Living-Learning Communities

The Whittier College faculty and Department of Residential Life have partnered together in creating exciting living learning opportunities for first year students.

At Whittier College, learning does not start and stop at the classroom door. It also takes place right where you live, in the residence halls themselves--in lounges, in the computer labs, in the study areas, in the courtyard and in your hall, just a minute or two away from your room.

Living Learning Communities consist of groups of 15 students taking two linked courses together, one of which is INTD 100 or INTD 90, the Freshman Writing Seminar. Students taking the linked courses as a group of learners also live together in one of the two first year residence halls, Stauffer or Johnson Hall.  Students are housed together as roommates and/or in rooms in close proximity.

Each LLC has a Peer Mentor and Peer Tutor. Peer Mentors and Peer Tutors are upper class Whittier College students who work with first year students directly in the Freshman Writing Seminar. Both Peer Mentors and Peer Tutors direct a seminar called Poet to Poet Seminar that introduces students to Whittier College and helps with first year students’ transition.

Peer mentors and tutors also meet and work with students outside of class on other transition issues such as managing their time, preparing for classes and participating in college events, clubs and organizations. First year students will be asked to participate as a community with the other 14 students in their LLC in four Whittier College events. Students are encouraged to participate in groups or individually in all College programs, events and activities throughout the year. Each LLC has a faculty mentor that usually teaches their Freshman Writing Seminar. There is also a member of the Student Life Team that serves as the liaison to the entire group, who encourages and guides students with extra-curricular activities.

The Living Learning Lecture Series occurs in the residence halls. Guest speakers offer lectures and discussions on how to manage your finances, how to finance your education, issues of sexuality and gender, the benefit and advantage of acquiring a liberal arts education and drug and alcohol education.

College is a time of personal growth, independence and exploration. But growth, independence and exploration require a supportive community to give students both the safety and the challenge to move forward productively and successfully. It takes people who care about you to both help you remember the values and ideals you grew up with and to broaden your vision to see new perspectives and ideas. In a diverse, international environment the program offers the atmosphere of a small, friendly community with all the resources that Whittier College has to offer.

OBJECTIVES FOR LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Community
1. Develop healthy academic relationships with peers, staff and faculty, both in and out of the classroom.
2. Develop and define community norms and standards.

Communication
3. Participate in activities that provide opportunities for critical thinking through written and oral communication.

Cultural Perspectives
4. Develop the skills and attitudes needed to live harmoniously in a diverse residential college community.

Connections
5. Facilitate successful transition to college.

BENEFITS OF LINING IN A LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY

Living Learning Communities provide...

  • opportunities for academic and social engagement
  • students, staff and faculty with opportunities to learn from each other
  • purposeful structuring of the learning experience so that students find meaning in what they are learning
  • intellectual interaction with faculty, staff and students, both in and out of classroom (fieldtrips to museums and areas of cultural richness in Southern California)
  • opportunities to improve student's academic performance and social and intellectual integration
  • students with a sense of community responsibility. (Integrity, Honesty, and Cooperation)
  • opportunities to develop the ability to accept and process multiple perspectives
  • a community that is accepting of all members
  • the skills and knowledge needed to resolve conflict