNING COMMUNITIES By Bob Mosier, Director of Residential Living University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Introduction On many campuses, the concept of developing learning communities has been a major focus of study, deliberation, and implementation. Learning communities have taken a number of different forms, including (but not limited to) first year halls, residential colleges, faculty mentor programs, peer advising programs, faculty in residence, scholarship or honors halls, specialty halls connected to departments and/or majors, and classrooms in the residence halls. While the learning communities may differ in their approach, they potentially share a number of common qualities. The following discussion will examine the general concepts that tie learning communities together. Definitions of Learning Communities When attempting to define community, several authors provide general guidelines to aid in better understanding the concept. Etzioni (1993) feels that a community is a place of caring, where claims are made on members to contribute to the larger group in positive ways. Peck (1987) states that a community involves commitment, sacrifice, love, and transcendence on the part of it's members. More specifically, with respect to learning communities, Astin (1985) views learning communities as smaller subgroups of students, with a common sense of purpose, leading to an integration of classroom and non-classroom experiences. Peterson (1992) thinks that the power of learning communities is in the caring and interest of its members for each other, which brings purpose and life into learning. Characteristics of Learning Communities Boyer (1987) states that university communities are characterized by the following ideals: purposefulness, openness, a sense of justice, a sense of discipline, celebrativeness, and caring. Learning communities emphasize mutual learning by both faculty and students. Civility is a major norm, with individuals being sensitive to the needs and rights of others. Diversity is pursued with great diligence, as differences are celebrated. Individuals accept their responsibility for the common good, subordinating their interests to the larger learning community. Last, the campus heritage is remembered through rituals and traditions that bring people together. Supporting the views expressed by Boyer, Coe-Perkins (1999) feels the critical elements of university communities are ethics, inclusion, and learning alliances. Faculty, staff, and students need to role model empathy for other members of the community, with a focus on the development of just, caring, ethical members. She states that all individuals need to feel welcome and included in the community. In addition, learning communities need to be holistic, balancing the cognitive, social, and physical needs of its members with the matching environments in the university. There also need to be bridges built to form academic partnerships between various parts of the university. Offering other perspectives on the concepts of a holistic approach to building learning communities, Peterson (1992) offers a number of guidelines. Leaders of learning communities need to find methods to help students connect with one another in meaningful ways. There needs to be a shared purpose between students and leaders, whereby both participate equally in constructing the community. Students can be both encouraged to have a strong voice in the community and to be responsible for themselves and their actions. A "wellness" approach can be employed, emphasizing a balance of all aspects of a person's life. Intuition and feeling are hopefully recognized and are valued along with more traditional cognitive approaches to learning. As members of the community, students can participate in planning and evaluation of learning activities. Finally, students need to develop skills in the ability to express meaning, solve problems, work with others, and offer perceptive insights into areas of mutual concern. Major Components of Learning Communities Peterson (1992) has identified a number of key components to the development of learning communities, which have parallels to the development of a strong learning culture in residence halls. He views rites, celebrations, rituals, ceremonies, communication, play, residency, parading (leading and following), and life's activities as central to the quest for a strong learning community. These components all operate with the central focus on optimizing mutual learning within the community, or more specifically, within the residential environment. Rites According to Fulghum (1995), rites mark the passage of time through major events. These can be more specifically identified as transition rites, with the major parts being threshold rites, competency rites, incorporation rites, and separation rites. As individuals enter the university as first year students, they face the psychological challenge of "crossing over the threshold" into another culture that has it's own language, values, expectations, and norms. They may experience a fair amount of "culture shock" after the initial "honeymoon" phase is completed. The residence halls can play a significant role in the development of a smooth transition into the university community through mentoring, orientation programs and activities, and meetings that present information and the opportunity for discussion about this transition process. Staff can aid first year students in better understanding the university's culture and values by providing information at all hall and floor meetings at the beginning of the semester. Staff members can actively seek out those individuals who seem confused or troubled, acting as referrals to campus resources. Seminars or programs can be planned to better educate the incoming students as to the cultural transition that they are experiencing. Residence hall staff can be of significant benefit through providing informal and formal incorporation rites, to help the students feel that they have been welcomed into, and have joined into the university community. This can take the form of inviting people to go to meals together, participating in hall governance, coming to social programs to help students meet other residents, and other