Elon University’s Office of Residence Life has once again made headlines. The Greensboro News and Record recently showcased Elon’s nationally ranked learning communities.
In addition, residents of these communities participate in the Learning Community Challenge—a semester long program that encourages students to meet residents of other communities and establish closer relationships with those they live with on their hall. Students gain points for attending events ranging from athletic contests to speakers presenting on a myriad of topics. Communities can also challenge one another in the program, allowing residents to further increase their connections on campus. Students are encouraged to submit work that receives a grade of “A” or “B” to gain points for their community. Why do they do this? Many students have their eyes on the $200 first prize that will be awarded to the community with the most points at the end of the semester.
Communities will be able to use the prize money as funds for programs they wish to pursue in the spring. Some floors have ambitious plans for trips to major cities. For these floors, winning $200 can’t hurt.
More than 200 students live in Learning Communities, offering residents the opportunity to connect with students and faculty with common interests and goals. Each community is focused on a particular area of interest; among the most popular are Service Learning, Communications and Creative Arts. Possibilities of topics range from academically-focused areas such as honors, Elon College Fellows and the Math, Science, Engineering Community, to special interest communities such as the Outdoor Learning and Health/Wellness. Other communities include La Casa de Español and the International Pavilion.
U.S. News and World Report included Elon’s learning communities as a “Program to Look For” in its 2006 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.”