The Daily Bulletin Archive

Learning communities at Buffalo State have helped first-year students make strong academic and social connections on campus during the past decade. As the number of traditional learning communities continues to grow, other quasi communities with different structures are beginning to take shape—and produce similar effective results.

The Biology Department experimented with a new model last semester in which a section of BSC 101 taught by Amy McMillan, associate professor of biology, included only first-year biology students. Those students also took the same types of courses to round out their first-semester experience. In addition, the Theater Department continued a program that began in 2008 in which first-year theater students took 10 credits together.

According to Doug Koritz, assistant dean of intellectual foundations, learning communities allow students to make academic and social connections on campus, and help them develop closer relationships with faculty. They also particularly benefit first-generation and minority students—both of which, he said, are an integral part of Buffalo State’s student population.

“Research shows that learning communities can be effective no matter what structure they have,” Koritz said. “Learning communities help students explore concepts that they oftentimes would not experience until their junior year. The focus on liberal arts provides direction for students, which is so helpful because many are unsure how they’d like to focus their studies.”

Rita Zientek, associate dean of the School of the Professions, explored the affects of themed learning communities on academic success in her 2008 dissertation for a Ph.D. in higher education administration at the University at Buffalo. Zientek chose the topic because she wanted to study something specific to Buffalo State that affected all schools across campus.

“The transition from high school to college can be difficult for many students, and first-year attrition continues to be a problem for many institutions,” she said. “The results of my study showed that participation in learning communities generally resulted in higher first-semester grade point averages. Learning communities can light the fire for students’ desire to learn.”

McMillan, whose BSC 101 class focused on “The Evolution of Evolutionary Thought,” said teaching about critical thinking and writing felt like a new experience. Students also took varying sections of CWP 101, CHE 111, and BIO 211 or BIO 213 but relied on BSC 101 as the base for their first-semester experience.

“The class offered a loose-enough agenda to have heart-to-heart talks about larger issues, such as advising, study techniques, career tracks, and courses needed to successfully graduate as a biology student,” McMillan said. “Students felt like they were part of a community and learned more about the Buffalo State ‘system’ because of the structure.”

First-year students in the Theater Department took classes in acting (THA 226), play reading (THA 189), theater fundamentals (THA 216), and a practicum (THA 230) for a total of 10 credits, in addition to sections of CWP 101 and BSC 101. Drew Kahn, professor and chair of the Theater Department, first tried the model in 2008 and will continue it because of its success.

“We are recruiting classes of students now,” he said. “While we’re not an ‘official’ learning community, we recognize the importance of having our students learn as an ensemble throughout their years at Buffalo State. These student-artists will be working together academically, artistically, and socially to build sets and perform plays.”

Kahn is convinced the learning-community-like structure helps first-year students quickly become more advanced. “They gain tremendous confidence in seeing that the whole department is behind them,” he said. “The shared experiences help students adapt to college faster and provide a consistency of expectations, vocabulary, and skill sets.

“The structure also helps students on an emotional level,” Kahn added. “I think the psychology of how a student feels about the college experience translates to the stage. They need to feel comfortable with their surroundings to take risks on stage, be themselves, and reach their full potential. Our faculty are able to push for rigor, and we’re able to better ascertain where students are in their development, which creates a richer casting process.”

The Biology Department hopes to have as many as three biology-only sections of BSC 101 in the fall, while the Theater Department plans to continue its cohort experience for at least another three years.

“For students who work hard, it’ll be fantastic to see the relationships grow as they move on to the upper classes,” McMillan said.

“By being responsive to students’ emotional needs through learning communities, we help create a group of students who are ‘hungry’ to learn,” Kahn said. “The structure allows for true connections and caring, which is so important to academic success.”