Living Learning Center
What do we mean by “Living Learning Center?” The college experiences that change lives don’t always happen in the classroom. Our students learn from each other every day through how the live, eat, study, and play together. Students also learn through campus engagement, service learning, and career and internship exploration. Three integrated pillars underlay CBU’s Living Learning Communities: living together on one dorm floor with students who share a passion for the same academic theme; taking 1 or 2 core classes with other students on your Community’s floor; and doing fun, free activities together relevant to your interests both on campus and in Memphis coordinated by the Professor that directs your Community. Freshmen in all the Living Learning Communities participate in the First Year Experience Program’s series of conversations with their student Resident Assistant about their academic, social, and personal adjustment to college life and their long-term success at CBU.
Read about CBU's Living Learning Center on pages 44-47 in the spring 2011 issue of Southeast Education Network (SEEN) magazine!
Universities across the country have embraced living learning programs as an opportunity to engage students more fully in the college experience. Studies show that students who participate in living learning programs develop better critical thinking skills, are more likely to explore service-learning or volunteer activities, and make a smoother transition to college life. Most importantly, these students know that lessons don’t stay in the classroom; they eagerly bring knowledge gained in one setting to a variety of others.
Traditional campus buildings have a single purpose. Academic buildings hold classrooms, laboratories, and lecture halls for formal learning. Student centers serve as less formal gathering places. The library, set apart from both, is a quiet space for studying. In most cases, residence halls are even further removed from the heart of academic life. CBU’s Living Learning Center, on the other hand, purposefully integrates a seminar classroom, study spaces, a faculty Learning Community Director’s office, and large social gathering and event spaces with a traditional dormitory.
CBU’s campus is constantly evolving to support the best possible education for our students. CBU has been committed for 140 years to the Lasallian tradition of creating a supportive academic home for students, built on the solid foundation of faith, service and community. By studying together in small classes that promote discussion and interaction with faculty, playing together on athletic teams and participating in campus organizations, students grow as part of the campus family. By making our Living Learning Center a home for today’s innovations, we’re building tomorrow’s leaders.
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