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Serving Students Through Multiple Learning Community Models, Howard N. Shapiro

Scholarly Publications

The learning communities program at Iowa State University began in the early 1990s as a localized effort of some faculty and staff and has grown into a thriving multiple-model program that enrolls approximately half of the first-year class. Currently, students are enrolled in a wide variety of learning communities, from those designed for specific academic majors to general residential programs. In the 2002-2003 academic year, 2,139 students participated in 46 communities organized into 119 teams. Assessments indicate that learning communities at Iowa State provide students with myriad academic and social benefits. All these communities hold in common an interest in …