1. Living & Learning: Restructuring our Living Learning Programs
Lindsey K. Fields, M.S., M.Ed., LPC
Assistant Director for Residence Life
University of North Texas

2. University of North Texas
Just under 38,000 total enrollment
14 Residence Halls
Approximately 6,300 residents living on-campus
180 Resident Life Advisor Student Staff
Resident Assistant
Housing Ambassadors
Facilities Assistants
24 Hall Director Staff
Hall Director, Assistant Hall Director, Graduate Assistant
75th largest public research university in the United States
Doubled the number of Residence Halls since 2000
25th largest on-campus residence hall population of a public university in the U.S.

4. Here today to Learn:
Little bit about UNT’s Living Learning Communities (LLCs)
History of LLCs at UNT
Why a change was necessary and how the change was implemented
How LLCs are transforming at UNT moving forward

5. What is a Living Learning Community?
Undergraduate Students live together
Participate in academic and/or extra-curricular programming designed especially for them
May have an academic focus based around a specific college, major, or related group of academic programs (ex. Health Professions, STEM)
Students are often offered courses as a cohort
Programming occurs on-site in their residence hall that helps them explore their chosen focus

6. Levels & Characteristics of UNT LLCs
Students live together
RA identifies with the focus area of that community
All of Level 0
AND
Academic support from the Department or College
All of Level 1
1 or 2 courses LLC students can enroll in together OR
Mentorship designated by the academic unit to work with LLC students and provide out-of-class programming
Level 2 Characteristics
Faculty member, or TA/TF that is connected with the course(s) is involved in Residence Hall with the purpose of connecting academic material with LLC students

7. Why was a Change Necessary at UNT?
LLC Mentors stayed in positions for YEARS
When one person left, it was often a void to fill
Leadership within academic units changed and were not aware of LLCs
Some people are like clouds, once they are gone it’s a beautiful day.

8. Meetings with People
Meeting with new Director and Associate Director leadership within my own Department
Meeting with VP for Academic Affairs for Faculty Engagement
Meeting with Academic Associate Dean’s Council
Meeting with key stakeholders in academic units

9. Key to Meetings with People
Teaching what Living Learning Communities are in a way that Faculty and Academic Staff understand and value
What points do you think you need to bring up when speaking to faculty or staff about Living Learning Community engagement opportunities?
I had to teach the teachers
Educate the educators
Speak their language

10. Key to Meetings with People
National Best Practices
Research
Theory
Data – retention, GPA
How this will benefit the academic unit by participating
I had to teach the teachers
Educate the educators
Speak their language

11. Student Benefits to Living in an LLC according to the NSLLP
Find the social and academic transition to college easier.
Engage in course-related faculty interactions and experience more frequent faculty mentorship.
Attend classes more regularly and spend more time doing homework.
Engage in more community service activities.
Are less likely to participate in binge drinking.

12. What the data tells us - RETENTION
1.8% Higher Retention rate of FTICs in LLC
FTICs Non-LLC
3.54% higher retention rate comparing All LLC students to all Non-LLC students

13. RETENTION OF FTIC ON-CAMPUS
FTIC Males in LLC’s retained 6.7% higher
FTIC Females in LLC’s retained .68% higher
*Males are retained at a statistically significant higher rate for the FTIC Male cohort that participated in a Living Learning Community compared to those on-campus FTIC Males that did not participate in an LLC.

14. G.P.A. benefits of FTICs in LLCs compared to Non-LLCs
Male
+.148
Female
+.05
*Both Male and Female FTIC cohorts who participate in an LLC have higher Fall 2015 GPAs than those Male and Female FTIC cohorts who do not live in an LLC.

15. GPA – Fall 2015 cohort (Fall Grades) Comparing cohorts within the building
In LLC and applied for LLC N=
Rest of Building, NOT LLC
N =
GPA
DIFFERENCE
Pre-Busi LLC Majors 40 97
+.051
RTVF LLC Majors 45 66
+.128
Art LLC Majors 46 75
+.261
CMHT LLC Majors 21
+.324
Education LLC Majors 24
+.408
Music & Jazz LLC Majors 59
162
+.439

16. What LLCs are UNT Students interested in?
Quality of Life survey
24.99% response rate from Fall 2015 all on-campus population
Explanation of a LLC at UNT
These communities give you an opportunity to live and interact with other students who have the same major or area of interest. If you had an opportunity to live on a community of residents who have a shared interest with the goal of having specific events, mentoring, and academic support provided beyond the general housing experience (with no extra cost to you), please select which communities you would consider joining in either, or both, your first year of college and/or upperclassmen years: (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)

17. Learning Communities: New Ideas

18. Learning Communities: Existing Communities

19. What do UNT Students Want?

20. Fall 2017… moving forward
Proposals and structure now in the hands of Colleges and Departments
Partnership between proposing Department and Residence Life is redefined
Sponsored LLCs commitment for 3 years
Assessment support from Residence Life
Budget support from Residence Life
Shared marketing responsibilities for prospective students

21. In the hands of Academic Units
Proposal Timeline
Proposal Packet
Communication Process
Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines

22. Results
Most colleges followed through on verbal commitments to support the LLC program
Reasoning for not following through on college support was there was not a staff member that was charged with this in their job description within Academic Affairs
Increased course connections!

23. Themed Communities
These communities are designed to provide community space for students who share a common interest or academic major together.
Studies show students who live together among others who share the same major benefit by often having higher grade point averages and are less likely to change their major within the first year.

24. Themed Communities Living Learning Community Location Note
Art & Design
Kerr Hall
Same location
Education
Music & Jazz
Bruce Hall
Moved to 1st floor of Bruce – why? Practice mods are down there! Proximity is important.
UNT SERVES
Rawlins Hall
Mentor – Tuesday meetings at 5:30 every other week

25. Academic Communities
These communities are in collaboration with specific Colleges and Schools on campus and connect with the academic major department.
These communities have a course component, academic support, and a focus on connecting with students through a staff or faculty member outside of the classroom.
It is important that students who opt-in to these communities are intending to pursue the academic major congruent, or identify with that target population with the LLC (because of the course enrollment component).

26. Academic Communities Living Learning Community Location
Course Component
Engineering
Crumley Hall 2nd and 3rd floors
MATH 1710, or MATH 1720, or PHYS 1410
Health Professions
Maple Hall
CHEM 1410 and 1430
Science, Research, Math
Journalism
Kerr Hall
JOUR 1210
Media Arts
COMM 1010 and recitation sections
Psychology
Clark Hall
MATH 1680
Pre-Law
Rawlins Hall
UCRS 1100 – 1hr credit
MARTIAL Eagles

27. Honors College
PSCI 2461 – Dr. Bethany Blackstone, Faculty in Residence
HNRS 1100 The Good Society, Honors Faculty
HNRS 1500 Research Methods, Honors Faculty
Only Rawlins Hall residents will enroll in specific sections of these courses and the class will be taught in the Rawlins Multipurpose Room

28. Recommendations Strong budget framework
Flexibility within structures of LLCs per community
Consider currently existing programs within academic units and help them draw connections to what they’re already doing to LLCs
Attend ACUHO-I LLP
Determine how this may impact the RA position
Determine how to structure involvement of professional staff

29. Information I can Share & What additional questions do you have?
PowerPoint from today
LLC Proposal Packet for Academic Units
Data suggestions
Lindsey Fields
Assistant Director for Residence Life