opportunities. Along with this process is the focus on separation rites, designed to help students deal with their strong ties and commitments to their home communities. These rites can take many forms, from the very informal to the more formal. Informally, this may involve talking with individuals who appear homesick to more formal programs on stress management as it relates to dealing with major life changes. Celebrations Celebrations provide opportunities for the learning community to come together in support of each other on joyful occasions. These celebrations can range from the informal recognition of individual's success on tests to more formal programs recognizing the academic achievements of residents who have earned a certain grade point average in a residence hall. They can recognize the good work of a group on a wing, floor, or in a hall through formal receptions, honoring individuals with their names on plaques, or written/verbal recognition from an important person on campus, such as the president. Rituals Rituals can provide attention to the moment; helping members of the community understand and appreciate the culture in which they reside. Rituals also provide special " weight" to an event that it might not otherwise possess. As an example, university convocations may begin with a procession, with faculty and staff wearing academic robes. An individual carrying a symbolic representation of the university, such as a mace may lead the procession. Special music will be sung, such as the alma mater of the institution. The president may provide a history and explanation of the procession and the meaning of the academic regalia, tying the present into practices that have gone on for centuries in the past. All of these actions provide students with the understanding that this is a special time in the everyday activities of the university. The residence hall community can also have rituals that provide information about the history and values of the hall and it's community. Communication For individuals to identify with a learning community, they need to feel listened to, communicated with as adults, and respected for their ideas. This mutual communication may occur as part of the hall governance process, during all hall or floor meetings, during hall orientation meetings, between individuals on a floor, or in roommate agreement meetings. It involves clear communication from the housing staff about mutual expectations that hall members may have for staff and for one another, as well as ways that members can seek out answers to concerns. Play Play comprises one of the more enjoyable, but also one of the more important aspects of community involvement. One important life message is to balance work and play as a student. Staff members can model this by their willingness to demonstrate balance in their own lives. This can be a very potent message to students on the need to accomplish a balanced lifestyle through focus on all aspects of the "wellness wheel". Parading and Life's Activities Residents can be aided in their development as learning community members by the understanding that at times they may to called to lead and at other times to follow. Both of these activities are important if the community is to function well. This means choosing to participate in some aspect of hall community life, whether it be in the hall governance process, intramurals, attendance at programs, or helping to recognize others for their successes. Residency The positive impact of all of these components of a learning community is greatly intensified by the act of students living together. This presents students with unique opportunities to live, play, and work together in a common enterprise, sharing a common goal of developing a nurturing community in which all residents can thrive. Questions Practitioners in residence halls can participate in the process of further developing their learning communities by discussing questions such as the following: What types of rituals and rites are present at this university? How do they help or hinder strong learning communities? How are first year students assisted in making a smooth transition into the university and the residence halls? How are they assisted when they face "culture shock"? What types of ceremonies are offered at this university? Are there additional ceremonies that would be beneficial? How is achievement recognized with respect to learning and the development of learning communities? How is play celebrated? How might the university and hall community be more inclusionary? What might be done to welcome greater diversity? Summary This discussion has focused on the development of learning communities within a residential setting. Central to this discussion has been the presentation of overarching concepts for the development of learning communities. These concepts were presented with the hope of stimulating thought and discussion on an individual's campus about ways to assist students to become both successful academically, and also as active participants in a residential community. References Astin, A. (1985). Achieving educational excellence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Boyer, E. L. (1987). College: The undergraduate experience in america. NY: Harper and Row Coe-Perkins, S. (1999). Keynote on community. UMR-ACUHO Conference. Etzoni, A. (1993). The spirit of community. NY: Simon and Schuster. Fulghum, R. (1995). From beginning to end: The rituals of our lives. NY: Villard Books. Peck, S. (1987). The different drum: Community making and peace. NY: Simon and Schuster. Peterson, R. (1992). Life in a crowded place. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. About the Author Bob Mosier is the Director of Residential Living at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Bob has over 21 years experience working in various positions related to housing management and residence life, and also experience working in the University Counseling Center at Stevens Point. Throughout his professional career, Bob has served ACUHO-I in the roles of President, Publications Coordinator, and Journal Editor, along with chairing various committees. Bob is a recipient of the ACUHO-I Leadership and Service Award and the UMR-ACUHO Distinguished Service Award.