As incoming freshman, students are given the opportunity to apply and become a part of a Living and Learning Community to ease them into college life.
There are six living and learning communities offered to students. These communities include voices of justice, academic and career exploration (ACE non-residential), academic and career exploration (ACE residential), environmental-and-awareness-themed hall (EARTH), realizing dreams and honors.
Students who join a community live together on campus and take at least two classes together.
“The living and learning communities help the incoming freshmen adjust to college life and makes it easier for them to make friends,” Neil Gogno, sophomore English major and master learner of the honors living and learning community, said.
Students in ACE residential, voices of justice, EARTH and realizing dreams live in Xavier hall. Students in the honors living and learning community live on the fourth floor of East Residence Hall.
“Living with and having some of the same classes with the same group of students promotes community within that group of students and helps them to form lasting friendships,” Gogno said.
Students involved in a living and learning community not only benefits socially but academically.
“The LLC also provides the incoming students with the resources in the form of their LLC professors and their master learner to succeed in college, both academically and socially,” Gogno said.
Each living and learning community has a master learner who was previously in a living and learning community and is an upperclassman. The master learner lives on the same floor as the incoming students and is available to help them with homework and studying.
The living and learning communities also have faculty directors and faculty fellows who are teachers that teach living and learning community classes as well as extracurricular activities.
“Living and learning communities also provide a wealth of resources, from a Master Learner who lives on the floor and has excelled in the living and learning courses to classroom coaches who serve as writing and class tutors to help students succeed in their LLC classes. LLC students also get to know their professors and work closely with them,” Dr. Darryl Mace, assistant professor of history and faculty fellow of voices of justice living and learning community, said.
The overall goal of the living and learning communities are to facilitate a smooth transition from high school to college.
“I really enjoyed my experience with the Honors Program here at Cabrini. It helped to have the same people in multiple classes and to then have those people living on the same floor as me,” Gogno said. “I would strongly encourage the incoming freshman and their families to seriously consider living and learning communities as an option. They can really help students through their first year of college.”
